Cold Steel San Mai III Trail Master is a bowie style. In terms of sharpness, edge holding and strength, it will outperform by a wide margin any factory made knife and 99 percent of all hand forged knives as well! Cold Steel knows they're "going out on a limb" with that statement, but since 1987 they have challenged the industry to make a better knife and yet, to this day, they've had no takers.
I ordered my Cold Steel San Mai III Trail Master in May 2010 on Amazon when I was at lunch time. Initially I was confused about it price, but in the end, I made the decision of pulling the trigger. The knife arrived 3 weeks later (I was in Philippine at that time) and from the moment I got it out of the box, I knew I had a very good toy. Cold Steel San Mai III Trail Master's a beast of a knife. It's not as heavy as I thought either, though it's substantial enough to do the job.
The blade is 5/16" thickness. It looks unbreakable and the balance is perfect for utilizing its natural heft. The broad clip point of the blade is extremely resistant to bending or breaking. This is largely due to the fact that the tip is actually thicker near the point than what's found in most bowie knives. This, however, does not mean that the point is dull or blunt. On the contrary, the point is almost needle sharp and offers tremendous penetration. The blade came razor sharp.
The blade-back is equipped with a slightly concave false edge that measures approximately three and a half inches long. Every Trail Master's edge has been honed by hand, then given a high speed buff until it is truly razor sharp and capable of easily shaving the hair off one's arm. This knife is so sharp it will cut at the slightest touch. TheCold Steel San Mai III Trail Master balances approximately 3/4" in front of the guard for a slightly blade-heavy feel that is ideal for delivering heavy chopping and slashing strokes.
More about San Mai III steel: VG-1 San Mai III – If you want a bowie knife that requires minimum maintenance and is practically immune to water, salt, air, or the humidity of a jungle environment, the VG-1 San Mai III Trail Master is for you! This Bowie will outperform any other stainless steel Bowie in the world in terms of strength and toughness. And, as an added bonus, this Trail Master is equipped with a beautiful rolled edge, capable of easily severing 4" or more of free hanging manila rope!
San Mai means "three layers". It's the term given to the traditional laminated blades used by the Japanese for swords and daggers. Laminated construction is important because it allows different grades of steel to be combined in a single blade. A simple way to think of this type of construction is to imagine a sandwich: The meat center is hard, high carbon steel and the pieces of bread on either side are the lower-carbon, tough side panels. The edge of the blade should be hard to maximize edge holding ability, but if the entire blade was hard, it could be damaged during the rigors of battle. For ultimate toughness the body of the blade must be able to withstand impact and lateral stresses. Toughness is generally associated with "softness" and "flexibility" in steel, so that, surprisingly, if a blade is made "tough" the edge won't be hard enough to offer superior edge holding. San Mai IIIprovides a blade with hard (higher carbon) steel in the middle for a keen, long lasting edge and tougher (lower-carbon) steel along the sides for flexibility.
Only time and amount of work will tell, but from the start I think I've made the right investment. I researched many information about this knife, watched many YouTube videos, talked to few outdoorsy friends and boiled it down to a handful of knives. I didn’t feel comfortable about its price but I just couldn't pass up the deal with this San Mai III Trail Master. Yes, it's still an expensive knife, but now I'm glad I did buy it, despite I have got a Cold Steel Trail Master version already.
The design hearkens back to the Katana blade creation methods, steel that angles from the back of the spine in one plane all the way down to the edge, ground and polished properly to insure less drag on the target. It is a convex (Appleseed cross-section) blade, and maintain the integrity of the edge far longer in hard use applications, because of the San Mai – layered construction. Cracking large animal bones w/ the back of this knife is as easy as thinking about it. Shelter building, wood processing, tent stakes, even demolition of obstacles in emergencies is possible. The knife looks unscratched after all the work. The only marking I noticed were from the sap of pine branches, cleaned right up. I honestly think this is a great trail knife.
Right away, I chopped some branches up to 2"-3" thick in the backyard and again it's awesome. I progressed to some batoning and OMG, it's unbelievable. I didn't know I can baton that well. Lastly, I went back to cutting papers and to my surprise, it's still impressively sharp. I can only tell a very slight dullness after all the work I've done with it. I honestly don't think I need to sharpen it after all that.
The Trail Master's Kraton handle is 5" long and deeply checkered for a non-slip, shock absorbing grip. What's more, its contoured cross section helps prevent the knife from shifting or turning in the hand when striking full power blows. The double guard is very sturdy and rigidly fixed into place. It is long enough to keep fingers off the blade, yet short enough to avoid being tangled in clothing or equipment when the Trail Master is drawn. Nice, but I would like it to be just slightly thicker for my liking. Nice grip though. It gets better with leather gloves.
The sheath is serviceable but many would prefer a better one. The only thing that upset me was the sheath which feels cheap and stiff. A $200+ knife should not need a new sheath right out of the box. I would be strapping it to my pack anyway and not my waist/leg. Still, this knife is great
I also wish Cold Steel San Mai III Trail Master has a flatter edge at the spine. This is not too good for batoning as it will only
destroy the baton quicker. However it could be an advantage if you use it as a weapon/ fighting knife. While not this knifes' intended application, it would be more than adequate in the hands of a trained individual.
destroy the baton quicker. However it could be an advantage if you use it as a weapon/ fighting knife. While not this knifes' intended application, it would be more than adequate in the hands of a trained individual.
The good thing is that it's long knife and I was able to baton all the way near the hilt. It would still be nice if it has a flatter spine all the way to the tip. You DO NOT want to accidentally drop this heavy chopper on your foot, you might lose a toe!
I’m not Cold Steel big fan – as I always said – but I would say they design the best and most functional knives: Cold Steel San Mai III Trail Master Knife. I’m not 100% satisfy with their AUS 8 steel, and this one comes in their VG1 San Mai III, which holds an edge amazingly. With this knife I can chop down small trees and big log, without any change to the edge. I love the round edge, which has to be sharpened by hand with sanding belt and buffer; there is no step in the knife profile, but one continuous fluid cutting motion, that's the beauty of the round edge.
The knife is also a surprising light weight for its size, so it is good for backpacking, I do not prefer a heavier design, that would offer more chopping power, but this one is just fine, and won't tire your hand.
Overall, Cold Steel San Mai III Trail Master is a great knife. If you like this knife just like me, you can get the item here on Amazon. Not cheap, but you get what you pay for. I do and I did.
