COLD STEEL Code 4 3.5" S35VN Razor-Sharp Blade 5" 6061 Aluminum Handle Everyday Carry Tactical Folding Knife w/Tri-Ad Locking Mechanism

There are those who want you to believe that you have to spend a few hundred dollars, or more, to get a high quality folding knife. This is absolute nonsense, but you do have to look in the right place. If you are looking at Cold Steel, you can end your search. I have long said that, IMO, CS offers the best production-grade knifes in the industry, and I still believe that today. I have used their products for years and have never once had a problem. The most important aspect of a folding knife is its locking mechanism. Having the blade of a folding knife close prematurely can sure mess up one's day. The Code 4 uses Cold Steel's Tri-Ad system, which I feel is absolutely the strongest, and therefore safest, available today. When you open the blade, you can hear and feel it snap into an incredibly secure and locked position. It is not going to close until you make it happen. That is real peace of mind, and one that I trust without hesitation. The Code 4 is a thing of beauty. The fit, finish and quality are immediately apparent. Its 3.5" spear point blade is razor sharp, and it's line, angles, grinds and geometry are as nice as one could hope for. The ambi thumb studs are large enough to enhance ease of opening without being obtrusive, and its butter smooth. When closed, the blade is perfectly centered. The blade is made from S35VN steel. This is definitely a high end steel that enhances overall toughness, corrosion prevention, and edge holding ability, all while making it reasonably easy to sharpen. I like this steel a lot. To me, the least significant of these four major factors is corrosion prevention. An occasional wipe down with an oily rag or shot of WD40 will work wonders. If you are too lazy to take a few seconds to perform this task, you definitely do not deserve a knife this nice. The solid aluminum handle is a greyish green color that looks very nice. The exterior is smooth, there are no serrations or other patterns designed to help provide a secure grip. Because of this, one might think that it would be slippery in the hand, but I have found this not to be the case at all. My hand locks in comfortably and securely. The handle is very slim and trim, making it quite comfortable for EDC. Like other CS knives, the pocket clip has a lot of tension, making it a bit of a small chore to use. For me, this is okay. I would rather it be a bit too stiff than not stiff enough. It will break in eventually or you can carefully bend it to suit your own needs. I read a review where the owner felt this knife was almost too nice to use, and I can agree with that. I am very impressed with this knife, and it takes a lot to impress me. The quality and workmanship in this knife is superb. It is literally every bit as nice, if not nicer, than others in the $300 range! Keep in mind that knives are designed for cutting. They should not be used as screwdrivers or pry bars. Take care of your tools, use them properly, and they will take care of you. I have two EDC folders: this one and a Spyderco Paramilitary 2 with MagnaCut steel. I feel this is Spyderco's best folder, and it is extremely nice, but if I could have only one EDC, it would definitely be the CS Code 4. To me, value is the sum of an item's practicality, quality, and price, and I can state without reservation that the CS Code 4 is a real bargain. God bless, and stay safe out there!

Ok, for the price this knife is a great value. First of all I love the slim handle and overall feel of it. It combines a low profile in the pocket with a hefty high quality blade. Looks sharp as hell in a classic sort of way, intimidating even. Razor sharp out of the box. Would love to know the bevel angle for when it will need sharpening. The only imperfection is that the opening/closing mechanism is a bit dated and old fashioned. I will say that when opened it feels solid as hell. No play whatsoever and a little lubricant in the pivot helps a ton. But it’s definitely not a one hand closer, even though it is a one hand opener. Still, as an edc its slimness makes up for it. I literally can’t feel it in my pocket.

