COLD STEEL Mini Recon 1 3" AUS10A Razor-Sharp Blade 4" GFN Handle Tactical Folding Knife w/Tri-Ad Lock, Ambidextrous Pocket/Belt Clip

Whether you opt for the spearpoint version, Tanto point or clip point, I believe you'll love these knives. They are all a great value. The first and most important consideration is the locking mechanism. You do not want a blade to close before you are ready. I have found CS's Tri-Ad Locking system to be completely safe and secure. I have total faith in it. I have yet to see anything stronger. While AUS10A steel is not considered a high-end metal, it is very durable, holds an edge well, and is pretty easy to sharpen. No complaints here. The 3" stonewashed blade has a nice appearance and is long enough to tackle any job that you'd need an EDC knife to perform. The blade is easy to open and locks into place with a loud "click." The textured handle is just enough to allow for a good and solid feel without being abrasive. When closed, the blade centers well in the handle. Closing the blade is a bit stiff, but that's a good thing. The cutting edge is razor sharp, so use caution. The knife is fairly small, trim and light in weight, making it an ideal EDC tool. The pocket clip is equally strong and holds the knife in place well. This is a very comfortable piece to carry. I read one review where the writer said that the knife is bulky. I totally disagree. It's so comfortable to carry that I often forget that it's in my pocket. The $40 price range also helps make this knife a genuine bargain. You really get a lot of quality for your dollar. I love these knives and believe that you will also. Stay safe out there.

This is a solid little version of the larger full sized Cold Steel knives. See photos comparing it to the much larger 4 Max Scout. As can be seen in the photos this Mini Recon 1 knife is much more portable and convenient for everyday carry. The 4 Max Scout is a full sized knife and is obviously more robust, thicker blade and more suited for heavy duty work but it is too heavy for EDC. The Mini Recon 1 is very sharp, has high quality steel in a very light package suitable for EDC. Bottom line: The Mini Recon 1 is a great pocket knife and the Max 4 Scout would be good to have in the truck, in a toolbox or maybe on a heavy duty tool belt. Both are excellent knives for the money and I expect they'll last many years. AUS10A isn't the fanciest or most expensive steel but it's very tough, keeps an edge, has some resistance to corrosion and is relatively easy to sharpen. In my opinion it has an excellent combination of materials and the heat treatment is good quality. Again, there are some knives that may be marginally better in some properties but you'll pay many times the cost of the AUS10A steel. Therefore, this knife is a good deal in my opinion if you're seeking a small pocket knife for EDC without spending a fortune.

Sharp enough to have almost sliced my damn finger off when using it! Strong build, and nice discrete size with the ability to work just as a good as my Rajah II. Great for work. The clip is ambidextrous(comes with opposing side clip). Big bang for your buck in a small package. Overall would buy again, albeit Im getting the XL next time haha

I just got this knife, so these are my initial thoughts. Just a little background. I have carried a knife since I was 11 years old and I'm, well I am an old man now. I bought the original (1st generation?) Cold Steel Mini Recon 1 over 13 years ago and it's been my EDC for the last 7 years until I LOST IT! Not gonna lie, I may have cried a little. Just letting you know the love I had for the original knife because I will be comparing it to the new version. Right off the bat the new version feels the same but a little less beefy compared to the original if that makes sense. Probably just me but I was used to the old versions chunkier feel. Maybe it's the scales? The scales don't seem as "crispy" as the original but it's not a bad thing for taking in and out your pocket. The blade, like the original is razor-sharp right out of the box. The material is AUS 10A which is a step up from AUS 8A black coated stainless steel of the original. I do miss the black coating. Mine was all scratched up and dirty looking, NICE! I really did beat the piss out that knife. It took everything I gave it and just kept on going. In a nutshell, I do like having a mini recon back in my pocket and knowing a nice sharp blade with a comfortable feel is waiting for me to open a plastic package or cardboard box, or cutting up some fruit, or even throwing into a tree stump or two. Let's not forget a good game of Mumbly Peg! You youngsters are going to have to google that one if you want to know. As for durability of the new Mini Recon 1, maybe I'll be back in another 7 years or so to review the next version?

This steel sharpens VERY well and holds an edge in my daily work. Excellent usefulness for a good price.

I did quite a bit of research on EDC knives with blades around 3" long and at a cost of around $30 - $50. After watching about 10 different review videos of various knife roundups, the knives that I ordered were the Kizer Nice Guy, the COLD STEEL Mini Recon, and the CIVIVI Yonder. Based on overall build quality, locking mechanism, and blade quality, I would rank the COLD STEEL 1st, the Kizer 2nd, and the CIVIVI 3rd. The COLD STEEL has a sharp, beefy blade with a VERY solid lockup. The Kizer has a very nice blade, but the liner lock doesn't inspire quite as much confidence. The CIVIVI (by far) has the thinnest and weakest looking/feeling blade. This is extremely disappointing given that this knife cost almost twice as much as the other 2 knives. I honestly can't understand why this knife won so many awards. The lockup is solid, and the handle appears very well made. This is obviously where the extra cost went, and not into the blade itself.

OK, first let's talk about AUS10A. The A at the end stands for annealed. cold steal seems to have this alloy down pat! In super brutal testing, the knives I've seen with AUS10A is super resistant to tip breakage, and the edge rolls instead of chipping. You could say this about much lesser alloys, but the difference is that AUS10A has an incredible edge and holds it well, in addition to its durability. A supposed high-end steel like S35VN can't make that claim in the same tests. A canvas and leather strop was all it took to take it from shaving a little arm hair, to popping it like a straight razor. then you have the triad lock, steel liner, G10 scales, even though the blade is 3", the handle is 4 1/4", contoured a little and fits perfectly in 4 fingers. All for 35 bucks!!!

Very nice edc knife. Sharp, strong and slim. Easy open with a locking back.

La verdad es una muy buena navaja por el precio

Un EDC economico casi perfecto, las dimenciones son ideales, el tamaño, grosor, peso, largo, ancho, alto, ademas viene Muy afilado, el seguro muy confiable, minimalista, acero decente, casi imperceptible en el bolsillo por ser ligero y delgado, el agarre es exelente, en general es un cuchillo modesto pero muy capaz, comodo, economico, confiable no podria recomendar mas este cuchillo, ya encargue otro igual.

Es facil de abrir con una sola mano y la cuchilla es bastante afilada. Muy practico.

Excelente navaja especialmente si la pueden pillar en oferta. De las pocas Cold Steel con marco de metal interno