COLD STEEL COUNTER TAC I 5"

I bought this knife for self defense only as I don't believe a "dagger point" will be much good for anything else. The knife came razor sharp on both edges with a wicked point. It has a full tang and feels quite sturdy. The shape and length of the handle fit my hand perfectly. I was worried about all the nubs on the handle, perhaps being made of soft rubber or something else that would not be durable. The handle material is quite firm yet very "grippy". I have read some reviews where a buyer has complained that one side of the knife is flat while the other side has the normal raise triangle shape associated with daggers. It's true that the top of the knife has beveled edges and the bottom is actually concave. But I personally see this as an advantage. I don't think that a true "diamond" shaped dagger would slash as well or as deeply as this knife will. The blade says that it is made of AUS 8A steel which as I understand it, is considered an upper mid-range steel. It is marked as made in Taiwan, which I don't find to be a deal breaker. The blade is straight, the edges are well ground and sharpened. There're no tooling marks or defects that are visible. The "Secure-Ex" sheath is black plastic material and holds the knife firmly in place. It has a removable belt loop if you're going to secure to your Molle with straps. This isn't a high end fighting dagger, but then you're not paying high end prices for it either. Overall, I am very happy with this knife purchase and feel that I won't be disappointed at all.

The knife for the price is quite good. It’s a decent steel and a strong full tang. However the grind pattern is unorthodox making it not really a good slicer. It will be able to slice but not as good as other knives. This is primarily a self defense knife specialized in puncturing and it should do the job quite well but not really versatile for utility because of the grind. The grid however makes the tip stronger and more durable. The sheath and clip are also quite good providing good retention for both the knife and when clipped to your belt. I don’t need to use my thumb to deploy the knife. The Handel is contoured and fits my hands rather well with good grip. For context I’m 6 feet tall.

Tri angular blade pro file. See the nice profile in the picture? Well the backside is slightly concave. This does'nt really hurt anything but it would have been nice to know. It is sharp and when I do need to touch it up, I will use my ceramic hone to get the backside in one pass. Sheath holds the blade well. Made in Taiwan.

Perfect fit for my hand. This knofe is a bit big for a concealed carry situation, however for a defensive blade I don't think you can do much better than this. Triangular wound channel that would be created by this blade would be very hard to repair. 40% of stab wounds are fatal, this blade would qualify if it needed to be deployed in that manner. I found however that it is just a bit big for an EDC situation. Still a good blade and I do personally like Cold Steel products, I think they are a great value for money, often times with good steel that is easily sharpened and holding a good edge. If you need a good sticking blade this will do nicely.

As I said - Meh. Blade is fine- sharp enough, flat on one side so easy to get into things. Sheath is UTTER TRASH (like all Cold Steel sheathes). Clip is horrible and breaks if you look at it wrong, Cold Steel doesn't care, so you're looking for a way to keep it on to your belt. Holes don't line up well for a standard 9x9 MOLLE belt clip like a Tek Lok. Not the worst knife I have, but not nearly the best, either.

Looks like a very competent knife. Ideal for "get away" situations. Probably less so for fine work around the camp but that is not its purpose. Not as sharp as some other Cold Steel products but that is due to the acute angle of the grind and the thickness of the blade. It is plenty sharp, and the real issue here is the pointed nature of the blade for thrusting. That leaves nothing to be desired. Very sharp at the point. I think this one is a keeper.

Cold Steel is really sleazy for showing front view of knife and not the back side also. Back of knife is flat and does not have the groove in the blade shown in front view. I am done with Cold Steel better options from other knife makers...

Watch some videos on YT of Lynn Thompson explaining this design, and it will make sense. This was made with a very specific purpose, and bushcraft ain’t it. Strictly a self defense knife. A lot of negative reviews are from people trying to use it for purposes other than intended.

Great

Comprei a faca e gostei de tudo, porém com o uso a própria bainha da faca deixa ela cega.

Ist nur von einer richtig geschliffen und es war kein Bild dabei wo das beschreibt

Una vez más se cumple lo dicho. Explico. Compré la daga a mitad de precio y pensé que buen trato pero o sorpresa que era una daga totalmente mal terminada en su geometría y el afilado, terrible. Así que la tuve que regresar. Bonito diseño y letal en si pero mal acabado. Manita abajo para control de calidad de Cold Steel. Saludos.

Very sharp. Nice symmetrical grinds...a must, especially for daggers. Thick Japanese yari style blade, (flat on ground on one side) might not appeal to some. Steel is not the best by today's standards but adequate. The guard however is Kraton rubber same as the handle, a bit soft and flexible, ends might rip off from hard use and time. One of the best looking boot knives around. IMO