Cold Steel Master Hunter Full Review and Discussion

[@Rudi_QPO]

I have a Cold Steel Master Hunter from 1997, carried all over the world and use/abuse it a lot. Heavy batoning many many times but still rock solid and edge retention. And don’t worry about the kraton handle, it doesn't wear at all. Cheers from Holland!

[@samthai818]

I just received my CPM-3V Master Hunter this week. Took over a year on backorder. It is now made in Taiwan, no more Italy. The spine is also alot thicker all the way to the tip than the previous 3V iterations. The Italian model with the black diamond coating was very thin after a quarter of the way tapering to a very thin tip. Compared to my VG1, this 3V model is even thicker out to the tip. And like the VG1, the 3V came out of the box extremely sharp. What a wonderful surprise to see the positive changes to the Master Hunter after waiting so long for it to arrive.

[@brianf9619]

I just bought an SRK in 3V and it's also made back in Taiwan , No more Italian Blades 👋 , I don't have a problem with it , Taiwan Is NOT China and Taiwan makes some Nice Stuff .....👍🖖

[@Jonbo117]

Are you on every cs master hunter 3v video?

[@samthai818]

Hahahahaha...got a lot of knives, mostly Coldsteel, fallkniven, and BRK. I was surprised how the new Master hunter turned out after the new ownership. This iteration of the CPM-3V MHunter is the best buy knife in my collection under $120.

[@islandpainter3964]

Weird, ive got the 3v version made in Taiwan with a black DLC coating its way thinner than the san mai version not thicker. Also way lighter than the old san mai version.

[@samthai818]

IP, WEIRD! How did you you get a Taiwan edition with the DLC coating. The Taiwan edition are all now stoned washed, non-DLC coated. It is a much thicker knife at the point! I believe only Italian Master Hunters have DLC coatings. Regardless, all DLC coated MH are thin out to the tip.

[@samthai818]

I believe your concern regarding the kraton handle wear out is unfounded. I have had a coldsteel Bush Ranger since the early 90s that i used as my hunting deer gutting and processing, wood processing, and general survival uses without any appreciable wear.

[@Kevinclearysharpstuff]

Good to know the handle held up well for me as well

[@jasholden9741]

The ones like yours with the stonewash finish are made for Cold Steel by Fox of Italy. The ones with the black DLC finish are made in Taiwan. Fox Knives is a top Italian maker and does great quality work.

[@alexbergmann2817]

Are you sure that they were.not made by Lionsteel.? theie factory is in the same street as Fox knives in Maniago of Italy .

[@DDG-Goat-Farms]

I have had this knife for 18 or 19 years i was 11 or 12 years old when i got one im 32 years old now this knife if amazing 20 years maybe this knife will not wear out love this knife

[@Kevinclearysharpstuff]

That's great loving hearing these stories, and yeah it is a fantastic knife

[@brianf9619]

The Master Hunter is a Fantastic knife , and it is ABSOLUTELY Full Tang , it goes right past the lanyard hole , it has a 3/16" thick stick tang like the SRK or a Kabar or a Faulkniven A1, it's just covered in Kraton for a more comfortable handle.. I also own the San Mai Master Hunter , it's a bit of a different knife , it's 3/16" almost all the way down to the tip and it has a full convexed body with a V grind , Lynn Thomphson made it after some Japanese blade he knows of , it's also a Fantastic knife and the Satin San Mai blade is Gorgeous .

[@Kevinclearysharpstuff]

Yeah true enough and I dont for a second doubt its toughness totally great knife I enjoy every time I carry it

[@mforrest1508]

Not the same as fallkniven. And just because it goes through the back doesn’t mean it’s full tang.

[@brianf9619]

@@mforrest1508 Yep, your right , the Fallkniven's tang sticks out the back a hair , I forgot.

