The Cold Steel Espada XL is a very interesting pocketsword. It's not terribly functional, nor useful for EDC, and it's rather expensive, but it is a fascinating glimpse at the true nature of Cold Steel, and of Lynn Thompson's soul.
I’ve carried the Spartan/voyagerxl/4max/immortal for years. Anyone that has a problem with cold steel should simply not buy it. I love my cold steel knives and I carry one or multiple everyday and have been for 7 years. If you’re one of these guys that complain about weight do some squats and wear a better belt lol
It's a new take on the old Navaja de Muelle. These old Spanish knives were ratcheting folders that had blades anywhere from 5-11 inches. They were used for everything from agricultural work to big honking fishing knives. They also became a favorite tool of Spanish Bandits back in the day. When you consider they were big work knives that just happened to fold and not actually a pocket knife it all makes sense.
And this reviewer said its for youtube cutting videos it sounds like this guy dose not know the history of fighting knives! This is a fighting knife not everyone needs or wants a fighting knife so all the fake laughing and corny jokes sound like hidden Cold Steel hate to me. If you like dainty edc knives thats cool they have thier place but, Fighting knives are a different beast so review the knife in its right context! Because you sound foolish reviewing a knife out of its philosophy of use!
I am 69 years, former MARINE now disabled The Espada XL IS MY EDC and I love it. I have no worries carying this knife here in GA. We have very liberal knife laws here and I'm taking advantage of that liberalism. Before the XL I carried a handmade in Nepal Kukuri with 12 inch blade, "NOW THAT'S A KNIFE"!!!
People say it's impracticle for self defense? I dare you to go up against someone armed with an Espada XL with a smaller lesser knife. If anything, this knife forces attackers to keep a much further distance away.
been in two got cut needing stitches both times. Now I carry an Espada XL and hope to never again. Maybe just maybe this will scare them off and NOBODY will need stitches. Now how many you been in BUBBA !?? Oh yeah I taught combat knife fighting technics in the USMC during years 65-71 with two tours in Viet Nam, now BUBBA, what about you ???
@@ronlacey2591 I'll have you know I graduated top of my class in the Navy Seals, and I've been involved in numerous secret raids on Al-Quaeda, and I have over 300 confirmed kills. I am trained in gorilla warfare and I'm the top sniper in the entire US armed forces...
I EDC an XL G-10 Espada to work and occasionally carry a 24" D-guard Latin machete. I have one of a few jobs which EDC'ing something like this is actually practical for. I'm a Land Surveyor in Virginia. I have to cut sight lines through brush, limbs, bamboo, and saplings almost every day for our TS. I used to carry the 24" Latin all day 5 days a week. I got sick of carrying a machete on my hip with all my other gear, especially if I didn't even end up needing it on the job we were at. I saw the XL Espada at a gun show a while back and decided to buy one. I love it. I carry it in my tool pouch every day. If I come across any limbs or small trees i need to cut for line I can just whip it out, cut for a bit, fold it up, and slide it right back into my pouch. Now I only carry the machete for brush and briars.
I really don't think Emerson can sue over this, since the implementation is different. Emerson's patent is for a "projection" "integral to the blade". Cold Steel's design neither projects, nor is it integral to the blade. Also, in Maryland this is considered a pen knife, and as such is perfectly legal to carry around concealed.
Believe it or not, this would be legal to carry in your pocket in NY. And it's one of the few Cold Steel products I'm interested in. I love big knives (big hands) and I love works such as this. I would definitely EDC this.
4” or more is evil in NY 3.9999” is good, however gravity knives are a no no. Must be slip joint if it folds. I carry a fixed 3.9” Fällkniven F1. Fixed blades are ok, but cannot be visible. Too much BS in NY and NYC is worse.
@@cultofmalgus1310 gun is good first choice but the fast deployment of a knife like this will be faster than drawing a gun and in very close range you would want to use this first and the gun would be a back up weapon. Always carry both gun and blade to be completely ready.
@thedog556 I totally agree running from any fight is smart and should be done if possible especially a knife fight "(combat)". But if you can not run, being cornered or having a disability, having a knife and using it as a shield so that the attacker would have to charge into your blade to get close enough to stab you is a great equalizer. I know from personal experience because I would be dead if I did not deploy my little 3 inch street legal knife quickly enough and hold it up to the face of a attacker with a bigger knife who was trying to kill me as I was trying to get into a car. I could not run as he had kicked the car door closing it on me as I was trying to get into the car so my only alternative was to fight back with my little knife. I did have a gun, small 25 caliber, in my pocket but I new the knife was quicker as I was pressed up against the car on my gun side. The guy backed off, luckily, after seeing my knife. I was getting in on the passenger side as we were trying to leave. Once the guy backed off we jumped in and we're driving away and the guy came running back and was going to try to stab me again through my window as it was down. I then pointed my little gun at him and he stopped & turned around and was running away in a zig zag pattern thinking I was going to shoot him in the back. I did not shoot him as he ran away, as he was not a immediate threat at that time. My driver wanted to shoot but I said keep going and get us out of there. I try to always be ready and it paid off. I also only use as much force as nesesary and if running is all that is needed that is what I try to do. Not out of fear but out of love of life mine and the person who my be trying to harm me or others with me. To this day I am glad I did not kill the guy even though it was legal for me to have done so as I live by a higher moral code then man's law. Be safe & be prepared.
