Cold Steel

Why r/BuyItForLife recommends Cold Steel

6 mentions from real owners

• #1Aug 9, 2025

  What's the best BIFL item you own?

  Best BIFL items I have: Kitchen: Le creuset : Standard Dutch oven The big frying pan 11.75” Sauce pot - the smaller kind Tea kettle Vitamix Blender Zojirushi Induction Rice Cooker Cold Steel chef knife - $26 https://a.co/d/18dqGoL I’ll die on this hill. I had Miyabi, Henckels, all kinds of fancy pants $500 knives. This $26 knife beats the shit out of them. Sharp, strong, throw that bitch in the dishwasher… sharpens to a razors edge and holds it. 5 years old, still like new. It’s also super thick, so you can abuse it pry bones then go finely chop garnish. I love this goddamn thing. Bonavita Coffee maker - 12 years old works perfect. Outdoors/sports/hobbies: Tikka rifle - will go to my grandkids. TRX - training system - nylon webbing - no reason for it not to last forever Pentax 645 Medium Format lenses. I’ve been using them across camera systems for decades now. Still like new, so smooth and beautiul. Got them new old stock from Japan 20 years ago. Unbelievably cheap at the time. Like $75 a lens. I have 4-5. You can adapt them these days to any mirrorless camera. Travel: 1x saddleback slim briefcase still like new after 10 years 1x WP Standard , duffel bag, they don’t make the one I have anymore, but it’s similar to this: https://wpstandard.com/products/panam-duffle-bag Boots: Redwing Iron Rangers (most comfortable) Blundstone boots (daily drivers, also crazy comfortable) Mephisto winter Boots Tecovas Ostrich “Dean” boots. So unbelievably good looking, comfortable, and the quality is excellent. I don’t wear them too often, but they will last forever. Ostrich is a very tough leather. VIBA slippers, best fucking house footwear ever. The “Roma Leather” Clothes: I destroy all my clothes, these are the things that have survived the longest: Double RL dress shirts , western style overall, reallllllly expensive but they just get better and better with age and last and last. I wear these to work, and no tears, wear marks or rips. “By Robert James” dress shirts the quality is exceptional and he’s a small business. https://www.byrobertjames.com/ If you like “John Varvatos” style, but want it to last more than one washing or wear, buy Robert James anything… Furniture: I’ve had great experince in quality and longevity with Crate and Barrel. Yes, big brand, at least up until a few years ago, their furniture is made pretty well. A friend works in the industry and she said they are the last big manufacturer to make real furniture. I have a few RH pieces, like wardrobes, dinner table etc, all great, but from about 15 years ago. Not sure how they are doing nowadays. This is all natural selection. These are the items that have made it through the gauntlet of life, both reliability, but also usefulness, utility, and aesthetics. They look good, they work, and I actually use them.

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• #2Aug 2, 2025

  Anyone keep a “BIFL Roster”?

  For the smaller axe, I was deciding amongst a few including the Cold Steel. I love my maul so much in the end I decided to go with a company I know and wanted to continue supporting after really helpful customer support interactions and a truly exceptional experience with the first product. Glad to get your perspective 🙂

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• #3Aug 2, 2025

  Anyone keep a “BIFL Roster”?

  Honestly, as someone who owns both, I would skip the Small Forest Axe and get a Cold Steel Trail Boss instead. Save $160 and put the money into a better pair of rebuildable boots instead of the Timberlands. The trail boss is going to do everything the small Forest Axe can and will last just as long (forever) with the same care, and has a slightly longer handle which actually gives it a bit more utility if you're actually using it as an axe and not just splitting kindling. The Timberlands are decent work boots, but aren't BIFL. Tradesmen get maybe two years out of them. They've got a glued heel, so they aren't fully Goodyear welted and thus not really resoleable, so once they're worn out they're done. A decent leather resoleable boot is going to last many times longer.

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• #4Dec 3, 2015

  BIFL : Commander by Emerson Knives the only knife you can completely take apart and the warranty is still good

  People seem all the rave about sebenza. Is it really that good? Also, I thought cold Steel was notorious for making really tough knives. Their triad lock is really something. Kabar from what I'm aware is a really reliable brand too, though I've only heard about their fixed blades.

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• #5Dec 2, 2015

  BIFL: tactical knife under $50?

  Cold Mini Recon 1. Save up a little more and go with the new CTS XHP steel. http://www.amazon.com/Cold-Steel-Recon-Point-27TMCC/dp/B00U1I95XY Join us over at /r/knifeclub :-)

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• #6Dec 2, 2015

  Kitchen knife for personal use

  A rough budget would probably be helpful. The victorinox chef knife is what I have and it performs well at a great price. Serrated knifes are hard to sharpen but have a look at the cold steel utility knife, bread knife and the giesser tomato knife. If you do make use of serrated knives these ones are excellent.

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