Cold Steel Unleashes Massive New for 2017 Lineup

Less than a month after revealing its patent pending HTR opening mechanism, Cold Steel is breaking with tradition by releasing its entire 2017 catalog ahead of SHOT Show. Including line extensions, the Ventura, California company is introducing an unprecedented 94 new for 2017 products.

Cold Steel will be shipping 19 new fixed blade models and 9 new folders in 2017. The company must be confident in their new HTR Thumb Ramp. The new opening mechanism will appear on 4 of its new folders. They also seem committed to covering a wide variety of price points: new releases run the gamut from entry-level to high-end collector’s pieces as the company broadens its target beyond tactical and hard-use segments of the market.

More color choices also contribute to the large number of new products. “Our approach to integrating new products is relatively simple. If our customers ask for it, we listen and do our best to deliver,” Cold Steel Founder Lynn C. Thompson tells us.

SHIPPING IN FEBRUARY
Immortal
Cold Steel team member Mike Wallace, the man behind last year’s Colossus, designed the equally imposing new for 2017 Immortal. A 4” bladed, gladius-inspired knife, the Immortal isn’t for the faint of heart. This plus-size tactical knife will be available in two color options.

Frenzy
Modeled after the Kabutowari weapon, the Demko-designed Frenzy has an elongated, 5.5” wharncliffe-style blade and two-tone G-10 handle. The long, flat cutting edge and needle point make the Frenzy equally capable as a working knife or for self-defense. A slender profile and lightweight construction keeps the weight well under 6 oz. You can pick up a Frenzy in one of three colors.

Night Force
Cold Steel is establishing what they call the “tactical classy” market with the Night Force. The knife certainly looks both aggressive and stylish with its blacked out color scheme and high-end carbon fiber G-10 laminate construction. It’s outfitted with the HTR Thumb Ramp and a striking, Persian-style 4” blade made of rose-patterned Damascus DSC steel.

Working Man
The Steve Austin Working Man is a modified rendition of the award-winning Pro-Lite. Its drop point blade is not available in the Pro-Lite line, but otherwise materials remain the same: 4116 stainless steel and GFN handle scales. The Working Man is available in three colors.

SHIPPING IN MARCH
Charm
The Charm is probably not the kind of knife anyone was expecting from Cold Steel. This pint-sized slipjoint is designed to fit on a key ring or worn as a watch pocket knife. It still benefits from Cold Steel’s commitment to high-end steel with an 1.25” S35VN blade.

1849 Rifleman’s Knife
Knives like the Frenzy and the Immortal reimagine historical knives in a modern way, but the Rifleman’s knife is much more of a straight recreation. It will probably be a collector’s piece for most customers, but the 12” long 1085 steel blade could easily be put into outdoor use.

SHIPPING IN APRIL
SR1
Cold Steel’s SRK fixed blade is a staple in their lineup. Andrew Demko took inspiration from the popular knife for the SR1 folder. It puts the same beefy, all-purpose clip point blade into a spacious G-10 handle. The end result is what looks like one of Cold Steel’s most robust offerings of the year.

Grik
The Grik would be an unusual offering in anybody’s lineup. A compact, tough folder along the lines of knives like the Tuff Lite, it is the smallest knife to feature the HTR Thumb Ramp. A divot on the blade allows for fine control during cuts, and a molded plastic pocket clip is designed to reduce hot spots during prolonged use.

Khan
The Khan, another Mike Wallace design, is aimed at the same budget-friendly market as the Pro-Lite and Working Man (see above). Blue G-10 scales provide a refreshing splash of color, and the presence of the HTR Thumb Ramp means that even value-oriented customers have a chance to test out the new deployment method.

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Line Extensions
Most extensions are subdued upgrades – new handle colors and blade finishes – but the Pro-Lite line has actually been given a new model: the Pro-Lite Sport. It has a radically different blade shape than the original: a spear point with an opening hole instead of a thumb stud.

Drop Forged Series Gets Bigger
The Drop Forged series debuted in 2015 and is a pet project of Lynn C. Thompson. A trio of new recruits are joining the series in 2017. A Bowie, double-edged Boot Knife, and drop point knife called the Survivalist are all coming out with the single piece, coated 52100 steel construction. Expect these blades to ship in February.

Commercial Series
The 15 blades in Cold Steel’s new Commercial Series are designed to appeal to professionals. Fishing knives, hunting knives, kitchen knives, and even butcher knives appear in the new lineup. Kray-Ex handles and German 4116 steel helps the Commercial Series to hit an appealing entry-level price point for those not used to spending big bucks on their work knives.

Knife featured in image: Cold Steel Grik