Yes take the clip off. It's long enough for the bottom of your pocket to hold it high enough without a clip. You can also get an opening grip before brandishing the knife much easier than when clipping it.
As an update, I got one of these, and I have been continuously shocked with how comfortably it carries or how comfortable it is in actual use. certainly not the most practical design by any stretch, but far more practical than I would have guessed.
You don't do tactical but you stepped into tactical land with this thing. I agree with your review when your EDC purposes are taken into account. This can be considered a fun novelty item but keep in mind for tactical use this thing is serious business. The size and shape of this is true to a few of many designs of the Spanish navajas of the 18 and 19th century. Aside from polished hardware on the more expensive version Cold Steel dispensed with the traditional decorations common to navajas and implemented only the functional aspects such as handle shape, bowie clip point, blade. A strong modern lock is used on the CS version. I have never seen another knife company mass produce a real navaja. This is a time tested and proven design that is very formidable and effective. It was carried at a time when swords were outlawed but very needed. It was meant to allow the longest blade possible to be carried concealed and opened instantly when needed. They are huge but the design does allow for the most practical concealment possible and the Cold Steel espada is pretty easy to carry and conceal despite it's huge size. I't not a small light weight EDC folder but for it's purpose it excels. This one by the way would be considered on the large side of medium but still within navaja size spec. Blades of over 1 foot long are a common size for real 18th to 19th century navajas.
What an excellent stocking stuffer this would make! l wish I had known that this knife existed in time to order them up for the whole family! Would be perfect for carving up an apple at the office or felling a redwood on a camping trip! Another awesome review Nick. You brought me some joy this am and I appreciate that.
I edc this knife every day for three years. I believe in protecting myself and the people I care about. I trust cold steel products cuz they are fighters themselves and know what they're doing when it comes to self defense.
I’ve been carrying my xl almost daily for 2 months now.. takes a while to get comfortable carrying something this large along with a g19.. but I LOVE IT! You just have to remind people to step back when you whip er out lol
This knife is the real deal and very effective for what it was created for. Nothing funny about it. I carry mine constantly and dont even cause an issues at all. I also love the feeling of self defense peace of mind it gives when i carry it. In the event i either didnt have my firearm on me or i was unable to have my pistol atm then I know i am fully capable of protecting me and my family. With such an outstanding looking folder... i think just the very appearance of pulling it out in the event i had to that the sight alone should deter 95% of issues lol
I've carried that at the office. Although I'm in the knife industry and there are lots of knives at my workplace. The CS espada actually has a historic basis in 19th century Spanish knives and knife fighting culture of that era. In a time when all you might be able to carry was a folding knife and you might be facing a small sword in a fight a knife like that made more sense. Lots of criminal enforcers in southern Spain at that time carried folders that were even larger, some were 20 inches in total length. If you thought you might have to defend against an 18 inch folder why not carry a 20 inch one? Of course you're right that it has almost no practical use in our time it is a fun tribute to the knives of that time.
oh but by the way, Lynn does carry an espada, two vaqueros and a laredo. He once told his wife that if he was a toaster manufacturer he would hang a toaster around his neck. And if anyone ever jumps him at the swap meet he can take his attacker out with one cut and have three backups to spare, ese. As a metis/northern coonass, je suis oblige de respecter ca. In fact I have even purchased le voyaguer drop point yesterday.
That has got to be THE funniest knife video on RU-vid right now. LMAO at your attempts to defend the indefencible. Massive thanks for posting this - my Christmas is complete.
This is a fine high quality cheap self-defense knife it's not like your little pocket knives you are used to that are for opening up boxes of Girl Scout cookies
I would carry this as a EDC. Granted I may not use it daily but it's definitely something that I would would love to have even if I don't use it daily.
On a more serious note, I think you missed the tactical aspect of the knife. I'm not a high speed low drag oper8or by any means, but the tremendous reach and quick deployment are pretty clearly intended for "tactical" uses, and I think you could have mentioned that more in the review.
