Cold Steel Trail Master Series Fixed Blade Knives
Cold Steel has offered the large bowie Trail Master knife since the late 1980s and still offers some models. The original Trail Master knife was made in the USA and Japan and was called the Carbon V (Carbon Five). The Cold Steel Carbon V made in Japan are very rare. Most Carbon V were made in the USA by Camillus for Cold Steel. The Carbon V is now discontinued. The later model Trail Master made in Japan, model 16JSM, is the San Mai III version with the convex grind. Other models and versions are made in Taiwan.
The Trail Masters made in Japan have gone through a variety of blade material from Aus6 steel to VG-1 San Mai III. Briefly Cold Steel had Trail Masters made in China but switched to Taiwan. These knives are made of different steel (SK-5 and O-1) than the original knives. Although the Cold Steel Trail Master knives are roughly the same shape and size, they are very much different in construction and blade material depending on the model and where it was made.
Cold Steel Trail Master Carbon V
The Carbon V Model 16 is highly prized due to the relative current rarity of this discontinued model and for the blade material and blade design. The original Carbon V has the satin finish convex blade much like the Japanese samurai swords. The full guard is polished brass and the kraton handle has a lanyard hole. The first models came in the black and silver boxes which were standard Cold Steel boxes at the time. Most of the original Carbon V came with a black leather sheath. Some came with a black cordura sheath. Some owners who did not know how to sharpen the convex grind, ended up putting a new edge on their knife and the original convex grind was lost resulting in a blade without the convex edge. Some old Carbon V Trail Masters therefore will have a straight flat grind but then so do some of the other models such as those made in Taiwan.
Cold Steel Trail Master Carbon V
Notice the choil. This is unique to the Carbon V made in USA
Cold Steel Trail Master Carbon V satin finish with kraton handle
STAG HANDLE Model
The Carbon V also came with a stag handle (Model 16S) and a brown leather sheath.
Overall Length: 14 1/2"
Blade Length: 9 1/2"
Blade Steel: Carbon V
Blade Thickness: 5/16"
Handle: Sambar Stag (deer) with brass guard and butt plate
Sheath: Brown leather
The original 16S models had the black and silver boxes and the brown leather sheath had the retention strap across the handle not across the guard as did later models. Later models had the blue boxes.
There was also a Black Trail Master (Model 16CB) which was coated in a black finish also made in USA.
The Cold Steel Trail Master made in Japan
The first Trail Master knives made in Japan were the Carbon V but only a few were made. Then the model 16JS in the 1990s started being made with 400 series stainless steel. After a few years the 2nd generation was made with Aus6 steel. These had the convex grind and the stainless guard. In 1998, Cold Steel offered the new model, 16JSM with Aus8 core and in 2007, the VG-1 core San Mai III laminated with convex grind and stainless guard. The pattern of the kraton was changed from the diamond to a round dome. A cordura nylon sheath and blue box with photo of the knife on it came with the 16JSM San Mai III. This model is a most impressive and beautiful knife.
Cold Steel Trail Master 16JSM Made in Japan San Mai III
The Cold Steel Trail Master made in Taiwan
By offering a Trail Master made in Taiwan, Cold Steel is able to lower costs and still have a well made knife. These come with a plastic and nylon sheath again to lower cost. The cost is roughly half that of the Japan made stainless steel San Mai III 16JSM model Trail Master. Initially made with SK-5 steel, Cold Steel switched in 2013 to O-1 steel for these Trail Masters.
Specifications
- Blade Length: 9 1/2"
- Overall Length: 14 1/2"
- Steel: O-1 High Carbon
- Weight: 16.7 oz
- Blade Thickness: 5/16"
- Handle: 5" Long Kray-Ex™
- Sheath: Secure-Ex® Sheath
- Made in Taiwan
Cold Steel Trail Master Model 39L16CT brass guard, satin finish blade. These Trail Masters do not have the convex grind but a more traditional flat grind. They are now discontinued.
SK-5 steel - High Carbon tool steel made in Japan and is like 1080 steel.
O1 tool steel is a cold work steel. The "O" stands for oil hardening. It’s known as a low alloy steel due to the fact that of the eight additives, the largest additive is Manganese at just 1.2%. The other minerals added are Carbon at 0.95%, Silicon at 0.4%, Chromium at 0.5%, Tungsten at 0.5%, Vanadium at 0.2%, Phosphorus at 0.3%, and Sulfur at 0.03%.
Cold Steel Tanto
SWS