Cold Steel Pendleton Lite Hunter 3-5/8″ Knife

La calidad acostumbrada de Cold Steel, un pequeño cuchillo muy afilado y versátil, acero decente de fácil afilado, no se arrepentirán a menos de que busquen algo más grande.

UPS dropped this one off on the porch this afternoon and I couldn’t wait to open it. The knife came SHARP! right out of the box – no need to touch it up. It glided through a sheet of paper in either direction with virtually no resistance and no snags. The blade is beefy and a bit on the short side for a hunting knife, but technique is probably more important in wet work with fish and game than the length of the blade in most cases. Did I mention that it is SHARP? It’s supposedly German steel – could well be that the steel is shipped to Taiwan from Germany for final finishing. No matter. For the price, I’ll take it and what’s more important, I’ll USE it. The poly handle seems pretty secure, and there’s no flashing to trim off, no rough spots or snags to deal with, and the texture is such that it isn’t slippery dry and should not be slippery when wet, either. The sheath seems sturdy enough, with a belt loop that will accommodate my 1.5″ double-thickness leather gun belt with a little room to spare. It holds the knife very snugly – it’s a bit of job to get it into or out of the sheath, which is good – it’s not likely to fall out if I find myself upside down on the trail for some reason.

This one will see some use, hopefully later this season, for camping and fishing. I don’t abuse my hardware, but I do use it as intended, so if it fails under normal conditions and intended usage, I’ll come back here and update the review and adjust the rating accordingly. For now, though, it gets 5 stars. It should make a great all-around knife. I’d even use it in the kitchen or as a steak knife.

I purchased this knife based on the Field and Stream review. For the price, this knife is a great knife. It is super sharp and held an edge well. I used it for skinning several deer this past season and have little complaint.
Pros: Price, sharp blade, lite
Cons: Seems very lite, plastic handle can get a bit slick when dressing deer, tip is not very pointed.

Overall, if you are a deer hunter and want a good, cheap blade this is the way to go.

UPDATE: I left this cased knife and some canned vegetables in a plastic container outside against my shed for almost a year. Rainwater got into the crate and the canned vegetables ruptured/rusted so the knife was in a pretty disgusting soupy mixture of slime. The rivets on the case were rusted and I assumed the knife would go right into the trash. Shockingly, when I pulled the knife out of the case, it was rust-free. After a good washing and soaking for the case, you cannot tell the knife went through anything. I look forward to using it this weekend in the doe-only modern gun hunt.

Update: After four deer seasons, I still am happy with the knives. They take an edge easily and work well. I have field dressed/cleaned more than 20 deer (8 this season alone). I definitely suggest them for the price.

This is an inexpensive knife, but it is quite strong and useful. It handles all manner of camp chores well, and is great for skinning game both large and small. It is also great for food prep around the camp. The blade is large enough to be a good cutter, but small enough to be nimble. The grind was even, and there were no problems with the fit and finish. The blade has a hollow grind which allows for a thin, super sharp edge.

I have used Moras for years, and this is like a Mora in that it is nicely made and not a burden to replace. I never carry just one knife in the woods, and this knife makes a great pack knife, a backup to a larger blade, or a dedicated game knife. The sheath, when new, holds the knife securely, but loosens up with use. It’s not horrible, but consistent with a knife of this price. the reason I gave four stars is because it didn’t arrive very sharp. Cold Steel always brags about the edges on their blades, and this one didn’t have it.

If you need or want an inexpensive and useful blade that will do great for woodwork, get a Mora. If you need a knife for skinning/game prep, this is a great knife. I know Cold Steel’s hype machine works overtime, and is cheesy, but don’t let that turn you from looking at this knife.

Sheath is cheap plastic but I’d say it’s still better than the cheap nylon ones most companies use, personal opinion.. sheath also has a hole at the bottom to allow any water/rain to drain out. Knife locks into sheath nicely. Handle is also cheap but still fairly comfortable. Blade seems sturdy. Blade isn’t 100% in alignment with the handle not that noticable though.. Blade is pre sharpened and lubricated. Even with its flaws I’d say it’s still better than most knives around the price point. It’s a 5 star get what you pay for budget knife. Good knife for the “weekend camper” or general light duty work. I wouldnt depend on it for survival/bushcraft. If your looking for something for heavy duty work I’d recommend looking at the coldsteel SRK SK-5 or some of their high priced knives.