It comes in a Cold Steel branded box with all the correct photos and markings - if I didn't know that this is a clone - I could easily think the box is original.
The knife came reasonably sharp, pretty smooth (possible to open and close one-handed) and makes overall good first impression.
I took it outside for some wood cutting and spine whack testing.
Pros:
- Strong, rugged construction - First of all the knife has zero bladeplay in any direction, even after I spine whacked it about 10 times on a tree. The G10 is pretty grippy, just like the original CS knives. The backspacer/striker is made from aluminum and seems solid.
- Ergonomics - Especially due to the curve in the handle - the knife fits my hand (M) very well in all grips.
- Great weight and balance - this knife has no steel liners, so it is pretty light for the size (5.49oz/155.5g), and feels even lighter due to the near perfect balance between the handle and the blade.
- Awesome looks and character - This is a tactical knife, and it looks and feels tactical from all the angles. The construction, the colors, the feel, even the name - all just screams Military to me.
- The tablet wave feature - it works great, especially since the knife can't be flicked out, due to the design and the lock type.
- The value - at $18 this is the strongest tactical knife I ever had.
Cons:
- Blade centering - it's a little off on mine (I've seen other reviews that said theirs is centered), not scraping the liner though.
- Not the most EDCable knife - The handle is pretty long and wide, especially considering the blade length, so not the most convenient for urban carry.
- The biggest con of this knife is the pocket clip - It came very stiff, so I bent it out a little bit. The pocket clip screws are also not of the best quality and it moved a little bit side to side, until I locktighted the screws.
- The handle screws are pretty soft as well.
The Verdict: This is not an urban EDC or a collectors piece to put on a shelf, this is a strictly tactical kind of knife, built with a purpose to be used and abused. The testing proved it can be trusted and that the lock won't fail - this and other positive qualities (also the price) makes it a great knife option for the ones who serve and the ones who really use their knives to the max and beyond.
Knife can be found here: CS AK-47 Clone
Genuine CS AK-47 here: Cold Steel AK-47 Knife
More genuine Cold Steel knives here: Cold Steel Knives
