Today, we'll take a look at a knife that's big and ridiculous, but in a super endearing way and at a price point where that actually makes sense: the Cold Steel 4Max Scout.
I understand your point of view as a strict E.D.C. reviewer with small hands that probably rarely carries his knives outside of home or the office . But for people that use their knives for more than opening envelopes and cutting string on their jobs and people that love the outdoors and go camping , hunting , fishing , rafting , ect... , this is another great knife from Cold Steel and No the AUS-10 isn't like VG-10 , it's waay better , judging from my personal use and Cedric and Ada's rope cut testing , it cut 150 cuts with the "factory" edge and VG-10 did 71 cuts with a new 20° polished edge , so wow, that's more than double the cuts according to my calculations . I have XL hands and this knife fits perfectly, so this knife is comfortably , has a good tough working steel blade with a nice high grind that still slices really good for such a thick blade , and the strongest lock on the Planet , soo what's not to like , another great Demko offering , Cold Steel does it again .
The things that make (made) Cold Steel great, are the same things make them the most disliked and misunderstood brand in the knife market. In the end, we all carry and use what we like, and someone else's two cents is just that. It's only when you buy into anothers opinion, that it becomes worth something more, whichever way you go. I like Cold Steel, and I miss Lynn Thompson.
@@matthewadler1329 Yes, I think most people do not use their knives in a way the knives deserve and are intended for. Openeing packeges, typically, I would guess. I bought AD-10 a year ago and my first impression was heavy, thick behind the edge, terrible pocket clip... I wanted to sell it and almost did. But then I started to use it regularly, especially in the garden and started to appreciate it more and more. Finally, I reground it myself, made it much thinner behind the edge but with still very durable convex and bought an aftermarket deep carry pocket clip. Also reshaped the whole blade and sanded of some shar edges. And boy, now it is one my most used knives, slices, cuts, chops... Rock solid. One might say that I had to modify my knife substantially to fit my need and that it is almost a different knife now. Yes, but I modifiy more or less all my knifes to suit my needs better and I like it. Should I choose just one folder to have for the rest of my life, this would be it and some of my folders cost 500 USD. I know the AD-10 will most likely never fail. I love my other knives too but when it comes to utility and reliability, the AD-10 is best. Since 4Max is rather similiar, I believe the same can be said about it too.
Despite all of the pretty good reviewers on RU-vid, you have been my favorite EDC knife reviewer since I stumbled across your work about a year ago, and you still are! For more reasons then one... I just wish that I could take you along on an adventure with me one day where we go out and hunt big game such as elk, white tail dear, mule deer and feral hogs! And as you probably already know, once we harvest our targeted species, we then take them back to the camp where we begin the processing procedure. This is where I would love to get your take on the types of knives that we choose to use and hear what your opinions would be on the different types of blades we use for certain task. When I say “we” I mean hunters in general. I generally hunt alone but that’s beside the point. You certainly have an expertise with knives. But I think you may get a different perspective on certain knives if you could actually partake in an adventure like the ones that I’m speaking of. I believe that it just might take some of the ridiculousness out of the equation in some of the knives that you review... Anyway, keep up the great work!
Yeah, ive had a spartan in my pocket for about 8 years now. Just got a colossus yesterday. Though im not in the market for the scout. Getting the 4max.
You can place your finger below the choil to catch the closing blade. I stick my finger right under the choil protrusion, kinda with my finger tip in between handle scales and the blade drops right on to that wide flat part at the base of the blade.
Aus steel, as made by cold steel (important, as other brands who use AUS have a very mediocre steel product) , is actually a powerhouse of a steel, for the price. I am pretty sure they have an interesting heat treat, and cryo for sure. They must have learned a lot of Japanese tricks, because their AUS approaches performance levels of premium steels.
Facts! I only sharpen mine 1-2 times a month, and I use it HARD daily. The AUS10 on Cold Steel knives is pretty fantastic. The edge lasts longer than my Adamas and that has Cruwear.
I like big knives and even for me it’s not an everyday carry but for hiking, yard work and just fidgeting it’s def a keeper and I think it’s a huge value money wise at 1/3rd the price of the original.
I'm a forester/wood cutter by trade. I abuse my tools often because being out of the way a bit I tend to not always have the right one with me. I feel like I'm really part of the Cold Steel target market. That's why I carry an Esee 4.
AUS10 is a great steel, i've used it quite a lot this year and done testing on it, it's a much better steel than people seem to think, stop looking at the price of the knife and judging the steel on that, actually do some edge retention testing yourself and you will see it's not a low tier steel, AUS10 is perfectly fine as a knife steel, nothing wrong with it.
