AK-47
In 1947, Mikhail Kalashnikov, the legendary Russian gun designer, created the AK-47 assault rifle. Eventually adopted by the Red Army in 1949, it became famous as the "People's Rifle". Such renown was well deserved, as it was an utterly reliable weapon; rugged, simple to operate and maintain, economical, and effective at reasonable ranges. This weapon, and all it represents became the inspiration for these heavy-duty tactical knives - the AK-47 folders. Designed by Andrew Demko, the AK-47's possess all of the attributes of their namesake, and perhaps a few more.
Built for hard and rugged use, the AK-47 is available in two versions. The first features a handle made with thick aircraft grade aluminum scales and the other comes with G-10 scales. Both offer a robust grip that is remarkably tough, rigid, and incomparably strong. The grip is also equipped with a unique pommel. Made of Grivory, the pommel features two lanyard holes, and can serve as a "less than lethal" percussion tool in a self-defense situation.
The hollow ground blades are honed by hand until they reach levels of sharpness only seen on a surgeon's scalpel. They're made from Japanese AUS 8A Stainless steel, then vacuum heat treated, and sub zero quenched to make them as tough and rugged as humanly possible. The aluminum handled version comes with a bead blast finish and the G-10 version comes with a black Teflon coated blade. To complement such an exceptional blade, Cold Steel has equipped the AK-47 with their Ultra Lock locking mechanism. With the latest refinements and testing, this lock has proven itself to be equal, perhaps even superior, to any other lock on the market in terms of strength and shock resistance.
Finally, to assure easy access and swift operation, the AK-47's feature an ambidextrous pocket clip and Cold Steel's patented thumb plate. The thumb plate has a dual purpose, it allows the knife to be drawn and quickly opened by snagging it on the edge of a pocket or it can be used like a conventional thumb stud for easy one-handed opening.
AK-47
| Blade steel | AUS 8A |
| Rc hardness | 57-59 |
| Blade length | 3 1/2" |
| Length open | 9 1/4" | | Blade thickness | 4mm |
| Weight | 7.6 oz |
| Made in | Taiwan |
More about AUS 8A steel:
The words "stainless steel" are misleading, because, in fact, all steel will stain or show discoloration if left in adverse conditions for a sufficient time. Steel is made "stainless" by adding Chromium and reducing its Carbon content during the smelting process. There is a serious performance trade-off with stainless steel. As the Chromium increases and the Carbon decreases, the steel becomes more "stainless". But, it also becomes more and more difficult to sharpen, and the edge-holding potential is seriously impaired. This is usually why most stainless knives are rarely razor-sharp and quickly lose what little edge they have. In contrast, at Cold Steel uses AUS 8A Stainless, a high carbon, low chromium steel that has proven itself to be the ultimate compromise between toughness and strength, edge holding, and resistance to corrosion.
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