Bb
Dutchess County New York

Jul 06, 2017

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Sheath/Scabbard, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Trail Master

This knife is a beast!!! purchased it from my father's birthday he absolutely loved it. super sharp! thick blade makes it heavy but a good heavy you know you have quality in your hand. excellent workmanship a must have in your arsenal! will be purchasing one for myself shortly.

Philip Hall
San Diego, Ca

Jan 18, 2014

Pros: Weight, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Incredible knife for the price

This will be my heavy work knife to compliment the Mora Carbon Bushcraft I carry. Right out of the box the Cold Steel Trail Master was hair-shaving sharp. I am impressed with the fit and finish of this blade considering the extraordinary price I purchased it for from KnifeCenter.com. You know the specs and there are plenty of field review videos on YouTube to substantiate the claim this is truly a workhorse of a knife. My only question for Cold Steel is an explanation of the tang design and how the Kray-Ex handle is attached. I would certainly recommend this to anyone looking for a great value, production knife of this proportion.

Rob H.
Southbury, CT

Sep 28, 2010

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Materials, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Sheath/Scabbard, Finish

Trail Master SK5 High Carbon

This is an excellent all around backcountry knife. It's great for chopping and excels at batoning. The only criticism is that you did away with with the black powder coat. I personally beleive that was a big mistake. Other than that...it's a great knife. Also, instead of a leather sheath, this knife should be sold with a Kydex sheath. Rob H.

Twinstick
Western NY State

Dec 28, 2010

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Excellent knife !

Both of mine have the black coating on the blades---why did you stop that? NO MILITARY person would want a knife that screams "here we are", if used in a tactical situation. I LOVE this knife. Feels great in the hand. Much lighter than it really is. GREAT chopper. Not afraid to BTH outta it. I would trust my life to it in a minute.

Happycamper
Seattle

Aug 18, 2014

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Trail Master Excellence

The knife itself is well made with a great balance and feel. The sheath is great, it holds onto the knife firmly but also allowing one handed draw, and upside down carry. The Trailmaster is a massive blade with an all around overbuilt feel. the .25" thick blade is tough as nails and honed to a razors edge out of box. The 4 versions of this knife that have come out the Carbon V steel the SK5 steel and the 0-1 tool steel are the "lower end" versions of the knife for around $150. The VG1 San Mai III steel is the premium version and for my taste its too brittle for such a heavy hard use knife. I have a SRK and the ODA in San Mai III and love them, the hardened inner core is perfect for light knives like that. I would reccomend the regular steel version of the Trail Master and the Recon Scout. all 3 of the available steels make great hard use knives. I was hesitant to trust 0-1 steel but am actually a fan, its fairly rust resistant and is tough enough to get the job done. Its fairly easily resharpened and holds and edge quite well. I wouldnt hesitate to buy the Recon Scout or the Trail Master again, I just wouldnt spend the Extra money on the San Mai 3 versions of these heavy use knives

Adam M
Glasgow, Scotland

Apr 04, 2015

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Great knife

Really great knife, great for survival. Very sharp. This is a huge knife surprisingly light but good for chopping chunks of wood. You could build a log cabin with this thing! Good grippy handle feels sturdy and absorbs some shock from batoning. I would reccomend bringing this knife and a smaller knife for finer tasks when out in the wilderness. You also get a good sheath with the CSTM. Thoroughly recommended.

Jake
Germany

Apr 15, 2013

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

why didn't i buy this earlier??

THAT IS A KNIFE! The only concern I have is that moisture could maybe get below the handle and cause the tang to rust. But my whole blade was covered with some oil or fat, maybe they also put it below the handle. Hope so. That beautiful satin finish... it will stain after use because there is no chromium. Maybe I will force a patina with some vinegar and get a convex grind on it. Forget the overpriced san mai III - this is just as good. I gave it a plus for "weight". Not that I like heavy knives but the weight is distributed very good. It is more lively than I thought.

Ragnar
Québec

Oct 05, 2009

Pros: Blade Material, Overall Quality, Weight, Materials, Finish, Sheath/Scabbard, Handle Material

Cons: None

''he's got a knife'', thats not a knife, this is a knife!!!

Awesome outdoors knife, not too small, just about an excellent medium/large size. Feels great in the hand, VERY SOLID, i wouldn't see it fail on me. Perfect tool for wood processing and survival uses. Wished the sheath was made out of cordura for the weight and lack of water retention, but the leather one is very nice still. All said and done you just can't go wrong with this knife!

