Cold Steel’s catalog is pretty broad and impressive, and they don’t just make some of the highest quality knives in the industry. They make swords, pole arms, axes, shovels, tomahawks; heck, they even make some arrowheads and other oddities.
But one unassuming model, the Pendleton Lite, just might be the best Cold Steel knife in the whole lineup. Here are six very good reasons why.
The Steel
The Pendleton Lite is made with cryo-quenched 4116 stainless steel. It is not a super steel, but it can take a wickedly sharp edge and is not too hard to resharpen.
If anything, it’s actually sort of a budget steel. But here’s the thing about it. It offers corrosion resistance you won’t appreciate till you test it.
You could (seriously) stick this knife in wet earth and let it sit overnight, then pull it out the next day and there probably wouldn’t be a spot of rust on it.
Don’t try it – but it’s the truth.
The Completely Unimpressive Design
Another thing that makes the Cold Steel Pendleton Lite so great is how basic it is. Sure, the market is dominated by karambits and other gimmicky nonsense. But the Pendleton Lite is a basic drop point like thousands of knives before.
And you know what? It gets the job (whatever it is) done.
No Fancy Scale Materials; A One-Piece, Molded Polypropylene Grip
Other knives may sport pretty micarta scales or even be made with natural materials like wood or ivory or horn. The Pendleton Lite, with its one-piece molded polypropylene grip, can’t compete in terms of aesthetics, but it is a solid tool.
There’s really not much you can do to make polypropylene flinch. Go ahead and try. Like the steel, this knife’s handle is bombproof.
Solid Handling in All Conditions
The handle ergonomics, though cheap, are highly effective. The texture secures solid grip in all conditions, hot, cold, wet and dry, and the plastic construction means that it, unlike metal alloy scales, is safe to handle in subzero conditions.
Secondly, there is a generous swell by the pommel which helps prevent the hand from slipping off the end of the handle, as well as two dimples by the shoulder of the blade that make it possible to hold this knife in a pinch grip.
No BS
Look, there’s really nothing at all fancy about the Pendleton Lite. Basically it’s a knife-shaped bar of steel with a bit of polypropylene on the back to serve as a handle.
You won’t be getting any frills, bells or whistles with this thing, but it will probably outlast you and everything you know, even if you abuse it. Perhaps especially if you abuse it.
Price
Lastly, there’s the price, and little explanation is needed here. In a market where basic knife patterns sometimes command triple digits, the Pendleton Lite is a true breath of fresh air. There are still places you can get it for $25 – or less.
In fact, for that, keep reading.
Is It the Best Cold Steel Knife? Test That for Yourself
It’s understandable if plain aesthetics and basic materials don’t appeal to you. In that case, the Pendleton Lite might not, in fact, be the best Cold Steel knife – at least from your perspective.
But even if that is the case, you can get it for a steal at White Mountain Knives. And if you determine that some other Cold Steel knife or tool is better, well, you can get it there too. They carry tons of models from the brand in their catalog.