The number one thing I love about this knife is how well it rides. It's got a thin profile, so is non-intrusive in the pocket, and the metal scales allow you to pocket the knife quickly and cleanly. Say goodbye to the days of shredding your pocket with course, gritty or spikey grips; I've had this knife for 3 years and you can't even tell I carry a knife at all times by looking at my pockets. While you might think smooth metal scales would make for a slippery grip, the finger grips molded into the handle keep the knife very snug and I am comfortable using this for almost any task, including self-defense if needed. Beyond that, the tri-ad lock is great and secure, especially for a lefty - there is no chance I'll use a liner lock for any type of stabbing or self-defense, as you're just asking to pop the lock and cut your finger off. I am 100% certain the tri-ad will never accidentally close; it's virtually impossible. Speaking of being a lefty, it's nice to have a company sell an ambidextrous knife, because it's a pain to find something you like only to realize it's not going to carry or hold comfortably. The blade is a good steel, holds a good edge and is easily sharpened when you get to that point. I cleaned a 350lb hog recently with nothing but this knife and just a couple runs through the sharpener. It did great! Also, with the smooth scales, I didn't end up with a bunch of pig gunk to brush out of grip crevices. Just had to do a quick wash, sharpen it up and we were back to new. I originally had a clip point version but forgot I had it on me and TSA now owns that one. I immediately bought another when I returned home and went spear point. Both have their benefits and drawbacks but will probably opt for the clip point if I end up with another one...the sharper point allows for detailed tasks like removing splinters, picking, scraping, controlled/precise puncturing, etc. To summarize, this is a great knife I will continue to carry until something else really impresses me, but it's going to have to include a few features this knife has got me spoiled me with. Highly recommended and for the money, it's hard to beat. Benchmade people will probably disagree with that, and fair enough, they make a great EDC. But don't overlook Cold Steel and the Code 4!

Bought this as a present for my son (he's 30). I got it for $65 and it was a great price for S35VN steel. I am a knife collector and I wanted my son to have a quality knife. The Tri-Ad lock paired with the S35VN steel makes this one heck of a rugged knife. Sadly my son is not an outdoorsman, so he probably won't use it much. He's a scientist. But this knife is priced for great value for such high quality steel. S35VN steel offers above average properties for Toughness, Corossion Resistance, and Edge Retention, the 3 properties all knife steels are rated by. This is by far the best steel for the money. The next steel that offers all 3 properties with higher ratings is Magnacut but that steel is very expensive (usually $200 and up for that steel.)

I own several knives ranging from Benchmades , Spydercos, Kershaws, SOGs and Kizer and ColdSteel. For the value, workmanship and quality, I always have been a fan of ColdSteel and how they take the time to temper their blades and to develop their edges. Their knives are extremely sharp and do need to be handled with care. When I saw the Code 4 with S35 material at the price on Amazon, I had to buy it. ColdSteel makes some of the best folding knives on the market. The triad lock is one of the strongest locking systems on the market. However, it also proves to be a detriment , initially, to the knife. However, one need not fret over this issue, their is a way to reduce the stiffness of the triad lock. It requires patience and extreme care. Refer to photo regarding the semi extended/semi folded position. This position of this blade applies a slight compression factor to the Triad locking mechanism and ,consequently, reduces the stiffness in the actuation of the lock to fold the blade. Now this is the part about patience, I have been having my knife in this position in an empty drawer for over six days and the lock is definitely much more manageable than compared to when it was fresh out of the box. The bottom line , this method of reducing the stiffness in the Triad lock system is hazardous so please be extremely careful when applying this procedure and have a safe place to store the knife where no one will accidentally touch it. I would also recommend some thick working leather gloves if you have them available. As a safety rule, have your full attention on the knife as you place in drawer or a shallow container, do not allow for any distractions. If you handle the knife with respect, and in the angle shown, and don't allow the back edge (the spine of the blade) to touch the ground surface-- lay it perfectly flat-- the stiffness will be reduced and you will rewarded with one of the best folding blades that has an incredibly strong locking system. This knife in all aspects is definitely as close to perfection as possible.

Extremely sharp, very lightweight, amazing materials at this price point.

Good all around knife. Not great at any 1 thing but good at everything. Easy to carry because it’s slim and disappears in the pocket. Clip needs to be loosened just a tad. Most CS knives fit a niche. This one kinda covers everything. Came sharp and with all CS knives, heat treat is second to none. Sharpening S35VN is far easier than S30V. It’s a bit thick behind the edge because the blade can be used far harder than the handle will allow. Takes a nasty sharp edge and putting a mirror edge on it is easy. Handle has sharp edges where the closed blade resides. Gotta de-horn it… no big deal. A pointed diamond file did the trick. I prefer a slicer but this is not that. This knife is more geared toward people that would purchase a Benchmade 940. A working knife one would say. You’ll need gloves because of how thin it is if hard use is your intention. Not taking anything from CS … it’s a damn good knife. However, people want to understand the ins and outs.. Hope this helps.

It took me awhile before picking up the Code 4. Couldn’t pass up on the price. Amazon has amazing prices on Cold Steel knives. Nice thin handle, the action is always great, super sharp with that S35vn steel. Nice large size knife. It’s a Cold Steel the lock up is awesome with the tri-ad lock. Look its a great quality Cold Steel knife. The aluminum scales look more green than gunmetal gray as the advertise on the website. Still looks good