[@mforrest1508]

Brian F if you look at the under x Ray you see the difference. Neither is full tang but fallkniven is close. The handle is the shape of the tang just overmolded. The ultimate hunter is a stick tang. With 90 degree angles near the guard. Neither is full tang, but fallkniven is close. As long as the transition from blade to handle are not hard 90 degree angles you have a very strong knife. Swamp rat knives are full tang, bark river ext. scrapyard fallkniven arenot full tang but have gentle curves at the handle transition. Both very strong. Cold steel ark and recon scout and all the rest are stick tang. Still strong but not full.

[@justafloridamanfromthe75thRR]

How does the San Mai version compare to the 3V version? In your your opinion, which one would you recommend?

[@danmichell7516]

the handle is warmer than most in the canadian winter so i rate it as a + i have had mine for couple years and the rubber is wearing at the guard sheath pressure point

[@Kevinclearysharpstuff]

I could see that disapointing though

[@AcidTripwire]

Have you found that it affects the retention of the knife? Or is it still tight?

[@rendog896]

I’m sorry but you cut an onion and held the knife over some leaves! You need to actually use the knife

[@MrBoomie00]

Why are you saying it's not full tang? It doesn't have a pommel sticking through the end, but its a full tang knife.

[@islandpainter3964]

Yea its 100% full tang, just not exposed.

[@alexbergmann2817]

I have Master Hunter in Japanese AUS-8A steel. Its so well made . I also have their Recon Tanto,Master Tanto,Magnum Tanto 2 and 9 and a SRK in Carbon V and VG-1 steel .

[@lunaticred1277]

Master Hunter is made for field dress a elk or deer. Its not a survival knife. It works really great for skinning. Holds an edge great. Awesome hunting knife.

[@clarencetsang4309]

Have a Master Hunter in San Mai (stainless) for food prep and finer cutting tasks with less worry about rusting and an SRK in SK-5 (cheap) for more survival-like stuff and beating on things with. Just bought a big blade (JX5) in 3V for larger tasks and for fun. Arrived at post office but am out of town so have not gotten my hands on it yet. (Do have small folding saw as well.)

[@garrettferrell6821]

How do you like San Mai?Ive been thinking about buying the SRK in 3V but found the San Mai version significantly cheaper.Im trying to figure out if I should just spend the extra money and get the 3V version or if I should go with San Mai for $50-$60 less..I love 3V but I have zero experience with San Mai.If it’s anything close to Fallkniven’s laminate steel,I would be ok with it

[@clarencetsang7732]

@@garrettferrell6821 I like the San Mai III on my Master Hunter. Would probably prefer 3V on an SRK. I guess it depends on how much and what type of abuse you will be putting your SRK through. I do not abuse my Master Hunter - that is what my other knives are for. 3V would be much tougher, have better edge retention, and could handle more abuse but it would rust easier and be harder to re-sharpen if you let it get dull (so don't). If the non-coated 3V version of the the SRK had come out earlier, I probably would have gotten that instead of the SK-5 version. (That was also before I had been able to afford to purchase a BRK too.) Currently happy with my assortment for outdoors. Will not need more until I could spend more time out in the woods to justify more/better knives. Also wouldn't have heartache if I lent out the SK-5 SRK and it came back slightly damaged. Would lend out a Pendleton Lite Hunter instead of my Master Hunter to non-knife friends.

[@lastchance6069]

Does anybody else’s master hunters fingerguard get slight cuts in it from it pushing into the sheath or is that just me

[@brianf9619]

Yes , all Cold Steels Kraton handled blades do that. .... 🤷

[@kerker3122]

Whip cream is always good! I usually buy 1/2 gallon.

[@BorealEDC]

Awesome knife. Your finger placement cutting the veggies frightened me.

[@PersonaN007Grata]

Love the knife. Hate the sheath. It dulls a freshly sharpened blade. I’m somewhat obsessed with sharpening and the first time I sheathed my sharpened knife, it came out dull. I drilled out the rivets and saw that the two halves of the sheath is tongue and grooved together. I tried slicing off the tongued half but it didn’t help. Going to have to make my own sheath.

