Trail Master 9.5" CPM 3V Razor-Sharp Clip Point Blade 5.125" Kray-Ex Handle Tactical Fixed Blade Knife W/Secure-Ex Sheath

Short version: Buy this one. It's good. You won't be sorry. Seriously, stop reading this and buy the knife. Considerably less short version: I bought a Trailmaster Bowie in Carbon V when they first came out and were still made in the USA. I cold blued the blade and carried it on my web gear for years. As one might expect, it took quite a beating over the years, but it did everything I asked it to do, and it always sharpened up shaving-sharp. Wonderful piece of American steel, still have it. This new one is forged from CPM 3V , and this is what the Google AI summary has to say about CPM 3V vs Carbon V: "CPM 3V steel is generally considered significantly better than carbon 5 steel, particularly in terms of toughness and resistance to chipping, while still offering good edge retention, making it a preferred choice for applications requiring high durability and impact resistance, especially in knives, where carbon 5 steel might be more prone to breaking or chipping due to its higher carbon content and lower toughness. Key differences: *Toughness: CPM 3V is significantly tougher than carbon 5 steel, meaning it can withstand more impact without chipping or breaking. *Edge Retention: While CPM 3V has good edge retention, carbon 5 steel, with its higher carbon content, might hold an edge slightly better but at the cost of reduced toughness. *Corrosion Resistance: CPM 3V is typically considered more corrosion resistant than carbon 5 steel due to its alloy composition." The new one has one or two slight differences from the original, the most notable of which is a steel crossguard instead of the original's brass - but that's just my esthetic preference. It comes with the new Secure-Ex composite sheath, which I like much more than the original leather sheath and the first model ballistic nylon sheath (which is the one I had on my web gear.) Other raters have complained that the Secure-Ex sheath is just that bit too tight and it can dull the belly of the blade. Time will tell, and I'll update as appropriate. The Original Carbon V was $80.00 US back in the mid 1980s; as of 26 JAN 2025, this new CPM 3V was $280.00 US, and it came out of the box razor-frickin'-sharp! Do I need this one? No probably not; my 40+ years old original is still going strong, but boy howdy, I sure did WANT this one. My opinion - money well spent. I'm very pleased. Highly recommend!

This thing is as close to perfect as you can find. The Cold Steel store in Amazon had it for the best price by a long shot. This is the third Cold Steel I have purchased this way. U didn't trust the price before; so the first one I got was through a large online knivev only retailer. THAT one, a Taipan in San Mai looked to be a factory second. I returned it and purchase through Amazon. The grind was near flawless. This purchase, the Trailmaster appears to be flawless. The grind is incredible. Everything is symmetrical. I'll be damned if I can find a flaw. If you are worried about thr purchase, dont. This thing is a flawless beast!

A very functional blade. I am a Knifemaker and make high end knives from top of the line components, but hate using my own knives because of all the work I put into them. For the cost of this knife, I wouldn’t hesitate to use the crap out of it, with total faith it’ll hold up to any abuse a knife like this would be put through.

This is a knife. The spine alone is insanely thick and it's no exaggeration to say you could use it as a pry bar in a pinch. It holds an insanely sharp edge and isn't as bad to sharpen as I thought it'd be. The sheath has a bit of wobble but the button has yet to fail on me and the kydex does a decent job of locking it in so retention hasn't been an issue. I opted for the trail master over the Laredo or the Natchez because this is a full tang so durability isn't going to be an issue. The grip is comfortable and non slip so I expect this knife will outlive me.

Love it as expected but man the sheaths are irritating since they scratch the knife at this price point so easily. Why of why cant Cold Steel just go to a kydex sheath, ugh. I bought an after market kydex one already so a great combo now!

Product came as described rasor sharp by sharp meaning you could shave with this thing! Not only that the spine is thick and the swedge is sharp enough for a back or snap-cut the iffy thing is the sheath your better off with a aftermarket or custom made sheath other than that I'd recommend this to anybodys collection or user.

This is a large slab of 3V. Compared to my other 3V blades, this one holds an edge really well, sharpens pretty easily, and it's very comfortable. The sheath is the only downside as these glass-filled cold steel sheaths will 100% dull your edge. The sheath on mine will make the belly of the blade pretty dull. I'd recommend buying an aftermarket sheath. But the knife itself is great.

Monster chopper, great steel, comfortably handle, secure sheath.

Otro cuchillo impresionante de Cold Steel, simplemente hermoso