COLD STEEL Tai Pan 7.5" VG-10 San Mai Spear Point Razor-Sharp Blade 5.5" Kray-Ex Handle Fixed Blade Knife w/Secure-Ex Sheath

Yep, this is the real thing. I wuz worried at first 'cuz the price was so right for me, I thought I was taking a chance on getting stuck -- pun intended. But yeah, this is the real thing. It ain't a super steel, but I don't care 'bout that kinda thing. The VG-10 San Mai is good enough for anything I'm gonna do with this blade. Not that there's anything wrong with CPM 3V, but c'mon, the price is crazy and if you're honest about it, you won't know the difference. This is a fighter, not an all around hunting utility survival blade. IMHO, of course.And yeah, it's from Taiwan, but frankly, I've compared it to my Seiki City, Japan blades and it looks good. I've several vintage (to you ... I bought'em new back in the day lol) Cold Steel tanto and Bowie knives make in Seiki City and except for "Taiwan" on the blade you couldn't tell the difference. Everything is symmetrical, fit and finish is first rate and the Kraton (rubber) handle is rock solid.What. A. Deal.If I have a complaint (or quibbling, as it were) it's the edge wasn't as sharp as it could be or as sharp as most of the CS blades I've purchased since the late 1980s. No worries, a bit of polishing on some 1500 grit sandpaper and some stropping on leather and it's scary scary sharp, not just scary sharp.If you're in the market for this kind of blade -- and to be honest, you should be! lol -- BUY. THIS. KNIFE.As Stan Lee used to say, 'Nuff said! ;)

This knife came amazingly sharp out of the box. The tip is shaving sharp, not quite as sharp near the hilt but still respectable. I've seen complaints about the sheath not being ideal for edge retention, but I haven't had any issues. It weighs about as much as you would expect, no surprises there. The grip is very comfortable, I have other weapons with "modern" grips that dont feel as great when I hold them bare handed.I dont know a whole lot about the resiliency of the steel this is made out of, dont see many weapons out of San Mai steel. I've put it through a decent amount of use and I haven't had to sharpen at all. I'm curious what an arming sword or a falchion made of of this steel would be like.

The product is perfect .No issue , even with the kydex sheet works perfectly.

I am a collector of daggers and I can say without a doubt this is the nicest dagger I have ever purchased. Do not be dissuaded by the "made in Taiwan" stamp: the Cold Steel manufacturing and quality control here is as good as Japan or the US. Almost all production daggers will have some flaws of some sort: slightly uneven blade angle, imperfect grind, less-than-needle-sharp tip, loose crossguard etc. I could not find a single thing off on the San Mai. The angles are perfect, the cap and guard are type, the tip pushes effortlessly through cardboard, plastic, or meat, and the hollow-ground blades cut through paper like nothing.Factory sheaths are also something that usually comes poor or barely passable. Rattly, don't secure the knife well, or secure it too hard so that it needs to be yanked out. The San Mai factory sheath fits the knife very nicely and has extremely tight tolerances. There is no rattling at all. Shaking the knife upside down without the strap on will not make it fall out, but it will easily draw from the sheath with just a little effort from your hand.Whether you are buying this for self-defense or as a collector's piece, you are getting what you pay for. The MSRP on the knife is $300, but it is often on sale for around $160, so wait for a sale if you see it for full price.

Well made..sharp, shiny and symmetrically ground. It really is over a foot long..Durability to be determined. Minus a star for a sheath that's way too tight. I need two hands and a very violent, very strong yank to withdraw the dagger. Sheath needs some serious "adjustment." We'll see....Edit: used a hair dryer to heat and a mini pry bar to enlarge the sheath opening. A few times and now it's OK. Knife stays in, upside down shake test, but releases one handed with just a little thumb pressure. Ok for me.

the blade was razor sharp out of the boxcut boxes like butterthe grip feels excellent the sheathe is excellent i feel confident its not going to come out when i dont want it toas far as the practicality ? well, that is debatable.

This is a quality knife. If you are reading this, then you need to get it. At the price it is offered you can not go wrong. The quality is absolutely amazing. It doesn’t matter if you are collecting knives or actually have a use for it, it will do the job that you want it to.

The tai pan is really nice. Super high quality and super sharp. I’d take this knife to a gun fight. I might even win it with this thing in my hand.