Cold Steel Master Tanto 6" VG-10 San Mai Razor-Sharp Blade 5.5" Kray-Ex Handle Military Tactical Fixed Blade Knife w/Secure-Ex Sheath

The Cold Steel San Mai Master Tanto is an amazing knife. First, the fit of the handle to the pommel and hilt is as precise as one could hope for. The handle itself provides a very secure grip under a vast array of conditions. The finish is uniform through and through. The lines, bevels and angles are equally nice. Clearly, a lot of attention to detail was given this knife's construction. I'm sure some professional complainer will find something to gripe about, but all things considered, this is an exceptionally nice piece. What's even more amazing is the price. For $100 or so, you get way more than your money's worth. I've seen knives costing a lot more than this that were not as well crafted. This is a working tool, not a safe-queen show piece. The Master Tanto is nicely balanced and feels comfortable and secure in the hand. With its full tang, it's rock-solid to boot. Just as the package says, use caution when handling because it is scary sharp. The sheath has a belt provision, and it rides high and tight against the body. There is absolutely no tension on the blade when sheathed. If you invert a sheathed knife, it will easily and quickly fall out. For rapid deployment while worn on a belt, this may well be a good thing. If you need additional security while in the field, then the handle strap will keep the knife in place. While not military-grade tough (in my opinion), the sheath seems adequate. I'm one of those guys who has been there and done that, so it takes a lot to impress me, and the Master Tanto certainly does. What an awesome piece for the money!

I’m Happy with my purchase. Razor sharp out of the box, with typical very clean blade geometry. They must have improved their sheath issues because mine easily snaps in place, holds knife when inverted even without using the strap! When using strap there is a tiny bit of rattle when I shake it, but none when I wear it on my belt. Knife deploys out cleanly and fairly quiet without excessive dragging inside the sheath, but still never as smooth as from their original leather sheaths that I miss. The balance in my hand feels perfect with every Cold Steel Tanto model I own!

Great knife had been wanting one for quite awhile and found a great deal on amazon. The knife is razor sharp, well balanced and high quality. The only negative i have is not about the knife but the sheath is very loose. It does have a web fastener that goes around handle, but it would be better if it locked in place like a kydex sheath, but that’s just my opinion.

This is the quintesential fighting knife,its been around for over 30 years, Lynn Thompson single handedly introduced the western world to the tanto, super sharp so well made highly recommend it!

I owned one back in the 80’s before losing it recently. I purchased this one hoping it would be exactly the same. I was under the impression that all San Mai knives were made in Japan. This one is made in Taiwan. Makes me wonder if it is of any less quality that I am not educated enough to know the difference, in which case, it really doesn’t matter. Here’s what I know for a fact. 1. Beautiful knife. Razor sharp!!! I’m sure it’ll it’ll last a lifetime if I don’t lose it again. 2. The sheath is loose fitting. The knife rattles when sheathed unlike the SRK that fits very snug. It’s reassuring to know that if the clasp gets caught and unsnapped, the snugness of the sheath will still hold the SRK in place. The master tanto does not have that reassurance. Im afraid it may bounce out of the sheath when running or jumping if the snap come loose. 3. With a high end knife, I would expect a better sheath

Cold Steel is one of my go to brands of knives. Have you ever seen their testing videos? Cold Steel knives are rugged and dependable. I have several versions of this knife and it is one of my favorites. The fit and finish is perfect. It's a beautiful knife. The grip has a great texture and has a rubbery tackyness (is that a real word lol?) that practically defies your hand to slip. The blade is VG-10 San Mai. VG-10 steel is a premium steel produced by Takefu Special Steel company in Japan. VG-10 stainless excels in every category that makes good blades all by itself. Making a San Mai blade with it makes the blade even tougher. The knife came very sharp, one of the few knives I never needed to sharpen even a little bit to be razor sharp. The shape of the blade makes it useful in many situations. You could remove a splinter with the point. The knife breezed through all my testing and required minimal touch up to be razor sharp afterwards. With this knife I found myself looking for stuff to slice up just for fun. No soda bottle, unused box, or even a bathroom trashcan was safe lol. (good thing I'm single). I have hundreds of knives but this is definitely a top 5 favorite. Grumpy old guy's enthusiastic seal of approval.

Honestly the best knife I've bought yet, from amazon it came a bit cheaper and much faster. Thanks!

I would run out of positive adjectives, trying to accurately describe what I think of the Master Tanto. What needs to be addressed are the negative comments on the sheath that are all over the Internet. At the opening of the sheath are two retention bumps or nubs. My knife was very difficult to fully insert and close to impossible to remove. When I was finally able to remove the knife I gradually filed the bumps down until I achieved the insertion force I wanted.

The best knife in my collection. Extremely sharp and well balanced.

mto boa

Ein wunderschönes Tanto Messer, kommt in die Vitrine zum Angucken! Für etwas anderes einfach zu Schön meiner Meinung nach. : )

El cuchillo es excepcional en calidad y estética. Compraré otro para mi esposa. Es un cuchillo de defensa personal no para andar picando o tallando madera. Lo mantendré en su funda, lo sacaré para entrenamiento, espero nunca tener que utilizarlo. Una belleza.

Muito robusta e bonita!