This channel has had a lack of Cold Steel lately. And for that I sincerely apologize.
I’m sorry Lynn, I’m sorry Andrew, I’m sorry meat boots. The big news this year that they
were sold to a company called GSM, which was met with skepticism. …(Pauses to think)…Nope
that was last year, so what I mean to say is theres lingering skepticism over last years sale.
But the good news is GSM paid me half a mil to cook up some hot takes, over some backyard video,
say Ya’ll some more, and celebrate all the things that make Cold Steel great. Ok we know that’s a
lie. This channel is un-sponsorable. By that I mean no sponsors would poke this rotting fart
corpse of a channel with the 85 and a quarter inches of the Seargent’s Halberd. But what
isn’t a lie is how much I love Cold Steel, and earlier last year I got the ultimate Cold Steel.
That doesn’t mean Lynn is living in a trailer in my driveway, but that I got the Espada XL.
The ultimate. A fellow knife bro decided he’d sell me his at a good price, as long as I promised him
I’d injure myself with it. And I did. And I did it the right way. I punctured myself about
an inch from my kneecap as I was sitting at my computer desk watching some Cold Steel videos,
and trying to snap it. A can of monster to my right. My camo hat on. In my underwear. And
hopefully mayonnaise stains on my shirt pattered after some lost South Pacific archipelago,
where Lynn goes to live out his twilight years and practice his footwork and martial arts.
But before we go any further, with perhaps one of the most beautiful mental images we’ve
collectively shared. Let’s look at our dimensions of this technically a pocket knife. Beautiful
beautiful dimensions. If it doesn’t fit in your pocket you need bigger pants you fucking loser.
The Espada XL designed by a collaboration between Andrew Demko,
and our Holy Father. I got in trouble recently for taking the Lords name in vain. I get in trouble
semi regularly. Ok. But the Espada XL Is a big as shit fucking pocket knife. Like Goddamn it’s big.
There are a few models of the Espada, but this one is the Cadillac. It’s the biggest and the best,
and if you bought the large espada, just know that you had one really easy decision,
and you failed miserably at it. Let me explain. The quote large espada has a little 5.5 inch
blade. And the XL has a 7.5 inch blade. Math and science says thats 2 inches more espada on the XL.
Don’t tell me that the Large is more pocketable or manageable because you sound like a damn idiot.
Anyway. The only espada that matters features a 7 and a half inch blade made from S35VN steel.
In a clip point and looking more like a flat grind to my eyes. I don’t really know the intended
purpose of such a knife like what it’s useful for. Self offense. Fighting car hoods. Boar Wrasslin.
But the blade is sharp and you’ve had half a bottle of Jack so you should be just fine.
Deployment can be described in a few ways. Gravity style.
Cue up a Charles Bronson face and flick as hard as you can. Will it fly out of your hand? Maybe. But
the better question is should people have been standing in that direction in the first place?
How about pulling that knife out of your chest cavity and having a little bit of personal
responsibility. Probably had a joint in your pocket anyway- criminal. The rule of thumb is-
You should never ever approach a man with a cold steel. Don’t talk to them…stay away from them…
which makes sense, because there’s a court order anyway. Next is the pocket deployment.
Depending on the current fashion trends, right out of the true religions or JNCOs. Pull pop,
pull pop. Try to hold on to the one pound knife, you child. That said you need to hit the pocket at
the right angle as you rip it out. Make sure you have the camera rolling first though. The thumb
meat disc up top catches the edge of your pocket and whips the blade out. It takes some practice,
but eventually you’ll get it. Then I guess there’s just with the meat disc, if you’d like to open it
slowly, then whittle your grand kids a pig carcass. The thumb disc is held on by a tiny
little screw. You aren’t supposed to baton with this knife because it says not to, but if you did,
hitting that disc repeatedly will cause the screw to break. I’ve learned my lesson on my Colossus.
Now if you haven’t handled a Trial-ad lock before, it’s cold steels badass version of a beta lock
back. It can hold like 800 lbs or some shit. That’s whole dudes. Like big ones. Ok it’s more
like 600, I just don’t want to put bad info out there. So carefully measure you and the weight of
both of your cousins before rigging up that pallet and rolling that video. Now if you’ve experienced
lock stick, but not on a Tri-ad well you’re in for a treat. Lock stick on Cold Steels is feature not
a bug. Why in the hell are you closing your knife anyway, it really sounds unprepared to me. A good
stiff press disengages the lock, probably, and if it didn’t release it you and your baby hands
aren’t pressing hard enough. You press to release and close the knife very carefully.