[@Huskymotard88]

Damn, that's really bad news! thanks for sharing it

[@otobotrecords]

A freshly sharpened "sharp" knife gets dull by one pull out of the sheath? I call BS - even if it's a fiber glass sheath. I guess you sharpened a piece of manure to child's knife sharpness and expected to be able to shave your chin pubic hairs.

[@PersonaN007Grata]

@@otobotrecords 🤷🏻‍♂️ Try it for yourself

[@PersonaN007Grata]

@@LubberKing Ok who are you to tell it me doesn’t?

[@otobotrecords]

​@@PersonaN007Grata I have the knife myself in CPM-3V and sharpened it to razor sharp with 19° angle on each side. I have sheathed and unsheathed it hundreds of times. It's still razor sharp. That dude from the Cedric & Ada channel (as a well-known resource for knife sharpness) even did it with the San Mai version (if I remember correctly), which has a much lower edge retention than the 3V version. And he did hundreds upon hundreds unsheathings with it to prove that the over-over-over-exaggerated effect is minuscule. You even top the over-exaggeration of the average YT knowitall by trying to tell us, that one unsheathing was enough to dull the blade.

[@henrycruz45cal]

If u consider that Tops a full tang then so is the MH

[@tigerpisces5506]

In Bidenflation this knife is $160-$180 depending where you look in August 2022!

[@Oneoneone111One]

In bidenflation it’s now $80 in 2024!

[@Oneoneone111One]

Price gouging isn’t inflation and clever people such as yourself would benefiting from knowing the difference

[@athanasioslianoudakis9119]

I own this knife really enjoyed

[@paulhughes3961]

I had no idea it was that affordable, I've seen it in the mail out catalogue I get but never looked at the price. In all honesty it never caught my attention.

[@Kevinclearysharpstuff]

yeah I didnt get to excited about it for the longest time but once I started using I was really impressed

[@garrettferrell6821]

I’ve been thinking about getting one for a while now.kinda sort of reminds me of a mini SRK before the SRK-C was a thing..with that being said,I’ve never held one or even seen one in person so I really don’t know how much like the SRK it truly is but from pictures it appears to have a good bit in common

[@Kevinclearysharpstuff]

I like the Master Hunter far more its better value and better cutting geometry

[@thaknobodi]

Cold steel needs to stop using fiberglass in some of their sheaths. My oyabun has good kydex, but my master hunter has securex with fibers that take off the shaving edge

[@richarde1355]

I have a 25 year young early gen Master Hunter, and it has the nylon sheath. Any recommendations for a second/replacement sheath? I’m OK with a couple of sheaths with different purposes - belt, backpack carry, etc. Appreciate any suggestions! Thanks!

[@Kevinclearysharpstuff]

What about sending to a guy who does kydex work? Its fairly common so probably someone near you can do it

[@anthonyp7051]

Me,the guy who owns over 30fixed blades and 85% are custom and custom rigs,sheaths, I enjoyed this vid. Nice to see you notice how geometry,handles,lengths,steel comes into play when choosing the right knife and I too take several cutting tools out with me.

[@bosse641]

Very nice. Would love to own that.

[@gordonstevenson535]

Sounds like it's going to be a catch and release for you Kevin. Great knife but a few shortfalls for what your looking for. Unfortunate. I totally love it.

[@Kevinclearysharpstuff]

No this one is staying it cuts really really well which us awesome

[@richardfiedler2201]

All talk. No demonstrations. That explains why you do not have any Band-Aids on your fingers. LOL

[@mytglg6uh]

Blade shape more of a drop point hunting style blade, rather than a bushcraft knife, but still a very decent entry level fixed.

[@Airik1111bibles]

The Pendleton hunter fits the small knife bushcraft world a bit better but still knives I'd like to have someday.

[@blakefrancisboggs7526]

Um yeah it's not a bushcraft knife

[@islandpainter3964]

3v is hardly an entry level knife. If you have ever used this knife you would understand its a meat processing beast and the handle is exceptional. I have knives twice the price but this thing beats them on so many levels.

