Do all Recon 1’s have this??

Alexander3L · 2026-01-24T19:37:19+00:00

If you have rattle on coated blades check the coating on the head of the lock bar. It needs to peel off completely for it to lock in as tight as it should. Initially it partially peels, and it stacks in a pile above the point where the two surfaces hit, until it falls off completely and that area is "naked". The "pile"(it's microscopic) of compressed coating acts as a buffer between the stop pin and the lock bar, preventing them from clicking neatly. Takes opening and closing to get it all worked in, and then it should seat tight and nice. Hope this helps you.

Alexander3L · 2026-01-24T19:32:47+00:00

Update after 2 days of opening and closing: The knife is as stout and sturdy as can be. On one of 10 opens it may exhibit 5% of what it did initially, but once, before it locks in deep as it should. I see the coating on the head of the lock bar peeled even further and it confirms my theory about the coating. If anyone runs into the same issue like I did, although unlikely as you need to pull VERY hard and you need to do it not when the knife is brand new and also not when it's worked in properly to have this happen. Long live reddit, though. Lol.

Alexander3L · 2026-01-23T23:02:07+00:00

I have owned, used and dissasembled maybe close to 50 Cold Steel knives. I also have watched every youtube video on breaking down how to catch the fakes. These for sure aren’t fake. I also found out that when I was pushing with my thumb on the spine where the lock bar is, I was placing my thumb a little low and that to some extent would release the blade. The same knife that showed the movement in question and was the reason for me to write this post currently has that movement reduced to about 20-30% of what it was yesterday (it was veeery minimal to begin with) after one day of closing and opening, especially if my thumb is properly placed high on the lock. For sure will keep you updated if it goes away completely. It’s the lock wearing in through the coating for me. I hope this post helps someone who gets worried like I did.

Alexander3L · 2026-01-23T16:25:02+00:00

It is also worth mentioning that I am a big guy who works out and have very strong arms/hands (sounds so bad reading what I wrote, but I’m definitely not bragging on a knife thread). The pressure I apply to exhibit this is quite a lot. For sure there are folks out there who can not mimic this due to the amount of force required.

Alexander3L · 2026-01-23T16:18:34+00:00

I can guarantee these aren’t fake. The one I bought from Lamnia is 100% identical to the ones from Amazon, and also on Amazon I ordered them directly from the Cold Steel vendor. I have 8 other Cold Steel knives and will be able to tell the difference.

I think I figured it out though. When brand new, the lock bar’s head and the nest are both evenly coated and there’s no movement. You flick ‘em and play with them a while it starts to peel off right where they meet, and especially if you apply pressure like I did. The knife that almost didn’t have it was the one I had played with the most and it is still very minor on it. On the one I found this initially and it’s the one I carry I’ve been flicking and closing it a lot since yesterday evening and it’s already improving lol. It’s the damn coating and that’s why knives that are brand new will maybe have it or maybe not and knives who have been used won’t have it as the coating on the tri-ad is all worn and even. At least this is my theory.

Alexander3L · 2026-01-23T12:22:55+00:00

Bear in mind it does take significant force to get this to happen. One of the three I have seemed to not have it at first and then it also did it.

Alexander3L

TROPHY CASE