EDC Tactical Folding Pocket Knife, Recon

This is going to be a kind of long review so let me give you a quick summary. If you are looking for a hard work knife or a knife for self defense, the cold steel recon 1 with the spear point blade is a fantastic choice. I haven't had any issue with it and if you watch any videos on the recon 1's strength, you won't be disappointed. The Blade itself: I chose the spear point version of the Recon 1. It has a strong tip which can be used for semi delicate tasks. If you need a delicate tip, get the clip point. If you need a heavy heavy use tip, the tanto is a surprisingly good choice. That being said the spear point gives you a good balance of both worlds. My particular Recon 1 was not as sharp as some of my other knives. It was also ground more on one side than the other, which made my cutting edge slightly offset to the right. I re profiled the edge and sharpened it a bit more and now it is almost razor sharp. It is hollow ground which, so far, works great for slicing, not push cutting, but slicing. Materials: The blade steel is CTS XHP steel. From my experience with it, it is fine grained which lets you put a super sharp edge on it. It will easily shave hair off of my arm. It was slightly harder to sharp than s30v(another really good steel) but the edge is very durable. It polishes really well, which again leads to a super fine and precise edge. The blade is coated with DLC(diamond like coating) which is a huge improvement. I haven't really been able to scratch or scrap it, so I don't know what it takes to damage the coating. I have cut wood, cardboard, plastic and not a single blemish on the coating. The handles are super aggressive textured g10, no steel liners. It's a super strong and rigid handle, while still being light weight. Ergonomics: I wear large sized gloves and the Recon 1 fits in my hand perfectly. Its a secure grip and I can even choke up on the knife (putting my index finger on the area between the blade and the finger choil) for a more precise cut. The pocket clip doesn't feel uncomfortable while holding the knife. In pocket the Recon 1 is somewhat on the large side, but its not too bad. It does stick out of your pocket about half an inch. For cold steel, half an inch is really good. The thumb studs are reversible, using only a flat head screw driver, and are very functional. No issue what so ever with the thumb studs. The lock, which has no noticeable play in it, is slightly hard to disengage, but it gets better to open as the knife ages. That being said, the triad lock also becomes stronger as it ages, which is good design. BE CAREFUL: when closing the knife, it has a spring in it which pulls the knife back into the handle when the blade is about a third of the way open. Make sure your fingers are not in the way. It is sharp, and it will cut you if you don't pay attention to it. It sounds stupid but there's a couple videos out there of people getting cut because they didn't move their fingers out of the way fast enough. Conclusion: I use the recon 1 as a hard use work knife. It feels and is strong. Its a comfortable knife that feels like it'll last a long time. I have yet to have any issue with it after fixing up the edge geometry. If you want to use it for self defense, it has tons of traction, but in an emergency situation, the thumb studs are some what small. With a bit of training, that shouldn't be an issue. I would absolutely recommend it as a work knife. Maybe not as an edc, but if you can get past the bulk, its a relatively light weight knife and it has so much capabilities.

Cold Steel Recon 1 Spear Point - This is my first Cold Steel purchase and it fills a former void in my collection perfectly. Regarding a couple comments I acknowledged before making my decision to purchase: * Yes, it's a big knife - but for a big knife it isn't at all heavy. No doubt due to the fact that it appears there are no steel liner supports beneath the scales. * Yes, the G-10 scales are aggressive - but that is EXACTLY what I wanted. The Recon 1 in hand is definitely a formidable and impressive tool. The action is a deliberate utilitarian experience. The knife, in a vehicular analogy, is more of a serious Bug-Out Vehicle than a seriously luxurious SUV. The lock-back mechanism also requires a conscious mechanical action. The blade line-up is perfect and the blade lock-up is rock-solid in all directions. It arrived remarkably sharp. A true work of functional beauty. As a point of reference, I bounce between a Mechanix Large or XL depending - and the Recon 1 feels custom made for my grip. I do, however, find that the thumb studs are pretty far away, and I found opening the folder required some getting used to. My technique is to get it just past the detent, then use a little wrist action to send it into 'Ready For Anything' position. Interestingly, it has bullied its way into my EDC lineup. Yes, it does take up some real estate in the pocket, but realistically, so do most of the big bellied sub-3" knives I own. Carry options are certainly a very personal choice, but I tend to lean toward bigger, rather than undersized. After all, you never know what sort of task or unplanned event might greet your day!

