Watch this BEFORE You Buy A Cold Steel Drop Forged Hunter

[@JamesBartholomew1]

Matt, it’s really BORING listening to you complain about how ugly you think this $35 knife is - again and again, and again. You bought it - use it, stop moaning. Nobody made you buy it! I have one in each colour and sheath, put some inner tube on the handle. It’s great how the end of blade by the handle is the same width as the choil, making the knife perfect for chopping.I love them, they are very well designed and virtually indestructible. And for 35 bucks. Get over yourself.

[@MattRoseKnives]

But what do I have in life if I can’t complain about stupid things?

[@knife_123]

This knife is not ugly it's utilitarian that is what it does best

[@MattRoseKnives]

It is utilitarian…. But also ugly :)

[@absinthegaming5896]

You can tighten the retention by using a screwdriver to tighten the screws.

[@MattRoseKnives]

That only works to a certain extent

[@arturj.8804]

@@MattRoseKnivesput the bolts one hole up towards the handle, did the same on srk-c and can wear it upside down all day without the button strap

[@N3wbMa5t3r]

A 52100 knife for this price? You can't beat it... Add your own sharpening choil, strip the coating, and put some Paracord or ranger bands around the handle. 🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@MattRoseKnives]

🤘🤘🤘

[@caasizednanreh4423]

I love the homesty of this review because even tho the looks aren't as appealing as other cs products i can appreciate the toughness and edge retention, love that thing!

[@capoleader3793]

A real knife is supposed to be utilitarian. The forged hunter is a beast. I use it all the time and I actually think it's gorgeous as well

[@MattRoseKnives]

To each their own!

[@blackhawkbushcraft]

The Drop Forged series is awesome value for the price! I love my Hunter and Survivalist, and the 52100 steel is good stuff! These are great knives! 👍

[@MattRoseKnives]

Agreed!

[@blackhawkbushcraft]

@Just Johnny yeah, maybe you got lemon. I’ve had zero issues with Cold Steel where the blade is concerned. The sheaths, however, not so much. They could provide a much better sheath, especially for the price of some of their offerings. For example, the Secure-EX sheath that came with my Recon Scout in CPM-3V was total garbage! I ended up having a sheath made for it, but they should have provided a nice, functional sheath to begin with. Crap sheaths are probably the most common complaint with Cold Steel, but I’ve never had any problems with their knives.

[@HCPnexion]

I have one. I love the look of it and for me it is a super comfortable knife. I wear it and use it every single day. If any of you have ever tried to hand cut rubber horse stall mats you know how tough it is for this knife It’s no problem at all. Love mine

[@hillbilly4christ638]

It is simple, functional, sharp, universal, and most important it is a cold steel.

[@bryancounts9036]

Thank you for your honest and objective test. I think you gave the knife a fair report.

[@MattRoseKnives]

I appreciate it!

[@davidcarr3877]

I like ugly. That means it's ready to go to work. This is a knife based on functionality! I would love to give this knife five stars, but I can't. That is only because of the handle. I think you WILL need to put some kind of customized handle on it. The grip is comfortable enough, but it slips in wet hands. In blood, it is far worse. It's not that big of a deal. It's just something that should have been thought of in the design phase. On the bright side, you can make the knife your one-of-a-kind. What I did as a temporary fix is use a rubber slip-on handle for a large saute pan. I just cut the end off to expose the end with the lanyard hole and it looks like it was made for it. Its on so tight I will probably have to cut it off to fit the permanent replacement.

[@vensheaalara]

I think of these blades as a starting point. Make your own sheath if you want. Make your own handle. Neither is hard or expensive. Customizing makes the heart grow fonder and improvesnthe looks.

[@MattRoseKnives]

That’s a completely fair opinion 👍

[@adrianotero7963]

I have two of these....the original silver one with the leather sheath, and the black one.....I don't think it is an ugly knife, beauty is in the eye of the beholder......simple and with good steel.....dunked the handle in red liquid rubber....improves cold weather usage, red color prevents it from getting lost.... and improves the grip......I use it for light camp work and for processing larger game animals....holds a great edge....easy to clean with lots of belly....all for a great price.....

[@MattRoseKnives]

To each their own!

[@peterschmidt7409]

I think it's not ugly. I like the blade shape. Also, it's kinda price/ value champion. I use it for everything including bushcrafting. Not the best at anything, but does everything good. Pretty good, indeed....

[@kennybaker6826]

The cold still drop spear point style was the best knife he had on the table. 4 inch is perfect for a wild turkey squirrel white tail deer all the way up to probably elk and it's a beautiful knife and it'll run circles around everything on the table it works in every citation even works good in the kitchen. And it has that beautiful cave man look to it

[@MattRoseKnives]

Good to know

[@bobjohnson9597]

its got a soup dish built in the handle. my friend has one and he loves it. drop forge is an excellent heat treated rugged knife, also the drop forged boot knife is very similar to Davey Crockets double sided knife as most people could only afford one knife in those days and they would use one side for rough work while keeping the other side for fine work.

