For years, I've derided Cold Steel knives. There's a lot there to ridicule. Some of the knives CS has put out over the years have been stuff straight out of comic books, but every once in a while, they produce a real gem.

Their AD-10 folder, utilizing Andrew Demko's Trial lock is, I think, the best knife- folder or fixed blade- Cold Steel has ever produce. You're getting a Hell of a lot of knife for your 125 or 150 bucks.

The AD-10 is offered with a drop point blade or a tanto blade. The earliest examples were hollow ground, but very quickly, CS switched to a flat-ground saber style, although my late production tanto does seem to be hollow ground, and let me tell you- it is a fierce thing.

Shown with a Victorinox Tinker for scale, these folders when open are actually longer than the ESEE-4 fixed blade.



Here shown closed, the tanto blade is in a sheath I bought off of Etsy IIRC. It holds onto both sides of the thumb stud, so that when you pull it free from the sheath, the knife snaps open. This rig is just as fast as a switchblade. It's not practical to wear under a shirt, since pulling the knife from the sheath sets the blade and its sharp point to swinging. I sometimes put this rig around my neck when I'm taking out the trash after dark, and you could wear it over a shirt and under a winter coat and get it into action without slicing off one of your nipples.



The tanto blade design creates a secondary point, which makes this blade effective for slashing, and I imagine if a man put his mind to it, he could pierce the heaviest of leather coats with a downward stab, the knife held point-down like a dagger. The tanto point version of the AD-10 is a fearsome thing

Really, for a folding knife, you're not going to get a much more effective weapon than this. Oh, you can get a bigger folder (the CS 4-Max, also with the Triad lock, comes to mind), but it's probably not going to fit into your pocket.



S35VN steel for 125 to 150 bucks, probably the strongest lock ever in a folder, this is a Hell of a bargain. On both of these knives, I can open them and pull on the blade in any direction, and there is literally no play whatsoever. This is not an exaggeration. Zero play.

CS offers an economy version of the AD-10, the AD-10 Lite, with AUS-10 instead of S35VN, and FRN scales instead of G10- about 90 bucks. Knifeworks has a good selection here.

If you were to pick up one of these for light duty, or to carry as a defensive weapon, the AD-10 Lite would probably be just as good for you. The AD-10 and the AD-10 Lite both have the Triad lock.

This 4 minute video explains how the lock works. By the way, these folders are fully dis-assemblable with Torx bits.

Back around 2009 or so, a friend gifted me one of these Sig Tac knives:


It was the most expensive knife I'd owned up to that point, but in AUS-8 steel, is not super fancy compared to stuff I've owned since. Still, it was hollow ground, and that blade shape and profile made for a wicked cutter. Albert at Seattle Edge gave it the lightsaber treatment for me. That sucker was scary sharp. It fell out of my pocket one day at work and someone immediately snapped it up. I've missed it ever since. The AD10 in a tanto is almost the exact same geometry, just much thicker blade stock. I have to say I'm intrigued.

I'm with you on Cold Steel. Lynn Thompson is a total clown, and his demo videos and some of the things they've produced over the years are easy to laugh at. I think at the heart of all that, though, is a love of knives, and wanting to make knives people will use. Lately I've been coming across a number of reviews of various Cold Steel knives that are absolutely glowing, and the bottom line is that some of their offerings give you a lot of knife for the money. With Spyderco's prices going the way of Ruger's in recent years, I haven't been carrying or using mine as a result. Too expensive to replace. May very well snag a tanto AD10 based off your review.

Cold Steel has been my go to for many years. I’ve probably lost 5-6 tanto voyagers in different lengths in the last 10 years.
I’ll get one of these AD-10s in tanto in S35VN.
I like heavier knives with no serrations.
Thanks,
Billy

Been a big CS fan for a long time. I carry a Voyager daily.

The only Cold Steel product I have ever bought is those "plastic" training swords. I quote plastic because when they arrived I was shocked. My now grown Marine/soon to be firefighter son was into boy stuff and I saw the CS swords. One was a medieval knight version and one was a Roman sword. They were inexpensive and I didn't really read the description for detail. At the price point I was thinking little swords for play. Well, dang, the box arrived and out come these two 4 plus foot long swords that are stout as hell. Like put a hole through the wall stout. I could only look at my wife and say "sorry" as we both laughed at the ridiculousness of my mistake. He loved those swords and when he outgrew playing with them I took them and put them away. Some grandkid someday is getting swords to the consternation of their parents. lol

That being said, these knives intrigue me. That lock does seem hell for stout. I am not the biggest fan of the lockback regardless of strength, they just are slower to deploy. I know Benchmade is verboten now, but prior to their gun destruction I had/have a collection of probably 50-100 of them and am a rabid fan of the axis lock. It is fast to deploy and undeploy and from personal use I can say it is wicked strong as well.

I will probably pick up a pair of these.

Only Cold Steel knife I have is the AIR LITE, to carry when I'm running or hiking.

3.5" blade under 4oz. and thin which makes it easier to carry.

stock picture.

The Cold Steel AD-10 is one of the company's best legacy models. A few others deserve honorable-mention: the Recon 1, and the SR1.







All of these feature the triad lock, and are the perfect size/weight ratio for EDC.

I consider the SR1 Lite to be a best buy. When I bought mine in 2022, I paid 38 bucks. The street price is a bit more than that these days, but with the Triad lock, they're still a bargain.

I have a 4-Max scout. By far the beefiest folder I've ever owned.