Picking The Right XL Pocket Knife~Espada/Rajah II/Voyager XL Cold Steel Knives

#survival #bushcraft #camping #edc

20% Promo Code: GIDEON
_______________

COLD STEEL LINKS

Smoky Mountain Knife Works**

__________________

Gideonstactical Gear Link Hub:
__________________

LA POLICE GEAR LINK
10% Off Your Purchase With Code GTTAC10
_______________

BACKCOUNTRY.COM LINK
________________

MOOSEJAW LINK
___________________

5.11 TACTICAL LINK
________________

MONTANA KNIFE COMPANY LINK
________________

GRAYL Water Purifier LINK
_______________

SPORTSMANS WAREHOUSE LINK
________________

MYSTERY RANCH STORE LINK
________________

KELTY GEAR STORE LINK
________________

Get 15% Off With Promo Code: EATWITHGT

Links Provided May Include Commissions For Me As A Content Creator. It Is Free For You And Helps Me Create More Content.

DO NOT ATTEMPT ANYTHING SEEN IN THIS VIDEO AT HOME. YOU TAKE ALL RESPONSIBILITY AND RISKS WHEN USING, HANDLING, OR ARE OTHERWISE ENGAGED WITH ANY OF THE ITEMS, SCENARIOS, OR TOPICS MENTIONED IN THIS VIDEO.

[markpettie]

The Vaquero was made by Lynn Thompson as a self defense blade first & formost! Hence the thin tip! The knife was made for stabbing and slashing and balances perfectly!! Its also intimidatiing as all hell!! Absolutely Love the Vaquero!!

[RadDadisRad]

Easy answer. I’m biased. Espada XL without a doubt. I have 27 different Cold Steel Espadas. I have been collecting them since 2009.

[edcfun]

The knife world wouldn’t be the same without these. Happy Saturday everyone!

[johnleahu]

First time that I don't agree with you.... The Voyager Vaquero is amazing for what it was designed. It's great at slashing, cutting, trusting and it will impress anyone trying to do you harm. It's not designed for battoning!!! Otherwise, great information! Keep up the great job!
P.s. I'm buying me another Vaquero!

[BrewCityRider]

The large Espada and the Rajah 2 are my two favorite Cold Steels. I also have the tanto version of the XL Voyager, which is also a great knife after you sand it down under the pocket clip. I think the purpose of the Vaquero is for slicing and stabbing where that thinner tip would come in handy. Yeah, that large Espada carries so easily for such a large knife! It should be called an XL though. The actual XL should be called the XXL.

[richardhenry]

The funny thing is these knives were designed has self-defense weapons. The vaquero is probably the best self-defense knife ever. It can stab as well as chop. The espada is designed after the navaro fighting knife of Spain. Anyway my point is these were not designed for woodwork yet they do it ok.
I’ve had all 3 for years my espada is cts-xhp I love it. Really with these 3 and a few fixed blades I don’t really need another knife until prices come back to normal.

[joed]

absolutely right about the Voyager. Bent the tip of the blade on mine within a month of buying it. Tanto version is much more durable.

[mattiassogna]

The Vaq is Lynn’s favorite and most trusted folder.
That says something right there. I also appreciate the thumb stud instead of the Espada’s flat stud. Attach a Snaggletooth wave on the Vaq and you’re GTG. Espada is overpriced IMO.

[mdubb]

I like the Voyager XL tanto the most, mainly because it’s not such a wide blade - hence it’s lighter. The tanto solves all your tip strength concerns. The handles are abrasive for last ditch, maximum grip in a panic. In circumstances like that, you are going to be gripping very long. For bushcraft, just get an inexpensive Mora or Hultafors, which are also the best food prep knives. The three knives you show today are designed to offer you some chance of survival in an animal attack. Finally, batoning a folder, any folder, shows the reserve strength, but it is a waste of that reserve strength which you might need in an emergency. Baby it until you really need it.

[jkamp]

I didn’t love the vaquero as much as I thought I would, either. But I have been VERY happy with the Tanto version. It’s got more weight. Very robust and substantial.

[boogboog]

Vaquero is designed as a defensive knife not a woods tool.

[Zero_]

Aus10a might be considered a budget steel but it performs incredibly well with the way they heat treat it. I feel totally comfortable batoning with these folders and barely even needing a strop afterwards

[Beemerguy]

I love the voyager lineup. I've had 7+ and they're always a sub $200 folder I recommend to anyone. The main problem is the handle. I sand mine down with 600 grit sandpaper on the diamond texture. It takes about 5 minutes to get one to a spot I like as I do it methodically. If you leave the handle than you'll destroy your pockets in less than a year, easily

[kittrainbow]

Cold steel: knife community moral booster and they are even pretty functional, one of my favourite brand 👍
For me the vojager bowie/clip is the best design for the XL format also FRN is great for XL models but on normal ones I prefer G10 like the 4 inches recon 1, CS is also the brand that cover all options possible, maximum choices for the customers.
Rajah 2 is the coolest one but the little Rajah 3 is more useful.

[longrider]

Okay, go the Rajah II XL, today and its HUGE! So it will be my new EDC Self Defense knife ;) I think if I had to pull it out, might scare the person who is accosting me. It's silly how big it is. And I thought the Voyager Clip Point XL was big. Well now I have both. And yes, it snowed where I live last night, and its cold again outside.

[sticksnstonespatriot]

The Rajah 2 is badass. It's been my edc for going on 2 years now. I don't leave without it. And I haven't found a folder that compares.
( the hold out 2 is badass too)

[sujiut]

I have the XL Voyager Drop Point, which is a very conventional blade shape. When you look at the spine, you see that the thickness carries forward nearer to the point than you would think from looking at the side, as shown in your picture at 13:30. It is my favourite EDC in my pants pocket with no clip. As others have said, if the grip is too aggressive for you, you can sand it down to as grippy or comfortable as you prefer. The blade is very like a professional kitchen knife I have: it works brilliantly for food prep. Like the Rajah, I mainly like it for clearing spiky undergrowth: it's like having a genuinely pocket-sized folding machete with you all the time. I have a loop of cord at the end, and often swing it with a two-finger grip at the very end of the handle, last two fingers in the loop, getting maximum length to the "machete". That two finger grip is much better than you would think. I agree that the blade in the Voyager you showed is a rather impractical shape - fragile and difficult to sharpen for no gain.

[cassanoa]

All these knives are basically self defence or martial blades - not really for food preparation or even bush crafting or camping - the kukri is very flexible

[josephmac]

Get the snaggle tooth Al Wave action opener on all of the Voyager. You won't be disappointed

[jimsiress]

Right, the Vaquero bladed Voyager is better at slashing, slicing & stab piercing. It is intentional. Vaquero bladed Voyager has cutting power usually better than other blade styles of twice it's length as a slasher. Not a great Bushcraft choice but is better than some. I believe it's one of the best fighting folders ever. EDC'd the XL Vaquero for 2+ years & it did everything asked of it. Switched to XL Sabre drop point over the past 3 years & is somewhat more noticeably handy at smaller more precise suburban or rural EDC tasking but still slashes & fights. Looking to switch now to the XL Espada for EDC evolution comparison. I know there are better knives than Cold Steel & I have many of them. However I've trusted my life to these for @ 10 years now for my suburban & rural EDC knives & here I am posting this useless knife banter here & now 😅
Outstanding content as usual & thanks for showcasing these great knives. 👍