[@MattRoseKnives]

Interesting

[@Bshwag]

52100 is used for bearings in extreme pressure applications.

[@MattRoseKnives]

That’s what I’ve heard!

[@Revelation1316]

Its not a wedding accessory💃 Its a tool.

[@raphlvlogs271]

cold steel designs are often simplistic and creative

[@MattRoseKnives]

Agreed! Well put

[@arturj.8804]

If you put the sheath bolts 1 hole up towards the handle that should fix that weak retention, did the same on the srk-c and can wear it upside down all day, not coming out

[@rosscurran5650]

Cs refer to it as a monolithic knife. I also actually like the look of it, simple clean lines no ponce no fluff just simplistic function at its finest

[@MattRoseKnives]

Completely fair! And thanks for letting me know, that phraseology makes sense

[@rosscurran5650]

@@MattRoseKnives I have the survivalist as well and it's a beast! Highly recommend to anyone, I also have the ring dagger and recently got the boot knife, the drop forged series is a pretty cool line up

[@jamesg9068]

I just bought one, it's gonna look great next to my hi point

[@matthewmyers7440]

I'm surprised your sheath doesn't lock in. I bought one for myself and one for my friend and both of them lock in really well. I'd have to hold the sheath and swing it to MAYBE get it to unhook.

[@07peterB]

super cool design.not ugly at all

[@MattRoseKnives]

To each their own ;)

[@paper183]

Give it a nice wrapped handle, which I believe it is meant to have, and it gets a lot nicer. And I personally prefer it to the other ones you've shown anyway so it's very subjective. Mine has good sheath retention so it seems inconsistent but you can get one that stays nice and firm in the sheath with some luck. Should definitely be fixed by cold steel tho. Mine is 3 years old so that might have something to do with it. It is a work horse. Stays sharp even with abuse which it will take like few other knives, it's real purpose. Low cost, lifetime knife.

[@jeffhanson2621]

Not an "ugly" knife. Love mine. And fyi - Cold Steel calls the one-piece construction "monolithic".

[@LambrosArnaoutis]

price

[@chriswulff7152]

Don't mind this knife for what it is. But if the sheath need to be replaced then it's more $ and that where a decision will have to be made

[@MattRoseKnives]

Completely fair

[@djk721963]

Is your blade straight? I returned one because of a bowed blade.

[@steellovingyou8673]

Hi Matt . I have always wanted one of these and for the price , it's crazy I don't own one ??? I have a couple of other knives marginally better in the same size but not any with a full flat grind, wich I really love. I have a drop forged survivalist , I have not used it other than initial inspection.. BUT I whacked it accidentally as I did exactly the same as I had also a Bushranger on a enamel covered steel , I had a chip on the Bushranger wich I had to sharpen out but nothing on the Survivalist , I mean nothing , still razor sharp and they both came exceedingly sharp . I love S35 but the 52100 is tough . If the hunter had the plastic Scales the Survivalist has I would buy one , probably will eventually any way . Thanks always for your videos . Thanks

[@MattRoseKnives]

Awesome! I’ll have to check the survivalist out. It looks like a solid blade. And yeah, can’t been that carbon steel toughness

[@davidelkington8478]

I like this knife its differant and looks solid

[@MattRoseKnives]

All opinions are valid!

[@gunner3548]

A very good concept, but they destroyed the handle. Same thickness allover with three holes for screws would have been perfect. Thank you for your work.

[@MattRoseKnives]

Hmmm good thought!

[@rafalk5709]

For me it is absolutely bueautifullllllll!!

[@MattRoseKnives]

To each their own!

[@gavrilloprincep3534]

I don’t think it’s ugly with a paracord wrap! Looks a bit naked without but a superb knife.

[@MattRoseKnives]

Fair fair

[@LegionTacticoolCutlery]

Too late already own one

[@MattRoseKnives]

Haha good choice

[@lucianbrad4291]

Don't be sorry : it's a little Beast of a knife ... It actually outperforms significanly larger blades and is almost indestructible ...

[@philliprobbins2170]

I own every knife in the drop forged series. I abuse them every chance I get and have never had one fail. Pretty lol no, useful yessir.

[@MattRoseKnives]

Completely agree!

[@josephhaire9500]

Skallagrim reference at 3:13 haha?

[@MattRoseKnives]

Lol that’s what I think about every time I say something like that. That one time he destroyed that Zombie Tools hahhahaha

[@bobbwest]

Yo’ Matt, perhaps you should be reviewing women’s shoes or fine China? Leave the knife reviews to the guys who are more focused on function than whether the soles are red.