Brian Wright
Milwaukee, WI

Jul 08, 2011

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

My Awesome Trail Master

Hello Since when did China become Japan and Japan become China, because my Cold Steel Trail Master, like the rest of the newer ones in SK-5 steel and in San Mai III stainless steel, are made in Japan, and the old Carbon V steel version Trail Master was made in the good ole USA. So, I don't see a China-made knife in there anywhere. Besides, SK-5 steel and San Mai III Stainless Steel are both Ja[anese steel, not Chinese steel. And to the guy that gave the Trail Master a low rating and degraded it while praising a cheapest knife ever Mtech., are you mental? Are you insane? Because what you are saying is that a knife that wholesales for maybe $5 (Mtech) is a much better knife than the awesome Cold Steel? I used to work for a man who owned a tool business, and whenever he would go to the tool selling shows and buy tools, he would alwsys purchase a line of Mtech knives. He would get like maybe 100 of those knives made by Mtech, and he would buy the whole lot of them at a wholesale price of $40. When he did ask the salesman if the Mtechs were any good, the salesman would laugh and say good for what? Good for nothing maybe!! But then my friend would jack the price up for each one, deending on what it was, from anywhere between $20 and $60. I bought one once, and even with basic using it, it broke 2 days later. You comparing the wonderful awesome Cold Steel Trail Master knife to a cheap, useless Mtech knife is a real knee-slapper and laughing joke! I'd never in my life heared anything so funny! Dude,LOL, you have a lot to learn about knives! Bottom Line, the Trail Master by Cold Steel is most definitely one of the best high quality knives you can buy, and they are well worth the money. But, dude, stick with your cheap Mtech crap! LOL! Maybe you can sell that comparison to some 10 year old who doesn't know any better and will believe you and go out and buy an Mtech over a Cold Steel. Then, in a xouple days it will break, and he will be sad and pissed that he believed some lame dude's comparison (yours)! LOL Be careful though, because that kid just might come back and try to sue you! LOL !!

Brian
Wauwatosa, WI

Jul 26, 2011

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

My Awesome CS Trail Master SK-5

My Cold Steel Trail Master Sk-5 steel knife is awesome. Mine did not come with the leatehr sheath, as it came with the awesome Secure-Ex kydex sheath. But as awesome and durable as it is, I still plan to have a leather sheath made for my Cold Steel Trail Master knife. I love my knives to have that old school "War-time Vietnam" type look, even though I as not in Vietnam. My dad was, however, several times, as well as Korea. So when i have the sheath made, I am going to have it made with the awesome holes where the handle sits for lanyard ties, and also at the bottom for the leg ties! I want it to look original and authentic, like in the movie First Blood and Rambo 2. I love those movies and those knives, and pretty soon I am going to buy me a genuine high quality hand made First Blood knife. But until I do and even after I do, my Cold Steel Trail Master and my SOG Tigershark Elite and Super Bowie knives will certainly do the trick! Ohh I almost forgot to mention this: The other day I decideed to gun-blue the blade. I just did not liek the shiny silvery finish that they sell them with now. And once I was done bluing the blade and letting it cure, it looks so awesome. I blued it a couple different times, and it looks almost solid Black with a little Blue tint. But it gave my Trail Master that deek dark rugged midieval look, and that is what I wanted. The blued blade next to the shiny Brass pommel just looks absolutely amazing, and I cannot wait to have a high quality hand made leather sheath for it as well! Thanks for reading!

Alessandro
Italy

May 05, 2015

Pros: Overall Quality, Blade Material, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Best bowie knife for the price

My favourite cold steel fixed blade. This knife is affordable and well built. The Blade is thick but light and fast. Not the best chopper in the world but one true all purpose knife. I have used this knife mostly on wood and the steel performance is quite good. It's easy to sharpen and so far I've not experie ced any chipping, denting or bending of the edge. Even if the blade is thick, the knife is light and fast. The tip is almost sharp, which is a pain for my use because when I do batoning with it I destroy a lot of batons. Anorher downside of the knife is the sheat. It's sturdy and locks the knife in place quite well, but I don't like the edge touching the hard kydex... It ruins the sharpness of the blade. Anyway, I'm very happy with this knife, it's one of the more versatile, though and beautiful knives I've ever seen. There are better performing knives in terms of edge holding, rust resistance or other characteristics, but the o-1 trailmaster is pratically unbeatable considering the price/quality ratio.