I really like the 4 Max Scout. Its utterly ridiculous and I probably need one to keep in my backpack all the time for when spontaneous jackassery is called for.
3:16, 11:27 Ohhh, would you look at that. I see you got more comfortable with bigger blades over the years, Nick. I remember your review of the original 4Max, where you said that knife is two hand operated for you because of it's size. And now you're reviewing the bugdet version of said knife while opening it one handed. Made me smile. I know you basically said the same thing about this one and pointed out that it's still an issue for people with smaller hands, but it still look like you've started to adapt to something a bit more jackassery 😁
We need a review and comparison with the CS Pendleton Mini Hunter (interesting little pocketable hunting knife...economical 3v steel). Giant folder with teensy fixed blade. I just want to see the size comparison with the 4max :P
I have this. It's a tough knife. I'm glad I have it for those times I feel I need it. camping like. That blade has come down on my fingers, and did cut them. Didn't come down hard, but it is sharp. Took about 3 minutes till bleeding started. One of those. I like it. Glad I have it.
I skipped over the AD10 and grabbed one of these by way of having a cold steel pocket anchor. (the Code 4 is a more reasonable thing to carry). The overbuilt, bank vault, feel is weirdly compelling. It certainly is heavy, if pocketable (with suspenders). I disagree about dinging it for the AUS10, though. It holds an edge..ok... but it's a tough, non chippy steel (very popular with chefs). Tough and easy to sharpen is good in a camp knife- and no one is peeling their grapes in the office lunchroom with any flavor of 4Max, are they? Essee has a whole business based on this idea (tough, not grape peeling). Anyway it's hysterically compelling and actually functional despite being considerably heavier than, say, a Lionsteel M4 or Fallkniven F1 :) Good review- my decision on ordering one was based on this review and Pete's AUS10 test
Hi Nick You are very skilful! Ref. 4Max Scout (Cold Steel) Maintenance. 1) The small rag that you use for clear the Knife is soaked with a liquid ? (If it is what type?). 2)What kind of oil is used for the lubrication? Many thank Walter Sitia
To answer your questions: 1) He used a small gun cleaning patch (cloth) with some rubbing alcohol on it to clean. 2) He used 10W (10 weight) KPL oil lube. He also frequently uses 10W nano oil as well but not in the video you asked about. Other tool lists and information can be found on his website on the "tools" section. Hope this helps.
So I just received mine and it’s like pocket carrying a fixed blade knife. It’s comparable to an ESEE 4 or a Gerber Strongarm. I trust Tri-Ad locks so it feels like a folding fixed blade lol.
I have a curious question. Is it possible for a knife maker to use billet aluminum N knife construction? Other than the cost of producing billet aluminum? I was just thinking of how a knife maker may be able to produce a slab of billet aluminum and millet all the way out for a lightweight knife. It may even be cheaper than titanium however I don’t have anything to compare it to.
@@andrewfournier8817 I have a automotive background and I always see pistons made from forged steel, cast-iron, and a billet of aluminum. I always thought it would be a cool material to make a knife handle out of. Thanks so much for the comment. I’m going to check into the code for.
Nick, I would love for you to say the size of the the screws in the review like MetalComplex. I know you show it in the disassembly, but saying it real quick would improve the quality of your review imo.
The tip of the blade on my 4max scout is exposed when closed like an old knife that has been sharpened for years ! I would be really pissed if I had spent $600.00 ! I'm still pissed because I spent $95.00 ! It appears from looking at your vid to be a 1/16" shorter than the one you reviewed ! Or 3 9/16 " long ! I will have to modify the area where the stop pin on the inside strikes the blade so it can close deeper ! I really agree with yourhardware issue ! And g10 scales without liners would be fine ! And the pivot could be a lot larger ! You know just for a tiny bit stronger !
it's meant to be a place you would run a pin through to essentially make it a fixed blade. That said, they do not give you a pin so youd have to find/make one.
Very tempted by a lot of CS’s EDC entries these days. They have a lot of great option that are well ground, reasonably priced, and feature the Triad Lock. Only concern is thickness in the pocket and often-tight clips.