Perfect size. I have slightly large hands and 3.5" knife just does not feel right. This 4" knife is perfect. Super Sharp. Only reason that it does not get a 5 is the pocket clip. As noted in some other reviews, the clip is way too tight out of the box (comes with 2). The clip against the textured G10 scale makes it very difficult to remove from the pocket. I will have to work on that. Also the edge is sharp, but not very smooth. Some polishing of the edge will fix that.

This is one of the best EDC knives I have ever had, the Recon is strong and comes extremely sharp, I touched it up with a strop, and it is like a razor, I think Cold Steel makes some of the strongest and best knives , cant think of any reason you wouldn't love this knife, The G10 is NOT too aggressive, it is perfect, I really like the Triad lock up, I do NOT like liner locks, I have had them fold on my hand in heavy use( as I accidentally hit the liner lock in gripping the tool) Buy the Recon 1, I also bought the Tanto, the Clip Point is hard to find and almost $ 200.00, I bought the Tanto and the Spear Point, not sure which I like better, I think both

The Cold Steel Recon 1 is a great knife especially for what you pay. I have a number of higher end knives that I love and although this would not rank up there is also about half the prices of those knives and I believe it is every bit as reliable. I used it on a daily basis. I am not batoning trees or taking down Grizzles Bears with it, so can attest as to how well it would hold up if that is what you are looking for a knife for. But for daily use and as an EDC it is more than up to the challenge and so far has shown no significant wear. I will say it was very stiff when I first got it, but I just worked it back and forth while watching TV for a couple of hours and by the end of the second night the action was silky smooth. I guess I opened and closed it about 200 times or so to get it to smooth out, which isn't bad at all in my experience.

Cold Steel Recon 1's are my favorite folding knives. I own 5 in every style. For those that are thinking about buying one, pull the trigger and do it. You will not regret it. As with all my CS knives, it was razor sharp out of the box. Watch all the YouTube videos to see what you're actually getting. One of the main reasons for me is the Tri-Ad lock. Knowing I can hard use this knife without worrying about my fingers gives me peace of mind. The Recon knives are super strong, super durable, super sharp, very balanced, very comfortable and a great value. It's a knife you actually look for reasons to abuse. People complain about the stiff clip and aggressive G10. My first Recon tore my pants pockets to shreds. I took a butter knife, slid it under the clip and gently pried it up slightly to get a very small gap. Did the trick. The knife has never fallen out of the pocket. But then again I don't go running up and down mountain trails. I EDC a different Recon 1 depending on where I'm going. My Recon 1's are like American Express..... Never leave home without it.

This is a great knife! I am a cold steel believer, I own over 100 knives of all makers and price range. I always go back to Cold Steel. I have the original Recon with Axis lock, I liked the quickness of that lock better but the handle design of this model is greatly improved. This lock reminds me of my first buck knife, in time you get used to it. It arrived sharp, razor sharp. These days cold steel knifes either arrive Razor sharp or just sharp. Sometimes you need to strop it to put that final touch on. Not this one, you could shave your face! Lockup is tight and construction is strong, you will get years of use that ranges from range work to self-defense.

Just meh. Know that you're buying a Taiwanese made knife, so you get that level of quality. You're buying a decent blade steel with just OK fit and finish. The lock isn't as smooth as a knife in this price point should be, but it is a strong lock up. Also came fairly dull. You'd be better off getting an American made knife at this price point, or even less. I prefer my kershaw knockout to this one, but this will still make a nice beater knife. Just know there are better value picks.