Cold SteelSpartan 4.5 in Japanese AUS10A Blade Tactical Pocket Folding Knife w/Tri-Ad Lock and Griv-Ex Handle w/Steel Liners

This is a great quality knife from Cold Steel. The functionality and lock type/strength are easy to manipulate and hold up very well. The blade shape is unique, compared to many of the other cookie cutter types out on the market currently. Yes, it is a larger knife and is not a small EDC knife you may just put in your pocket. That being said, when closed up, it is still manageable to carry. There is also an ambidextrous pocket belt clip. Has been used for a variety of different odds and ends jobs since purchasing and has held up great.Was razor sharp out of the box and have not had to resharpen since purchasing it. Construction is very solid build and the handle makes for a great fit in the hand the way it is contoured. This is one many Cold Steel I own and the current price point (52% off) is a no brainer. The blade is AUS10A, which has help up very well and kept and edge when compared with a higher quality options out there. For the size, the weight is not at all uncomfortable and blade thickness is proportional.Great knife.

I’ve known about the spartan blade for about 13 years. At the time I didn’t feel comfortable paying a high price for a folding blade. I mainly wear fixed blades like the buck 119 or a gerber strong arm or a mora Garberg. But you can’t always wear a fixed blade on your belt in public. This spartan knife is absolutely phenomenal. It’s very sharp and the grip is perfect and the Tri-ad lock mechanism is very, very strong. This knife is probably stronger than most fixed blades. I got two with Amazon prime and I’ll probably buy more for family. I like to ride a motorcycle and I’m always thinking of good riding blades. I love this knife. Very strong and high quality. Cold steel has never let me down with their products. This can be used as a camping knife, hunting knife, self defense knife etc. I just went on a date and I was wearing this the whole time and no one noticed. I didn’t want to make the girl uncomfortable haha. Thank God. It’s absolutely wonderful. If I can select ten stars I would. But 5 is the only option.

Hearty. Sharp. This came very Sharp. I hit it with a strop and it is now cut your fingers off Sharp. Built solidly. Some people have stated that it is to large for EDC, I disagree. I keep it in my back pocket with my wallet and it is out of the way when not needed. The size does cause one issue though. It is not as easy to open as my smaller knives are. Or as fast. But I may get used to this with continued practice.

Good solid work knife! Just like every knife I've got from Coldsteel this knife is a workhorse it will happily take the daily abuse a work knife is expected to take. Every Sunday I sharpen it and it holds the edge all week. This is the only knife I have in AUS 10SS and i'm impressed.

My first thought upon opening the box was: 'Wow! What a ridiculously large knife'! It is probably the heaviest, largest 'pocket knife' in my collection. It came razor sharp, locking mechanism locks up good and tight and the ergonomics are perfect for my hand. The grivory grips are secure and 'grippy' so no need to worry if it will slip out of my hand while using. The pocket catch ( to open as it is being pulled from the pocket) takes some getting used to but with practice becomes second nature. The pocket clip is just the right size so as not to interfere with the grips while holding it, and keeps the knife secure in my pocket. Opening and closing are very smooth, and the 'klack' sound it makes is very satisfying as well as intimidating ( for social work should the need arise). Would I carry this every day? Probably not, due to its massive size, but it is definitely a keeper. As a knife afficianado I am very pleased with the purchase.

Love it. Knife come out with the quick release just great!!!

I’ve considered this knife for years, finally catching it at a pretty good price. While I’m not put off by weight (I have a 4max scout I really like for example) this had a rep as a brick, and similarly the overly defined handle made me concerned my big hands would fit. They do, barely.The thumb plate wave opening works pretty consistently. I find it a little better than on the AK-47. It’s a good thing, because shy of that or two handed opening , this is hard to open otherwise. Trying to flick it open with the thumb plate is difficult , and despite being pretty good at inertia opening knives, this one’s nigh impossible.However once open , the blade feels very good in hand, nimble even. The kukuri style blade kept me away for a long time , but I finally got semi-competent at sharpening knives , so now it’s not an issue.The 4.5 inch blade is very point and sharp, with good belly for slicing. The triad is about middle of the road for CS for stiffness.

The knife is solidly built and meets my expectations in terms of quality, but there's one major issue—it's nearly impossible to open or close. I'm a fit guy who lifts weights regularly, yet I struggle with this blade. The locking mechanism, while great for safety, defeats its purpose if it’s so hard to release that it becomes a hazard. When it does finally snap shut, my fingers risk getting caught in its path.To safely close the knife, I have to use both thumbs to push down on the locking release simultaneously. And as for deploying it quickly? Forget about it. The effort required to open this knife using the Emerson Wave technique would likely rip my pocket—and maybe my underwear—right out of my heavy-duty jeans. So, in a self-defense situation, unless you're planning to throw your torn, stained underwear at an attacker, this knife isn't going to help.I could return it for a refund, but I'm too quirky for that. I bought this as a birthday present for myself and have this irrational belief that I’m meant to keep it, despite its annoyances. Maybe there's a lesson here, or maybe I’m just stubborn. And everything else about it is great. Either way, this knife is staying with me—for better or worse.