[@demo2952]

I have the survivalist with the scales

[@MattRoseKnives]

I’d like to take a look at that one sometime!

[@martinhafner2201]

I see "ugly is as ugly does" to mean that something or someone is not truly ugly except by what they do, so with knives that would be how they perform. If they work poorly, they are ugly. Some people will buy a lot of tactical knives because they like the aggressive look. But 99% of these people do not use knives for fighting. Maybe they will some day, if they don't have a gun, spear or machete on hand when attacked. So these tactical people buy knives based on looks, not on real use. "Ugly is as ugly does" are the other people. I have a couple lookers, but 95% of my knives are users. The 52100 is basically 1095 plus about 1.4% chromium for extra hardening range. So it will harden better than 1095. How hard the knife maker should make it depends on how much toughness needs to be retained for hard work. Too hard and it chips too easily. If you're just skinning deer, then run it real hard (62 hrc). If it needs to take a bit of a beating, then holding off at hrc 58 might be a better plan. Have it tested. If it is too hard for your tastes, then put it in the oven at 400F for a half hour to knock off a couple hrc points. The handle can't melt, so why not? When the coating gets all torn up, remove the coating with aircraft stripper, but use protective gear. Plain steel is kind of beautiful. Adding your own scale inserts can be fun. You'd want to drill a couple holes in the thin part to put in some corby bolts, so find a really hard carbide or diamond coated drill bit for that work. I have the Cold Steel Drop Forged Survivalist with the same coating. It has the handle inserts built in, so it's a little bit pretty. I'll strip the blade once it gets ratty looking. I'll probably give it a vinegar or phosporic acid (concrete prep) bluing once it is stripped. I changed the V edge to a small convex over the last 1/8 inch to make it more slicey on wood processing. The biggest practical problem with the bare metal handle would be trying to use it in really cold weather, so a good wrap of Wilson racquet tape or silicone plumber's tape would be a good choice before you go into the north woods in winter. The SecurEx sheath has glass fibers in the nylon, so it will eventually try to dull the blade a little. There is a little room in the sheath, so you can paint a little bead of contact cement down in the edge groove to help keep the edge away from the glass.

[@Kyle-bb9zp]

Awesome fix blade knife indestructible knife

[@MattRoseKnives]

For sure!

[@Kyle-bb9zp]

@@MattRoseKnives I EDC mine in the last 3 weeks

[@lucianbrad4291]

As you know, "the Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" - for me that knife is pretty appealing ... Actually I've bought one and must say is an absolute "little beast" ... I wouldn't feel helpless holding it even if I'd be forced to fend off a bear or something ... Is little but is ferocius ... Test it and you'll find out ... (Not against a bear, try some cardboard or smth else before 😊) Yeah, in many ways would be comparable with that tanto blade ...

[@MattRoseKnives]

Haha fair point!

[@matthewadler1329]

I agree, as is...it's not a handsome knife. The blade itself isn't bad, so adding a wrap or some scales actually goes a long way in addressing that. Performance wise, it's one of the best values on the market. 52100 is a decidedly higher end steel than 1095, and you will get a lot more edge retention out of it. I can think of another knife outside of this series that uses this steel for under 100 bucks. People can say what the will about the no frills styling of Cold Steel knives, but I still feel like they produce some of the best blades money can buy at any price. Thanks for sharing.

[@MattRoseKnives]

Agreed!

[@butcrack6786]

Yeahhhh so I just bought 3

[@Greenmachine305]

If someone who is looking to buy a 4" knife is worried about breaking it, then they should learn to use tools before they hurt themselves.

[@MattRoseKnives]

Dependsssssss

[@leroy7513]

Real men don't need a special tool, a real man now's how to use what he has regardless if it's perfect or not. You will never ever find the perfect knife . Learn to use what you have. You know the way men did for the last five thousand years. If you can't stay at home and play video games.

[@XFS540]

Hey, I think the Benchmade Osborne is an ugly knife. So you know what I do? I refuse to buy it so I don’t have to make a video whining about its aesthetics like a 12-year-old girl. Get rid of it if its looks bother you so much.

[@mantaray2239]

Making baseless assumptions about a product without actually testing its durability is really BORING. If it seems obvious to you that the Cold Steel Drop Forge Hunter is a strong knife, please do a destruction test to prove it. Sometimes testing to destruction reverses the fondest impressions at first glance !

[@ancientixl]

you are not qualified to evaluate this knife as is shown by your incompetent, repetitive and rambling discourse which makes me question your inherent knowledge of and use of knives in the first place. Who cares what it looks like as long as it can do the job it was designed for.