Name: Cold Steel 49LRT Recon Tanto Fixed 7" Black SK-5 Blade, Kray-Ex Handle, Secure-Ex Sheath
Brand: Cold Steel Knives
SKU: CS49LRTZ
Price: 53.95 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.571 (14 reviews)

Kort1k
Cupertino, CA

Aug 31, 2017

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

Cons: None

Sturdy, well made for a good price!!!

Well made and sharp knife. Used in camping and on daily crafts with wood. Have not tried penetrate steel boxes as on COLD STEEL videos, - cause will save it for extreme situation :) Only one cons - oxidized blade could fade away. Good to have pure steel blade.

Jeremiah
Cortland, Ny

Sep 23, 2022

Pros: None

Cons: None

Great knife

I got these for my groomsmen and everyone loved them. Great knives!

Matthew
Texas

Jan 30, 2019

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

Cons: Blade Sharpness

Good balance and good knife

I have a lot of knives. CS Master Tanto, Chris Reeve Green Beret, Randall model 3, etc.. I wanted an inexpensive knife that I could carry anywhere and do anything with, to include self defense from bears if needed. I was blown away at how well this knife compares to the aforementioned blades that were 4 to 12 times the price. The handle fits my very large hands, the balance is perfect, the weight is light but not too light, the blade spine is thick but not too thick and the tip is strong. I am ex Special Forces and believe me, I think a lot about the right knife to carry just in case of anything. Honestly, this knife holds its own in the company of the knives I mentioned earlier and at this almost ridiculous price point, is the one I WILL be carrying. It came sharp, but I made it REALLY sharp on a diamond rod. VERY well pleased. BTW, the sheath conceals quite nicely just tucked into your pants under the waistband and I hardly know it's there. For belt carry, I prefer horizontal, so I removed the belt loop that comes with it and added two paracord loops through the sheath holes and slide my belt through the paracord and it rides perfectly and is EASILY concealable with an untucked shirt. Good Job Knifecenter and CS.

Mac
Ewa Beach , Hi

Dec 08, 2019

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

Cons: None

Value+Quality

When rating products, I always take into account the cost versus quality factor. For the price, this knife is an outstanding buy. If I chose to, I could beat this knife and not worry about buying another one. I'm rarely satisfied with the sharpness of knives I buy and this one was no different, It did come very sharp, but I spent some time and put on a surgical knife sharpness on it. Would I recommend this knife to my friends or family? Yup. And if I'm willing to recommend this knife to family and friends, I sure would recommend it to anyone else.

Gabby Rios
So. Calif.

Dec 15, 2023

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

Cons: None

A Great Bang for the Buck Knife

This knife is a great example of bang for buck. It's a very solid combat knife that can also do bushcraft. The Kydex sheath is great with the knife snapping in. You don't need to worry about it slipping out if the strap isn't snapped around it. The only thing is that it is a little large, 7 in., but it's built like a tank. If you come across it, definitely buy it. You can't go wrong with this knife..

Little Stalker
West Virginia

Jul 18, 2018

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

Cons: None

Very Well-Crafted Tanto knife

It doesn't get more classic than this, the Recon Tanto is one of the Cold Steel's signature products, I mostly use this knife for field utility tasks but keep in mind that I never baton or chop with it, since it has a hollow grind which is not good for tasks that will cause lateral stress to the edge. The original purpose of the Recon Tanto is fighting of course, from a fighting perspective this knife is well-balanced for slashing and tip is stout enough for piercing, it's light in hand and the handle is grippy and ergonomic apart from the knife itself, the Secure-Ex sheath that came with the knife is solid and the belt loop's design is convenient as you don't have to take off your belt to attach it, many people had complained about the Secure-Ex dulling their knives, yet I haven't seen any dulling on mine, maybe Cold Steel had reduced the glass particle in the material. I'm really curious about the knife's Rockwell Hardness, Cold Steel never reveal their knives' hardness and I don't know why, I'd really like to know the knife's hardness before buying, because that way I can consider how much work I have to do to resharpen the edge, all in all I love the Recon Tanto.

Ranger Rick
Afganistan

May 24, 2020

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

Cons: None

Motherfukker

In the s.a.n.d.f commando unit 1998 I dispached plenty of terrorist with this knife, never broke in the African bush..a proper kaffer beater and digging up landmines..now I'll be getting one again..

Jeremiah
Cortland, Ny

Nov 23, 2022

Pros: None

Cons: None

Bought as gifts

I bought six of these for my wedding party and I haven't heard any complaints. They all looked great and were very sharp.

James
Toronto, On

Nov 13, 2019

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

Cons: Handle Material, Sheath/Scabbard

Terrific value for the money! Try this for bushcrafting.

