Swords and Knives from Cold Steel

Anyone know how they made the balisong unable to be opened one-handed?

I’ve always been dumbfounded by laws against balisongs. They’re cool and flashy/intimidating, but pretty silly when you consider the scores of other pocket knives that can be quickly and easily opened with one hand.

With that katana the undead are so screwed!!

Technically, the Paradox isn’t a balisong but a folding knife made to look like a balisong. The hinges have a tension that keeps them closed or open.

As for the legality of the balisong, many states have banned switchblades/automatic knives or those that are greater than 2". In some or more of those states, they’ve ruled that the balisong is a switchblade because of its concealability and how quickly the knives can be opened, rather than relying on the mechanics. People disagree because of the difference in mechanics but this is a “spirit of the law” ruling.

K, thanks, I don’t mind if it’s just tension/resistance, wasn’t sure. Might get one.

Yeah, that’s what I was referring to. Mechanically it’s just like any other folding knife, with the added feature of possibly cutting your own unskilled fingers.

The Grivory Paradox is less than a buck more ($35.90) at Wal-Mart (and free shipping to stores, free shipping home with $45 order)…

I can’t help but think of this every time I think of Katanas for sale
[youtube=ntXkuqZ2Fo4][/youtube]

from those in the know: warrior series katana

I’ve been having an eye on the chaos for a long time now. I am annoyed that I did not see the sale sooner.

edit:
Ended up buying one Cold Steel 11HXLS Hold Out I Serrated Edge Knife.

It should do my ancestors proud.

The Grosse Messer has always had my eye since I first got into sword buyers guide.

Compared to Kult of Athena, one of the best retailers of decent swords, has it priced a good bit higher than Woot so I bought in an instant.
http://kultofathena.com/product.asp?item=CS88GMS

Oh, and for anyone who was interested:

A review from an honest and reliable site.
Plenty of pics of this baby in action. Destruction testing too, for those of us who will only by a reliable blade.

In case anyone is interested, the three swords are 1055 carbon steel blades. 10xx is plain carbon steel and a good choice for swords. They typically contain iron, manganese and carbon. The actual carbon content is the second two numbers, in this case 55, or .55% carbon. The higher this number, the harder the steel.

Now on to the part you care about, can I chop stuff with this?

This all depends on if the blades are properly heat treated. This treatment creates a balance between flexibility and toughness.

I tried to find if ColdSteel heat treats their blades or not but the FAQ makes it near impossible to search the page and I wasn’t going to read through everything.

I agree with Deadering about Kult of Athena though they are a seller, they don’t actually make blades. I highly recomend CAS Hanwei (http://casiberia.com/). I’ve used their swords & blades for sword play and they constantly out-shine any other in our blade on blade work. I’m still on blade one of my primary rapier after 2 years of use.

My 19 yr old owns several Cold Steel swords in his arsenal(no guns). He has the katana, rapier and great sword. The great sword, which is ridiculously huge, was his high school graduation present from his dad and me. My son refuses to buy flea market junk. I’m proud of him—never in trouble, has a black belt, goes to college full time and works. He’s just preparing for the inevitable zombie apocalypse:)

It’s mostly designed friction.

Video of a Paradox that has been modified: - YouTube

Cold Steel heat treats their blades. The Warrior series receives the same treatment as their Emperor series blades but cost quite a bit less as there is less polish on the Warrior series. Check out the video on this one. The blade looks a bit bent after the vise test but the fact it didn’t snap is pretty impressive.

I would have loved to see how bad the sales dropped after that.

I’ve always trusted Cold Steel after trying their machetes. For $20 you get quite the formidable tool/weapon. Those things can take some serious damage and are coated so they do not rust and are matte black. After watching their videos, which are essentially destruction testing mixed with demonstrations of their power, you’ll see they are both flexible enough to bend to outrageous degrees and retain their shape while hard enough to retain their edge after using.

As for Hanwei I wholeheartedly agree. If you are familiar with the Banshee Sword you’ll understand why. They are renowned for their Katana and eastern weapons while Cold Steel is more of a modern take on euro weapons.
Still waiting to get the practical Gong Fu sword…

If that was an easier modification, I’d probably be in for a Paradox. I too live in a state that doesn’t restrict knife sales, so finding a good internet deal on good butterfly/balisong knives is not always easy.

I’m still waiting for the Woot! buyers to get their hands on some Hattori Hanzo katanas to sell. :frowning:

A shame the poly sparring swords aren’t available. Or any of the walking sticks. Can we get some deals on those?

Does anyone know where the Warrior Katina 88BKW is made? Japan, China…