Tom M.
Pittsburgh PA.

Dec 18, 2014

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

WOWSER!

I bought this knife for hiking the Pennsylvania Big Woods. What a nice balance and heft. I've been a fan of Cold Steel products for a decade or longer and this is one of their best. Thank you for the great service/shipping.

Ty Bull
Sundre, Ab

Feb 05, 2015

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Beauty Knife Love It

Love this knife feels very solid in hand balanced ver nice is an amazing chopper all round amazing survival knife comes razor sharp. holds edge very well have battoned and choped and never had a problem the handle is good grip wet or dry love this knife the. sheath has no rattle even though I've had trouble with secure x cold steel sheaths with other knives fits tight no problems

Karl
Chicago, Illinois

Feb 07, 2012

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Strong knife, great cutting power

The knife is a big chunk of steel that can cut anything you put in front of it. It's better than anything else on the market really. If you want a big knife that can do alot of chopping or batoning or stabbing, smashing work, then look no further. It's a bit more expensive than other knives, but it's totally worth it. There are alot of bowies on the market, but this one is the most sublimely conceived and designed because of its shape, thickness, edge geometry, full flat grind, handle shape, guard, tip strength, speed, balance.

Sgt Granquist
sweden

Oct 14, 2010

Pros: Overall Quality, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Sheath/Scabbard

Awsome big survivalblade...

I use this knife when I go roughcamping in the woods. It´s a very good knife for the larger tasks like wood processing and/or shelterbuilding. If you have a knife like this in your pack theres no need for bringing an axe cause it will do just about any task an axe can performe. The thing that I dislike the most about it is the leather sheeth atleast if it gets wet.....

Tom H
Illinois

Dec 28, 2018

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Holy Slime-Ball, Batman!

This thing came slathered in enough KY Jelly to do 50 proctology exams. They must have had a problem with Trail Master reaching the consumer sprouting a rust bloom. No chance here. I just wonder how I’m supposed to get it all out of this Secure-Ex sheath? They need to start providing a clean-out/drain hole at bottom of their sheaths. I’ve drilled them into backs of sheaths myself on a few of Cold Steel’s sheaths, but, it is a delicate operation; not drilling through the other side. You could drill through both sides. Spyderco, Serrata’s sheath (excellent knife, Available/In Stock as I write this @ KnifeCenter.com), is drilled through both sides of sheath at factory. It makes for good air flow. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Trail Master has been reviewed so many times, I won’t bore you with much. Cold Steel’s Kray-Ex handle is perhaps the grippiest grip in the industry. I had a Cold Steel VG1 Tanto Fixed a while back (since gave it away). The Kray Ex handle was so, aggressive, I believe sandpaper would have been less abrasive on the hand. The handle of Trail Master is not that aggressive, but provides a firm, comfortable, and most secure grip. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Trail Master’s Secure-Ex sheath really isn’t that bad, as is. But, I like to take them and make what I call, Bomb-Proof sheaths, by wrapping them in leather. You can change the belt retention/knife retention to the way you like it, and the Secure-Ex sheath then becomes a most safe/ secure sheath liner. Easy weekend project; try it, you’ll like it. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Trail Master is a great value in a most capable camp knife, or, for any purpose you have in mind. As good as a Randall, or, even a Bark River? Only time and use will tell.

Eric
Oslo

Mar 04, 2011

Pros: Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Handle Material

power trip

one reviewer commented that the handle was hollow and the tang would rust away... I can assure you that the handle is NOT hollow and while the tang is not full width, it is quite substantial. Excellent machining and grinds, sharp, strong and it's simple lines give it very strong eye appeal. I've griped about Kraton before, and I still say it's grippy but too soft. Wears out faster than G10 or micarta. This really my only complaint. Dollar for dollar it is a great buy.

Justin R
Camp Verde, Az

Nov 20, 2013

Pros: Overall Quality, Blade Material, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Sheath/Scabbard

Nice no frills outdoor knife. Came very sharp. Sheath leaves a bit to be desired, but it works. Grind lines extremely sharp and symmetrical. O-1 steel is tough stuff. Would recommend.

Chachee
S/W Michigan

Aug 20, 2014

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Excellent Trail Master

To be used during Hog hunts. Nice build quality. Handled one of these before buying & would suggest the same to anyone interested. This is a Large knife! No cons.

