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Cold Steel Vaquero XL 51/2″ Recurved Blade
For many years now I’ve written about the virtues of the recurved
blade. The “S” shape works in such way that it catches within its curve
the material you are slashing at and forces it into the edge rather than
letting it slip as you would see in straight or simple curved blades.
With the Nogales tip that Cold Steel uses in their Vaquero, you still
have a narrow tip that penetrates well.
The latest Cold Steel Vaquero XL has several improvements over the previous models.
Cold Steel Voyager XL Vaquero Plain Edge Knife $50.97
The
blade in the Vaquero XL is indeed large for a folder, 5 ½” inches long
and 4mm thick. The steel is Aus8A, which Cold Steel knows how to heat
treat well and achieves satisfactory results in terms of toughness, edge
retention and ease of sharpening.
The grip is without a doubt one
of the greatest improvements from previous models. It feels comfortable
with space to spare even for big hands. A deep depression where the
index finger rests makes for a generous finger guard, which is something
that adds security and confidence for defensive use and heavy duty
tasks. The clip is smaller than it used to be which is a good thing. Its
only as big as it needs to be, and it comes with a spare clip for left
hand carry. It only allows for tip up carry though.
The “Grivory”
handle is strong, reinforced on the inside with aluminum liners. The
handle has an aggressive cross pattern texture for better retention. The
locking mechanism, a back lock system called TriAd, is one of the
strongest in the market. Bronze washers make for a fast and effortless
opening.
In spite of the size the big folder carries well. Even
when carrying it on normal jeans, walking around, driving or sitting,
you simply forget abut it.
This is a big knife, especially
effective for defensive purposes. It doesn’t hurt either that it’s as
intimidating as few knives out there, which is something I got to
personally test a few years ago. Where and when legal to carry, and when
looking for a knife specifically for defensive purposes, this is what I
would carry. I did in fact carry the old Vaquero for several years in
Argentina.
The knife costs around 50 USD and for that price it has
to be one of the best deals around these days. If defense isn’t the
main role you have in mind for the knife, then the more classic Clip Point version may suit you better and will be easier to sharpen.
Check out my video Review:
FerFAL
2013-03-29 13:50:27
Source: http://ferfal.blogspot.com/2013/03/cold-steel-vaquero-xl-512-recurved-blade.html
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