4-Max Scout Folding Knife with Tri-Ad Lock and G-10 Handle, One Size

This folder is a monster! It's large, incredibly solid and heavy. It is also an amazing value. I've used Cold Steel knives for several years (mostly those made in Japan), and was not too pleased when I saw that they are now made in Taiwan. Nonetheless, the Taiwan-produced CS products that I have seen are every bit as good, if not better, than those from Japan. The most important factor in shopping for a folding knife is its locking mechanism. The last thing you need is for a folding blade to close on your hand. With CS's Tri-Ad Lock, this is not an issue I worry about at all. The lockup seems to be as strong and tight as a bank vault. The 4" blade has a beautiful stone washed finish, and using 5mm thick steel makes it incredibly solid. The tip is both solid, well-supported, and will easily penetrate. The cutting edge is typical Cold Steel, razor sharp. The thumb studs are large enough to be easily accessible without being obtrusive. The blade opens with ease and feels as smooth as Tennessee whiskey. The blade locks into place with a loud snap, and when closed is perfectly centered. Supported by steel liner inserts for even more strength, the durable G10 handle is a thing of beauty. It is textured just enough to feel good and secure in the hand without being uncomfortable. The pocket clip is equally strong; the knife will stay where you put it. As mentioned, this knife is a real monster. It is big, too big to carry comfortably in a pocket in my view. A belt pouch of some sort would be the way to go. Every little detail of this knife seems to have received quality attention. If you need to skin a dinosaur, this would be the go-to knife. In addition to being a good knife for hunters, it will excel as any other job I can think of, making it astoundingly versatile. While the steel (AUS10A) is not my favorite, it's still a good steel and is pretty easy to sharpen. As solid as this piece is, I could easily see it eliminating the need for a fixed blade. I'm one of these guys who has been there and done that, and I can tell you that I am in awe of this knife. It takes a lot to impress me, and this knife certainly does. Dollar for dollar, ounce for ounce, the 4-Max Scout is truly an amazing bargain. For $60 some dollars, the price is almost beyond belief for the quality you get. Although my EDC is a Cold Steel Ultimate Hunter, this knife will be going into the gear bag that I keep in my car, and I have no doubt that it will do any job I need it to. If this sounds appealing to you, get one or two before people find out how awesome they are and the price goes up. Stay safe out there and God bless the USA!

I'm not a big knife guy however I wanted to have a nice all purpose knife. I have a couple simple lockblades that do the job however, they're sorta flimsy and not too terribly reliable. There are a ton of good knife manufacturers so it was a bit challenging to find one that was reputable, made great products and was well received by their customers. I poked around some forums and Cold Steel came up frequently. I didn't want to drop a mint on a super primo knife but I just wanted something sub $100 to have. I have med/large sized hands so I wanted a knife that was pretty stout and robust. I didn't want a little teeny knife but something that would work in just about any situation whether it was for EDC or whatever else. I checked out a lot of Cold Steel knives and this one caught my eye. I had also seen this particular model recommended on some knife forums for a good quality, go-to knife. After receiving this knife, I could see why it was recommended as it pretty much filled all my requirements for a blade. First off, this is a hefty knife. It has some weight to it which I liked. It's a little over 9 inches in total length so it's not a small knife nor is it some massive Bowie/Rambo knife. The blade on this is quite thick and seems really sturdy. There is no wiggle on the knife when fully extended. It's just a really solid, good feeling knife. The locking mechanism on this is also really beefy. The other knives I had, they would sometimes unlock themselves if I was putting too much pressure on them which, obviously, led me to finding a better quality knife. When closed, the knife is pretty wide as well; much more so than your typical knife I'd say. Overall, it's a big knife. I had originally wanted to use this for EDC, and you could, however I think it's dimensions and weight are a con in that regard. Despite this, I really liked the knife so much that I still kept it. I put this in my truck as an all-purpose knife which I think it's well suited for. it might be a bit too large for some people and depending on your specific needs, this one may be a bit overkill. However, I find it that it fits well in the hand, great brand reputation and seems very well built.