Philip H
San Diego, CA

Jan 31, 2014

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Exceptional Tool, Exceptional Price

Typically I carry two fixed blade knives in my kit. My smaller bushcrafting knife is a Mora Carbon Bushcraft. I bought the Trail Master as my heavy task master. Heavy chopping, batoning, machete work, etc. I've only given the knife a taste of these duties so far but it has performed flawlessly. Very good steel, came with a hair-shaving, razor sharp edge, good, slightly forward balance and very comfortable handle. While I could have spent hundreds of dollars more on more exotic, custom made blades, I am very confident that this Cold Steel Trail Master is going to provide me with many years of durable service, requiring an occasional sharpening and protective oil wipe of the blade. The Secur-ex sheath holds the knife very securely and seems more than adequate for it's purpose. Plenty of lashing holes, good drainage, and a unique dangler belt loop. Very pleased. Would much rather keep a high carbon blade in this than a moisture retaining leather sheath.

John
Hong Kong

Nov 13, 2012

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Great bowie

Mine is Carbon V blade, razor sharp and tough. Never regret to have it. Trail master is one of the best in my knife collection.

Peteatomic
Minnesota

Apr 03, 2014

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Real Good Knife

I use this knife for about everything. It's real good. You can do about anything with it you need to do. You can clean fish with it, clean deer or other game with it. I've had this knife for years, and it's got wet and in the snow and all that, and hasn't rusted or anything. So, it's a nice buy.

Woodsman Turley
west virginia

Aug 12, 2012

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

my camping bowie

Super sharp and easy to keep that way best bowie knive on the market I also have the sanmi 3 forget it sk5 is better for me because its so much easier 2 sharpn yes u got to oil it but I love mine

Elton S
Vancouver ,British Columbia ,Canada

Apr 04, 2017

Pros: Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Weight

Absolutely love the knife.

I , found the knife heavy ,especially nose heavy ,but not enough to make it feel awkward. I found the overall quality very good ,especially the grind of the blade ,the blade that is so thick ,wow , it's just an all round wonderful knife ,.a great tool ,I'm very glad that I made the decision to buy it , thank you Knife Center ,you have a great site ,I saw many things I didn't even realize you carried , thanks again , I'll be back.

Jozef
slovakia

Feb 27, 2013

Pros: None

Cons: None

Trailmaster

Perfect ...

Spanky
Bellingham, WA

Sep 09, 2009

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Overall Quality, Finish, Blade Sharpness, Materials

Cons: None

Great Knife and a Great Value.

As always Cold Steel delivers a high quality product at a very reasonable price. If you have not done so already, I would urge you to watch Cold Steel's "Proof" video link on this knife. The video demonstrates the real life capabilities of this knife. It would be very difficult to find a knife of such quality at a lower price.

Al G
San Clemente, CA

Jul 31, 2015

Pros: Weight, Blade Material, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Handle Material, Sheath/Scabbard

Excellent Camp Blade

Great for chopping and heavy cutting chores, love the near 1/4 " blade thickness. Very strong blade. Would like more weight in the handle to balance this blade out as it is very top heavy.

Dun R
Colorado USA

Oct 23, 2015

Pros: Weight, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Handle Material, Sheath/Scabbard

TrailMasters, Past and Present

I would give each of these knives a "5" BUT FOR the fact that the kraton grip works loose and needs attention after a time. Not just on one knife, but several I and/or friends have owned and used. This wasnt as annoying as it could have been cuz I have been installing elk/stag grips for years, but for some it could be an issue having the kraton work loose... The kraton is a bit too "rubby" on the palm for my liking. Also the sheaths are crappy nylon or some such material, adequate until you can make a new one. YMMV THAT SAID... When I got my first TM, I asked "Will it shave?" and proceeded to harvest a crop of arm-hair from my lower left arm... before anyone could warn or stop me.. nice broad swathe, better than most any other knife in my experience to that time. The guys present still rib me about that one... Those first knives were the lamented Carbon Five steel, later in 0-1 and then San-Mai (another sort of horse entirely).. The later ones are just as good as the C-5 blades and Cold Steel seems to have maintained quality control over the years. I/we have used these knives for general carry, hunting, camping, knocking around, and (EEEK!) even a bit of digging here and there and trimming plants in the garden and on the property. Gutting and cutting deer, hacking bone even.. Getting used to a large-ish blade may take a little time in hand but it will do most anything a smaller blade will do, plus things a smaller blade cannot do, like chipping up firewood. It's no axe obviously but is very useful, handy in the original sense of the word, and will take and hold a scarey-sharp edge. I have other knives but carry the TM over many others.. These are blades I have "bet my life on" and keep one on my "outdoors" open-carry pistol belt. No bull, best quality for the money. IMO.. Ive been looking for the shorter 7" version just cuz...

