While most guides will tell you that the best Cold Steel knife is Andrew Demko’s AD-10, Code 4, Espada, The Cold Steel SRK, or fixed Master Hunter, we’re going to take a different approach.

How about a Cold Steel knife that has the form and function - the fusion, really - of light folding pack blades and stouter fixed blade knives?

That is exactly what you’ll find in the Cold Steel Slock Master Hunter Folder, which just might be the best Cold Steel knife of the bunch.

Specs, Materials, Ergonomics

The folding Slock Master Hunter is a big folder. It’s 4.1 ounces and 8.375” open, with a 3.5”, .0118” thick blade and 4.875” handle.

The handle is made of red glass-filled nylon and has an attractive texturing molded into it. It has no noticeable hot spots, indexes well, and lacks sharp corners.

It also has just the right amount of tooth that it feels like it would handle well if it was wet or greasy - such as to be used in the rain or when breaking down game.

The red handle is also a nice feature because it increases visibility in the brush. Leaf litter and high grass have swallowed countless knives in the past; bright red coloring makes this less likely.

The handle is also beefy enough that it feels like handling it with dexterity would not be particularly difficult, even with cold or gloved hands.

The blade is a basic drop-point design with what Cold Steel officially calls a saber grind, although it feels more like a hollow grind when using the blade.

The blade steel is 8Cr13MoV, which is a good steel, but not great. It has enough chromium to resist corrosion and enough carbon that it holds an edge for a decent length of time. Molybdenum and vanadium are present in just the right amounts to offer serviceable toughness, so you have a good balance of traits in this steel.

The blade has a generous amount of gracefully swept belly and enough thickness to use for pretty rough tasks. It would be right at home dicing up some vegetables for a stew or rough hewing timber to make a camp chair. It’s pretty versatile and very utilitarian.

The knife opens via a thumb stud and features a lockback mechanism. It also carries via a reversible, tip-up pocket clip.

Handles Like a Fixed Blade, Carries like a Folder

What’s really nice about this knife is that it’s as heavy as some middle-of-the-road fixed blades and handles just like a fixed blade in the same weight class. That being said, it folds - so you don’t need to carry a sheath and the design is inherently discrete.

There’s another feature about his knife that’s really unique and some might find a value add. It has what Cold Steel calls a “Double Safe” lock.

This is a little metal bar on the left side of the knife that can be easily engaged with the user’s right thumb. Without engaging the bar, the knife can open, lock open, and close.

With the bar engaged, the knife can be not only locked closed but also locked open in such a manner that the lockback will not disengage unless the secondary lock is also disengaged. This makes it all but impossible for the lockback to unintentionally disengage and close on the user’s hand.

Not that that is a condition that commonly occurs, especially with a lockback mechanism, but it is a nice redundant safety feature that gives you a bit of added peace of mind.

Moreover, that extra locking mechanism adds a lot of beef to the overall integrity of this folding knife. It’s not a fixed blade, but it gets as close to that title as is possible without actually filling the categorical prerequisite.

That is to say, this knife is tough enough to do almost anything a fixed blade can do. No, you don’t want to pry with it, and you probably shouldn’t do any heavy batoning, but the truth is it would stand up to these tasks much better than just about any folding knife out there.

And that is what makes this a strong contender for the title of the best Cold Steel knife out there.

The Best Cold Steel Knife? Decide for Yourself

The Cold Steel Slock Master Hunter with a “Double Safe” lock makes a great showing for “best Cold Steel knife,” but there are others, such as the:

• Cold Steel 4 Max
• Cold Steel Ti-Lite
• Cold Steel Finn Wolf
• Cold Steel Kudu
• Cold Steel Recon Tanto
• Cold Steel 4-Max
• Cold Steel Luzon
• Cold Steel Voyager

Cold Steel knives are revered for their high-quality, high-carbon steels, innovative locks, like their Tri-Ad locks, and affordable price points.

Do you know where you can get all of these hunting, survival, and rescue knives? Right here at White Mountain Knives. Whether you’re looking for a Cold Steel fixed blade or a pocket knife, we have what you need.

If you can’t see the one you think is the best, send us a message at WhiteMountainKnives@gmail.com and we will see if we can procure it for you.