In today's review, we present the Cold Steel Recon 1 Clip Point Plain Edge tactical knife, which I received for testing from the WARAGOD online store. I carried and used the knife for several weeks, and in this review I will share my experience and impressions of this excellent knife with you.
To start, let's say a few words about the manufacturer
The American company COLD STEEL, originating from California, has been engaged in the production of mainly knives but also other toys for grown boys since 1980, and is behind a series of innovations in the knife industry. Knives made by COLD STEEL can be seen used by military units, police, rescuers, and self-defense experts. The company deals primarily with the production of cold weapons; in their range you can find tactical, hunting, and outdoor knives, axes, swords, machetes, and various other weapons.
The Cold Steel Recon 1 knife is one of the most popular folding knives from Cold Steel, as evidenced by its long-standing production and constant demand. The blade of the Recon 1 knife is made of high-quality martensitic stainless steel CPM S35VN, which is designed to offer better toughness. The Recon 1 knife is ensured rust resistance, hardness, and wear resistance. Over the years that Cold Steel has produced the Recon, it has been made in various steels and various blade shapes; besides the popular clip point, this knife is also often sought after in a tanto version.
Basic parameters:
- Blade material: S35VN
- Total length: 238 mm
- Blade length: 102 mm
- Blade thickness: 3.5 mm
- Handle length: 136 mm
- Handle material: G-10
- Weight: pleasant 147 g (for such a large folding knife)
The Cold Steel Recon 1 knife fits great in the hand
The handle of this knife is made of the well-known material often used in the knife industry, G-10. The G10 here is somewhat rougher, so until it becomes smoother with use, it may wear on your pockets a bit more, but this is the price for a more secure and safer grip. The knife holds well even with wet or otherwise dirty hands, or in gloves. The ergonomics of the handle are excellent, the knife holds great in the hand, the grip is natural, nothing gets in the way or presses anywhere. The cutout on the upper part of the handle provides good support for the thumb. On the back part of the handle you can find a place to thread a safety cord or paracord - a lanyard hole. The stainless steel clip on the knife is small, it doesn't get in the way, doesn't obstruct; the package also includes another clip - for left-handers. The clip can therefore only be carried in the tip-up style, which personally suits me. You don't need to worry about losing the knife, or about it accidentally falling out of your pocket - the clip is very stiff, in my opinion quite a lot so, it goes into some jeans with more difficulty and the knife is also a bit harder to pull out of the pocket, but that is the price for the fact that losing the knife here really isn't a concern.
The knife is fitted with a double-sided opening stud and features a unique locking mechanism Cold Steel® Tri-Ad Lock™, which prevents it from closing on its own or unintentionally. The Tri-Ad lock is a very clever and safe locking mechanism; on YouTube you can find several test videos, either directly from Cold Steel or from other testers, and you can see for yourself that this knife really can withstand a lot.
The construction of the knife is self-supporting, so the knife does not have steel liners, but I don't get the impression from the knife that these would be needed there. The G10 is sufficiently massive and the scales are sturdy, they do not bend even with rougher use. And the advantage is that thanks to this, the manufacturer achieved a pleasant weight for such a large folding knife.
When opening the knife, you can hear a distinct click, the blade snaps loudly into the lock and it really holds it well, it doesn't budge at all. The blade is opened with the thumb of either hand, the manufacturer also thought of left-handers, the stud is reversible.
Blade
On the tested model of the Recon, we have a Clip point shaped blade. As I already mentioned, the blade is made of quality S35VN steel with a DLC surface finish. The blade with the DLC finish gives an elegant impression, and I can also see tactical use here; a slight downside might be that the blade immediately picks up scratches, you can really see everything on it. Over time, you also have to expect that with some harder work the DLC will wear off in some of the most stressed spots, but for me that adds patina to the knife and shows that it isn't idle, but that it is actually being used. Likewise, you have to expect that the blackening will also wear off the clip; with blackened clips, in my experience it's sometimes a matter of a few weeks before the clip starts to show patina, but as I write above, that's part of a knife that's actually used, and the Recon 1 is really no polished "showcase piece", but a knife for a proper man.
The Recon 1 is an excellent slicer, it glides through material like butter, it can be a great helper as an EDC, as a knife for lighter work in the forest (after all, it's not a full tang type knife), it also serves as an excellent helper when cooking on trips, and of course there's also the possibility of using the knife for self-defense (although I don't want to get into this sensitive topic, that possibility does exist). The knife easily cuts bread, vegetables, fruit or portions meat, but it also handles finer work excellently. Thanks to the hollow grind, the cutting performance of the blade is truly excellent. Also worth mentioning is the smooth surface finish, thanks to which friction between the material being cut and the blade is minimized to the maximum, which also greatly facilitates cleaning the knife after use.
In conclusion
For me, the Recon 1 is a very good candidate for an EDC knife, it's a reliable companion that gets the job done, whether in classic urban use, tactical use, or use in nature, camping, or hiking. After the few weeks I carried it, we've gotten used to each other and there's really nothing to fault it for, maybe just a stiffer clip and the DLC finish on the blade, which picks up scratches quickly, but as I already mentioned, that's the price for the other advantages the knife offers. I very quickly understood why this knife has been so popular for years and how it earned its fans, because today I count myself among them too.