Asghaad Agree. Nick shouldn’t review knifes like this. I carry one and it’s only purpose is for self defense. I have a smaller 2.5 inch blade on me for regular tasks.
It's very useful for edc. People need to get it out of there heads that knives need to only be large enough to cut boxes and string. A knife is apart of self defense and Lynn Thompson is one of the only people who understand the importance of carrying a large blade. The Ancient People often carried large knives. People walked around carrying swords and bucklers in the High Middle ages. People are so goddamn afraid of their own shadows today they'd rather be a statistic in the morgue than armed and ready for a real threat. As someone who survived and armed robbery and two home invasions I will NEVER be in my home or out of it unarmed every again.
Love the Espada XL. Carrying this doesn’t make you a “jackass”. Talking about how “jackassy” this is makes YOU the jackass. This is a knife for a MAN. Not a child. This is a combat folder and was never designed to be a highly concealable knife.
I dont like how you didn't take this knife seriously, cold steel makes some great self defense tools. I dont think you give kives like that a fair review. You need to think of knives like this how they were ment to be used. Of course there not good for edc thats not the point of all knives.
I EDC'd an XL Voyager for over a year while in college. I'll make a video about it. All through my senior year and a bit through my Master's program this guy came with me. There was a no gun policy, though I still wanted to be armed with a formidable weapon. In contrast to your review, these can most definitely be carried in a normal pocket while utilizing the pocket clip. Yes, it does take up your entire pocket, though so does a pocket pistol like a LCP or Bodyguard. You seem to be coming to the table with a utility knife mindset. This was designed as a weapon, pure and simple; not a tool to open up a box or cut some bit of string. With that in mind, many of your critiques fall terribly short. There are few other weapons like the CS line that afford this amount of "firepower" and conceal-ability. This goes double for areas where guns are not allowed.
💯🔥 Carry mine inside the waste band everyday. Living in San Diego, CA I can’t legally carry a firearm. This is the next best thing. This knife saved my life two weeks ago while getting gas early in the morning.
If you carry a fixed-blade knife in my state, and say it starts raining, and your rain coat covers the knife to the point where a cop thinks it's not sufficiently exposed, you've committed a felony. This is a knife for all those people who want to be all EDC survival ready, but who don't want to commit weapons felonies in certain states by carrying a fixed-blade survival knife in a bag or on their person. As crazy as it sounds, this knife is more practical than any fixed-blade knife, at least in some places.
"reasonably safe tool"? It's one of the few knives that can do serious injury to your foot if you drop it! So, now, time for you to review the 6" Luzon. Just $40.
I have a CS Voyager XL (5.5" blade). The Espada XL is, well, too pricey. Now if Mtech decides to come out with a knockoff (like they did the Trailmaster) in let's say 440A for under $50 ... that might make a great fantasy knife. I wouldn't EDC it because it looks like too much of a pain to sharpen due to the edge geometry and steel (S35VN now, instead of XHP). That and being too expensive to risk losing or even using ... As soon as I mod the pocket clip, my newer Voyager large with 4" AUS10A blade, will probably replace my old reliable RAT 1 as my EDC. As for my Voyager XL, I'm actually looking for a Kydex sheath (yes, for a "pocket" knife).
I know this an oldie...but what a goodie to find when I couldnt sleep tonight. I woke up my girlfriend laughing thinking of a mall ninja wearing JNCO jeans autodeploying his XL Espada and trying to cut down the utility pole outside of Spencer's!
Though I dont see this being an EDC knife. The other Espada with the polished furniture is a nice collector knife. Though some of coldsteel's pieces are a little crazy. I appreciate that they do make designs that others do not. One thing I can say about coldsteel is that they make pretty darn good hard work knives for a fair price. Their recon 1 series is pretty highly touted by military personnel who need a good hard work knife, as it was mentioned specifically by a navy seal.
Funny vid. Hmm it's actually light for what it is. A 7 inch fixed is 22ounce plus with the sheath for example. I think there is some legal loop hole on the deployment. It's a thumbplate that's screwed on. Same function but different design compared to the Emerson. It's 200usd on Amazon which is ok I think. Granted it's a good sample with no centering issues.
Let me correct you on this - this knife has many legitimate purposes. When in a dangerous environment, like when walking my dog in my less than quality neighborhood, it is less legally precarious for me to carry this knife as opposed to my .380, as local law only states that a 'dagger type knife' must be completely concealed if its length exceeds 2". I am tall enough to completely conceal this knife in my pocket. If I was searched for some other reason and this knife was discovered, it could not be legally used against me. However, a .380 can and will be since conceal carry permits are not available in my locality. Needless to say, I'd much prefer this knife against a prospective mugger than a 2.5" knife. I also carry this on private flights in case the plane goes down. My knife is in S35VN and can ostensibly be used as a pry bar to open the airplane door or to cut through the plexiglass in order to escape while it is sinking in the ocean or burning on land. If I manage to escape and I am in the middle of nowhere, it can be used to build a shelter and start a fire to survive until rescue arrives. People like me who think ahead survive in such situations and you will have no excuse to your willful ignorance and complacency when faced with such a predicament some day.