I like a longer blade for processing firewood & bushcrafting. This thing is a dream. At 7" it will replace a hatchet for many jobs. One less tool to carry - and a hatchet or axe is heavier. Carry this and a Japanese pull saw instead. SK5 is a tool steel, I've seen it in low-cost blades at only 54-55 RC (lookin at you, CRKT), where it is totally wasted. No deal there. But KnifeCenter claims this Cold Steel Recon is hardened to 64RC - close to max for SK5 (65RC) - and I believe them. What a performer! I've processed hardwood for hours with this thing without noticeably dulling the edge - it's still razor sharp. Chops through small stuff (<3 in.) acceptably - doesn't have the weight of an axe, obviously - but for removing branches etc. it's effective, and more controllable. Too long for whittling, obviously, but light enough that if you choke up on it it isn't unsafe fiddling with small stuff. And the choil lets you do that without fear for your fingers. I like the tanto blade: there are shelters you can build using the blade like a chisel to chop out square holes for squared timber ends to form a joint (similar to post-&-beam construction of a barn). I'm not going to carry a chisel in the woods. And chopping squared holes through small logs (4-6" diameter) is not something you do with a sharp-pointed knife. You'll want to be careful punching straight down into hard woods - I doubt it's impossible to break or bend a blade - but a tanto with sufficiently squared end does the job of a chisel. Bashing the end of the hilt does muck up the rubbery finish on the handle, though. I'm doing most such cuts with a 5" tanto instead to minimize risk of bending the longer blade and bashing up the handle, but much prefer doing almost everything else with this. The Kray-Ex finish on the handle is really grippy. The knife doesn't slip in the rain. And the Tuff-Ex finish on the blade seems to work well to deter rust. This came razor-sharp and still is. I could slice vegetables with it after battoning a lot of birch and maple firewood. Sheath is acceptable; an obvious compromise to keep the cost down. I haven't yet seen dulling of the blade from the sheath, though I have seen complaints about this & understand why it might occur. I would MUCH prefer a leather sheath and would be willing to pay for it! I would be happy to buy one as an upgrade: could you offer one made specifically for this knife, please? Pretty please??? In black to match, I guess. Weight is pretty light, especially given the size of the blade. Overall quality is great. I love this knife! Terrific value for the money! Thank you KnifeCenter! Now offer us a leather sheath for this thing. It deserves a leather sheath! I WILL buy it!

Pete K
New York

Apr 22, 2025

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

Cons: None

A LOT OF KNIFE FOR THE MONEY

I'V' BOUGHT FEW COLD STEEL KNIVES OVER THE YEARS ...THEY'VE ALWAYS BEEN A NICE PRODUCT FOR THE PRICE POINT ...THE 49LRT TANTO WAS ANOTHER GREAT ONE... IT CAME SHAVING SHARP OUT OF BOX ... IT'S BUILT LIKE A TANK.. THE GRIP IS A LITTLE NARROW FOR MY HAND BUT NICE MATARIAL. THE SHEATH IS ALSO VERY GOOD HOLDS THE KNIFE SECURE ..DOES'NT RATTLE AT ALL.

Jason
ohio

Oct 13, 2017

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

Cons: None

some minor changes

The new sk5 version has some changes from the aus 8, and vg1 versions including; going from a saber grind to a hollow grind, a change to the flat un sharpened bit of steel above the guard is now removed, and the coating is no longer tuff-ex.

Tom
USA

Mar 05, 2020

Pros: None

Cons: None

Good as it gets for the price

The biggest thing separating the Recon Tanto from the competition under $50 is the SHEATH.. Most brands cut corners by producing the most basic sheath possible,which is usually nylon, or inexpensive plastic,which doesn’t hold the knife firmly in place, and has limited mounting options. Secure-Ex isn’t Kydex quality, but it’s arguably the next best synthetic sheath. SK5 is an economy steel that’s easy to work with and plentiful. SK5 is tough,and holds a decent edge, but it’s nothing extraordinary, and performs along the same lines as 1095 if properly treated. Don’t mistake “AS QUENCHED” for being the FINAL Rockwell hardness. Cold Steel has used SK5 for many years and typically runs SK5 in the 58-60 range,except for the Bushman knife which is rc-54.. The powder coating is going to flake/chip/peel off,it is what it is,powder coats are cheap, and are notorious for doing this,it’s not a big deal,unless you allow it to be. I recommend stripping the coating and allow a natural patina to develop, or force a patina using acidic liquids. I prefer the look of a natural patina, but ymmv. Maintain the blade and you won’t have any issues with rust. This is a beater/user knife that allows you to save your expensive knives from unnecessary abuse. Buy one or three and use them.

Matthew
Texas

Feb 08, 2019

Pros: Weight, Overall Quality

Cons: Sheath/Scabbard

Good balance and good knife

OK, there has been a lot of discussion if Securexe sheaths dull knives. I have been buying knives and making knives since the 80's and I know a little. Got the knife and I LOVED the balance and the overall knife. Problem is, I kept noticing that MY razor edge on the knife kept dulling without any use except from occasionally removing it from the Securexe sheath. I made a leather sheath for it and GUESS WHAT? Problem solved. I don't know if it is the hardness of the non-stainless steel (which I know that it is not) or the sheath, but, leather sheath = sharp knife. YOU do the math.

Alfred
Pasadena, Ca

Dec 07, 2018

Pros: Weight, Materials

Cons: None

Made in a Taiwan

These knifes are etched Made in Taiwan not Made in Japan. There are Recon Tantos’ out there that are stamped Japan and that is what I thought I was getting according to a Knife Center’s description.