Anthony
New York

Jan 04, 2016

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Sheath/Scabbard

Great Knife! ....wish the sheath was better

This knife is really high quality and comes 100 percent outdoor ready...sharp edge, 90 degree spine with no coating, and a perfect weight for outdoor/survival use (IMO). The only downside to this knife is the sheath, specifically the fitting. It is very loose and will easily slip out if the retention strap is not buttoned down. Even with the strap down the knife slips significantly in and out. The material is fine, which is some sort of plastic, but the fitting is not. With the price of this knife I would expect a better sheath... Having said that, I would definitely recommend this knife.

Serpentine
Green Bay WI

Jan 22, 2010

Pros: Weight, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Handle Material, Sheath/Scabbard

Great factory knife.

This knife, while made in china. Has very great quality. Ive copped down 30+ 6-8 inch trees. Battoned firewood stacks upon stacks of wood. No defects in the steal, no chips, Used it in wisconsin winter. Great knife, Great feel. Thick as a pry bar, splits wood like a dream. Not many knives are 5/16. Rock solid hilt. Only things that suck are the handle material. Its pretty slippery in wet conditions. And the Sheath is pretty low quality. The rambo leg tie thing breaks off, The leather comes unstiched after some use. And the leather holding strap and snaps come apart. For 25 bucks buy an extra sheath and this knife will serve you well for years. Id trust my life with it. Made in china tho, what can I say.

Tristan
europe

Feb 22, 2011

Pros: Weight, Overall Quality, Materials, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Sheath/Scabbard

think I did the right choice

Iza W
The woods, of course

Jul 10, 2017

Pros: Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Finish

Cons: None

Trail Master

I like big knives and this is a quality knife at a very good price. O1 steel takes and holds a decent edge and the fit and finish on the knife is good. Being a high carbon steel, the knife will need some maintenance to keep from rusting but I bought this knife to use and don't mind if it develops some patina with use. The sheath is light weight, offers good retention and is relatively maintenance free. I do wish CS would increase the size of the drain hole but that is an easy modification. It's an awesome chopper, battons well and does a decent job carving, and slicing. I like it.

The Dude
East

Oct 16, 2009

Pros: Materials, Blade Sharpness, Overall Quality

Cons: None

The best

amazing knife. Only thing I would change is the top guard. Its just in the way.

B
Brinkley

Feb 08, 2014

Pros: Weight, Overall Quality, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Handle Material, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard

Big,Heavy,Balanced.

There's nothing i can say that has not already been said.It all comes down to what YOU want.Are there other knives out there that can do everything the TM does? Sure.At the same price? Yes,some for less$.My TM has not done anything "special" when compared against my BK9,or Boker Vox Rolled Camp Knife in D2.Or my Ontario Rtak10.Or my Ontario Rat7. Or even against my Esee 6.Pound for pound the Esee6,and Rat7,are PowerHouses.Though it's blade is well over 3 in.longer than my Esee6,and Rat7,they can hold their own,especially batoning.But it's what I wanted,so i got one.Get what YOU want and can afford.Don't worry what someone says.The TM IS a good knife.Just don't expect Herculean strength,and Excaliber sharpness.They don't make knives like that.Keep your expectations in check.It's a knife.Not an axe.

