COLD STEEL COUNTER TAC I 5" Japanese AUS8A w/ Stonewash Finish Spear Point Fixed Blade Multi-Purpose Tactical Game Hunting Boot Knife, 4-1/2" Kray-Ex Handle, Weather-Resistant Secure-Ex Sheath

I'm retired now but I was formerly a designer, a welder, programmer of CNC manufacturing equipment, and knives are a hobby of mine. I noticed some comments to the effect that only one side of the blade of Cold Steel's Counter Tac knives are finished. This is NOT an accurate statement. Granted, both sides of the blade are NOT symmetrical. But, while one half of the blade may appear to some as having been left "unfinished" or "flat", such is definitely NOT the case. Instead, the "flat" side is actually concave in shape. One can test this assertion by laying a straight edge across the "flat" side of the blade. This concave shape has been put their for an EXCELLENT reason. This concave shape has been put there to provide "relief" or "clearance" which serves to reduce drag thereby increasing efficiency when plunge cutting / stabbing. Note, such concave relief is a feature of some exceptionally well designed / efficient, custom, handmade, daggers, arguably some of the very finest in all the world. The blade steel, AUS 8 if memory serves, is a fine choice for a dagger as AUS 8 is a durable stainless steel that won't break as easily as other steels if it is used like a pry bar. Note, this is NOT a utility knife; in todays' fashion-conscious parlance, it's a "defensive" tool. On the downside, I am of the opinion that the blade geometry, the thickness of the blade's cross section and the depth of the relief cut is likely not optimal. But then knives like that tend to cost several hundred dollars. So, IMHO the Cold Steel Counter Tac knives are a lot of bang for the buck.

Perfect fit for my hand. This knofe is a bit big for a concealed carry situation, however for a defensive blade I don't think you can do much better than this. Triangular wound channel that would be created by this blade would be very hard to repair. 40% of stab wounds are fatal, this blade would qualify if it needed to be deployed in that manner. I found however that it is just a bit big for an EDC situation. Still a good blade and I do personally like Cold Steel products, I think they are a great value for money, often times with good steel that is easily sharpened and holding a good edge. If you need a good sticking blade this will do nicely.

The knife for the price is quite good. It’s a decent steel and a strong full tang. However the grind pattern is unorthodox making it not really a good slicer. It will be able to slice but not as good as other knives. This is primarily a self defense knife specialized in puncturing and it should do the job quite well but not really versatile for utility because of the grind. The grid however makes the tip stronger and more durable. The sheath and clip are also quite good providing good retention for both the knife and when clipped to your belt. I don’t need to use my thumb to deploy the knife. The Handel is contoured and fits my hands rather well with good grip. For context I’m 6 feet tall.

The knife arrived fairly sharp , it has a very comfortable grippy handle . The sheath has a funky belt loop holder thing of a bob . I removed it and replaced it . Strickly a defensive knife !!!

It's flat on one side on purpose so that you can wear it in a boot. Check your local laws about carrying double edge blades first though.

As you know, Cold Steel was sold in 2020 to GSM Outdoors. Anytime something like this happens, one can expect a dip in quality. I bought two Counter Tac 1 knives. These are wedge shaped boot knives, popularized by the character Cassian in John Wick 2. I've owned a Counter Tac 2 for many years. It's made in Seki, Japan. It's beautiful, but cost me $80. Until, recently Cold Steel's Taiwan line have been decent, low cost sustitutes so I thought heck, why not buy some more. The grind on the latest batch is atrocious. I've circled the areas in red where the ridge does not line up with the tip, and the base is jagged and asymetrical. The steel has minimal polishing. It looks dull and scratched. Furthermore, the detacheable belt clip they used to use is now semi-permanent and prone to breakage. Amazon gave me free shipping in the form of a plastic bag, so both boxes were damaged on delivery. These are going back.

I bought this knife for self defense only as I don't believe a "dagger point" will be much good for anything else. The knife came razor sharp on both edges with a wicked point. It has a full tang and feels quite sturdy. The shape and length of the handle fit my hand perfectly. I was worried about all the nubs on the handle, perhaps being made of soft rubber or something else that would not be durable. The handle material is quite firm yet very "grippy". I have read some reviews where a buyer has complained that one side of the knife is flat while the other side has the normal raise triangle shape associated with daggers. It's true that the top of the knife has beveled edges and the bottom is actually concave. But I personally see this as an advantage. I don't think that a true "diamond" shaped dagger would slash as well or as deeply as this knife will. The blade says that it is made of AUS 8A steel which as I understand it, is considered an upper mid-range steel. It is marked as made in Taiwan, which I don't find to be a deal breaker. The blade is straight, the edges are well ground and sharpened. There're no tooling marks or defects that are visible. The "Secure-Ex" sheath is black plastic material and holds the knife firmly in place. It has a removable belt loop if you're going to secure to your Molle with straps. This isn't a high end fighting dagger, but then you're not paying high end prices for it either. Overall, I am very happy with this knife purchase and feel that I won't be disappointed at all.