This is a LARGE pocket knife. It has some weight and will fill your pocket. I have been a big fan of Cold Steel's knives for decades now. I've had several and have been impressed by each one. Cold Steel uses the best steel and over engineers their knives to be strong and dependable. Being a lifetime outdoorsman and a combat veteran, I really appreciate their quality. I know I can depend on them when it counts. I like a big knife and this one definitely is. It fills my pocket. It doesn't leave me wanting for a bigger knife when I use it. It's big enough to take care of most everything. I'm 5' 6" ,130 lbs , muscular though. It feels great in my hands. It's super solid. You can't miss the TriAd locking mechanism engaging. When it does it feels like a fixed blade knife. No play at all. Cold Steel uses the best steel for each knife they make. I have found that their knives hold an edge many times longer than other brands. Every one of their knives come razor sharp right out of the box. Don't look at them hard, they'll cut you ! The handle is great. Easy to get a good grip. Definitely non slip even when wet. The pocket clip is reversible from one side of the knife to the other. It's very heavy duty. When I received my knife the clip was too tight. It was very hard to clip and unclip from my pocket. Easy fix ! I removed the clip from the knife with a Torx T-6 bit and bent the clip slightly backwards then reinstalled the clip to the knife. I hit the sweet spot the first try, it works great now. Note: If you do this be sure to remove the clip from the knife before trying to bend it. When you draw this knife from your pocket you will get some attention from those around you. It's a great looking large pocket knife. The stone wash finish on the blade looks awesome. And when you lock the blade open the TriAd lock snaps into place with a solid sound that you can't miss. This has been my EDC knife ever since receiving it. I know that I can count on it for whatever comes up. I received my knife on time and in great condition. Everything as described by the seller. If you're looking for for a LARGE pocket knife I highly recommend this one.

This is a BIG knife. A beastie. A behemoth. And very strong with excellent quality, value and utility. Overbuilt pocket clipRecommended as a good buy in a hard use, well-built knife. Saving the best for last- Amazon's great price.

If you want a folding knife with the feel and capability's of a fixed blade this is your boy. I was impressed out of the box. Its BIG coming in at 10 oz and 10 inch's when open its definitely "big boned" this knife has a SOLID feel to it and when it opens, that "Click" of the blade locking into place has "weight" giving you the feeling that this knife could handle any job you threw at it and ask for more. the handle has a bit of a rough texture add that to the shape and you get a good solid workhorse that won't likely slip around while wet or working. As it seems, cold steel has got a great edge very sharp out of the box. Add all this up and you have the makings of a very good bush craft knife. That being said I'll only give it 4 stars (for now) but as the weather warms up im going to put this knife thru its paces around the house and campsite. If it preforms as I think it will I believe that I have found a new Item for my BOB. give me a few months and ill update this with my results.