Mike
uniontown pa

Sep 17, 2011

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Weight

great knife if you want a new sheath read

i love this knife. if you want a good sheath made for it check out savagemadesheaths dot com. they have all the classic rambo leather sheaths made for tons of knives including the TM. i suggest a black or brown color with a model C sheath. tell him to make the holes bigger to fit matching para cord on the leg flap. BTW the knife is great. i'm grabbing a leatherneck sf today for my bag and day hiking plus just to test it out for the money its a great deal!!!!!!!! this baby is too heavey and big looking unless your rambo or croc. dundee; for casual walking around, chores, rope, food - i would suggest something like a leatherneck, recon scout, srk...or other vendors buck makes a nice knife in s30v the ergo hunter for example. even a recon 1 w/ a tm and your pretty much set. But atleast they use the right sheaths now for the most part. It will rust so keep it oiled and clean as often as possible. usually i just keep it in the pack, and carry a stainless or covered carbon steel blade on my leg that is around 6-7 inches. or just a good spyderco/black rhino/recon 1. more than that it just looks too big in most places and is hard to control with the weight for small things. a nice custom damascus is cool too. it does baton wood well though, although not the greatest chopper (kukri is). a fault of it's design. you can't have it all. overall a nice def/survival knife. you can find nice customs for 150 now though in damascus 1095 or 01 that are much fancier than something like this for the same money 150-170. however a nice rubber/kraton handle is really better even though it's not as cool looking as say an ebay custom knife if you find the right vendor. but it does look pretty good, just simple. no file work, or DH tempering, Hamon, or fancy grinding work. just one big thick piece of mar tempered steel that is ffg, pretty awesome for just grabbing off a shelf. Nice knife. if u want a nicer sheath my friend harry will fix you up. savagemadesheaths dot com tell him mike sent you. Also i mirror polished a TM sk-5 one time and let me tell you it takes like 20 days. it is very tough steel!!!!!!!! they switched to like 1080 which is a little softer so being monotempered like it is i think works well for this knife. it can take some prying. but the handle may rip apart after along time. atleast there isn't all kinds of spacers and stuff to worry about. overall a great knife. owned 2. i do like vg-1 but unless ur going to just plain nothing but water, it will chip a little if it hits hard things by accident like a rock when batoning and its expensive. the srk is not a bad deal though. thanks mike. any questions just post them up.

Brownel D. P
Springfield, Mo

Mar 06, 2015

Pros: Sheath/Scabbard, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Materials

Bad ass knife

I love my trail master one of my best bowie knifes I have.. I own about 15 bowie knifes I really love all of them but the trail master handles the best out of them...

Barnabe
Pacific Rim

Feb 08, 2013

Pros: Blade Material, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Overall Quality, Sheath/Scabbard, Finish

Not terrible, not fantastic

The good news is that, if you've chosen the high-carbon steel version of CS's Trail Master (i.e. NOT the San Mai version), you've managed to avoid an expensive mistake. The SK-5 (or whatever name CS picks next) is durable enough to handle the kind of chores this knife begs for: chopping, baton-ing, heavy-duty work. TM is a big, heavy, sturdy knife, but nothing really sets it apart from other big, heavy, sturdy knives of comparable price, quality, size. It's not especially refined, not fantastically comfortable, certainly not supplied with an outstanding sheath; it's appeal seems to be primarily size and weight. CS is famous (infamous?) for their hype-based marketing, over-the-top product descriptions, and ludicrous "proof" videos, which are intelligence-dampening yet pretty effective in getting fans riled up and defensive (witness comments on various CS products) about CS's product line-up. There are some good CS products, yes, but most CS stuff gets shamelessly overrated. Don't let yourself get sucked in too easily. If shopping for a knife of this type, look carefully at all your other options from other manufacturers. Let knifecenter help you find some to compare, and ignore the CS hype. The TM is not a bad knife, nor is it the stroke of genius it is often made out to be.

Ken P.
Wood Stock, GA

Aug 31, 2011

Pros: None

Cons: Overall Quality, Sheath/Scabbard, Finish

Cold Steel Trail Master

I was very dissapointed when I saw "MADE IN TIAWAN". The quality has gone way down since the days when all Cold Steel was MADE IN JAPAN. The finish has minor scratches and the blade attachment to the handle had gaps. Unless you tie the bottom of the sheath to your leg...the knife will not come out. If I had to put a value on this knife...Nothing more then $50.

C. G.
McAllen, TX

May 04, 2011

Pros: Weight, Blade Material, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Handle Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Finish

Overpriced

This knife has the exact same design as the MTech Trail Finder. I don't think the sheath and handle material warrants a 140 dollar price tag. I found the MTech version for 40 dollars, and the sheath isn't leather. I'm not saying it's a bad knife but for that price you might as well pay 40 dollars extra for an Esee Junglas.

Md_Knife
Silver Spring

Oct 06, 2010

Pros: Weight, Blade Material, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Handle Material, Overall Quality, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish

Look elsewhere

Would be a good buy at about $50. You could then have it rehandled properly with a quality handle, properly fastened to the tang, and preventing the tang from rusting away. The stock hollow rubber handle is not sealed, and allows water to enter, causing the unprotected tang to rust. A generally nice blade, but with the very poor quality handle, I can't recommend this knife at the full retail price. Maybe at $50 as described above.