Cold Steel Bird and Game Knife

[22lr]

Anyone have experience with the Cold Steel Bird and Game knife? Looks like a solid poor man's Altitude. At 1.4oz and under $30 I'm probably gonna give it a try and see how it does. I know it's not gee wiz bang steel, and ill probably have to pack my 1.5oz sharpener to make it through a deer or Caribou but looks awful promising as a superlite fixed blade. I'm guessing that like any knife of that weight your not gonna wanna be hacking on bones... but thats not really what it's for anyways... so...

Just curious if anyone has used one for a deer size critter and if they have anything positive to say.

 

[wildcat33]

Haven’t used that one, but I love the Pendleton lite hunter at 2.7oz. Can easily butcher a deer without sharpening.

 

[22lr]

I went ahead and grabbed one with a MidwayUSA order. Will see how it does. If it sucks ill give the pendleton a try, they have been catching my eye for awhile now as well. For what its worth, my order from Midway shipped within 3hrs of placing it... looks like they are somewhat back on track!

 

[22lr]

Will turn this tread into a review. My Cold Steel Bird and Game arrived today. First impression, its a $25 substitute to the Altitude. The finger ring isnt super comfortable but its pretty handy so far. Blade seems very usable and the handle is way better than I was expecting. Will take it to Kodiak island in Nov and try to quarter some deer with it. The blade is very sharp out of the box, im super curious how well it will hold up.

The sheath is adequate, but again, its a sheath for a $25 knife, so its functional but lacks refinement. Its not really a smooth draw coming or going, but im curious if some wear will help or hurt.

First impression BL: a good buy for $25-30, but its definitely a budget minded lightweight blade. Will keep updating the thread as it gets some use.

 

[mrgreen]

I've had one for years (decades?), love it for cleaning trout-that's where the finger ring comes in handy. I'm very curious how it works for you on Kodiak. Hope for the best, but have a back-up.

P.S. Jealous about hunting Kodiak, and looking forward to your AAR.

Steve

 

[22lr]

Y

I've had one for years (decades?), love it for cleaning trout-that's where the finger ring comes in handy. I'm very curious how it works for you on Kodiak. Hope for the best, but have a back-up.

P.S. Jealous about hunting Kodiak, and looking forward to your AAR.

Steve

A, part of my reason for taking it is that ill be doing a DIY from a lodge, so I can afford the weight to take a spare. Super curious how well it does.

 

[Hunt4lyf]

I’ve had one for years, I can get through half a deer before I need to sharpen it, the handle is ok but not great but it’s a handy thing to have around your neck when you need it.

 

[jlaner0408]

What blade steel does that knife have?

 

[22lr]

What blade steel does that knife have?

AUS8A, nothing fancy but not a bad steel for the price point.

 

[22lr]

Just got back from a blacktail trip and can't really say enough good things about this little blade. Super handy, ultralight, extremely comfortable compared to any other ultralight knife I've handled, and easily held an edge long enough to skin and quarter out a deer. Additionally, the ring on the end was a huge plus for the ergonomics. It was so comfortable I actually used it to butcher my 2 deer as well, and it did remarkably well (albeit with a few touches on the sharpener throughout). The plastic blade cover is perfect for the job but you could rig something lighter out of velcro if you really wanted to.

Downside: Its gonna get you through quartering a deer but your gonna want to run a sharpener over it afterwards.

Bottom line: A solid poor man's version of the Altitude, but vastly more comfortable to use, in my opinion. An absolute killer deal at $20-25. This is a pretty basic steel that works, but a wonder steel it is not. A solid companion blade for a Havalon, but if using as your only blade on a trip, you should bring a sharpener. A huge thumbs up from me!