The handle is mostly composed of shiny chrome and polished G10. By chrome I mean 7075 aluminum for
the bolsters and liners- (old guy voice) “I guess thats what chrome is these days?
Aluminum cause you gotta save weight somewhere.” Now that handle fits your hands and the hands of
your drunk cousins pretty well lotta room there\ . It looks about like it feels. (Nerd voice)
I would like to buy the Espada XL but I’m not quite sold on the ergos. I don’t know what the
approved use of what this knife is really for? Two hands, do you chop? Food prep? You’re doing
detail work? I mean if I had to guess- I’d say you are most likely the dismembering of a body
of a bystander you have accidentally killed showing your new cool Cold Steel to. I’m really
having a hard time providing any real factual information about this knife I’ll be honest.
It has a handle and it’s kind of slick, but there’s enough curves there to hold it. if you’re
strong enough and have the fortitude you can hold it. I did find when doing push cuts downward
doing actual useful things with it, breaking down some large boxes for the recycle bin,
just out of view of the neighbors my hand would inevitably go to the lock area as I
squeezed the knife. There’s a ton of handle to grip but I would grip near the bolster.
It never disengaged, plus the force was downward anyway. Remember the lock stick is a feature.
The pocket clip. If you own a few Cold Steels it’s like that. Kinda short for the size of knife, ugly
and grippy. It’ll kind of tear up your pockets but that’s kind of it’s charm.
The knife is way to big for most pockets. You need a little bit of an angle to fit it.
I mean as I speak I’m sure someone is already typing out
how you wear it inside the waist of your 5.11’s. And explaining very seriously how they plan on
using it for self defense. I just want to be clear when I say 511s- not the Levi fit.
Ok size comparisons. First the XL. It’s a folding knife that is larger than most fixed blades
your out on parole cousin from Missouri owns. If you even have to ask if it’s practical, then you
don’t fundamentally understand what Cold Steel is or does. It’s very well made, like a lot of
cold steels, sharp out of the box. Can withstand reasonable amounts of abuse. What more do you want
me to say, it’s $329 bucks at Blade HQ I see? It is not a cheap knife but it is THE knife.
Here it is next to the Cold Steel SRK, the one with SK-5 steel which runs about $40. It dwarfs
it. Here’s the Blade HQ exclusive $62 Kalashnikov XXL, also a big fucking knife. And the Espada
makes it look like a regular Kalashnikov. It’s an auto. What if Cold Steel made a Espada XL auto.
It’d probably come with a waiver. The Kalashnikov is my largest non cold steel folding knife, or is
that the Spyderco K2. Here is the Ti-Lite s35VN. I found this on Knife Swap a few years ago for
like $35, and I’m still giddy about it. This is the big 6 incher which runs about $100. The wrong
way to buy a Cold Steel is to not opt for the biggest knife in the model lineup. Now the Luzon.
Yeah another. I tell myself, and this glowing eyes version of Lynn that always walks beside me,
I have very healthy amount of Cold Steel knives. Lock stick on this one is a whole
other level, very impressive. It wants to stay deployed. Hates being put away. The
Colossus. Very normal I say. Everyone has 20 Cold Steels, I’m sure I’m not open a list anywhere.
I can stop at any time. Do they make this one any more? Ok and it wouldn’t be a comparison
section without the Para Military 2 and friends. I shot this a while ago which is why my new G10
flytanium scales aren’t on it. The Military up top is a 4 inch bladed knife. By the way
Wrapping it up. The question might be posed Why the Espada XL? It seems stupid. Ok lets back up.
We first need to understand knife collecting at it’s core is very stupid. So if you collect
them you’re stupid. You already had one you liked, so why did you buy the other ones.
To show your knife buddies? To hid in a drawer and look at occasionally. To attract a mate?
So they can stack the charges? We found 15 knifes on him sir, 3 inside him, and another 300 at home
with a stack of sticky hustlers and some powdery substances. Turns out the powder was from donuts.
The Espada XL is well made, has no real practical purpose, and if someone saw you
with one out in the real world they’re probably think something was seriously wrong with you.
So it’s a must buy. And to be a bit real the abuse seen in this video is overkill,
and did ultimately affect blade centering. Repeated whacks with wood while it’s lodged
in wood, will deform and bend parts. So like, subscribe, comment. Buy a t-shirt or a sticker.
So I can buy stuff like the Espada XL. Say Hi to the Patrons, they did their part.
Sign up over there to support me. And thanks for watching.