That's just insane. I wonder if all the 3V Trail masters are like that, or have similar problems...I emailed Knifecenter asking them to check out the knife prior to shipping.
They inspected it, aaannnnddd it was OVERGROUND and thinner than factory specs. This means that I have never seen a 3V Trailmaster that was not horribly made from the factory, way out of spec. This is a joke, GSM is a Joke.
I think the answer lies in the fact that Lynn loved knives. (I'm sure still does) The current owners probably have zero interest or understanding of the hobby. The bean counters now have it.Either way, it's still insane. Thompson sold who knows how many Trailmasters made of various steels when he ran CS and the vast majority of them were good to go right out of the box. Pretty screwed up how GSM can't seem to manage getting a 3V Trailmaster made right...
I visited couple of knife collecters around me, they all got the latest 3V TM. I have examed their knives in person. Believe or not, you are not alone.There is no greater Cold Steel fanboy on earth than I. My personal Cold Steel collection as it stands is somewhere in the neighborhood of $8K+, so this is extra painful for me.
I just received my $460 (knife center) 3V trailmaster.
It is waaay overground on both sides just like all the others I've seen online. So there's a problem, okay let's see what GSM says...
After being on hold for 15min and explaining it's not a trail cam, I directed her to the review images on the CS website showing the problem. I s#it you not she said it looks like he did it at home and the person who sold me mine, also ground it before sending it to me and there's nothing to do about it.
WTF?
I'm so angry, hurt, disappointed, confused. This is probably more of a cautionary tale about not being a giant fanboy than anything.
QC problems are not rare for CS or most companies in general, but the price point, customer service, general modus operandi of GSM is straight F-ing garbage. Literally makes me want to liquidate all my Cold Steel pieces. Maybe look for a big CS collection in the sale area soon. So done with this brand...
I have yet to see a single 3v TM that is not defective. Knifecenter said theirs is Defective, but not defective enough to send back. So they will sell it to some unsuspecting collector. I thought that was pretty s#itty. The way they put it was that the knife was not up to my standards, but they personally did not deem it enough of a defect to send it back. Canceled my knifecenter order and went to Blade HQ to do the same thing. I called and emailed prior to ordering, but they emailed me back saying that it was not inspected prior to shipping. So I'm sure that one will be going back as well. What a stupid waste of time Cold Steel has become. I'm thinking about the custom route, but didn't really want to spend $800 on a bowie. I really wish I could get a Bark River. Cold Steel sucks, GSM sucks. Breaks my heart.I visited couple of knife collecters around me, they all got the latest 3V TM. I have examed their knives in person. Believe or not, you are not alone.
One exception: San Mai TM, Made in Japan, perfect from any direction. Bought back in 2017 for $150. Now asking price: $280.
I have to say, we now happen to be in Cold Steel Dark Era.
Meh, I bet they’re doing fine. Most cold steel purchasers are probably one and done folks that don’t really need warranty support… and they probably sell enough that they don’t care if they lose a few customers. If sales decline, they’ll just sell it.I'm curious as to the sales figures. What were they before GSM and what are they now? How much money have they lost? I'm sure there's no way that they are selling the way they were prior to the sellout to GSM. Of course I have no proof of this and it's all speculation.
I have yet to see a single 3v TM that is not defective. Knifecenter said theirs is Defective, but not defective enough to send back. So they will sell it to some unsuspecting collector. I thought that was pretty s#itty. The way they put it was that the knife was not up to my standards, but they personally did not deem it enough of a defect to send it back.
That's just insane. I wonder if all the 3V Trail masters are like that, or have similar problems...
If they are, then no chance of getting one that's properly made. On the other hand, if there are some that turned out right, maybe other dealers have them. Knifecenter is a good dealer, unfortunately they don't have much (if any) input as to what they get sent by GSM or any other manufacturer. No doubt same with the other dealers. They can pick what knives they want to sell, but after that, they get whatever is shipped to them.
You could check some of the other internet knife dealers, or you might just be better off having a similar knife custom made.
Either way, it's still insane. Thompson sold who knows how many Trailmasters made of various steels when he ran CS and the vast majority of them were good to go right out of the box. Pretty screwed up how GSM can't seem to manage getting a 3V Trailmaster made right...
Cold Steel used to make art pieces, but also with a price tag of a art piece. How many of you will pay $290 for a folder back in 1998 (black salber)?I have yet to see a single 3v TM that is not defective. Knifecenter said theirs is Defective, but not defective enough to send back. So they will sell it to some unsuspecting collector. I thought that was pretty s#itty. The way they put it was that the knife was not up to my standards, but they personally did not deem it enough of a defect to send it back. Canceled my knifecenter order and went to Blade HQ to do the same thing. I called and emailed prior to ordering, but they emailed me back saying that it was not inspected prior to shipping. So I'm sure that one will be going back as well. What a stupid waste of time Cold Steel has become. I'm thinking about the custom route, but didn't really want to spend $800 on a bowie. I really wish I could get a Bark River. Cold Steel sucks, GSM sucks. Breaks my heart.
To me it is purely cosmetic. I suppose it could be argued that the blade, being a tiny bit thinner than it should be, is also a tiny bit weaker, but it is still plenty stout. That said, if they can't get that right, who knows what else may be a bit "off" where you can't see it, like the tang.I’m not knowledgeable enough to understand if this is a cosmetic defect, or if it has performance implications and sacrifices the safety of the blade. Can anyone explain it please?
Also a defect is a defect, so I’m not asking in bad faith. I really don’t know