Golly, this company (Cold Steel) makes some phenomenal knives!!!! I only discovered Cold Steel (CS) about a month ago (April 2023), and of course, wish I would've known about them sooner, but I'm ecstatic that I now know about this brand! Over the course of the past month, I have purchased 5 Cold Steel knives, which I think speaks volumes, and I'm certain I'll be purchasing several more CS knives throughout this year and beyond. Yes, I've backed my mouth with my money. The CS knives I bought and the order I bought them in are, Crawford 1 OD clip point, SR1 Lite spear point, Recon 1 clip point, Voyager XL clip point and the 4 Max Scout drop point. Even though this review will be published on the 4 Max Scout, I am going to provide details on how all 5 knives compare to each other. But regardless of my thoughts on any one knife compared to any of the other 4 knives in one area or another, I will say that I love them all and would be super happy if could only own one of them, as you literally cannot go wrong with any of these. the operational, aesthetic and other characteristics of these knives is flawless. Crawford 1: This is the only knife that is a flipper, and because of this, this knife does open the easiest, and I mean this thing flings opens with no effort at all and in less than 1 millisecond; it's an amazingly fast open. The blade feels rock solid in both the open and closed position, i.e. no wiggle and feels really sturdy. This is the thinnest knife body and lightest weight of all the 5 knives, and out of the packaging was 3-way tied for second place in terms of sharpness with the 4 Max Scout and the Voyager XL. This knife is very sharp, but I think all CS knives are very sharp out of the box. For just basic carry, cut and random uses around the house or work, this is a great knife based on size, blade length (3.5") and weight. This is the only knife out of the five that has a leaf spring lock, but I have no concerns with this type of lock, especially since this knife has a secondary mechanism to lock the leaf spring in place. I've seen a couple people complain about difficulty in sliding the secondary mechanism, but I discovered the trick is to put your thumb at the very end of either side of the sliding mechanism and either push or pull the mechanism depending on if you are trying to lock or unlock the knife. If you do this, it slides very very easily. SR1 Lite: This knife takes 1st place for sharpness out of the box. I cut myself twice in 5 minutes just opening and closing the thing, and barely touching the tip broke my skin and I bled. Crazy sharp. This knife also has the thickest blade...well, tied for first place with the 4 Max Scout. If I could only keep one of these five knives, it would be a tie between this and the Recon 1, with the Crawford 1 coming in second. The 4 Max Scout and the Voyager would probably tie for my third choice(s), but honestly, as far as choosing just one, they are all neck and neck with each other, so it's a little bit of splitting hairs to choose just one over the rest. This knife and the Recon 1 are the tightest when it comes to opening the blade, but don't worry, it's not like you are going to break a sweat, they just have the most resistance for whatever reason, but nowhere near a deal breaker. Plus, they have already gotten a little easier to open. Also, for this knife and the Recon 1, the lock release is the toughest to depress, but also not a problem at all, and I would still choose one of these 2 knives over the other three. The lock releases have also gotten a little easier to depress over a short period of time. Recon 1: This is the second lightest and thinnest of the knives behind the Crawford 1. It feels really great in the hand, but then again, they all do! This is perhaps the sexiest looking knife among all of them, if that matters to you. The black blade on the black G10 grips gives this knife a unique look that personally, I really like. Out of the box, the blade, when closed, did have some wiggle from side to side and up and down, but I turned the main screw about a 16th of turn to tighten it, and all of the wiggle went away and ever since then it feels very sturdy all around and I'm sure it will stay this way. The other thing with this knife is, I think the blade had some burs on it right out of the box, because it was not cutting paper as well as the others (small amount of tearing was happening especially by the heal), but after several cuts, it is slicing through paper w/o any tearing. Even though this knife is very sharp, the other 4 are just a little sharper, and like I said earlier, the SR1 lite is noticeably the sharpest of all them. Despite anything that could be construed as negative about this knife, I would still choose either this or the SR1 lite over the other 3 because this knife is so light and thin and has a 4" blade that is still an amazing and very sharp blade out of the box. I'm sure some time and attention to sharpen this blade and it will be as sharp as the rest of them. Plus, this is the only blade made from S35VN steel, which may be the best of the steels in these 5 knives. However, you can't go wrong with any of the steels in these 5 knives. Voyager XL: For its size, this knife is very light. It's just a little bit heavier than the Recon 1. Despite its relatively light weight, the knife feels very sturdy and dependable. Out of all the knives, this is the biggest knife, and as a scare tactic alone, will give you the best effect, because it looks like a monster when you flip it open. One handed opening of the Voyager XL was the second easiest of all the non-flippers, and the lock is smooth and light to depress. The 4 Max Scout is definitely the easiest to open with one hand, as it is such a lite and smooth open with just the thumb stud. I also really like the stonewash look of this AUS10a steel on the Voyager XL, but still second to the look of the black blade against the black G10 grips of the Recon 1. Even though this is a very large folding knife made from great knife steal, I wouldn't say that it is too big to carry around all the time, as it fits in my front jean pocket just fine and I'm under 6'. Otherwise, another good option for this large knife is to keep it in the center console or at home. I actually cut myself one time with this knife closing it, so yes, it is super sharp too. 4 Max Scout: This is definitely the heaviest of the 5 knives and comes with the beefiest looking blade, although I really don't know how much that will do for me. I think the majority of the weight of this knife (60%) comes from the handle and not the blade for whatever reason and whatever it's worth. Because it weighs so much, it's probably the only knife of these 5 that I wouldn't put in my pants pocket, but a jacket pocket is a possibility. Otherwise, probably keep this in a bag, purse, center console or at home. As I mentioned above, other than the flipper, the 4 Max Scout is the easiest to open and close with one handed operation and the thumb stud, as it glides open with practically no effort, and also looks great using the same or similar stonewashed AUS10a steel as the Voyager XL. Despite its weight and girth, I have no doubt this blade is a winner for household and work chores, and I love it! I also like the texture of the handles on this knife more than the others...well, tied for first place with the feeling of the G10 grips on the Recon 1. Hope this review helps.

Cold steel has a reputation for being the makers of many quality knives. Having numerous within my own collection, I had to jump at the opportunity to add the 4 MAX. This blade is robust and has a spine that is thick enough to use even on the most difficult of cutting tasks. The edge retention is fantastic for a blade in this price range. The 4 MAX reminds me of a combination of the Spartan with the toughness of the SR1 lite. Both being thicker blades offered in Cold Steel’s line. The 4 MAX gives you the best of both worlds. The triad-lock takes center stage and has been refined from the earlier days of the Spartan in all of the right ways leading to a smooth one-hand opening experience on a knife of this size. The knife fits into the hand well and gives the user ample options for grip. If I had to survive in the woods the 4 MAX would be my go to period end of question. And yes, it is serviceable and can be taken apart and put back together without struggle. The blade steel does pick up occasional oxidation, which can easily be removed with the wipe of a micro fiber and some 3-in-1 oil. NO this is not to be used to baton through logs, but it is capable if required.

After I saw Joe-X beat the crap out of this knife I just knew I had to buy it. This is a large Folding knife, not the largest that Cold Steel sells, this is the 4Max Scout which is 4" blade length. They also sell a 5" blade length and other folding models that are as big or bigger. This is a large folding knife. It is heavy and feels like a fixed blade when you hold it. Great Quality. Great Workmanship. The TriAd Lock is one of their strongest locks. And this handle has the metal under the G-10 so it's as close to a fixed blade you will ever get with a folding knife. Easy to open. Easy to close. I think with practice you can open with one hand but closing will take 2 hands. This knife is a BEAST!!! Mine has the AUS-10 steel which is a great choice for a steel that can take a beating and is still stainless. I think the difference between AUS-10 and AUS-10A is in the Heat Treatment. Same steel and steel composition. They "A" on the end just means they did some extra step during heat treatment. It's a valuable addition to my knife collection.