[@otobotrecords]

NOTHING entry level about this thing. Not even the price, tho it's like a gift for the price asked. This in 3V is a performer putting most customs to shame. Nice try tho.

[@tigerpisces5506]

You had me at "Idaho!" As a Idaho native son. I would rather have the Tops Idaho Hunter!

[@grumpyoldwizard]

I have one. The only thing I really dislike is the handle. It is all plastic, which is nice in cold environments, but I believe the way it fits into the sheath will eventually wear the handle badly.

[@grumpyoldwizard]

How would this compare to the Cold Steel Outdoorsman?

[@Kevinclearysharpstuff]

it's quite a bit different different geometry and shape handle ergo's and I could be wrong but I don't think the outdoorsman is available in 3v which is a big difference.

[@Huskymotard88]

Damn, it's really unfair... 100 bucks in USA for a blade made in Maniago (Italy), and in Italy this knife costs at least 150€, almost 70% more than in USA :-( However, good knife and video, just a question... can you confirm the sheath is completely reversible for unlucky lefty guys like me? I have a Fallkniven S1 with the damn unreversible shitty noisy kydex sheath and I would like for a knife with reversible sheath or completely symmetric like Sissipuukko. Thanks in advance and for sharing your impressions

[@alexandergutfeldt1144]

I feel your pain regarding the price .. it's even more expensive here in Switzerland (~175€) ... I bought the left handed kydex for my F1 on eBay, still ugly &plastic, but so much more usefull. Fällkniven sell a S1 lefty sheath for 147SEK (~ 15€) plus shipping etc

[@Huskymotard88]

@@alexandergutfeldt1144 and maybe also Victorinox are cheaper in US than in Switzerland... In any case, still few producers care about left handers.... We are quite in a way more discriminated than women, but instead we have no "voice"

[@BrentonCarr]

My only gripe is the stonewashing dulled the spine.

[@otobotrecords]

90° spine if needed is easy for anyone with some sand paper and will to do it.

[@frankwoods135]

Your never gonna wear that rubber out Kevin lol 😂 have you seen Lilly's long term review of the srk

[@tigerpisces5506]

I owned CS knives for 40 yrs with Kraton Handle and they look new!

[@jeffcon123]

Just snagged a used San mai one for $65 I have the srk and srk c

[@jorgezapata1000]

Onions will stain the blade

[@fatleo]

Reminds me of Fallkniven F1

[@Kevinclearysharpstuff]

similar footprint much better grind

[@otobotrecords]

Fällkniven copied a lot of CS designs.

[@kit888]

Looks like the Fallkniven F1.

[@noone3189]

The f1 was designed after this knife. The s1 was designed after the srk.

[@bp-hx9ts]

This vs the benchmade puukko

[@Kevinclearysharpstuff]

havent had a chance to handle the pukko but I will keep my eye out

[@jf73f80]

I have both .both are great but much different in design and size this has a 5 inch blade the benchmade is 3.7

[@tigerpisces5506]

Benchmade is over hiped and overpriced.

[@jonathandiamond6801]

Outdoorsman is better!

[@davidgau]

would not waste my money on schrade have had 2 of their's and snapped the point the first time I tried to used them one was the schf51 and the other was the 52 very disappointing!!!

[@Kevinclearysharpstuff]

how did you snap the tip off of one let alone 2 knives?

[@davidgau]

@@Kevinclearysharpstuff Hi Kevin the 51 I stuck in a log for a second and when I reached back to get it I pulled it side ways and up and I heard a snap and when I looked the tip was off. The 52 happened bascially the same way. I am not the only one either look what happened to preparedmind101 with the schf43 and others

[@tigerpisces5506]

I used Schrades etc 68 years I broke tips when I was 6 using them as pry bars then I learned my lesson! Every knife has a breaking 👉 👈 point.

[@islandpainter3964]

Good thing its a cold steel 😂😂