Cold Steel AD-15 3.5" S35VN Steel Ultra-Sharp Blade 5" G-10 Handle Tactical Folding Knife with Scorpion Lock and Pocket/Belt Clip

I was intrigued by the Demko version but just couldn’t bring myself to make such a purchase. I was a big fan of the 4Max and Cold Steel nailed it with their production version so I had hopes that they would somehow bring the Scorpion lock into their lineup. They did. We now have the Cold Steel production version of the Demko AD15 and... it’s pretty close to perfection.As soon as it was announced, I put it at the top of my list. I missed out on the first run (which instantly sold out). I got busy with life, kinda forgot about it over the Summer, and just recently picked one up. So here I am, months late to the party, but here nonetheless. I have to say I'm impressed. Very impressed. Right out of the box, I was awed with the build quality, heft, smoothness and overall fit and finish. Then again, I’ve come to expect this with Cold Steel over the years.The Classic drop-point is a winner, as we all know, and I’m smitten by the handle, balance, and overall feel, but what I’m going to talk about right now is the Scorpion Lock; sometimes, you come across something so ingenious you’d swear it was beamed down from the aliens. What looks like it might be a gimmick is deceptively functional and just ridiculously fun to use. Yes, there is a bit of a learning curve (especially if you’re used to framelocks, like me) and there is a tiny bit of stiffness to overcome as it breaks in. At least there was on mine. Neither of these are much of an issue because you will find yourself flicking this one. A lot. In fact, good luck putting it down and you may want to apologize in advance to your dedicated edc, because it’s about to take a back seat. Yeah, I picked this up as a toy. I didn’t know what I was getting into. It’s been a couple of weeks now and I already sold my previous edc. It’s that good. What you’re getting in terms of functionality and materials far exceeds the price and that’s something I don’t just throw around.Does any of this mean the AD15 is for everyone? Absolutely not. First off, it’s not a dainty knife. This is a pocket bayonet and you feel that heft when you pick it up. Goes without saying that all of this strength comes at the price of a weighty blade. It’s not going to disappear in your pocket and you won’t forget it’s there either. That’s not a knock against the knife, but it’s something you’ll want to think about if you’re one to cry about “pocket real-estate”. Some might take issue with the pocket clip and the texturing of the G10. Yes, this is a Cold Steel hallmark. Good for keeping it secure in your pocket. Bad for your pocket. Then again, this one doesn’t have a pocket snag so it’s not like you’re going to be waving it off your pocket anyway. Again, not a knock. Just something to point out. Anyway, I’m getting in the weeds here, so I’m going to wrap this up.If you have enough interest in this one to be here and you’ve stuck it out long enough to read this amateurish write-up on how awesome I feel this knife is, you’re probably a part of the target audience and should jus hit “buy”.

S35vn razor sharp, excellent lock, nice pocket clip, don’t mistake this for a lightweight either. I’ll bet I can ice pick my way through a cinder block if I had to. This is a heavy weight.You will NOT be disappointed. EXCELLENT camp or EDC if you sway that way 👍🏻 holds a good edge and is corrosion resistant not proof but highly resistant.This will make you smile when you first pick it up. It’s not flippy flashy it’s ready to go.

I collect knives. Mostly Spyderco but in the last few years they have released several models that will cut the user when the blade is closed.I consider that unforgivable especially for how overpriced they have become. So I am putting Spyderco in the rear view mirror for these reasons and their shabby release practices attempting to create a hype market by producing limited quantities etc...I own a few Cold Steel knives and can say the S35VN heat treatment is far better than Spyderco who runs them too hard.This knife is exceptionally well made by Cold Steel when you hold it in the hand it is solid. The blade is exceptionally sharp right out of the box.The lock mechanism takes some getting used to but is solid and unlike the compression lock there is no way to misplace your thumb and disengage the lock as I had happen on a PM2 when the blade got bound stuck while cutting plastic sheeting and I was distracted by someone asking questions as we were battening down for a hurricane and applied negative pressure closing the blade on my index finger, Very bad time to take a cut needing the ER for stitches. Fortunately I was not cut but just barely and after that my former favorite lock the compression lock became my least favorite.As for one handed opening and closing on this knife it is possible but I prefer two handed opening and closing for safety.It feels odd to flick it open with the thumb stud as and have the lock bar raise up in ones palm almost made me drop it.The most important thing to me with a lock is that it does not disengage if I am inattentive in the placement of my hand.Accidents happen.I will be sanding down the area under the pocket clip so it does not eat my pocket.Closed the detent is secure.My hands take extra large gloves so this handle crowded my fingers a bit to be perfectly comfortable my index finger has to be carefully placed in the choil.This is not a deal breaker, the ergos are great and it eats cardboard very well.Final thoughts... this knife is smaller than it looks in pictures and videos, the ones I saw must have been done by guys with small hands.