Much like a good firearm, a decent knife is a must-have for everyone, whether you’re a city dweller or a country boy or girl. There’s nothing like the feel of a fine blade in the hand, particularly when it’s being used for a task that requires strength in the tool and an extremely sharp edge, and the new Cold Steel Broken Skull EDC knife certainly appears up to the task.
I’ve long had a fascination with good knives, as I have good guns. I think the two go hand in hand. If you’re knocking around in the brush, it’s imperative to have both. For many years now I’ve been admiring and using the blades offered by Lynn Thompson and his company, Cold Steel. Lynn and company have been designing and producing outstanding knives and other gear that are some of the sharpest, most durable products available, all at a fair price. I’ve carried Cold Steel products off and on since the mid 1980’s, both as a lawman and civilian. I’ve never had anything but great luck with Lynn’s stuff, and it seems to be getting better and better.
The Cold Steel Broken Skull EDC knife was designed in conjunction with pro-wrestling’s Steve Austin. Now, I don’t know anything about professional wrestling, but I have heard of Mr. Austin. From what I know, he’s a solid man with experience in a number of arenas – no pun intended.
Steve Austin hosts, or did host, a radio show, and traveled out to Lynn Thompson’s place to conduct an interview for the show. Lynn knew that Austin was a hunter and outdoorsman and had an interest in good, durable knives. Austin is a ranch owner, as well, and is always looking for a good, usable folding knife that’s suitable for chores ranging from skinning game, cutting rope and other tasks. In the end, it was clear a new knife had to be born.
Along with being an outdoorsman, Steve is also a professional athlete and celebrity, and therefore spends a good deal of time in the city. He carries a knife with him while in the city, and, like many of us, is interested in a tough, sharp folder that’s light and thin.
Cold Steel had offered a folding knife dubbed the Lone Star Hunter. However, the line was discontinued. Lynn, Steve and custom knife builder Andrew Demko went to work on a new folder based on the Lone Star Hunter. The result was “Project Broken Skull”, named after Steve Austin’s ranch. The knife featured a long, wide clip point blade, full flat ground for slicing.
For the Cold Steel Broken Skull EDC knife's blade, they chose tough American powdered steel. For excellent edge holding and durability, CTS XHP was utilized. The blade was then black DLC (diamond like coating) coated for the highest levels of scratch resistance.
For the knife’s handle, American G10 was used, which is so strong that steel liners aren’t needed, reducing the weight of the knife making it very light – about 3 ounces. The Cold Steel Tri-Ad lock was also utilized. This groundbreaking mechanism is extremely tough and highly dependable. It’s virtually impervious to shock, and is very safe when being used in the field.
The Cold Steel Broken Skull knife is available in six different colors, including olive green and orange. I’ve been packing a Broken Skull in the olive color for months and have used it for a wide variety of cutting uses. I clip it inside the back pocket of my jeans and honestly, I never even know it’s there. After considerable hard use, the Tri-Ad locking system on my knife shows no sign of weakness. There’s absolutely no play between the blade and handle whatsoever. The blade has remained incredibly sharp, even through some challenging cutting situations. A quick trip across a steel has kept the edge on par.
The Cold Steel Broken Skull is long and thin, but also quite easy to carry. I recommend it. High quality, decent price.
Cold Steel Broken Skull Knife Specifications
MSRP: $139.99
Weight: 3.1oz
Blade Thickness: 3.5mm
Blade Length: 4.25"
Handle Material: 5 1/4" AMERICAN G10
Blade Steel: AMERICAN Carpenter CTS XHP Alloy
Blade Coating: Black DLC (Diamond Like Coating)
Colors Available: Orange, Blue, Grey, Olive Drab, Coyote Tan, Pink