I am a person who now carries this knife pretty much everyday. I don't know that we'll get the chance to meet, but here's some interesting points to help flesh out your picture of the sort of person who would carry this. (Not making any of this up, I promise that everything here will be 100% true: I grew up as a homeschooled cultist in a clearing in the woods in rural Tennessee. I own, and can blow a conch shell which I got while visiting relatives in Hawaii, and a Jewish so far that I inherited from my dad, at the same time I inherited the katana he used to hunt and behead a local flock of geese that were attacking children. My name "Zube" is short for Zerubbable. I have a jacket named Fred with pockets large enough that I have smuggled a 2 leter root beer in the inside pocket. I have colored belts in a few different martial arts, but no black belts, unless I qualify as a black belt in Mall Ninjiary (for which I believe a compelling argument could be made) I speak pig Latin both fluently and often. I usually carry six knives daily, although that number can fluctuate up and down a little bit and which knives they are tends to have a little bit of variance as well. I have worn and a medieval jerkin and mantle along with an arming sword to Chick-fil-A in southern California. as a kid, I had a dedicated pillow fighting pillow, and I once broke a board with it. (Most of my neighborhood was taking taekwondo classes at the time, so board breaking was a local pastime.) I currently work in warehousing, cutting poster board from large sheets into the smaller sizes that go behind every day posters, which basically means I operate $100,000 knife with a four and a half foot long blade for a living. (And, yes, I do carry and use the espada XL at work, but I also carry and use the folts minimalist, so it evens out. Also to address something touched on in the review, I have had several people ask me to pull out my espada in the one true, and as far as I know there haven't been any negative consequences yet.) Feel free to ask any questions and I'll try to leave notifications on and get back around to answering in case there's anyone who doesn't believe any of this lol
This knife saved my life two weeks ago while getting gas at 3am in the morning. My attacker saw me pull it and backed off. He had a steak knife he had pulled while I was pumping gas. My 2 1/2 inch folder would not have backed him off.
This no joke knife is the knife I carry when hiking,camping or something else outdoorsy the tri-ad lock is sturdy and strong making it useful for hacking and batoning fire wood This big SOB is my best knife I own it's strong and reliable and the fact that's it's ridiculously overly sized is what makes it great
@@mistakenotou7681 In many states fixed blades must be openly carried like here in California. Many people are not comfortable with carrying a fixed blade. I live in California and I carry an Espada XL every day.
This is my new everyday carry!.... yeah im compensating for my small, thin, little, flimsy ........Benchmade bugout. But it actually fits in Carhartt pants very well and the pocket clip works surprising well..
Cold Steel products have evolved over the years in a way that runs the gamut from useful tools to objects of seeming self parody. As a long time user and collector sometimes I purchase a knife just because it's plain old fun. I personally appreciate Cold Steel's attempts to shock and amuse with some of their designs, but at the same time realize that some people just don't, or won't "get it".
Nick, I EDC the large Espada on a regular basis and get all kinds of crazy looks any time I pull it out when I cut something or when someone else asks me if I have a pocket knife they can use and even though the large is a bit smaller than this one I still scare the shit out of quite a few people when that (lawsuit worthy) wave feature pulls this blade out. I love your videos man and I will watch your hilarious reviews as long as you continue to post them. Keep it up brother you have my love and support(no homo whatsoever).
I have been wanting this pocket sword (proper term) for almost ten years. I paid $140 (AUS10) for this beauty, on Amazon. I hope the Amazon online dealer isn't a jackass.
Uh, no reason to buy that knife? Sounds like an opinion and not a fact. This is a great OPINION based video. The Cold Steel Espada XL is a great self defense and home defense knife, it will very much fuck up an attacker or intruder and will definitely be intimidating to the enemy.
Awesome Blade. You can say what you want about Cold Steel , but they make strong , tough , Quality Knives no matter how big or outrageous they are ....👍⚔🖖
It seems normal sized. Then your hands handle it & my perspective gets twisted. You’re explanation of jackassery was epic, PhD level stuff. Laughed so hard at this video.
Its a tactical self defense knife. Pretty much like all of Cold Steel's XL folding knives. For when you cant carry a fixed bladed sheath knife. Its based on the Spanish Navaja fighting knife from the 1800's And yes I will be adding one to my collection.