Just the thing for a 6'2" 210lb guy with large hands and a blue collar job. Like me. Cold Steel has always been over the top in so many aspects of their design and Lynn's philosophy . Nice review of a folder as any I've enjoyed here over the years. Nice work as ever. 👍
As a kid who grew up on a cattle ranch in the woods, I love seeing the unique look Nick has on knives that I see a lot of in my everyday life and consider quite normal. Proud to be part of the jackassery community😂 Keep up the good work, Nick
I love my 4 Max Scout. It is huge, it cuts, its ergonomic, and also carries so good for such a huge knife. I carry it a lot on my days off work (it is too ridiculous for the job site...I usually carry a Shaman and my XM-18 on the job). I love my AD10, I love my 4 Max, and love the SR1 Lite. They're not for everyone but man are they great knives. Sure the T6 screws are dumb, but I can overlook that. The Aus10 steel is really good, very much like 440c/154cm, which is nothing to sneeze at, and Cold Steel does great heat treats. Only complaint I had? The edge grind was wonky on mine. Almost a chisel grind, and the heel was way too steep. I fixed it no problem, and for 80 bucks its a small complaint. Even at 110 bucks it's worth the price! Oh, and the clip. Yea, all my Cold Steels have stupid tight clips. That texture on the handle doesn't help. I sanded my handle down and slightly bent the clip out a little, works great now. Had to bend my AD10's clip and sand/bend on the SR1 Lite. Now they all go in and come out of pocket perfectly, with great retention. Again, for the price not a big deal. Quality knives, minor inconveniences. Think I'll go chop down a tree with my 4 max later...
The respect you show here almost makes this knife sound like a beefy gem. Were it sized a bit more"normally" work even a slight bump in steel at the same price I have a feeling you'd have placed that title in it without reservation. As a guy with big hands I think this bears serious consideration despite my snobbery about the steel...
There's nothing wrong with the steel for this size blade, it's heat treated very well and has edge retention of VG10 or better. Years ago people saw VG10 as a super steel in regards to edge retention.
Nick downed a bottle of Coca Cola before this review lol. I'm a big jackassy knife guy so I love this at this price. Not so sadly my big jackassy knive money went on the ZT 0452 cf. AND IM LOVING IT!
They are pretty similar, Andrew Demko himself even said the 4-Max was designed to be an XL version of the AD-10. The Scout is a bigger & heavier knife but the AD-10 is made from more premium materials (better blade steel & contoured G10 handles). Both are equally tough & durable. 👍
I handled the scout and went with the Rajah III for a little more reasonable/carry choice. I like big knives but if I go big then my 6" Rajah II but for a BEEFY but reasonable carry the Raj III is my choice over this one.
Great review Nick, you made some very good points. I have many Cold Steel knives, and I do like this one, however at the price point I don't see why you would buy this over the SR1. Most of the time I see this knife and the SR1 around the same price or like a $10-20 difference. The SR1 is also a tank of a knife, but has a much more usable blade and is a bit more pocket friendly. Also the SR1 comes with S35VN steel and g10 handle scales, so much tougher in both aspects to the Scouts materials. I'm sure it's a fun knife to have, but I'd much rather have the SR1 as my tanky folder to the Scout, just seems like a much better deal.
"If you're takin' it out to da woods and jack assin' it some"...Nick has the best color commentary and tone in the YT knife game. LMAO...props not a dis
I think it takes a "larger set of hands" to manipulate it well when it is open... 'cause it is a huge effing knife!!! Um, yeah. For serious hard use some people may be wearing gloves as well.
LoL u are so right about the jackassy crow being the target market. Otherwise a voyager large + either a strongarm or a buck 119 would be a better choice (even a buck 120 if u want a little excitement in life)
I saw that, but I'm afraid it may be fake. I remember on one of Nick's videos he said beware of low prices, and, he mentioned Amazon specifically. I'll buy mine from a licensed dealer. I'll pay a little more, however, It's worth it to me to not have to deal with returning something.
Cannot see what the fuss over its size is about. It's easy to carry than a fixed blade and lighter, doesn't need a sheaf. It's at the lower end of blade size for doing 'stuff' in the bush / woods / scrub lands The only question is: will it stand up to the impact stresses of processing wood. Mechanically, it comes down to the pivot folding mechanism, can it hold up ? Nick, you should have done the review in your back yard smashing wood up, not on your delicate jewellery mat. Peace Jackasses x.
I took off the thumb stud off and shake it out or use two hands so as not to stampede the sheepe ! And I do edc it ! But I also carry a small knife to use in high sheeple areas
I always loved the 4max design but didn’t feel like spending this kind of money on a knife with a design that calls for hard work wich would probably harm the knife in one way or the other. Just as you said this is within my comfort range where I have a good quality knife that doesn’t brake the bank (although it will break a table) that I can use. I was a bit unsure about the AUS10a steel but if it performs like it‘s pictured in the tests I won’t have a problem with that. In conclusion I’ll definitely pick one up.
It's for blue collar guys who aren't opening envelopes and cutting tape or boxes.. ever try to cut really thick rope or plastic material with a delica.. try wearing thick gloves in the cold and using a small handled blade.. some jobs call for beefy blades that can take a beating.. love your channel nick but show some love to the ruffnecks (jackasses)..
