The Cold Steel XL Voyager with a plain edged AUS10A clip point blade is a ridiculously large folding knife and I love it! There’s really no logical need to be carrying around such a large folder but that’s no reason not to carry one. Here’s three quick reasons why you should carry one..
It’ll make you smile, it’ll make bad guys run away, and pretty ladies will start talking to you in the office when you pull it out and start buttering your toast with it. If she wants to hold your weapon in her hands you’ll know she’s yours tonight.
Ok, I was kidding with that last point, unless you work at a knife shop and you have a few female knife nuts there. An XL Voyager from Cold Steel will more likely provoke suspicious looks if you’re brave enough to take it into the office. Unless you’re in an open-minded manly workplace, don’t be taking this little baby into work.
The XL Voyager is an over-sized folding knife almost verging on pocket-sword sized weapon. So it has a 5.5 inch clip point blade and a handle length of about 6 3/4 inches. Open the little baby up and you’re packing 12 and a quarter inches or about 31cm. It weighs in at 7.2oz. or 204 grams so it’s no lightweight but it’s also not a brick in the pocket, especially considering how big the blade is.
Obviously you’re not going to carry the Cold Steel XL Voyager if you’re wearing light flimsy pants or shorts, but with a good solid pair of jeans or cargo pants it’s surprisingly easy to carry. It honestly fits in the pocket, although admittedly you will look like you’re happy to see everyone. Look at it next to the mid sized Spyderco Paramilitary 2 in the photograph below. Yes the XL Voyager is big in comparison but its still manageable I believe.
In the next photograph you can see the Spyderco Lil’ Lum folder at the top which is a tiny knife, then the big boy himself, followed by the Zero Tolerance 0393 Hinderer flipper which I reviewed previously. The ZT is a full size folder but looks small next to the XL Voyager clip point.
The XL Voyager is a relatively affordable giant folder that still comes with the reliable build, awesome strength, and dependability that Cold Steel has become known for. Oh and it also has their Tri-Ad locking mechanism which they happily test against competing knife companies on their youtube channel. Some of the Cold Steel strength tests are really quite amusing.
Blade Grind, Shape, and Japanese AUS10A Steel
The Japanese AUS10A alloy blade used on the newer Voyagers comes hair popping sharp and ready for action. It’s not my favorite steel but it does the job. AUS10A is pretty easy to sharpen and it’s relatively tough. It seems to be their go to steel for their more affordable range of knives at the moment which up until recently was CTS-BD1. AUS10A seems to be a slight upgrade in terms of edge retention compared with the CTS-BD1 that was previously used for the Voyager series.
The model I have here is the plain edge clip point blade with a light stonewash finish. As of writing the Voyager series comes in Large and XL with three different blade shapes: Clip point, tanto and vaquero. They either have full serrated or plain edges. They used to have combo edges too but I believe these have been discontinued.
Most people probably don’t care about blade signage but I do. I think it should be thought about by the knife maker. Cold Steel keeps it simple on this knife with “Voyager” on the front of the blade and “Cold Steel AUS 10A Taiwan” on the back of the blade. That’s all that needs to be on a blade. I would prefer cleanskins but I accept that knife makers have to do a little branding.
Knife Handle and Ergonomics
The massive 6 3/4 inch handle could be held like a two handed sword if you really wanted to, but the regular one handed pocket knife grip also works very well. It’s surprisingly comfortable for such a large handle.
You can hold it in a regular grip or move back up on the pistol grip styled handle to give you a few inches of extra reach. So if you’re sitting at the lunch table at work and your partner sitting across from you needs her toast buttered you can just reach over and do it without having to get up.
The handle is made from Cold Steels Griv-Ex with a nice texture that’s not too aggressive. It really doesn’t need to be any more textured as the design of the handle locks your hand in securely.
The tough Griv-Ex handle is strengthened even further with 6061 aluminum liners. With such a large knife that you know is going to be used and abused by knifenuts everywhere, every bit of extra strength and reinforcement is welcomed.
Speaking of strength and reinforcement, the XL Voyager comes with the Cold Steel Tri-Ad locking mechanism. Cold Steel is happy to remind you every chance it gets that it’s one of the most “secure, safe and shock resistant” locking systems on the market today. And I’m not arguing with them as I’ve never had a Tri-Ad lock fail on me. I can’t say the same about liner locks or even frame locks.
Just remember that I sometimes intentionally abuse my folding knives just to see how they stand up. If you’re going to chop into hard wood it should at least be a fixed blade! Obviously the lock on a folder should be as strong as it can be but if you’re going to abuse a folding knife you shouldn’t be crying about the lock giving way on you. Use the right tool for the job or you’re the tool. Having said all that, I think the Tri-Ad locking mechanism is a great lock, especially when they’ve worn in and open up much more smoothly.
The pocket clip on the Cold Steel XL Voyager is left or right handed and tip up carry. It comes with two clips, one for each side. The clips are pretty rigid without a lot of flex in them. So it can be a tight fit in the pocket but if you’re wearing jeans or tough pants you should be right.
I measured the knife sticking out of my pocket when it’s clipped onto my shorts and there’s about 1.8 inches or 4.5 cm. Sure that’s a lot of handle protruding but this is a knife with an overall length of more than 12 inches when open. You’re basically carrying a mini sword around in your pocket.
Opening Action
The opening action of the XL Voyager from Cold Steel is one handed and pretty smooth. If you have fragile fingers it may take a few times to get the hang of it, but if you’ve fondled more than a few folders in your time you’ll find it a breeze.
I would recommend using two hands to close it but it is possible to do with one hand too. Idiots like my good self will release the lock, let the giant, hair popping sharp blade drop down half way for the choil to hit up against your pointer finger, then take your finger away and give the blade a wiggle for it to pop back in.
Get it wrong though and you’ll pay the price with a finger as a 5.5 inch sharp blade works like a guillotine when snapping shut, and it does snap shut very quickly. So don’t come crying to me if it bites your finger off while you’re trying to be clever. I’ll probably send you a dummy with a note attached: “I told you so!” 😁
I decided to make a video to show the opening, closing and flick of the XL Voyager. So please subscribe to my new Youtube Channel here.
The big blade will also fly out by itself with the right action. Just hold the handle in a reverse action, making sure not to have any fingers on the blade, and then flick it out. So you’re not touching the blade at all, just letting the weight of the blade do the work. Once it snaps into the full open position you’re ready to grab the handle in a reverse grip hold and impress your friends. Or perhaps the knife goes flying into your leg and blood gushes everywhere. Who knows, there’s so many variables.
Knife Technical Specs
Cold Steel XL Voyager with a plain edge, Clip point blade 29AXC
- AUS10A Japanese steel with a stone washed finish
- Griv-Ex handle with harden aluminium inserts
- Phosphor bronze washers
- Manual opening with dual thumb studs
- Cold Steel Tri-Ad locking mechanism
- Left or right handed carry clip, tip up (about 1.8 inches sticking out of pocket)
- Blade length: 5.5 inches (13.9 cm)
- Handle length: 6.7 inches (17.1 cm)
- Overall length: 12.2 inches (31.1 cm)
- Blade thickness: 4mm
- Weight: 7.7 oz. (218 grams)
- Made in Taiwan
The Verdict
Definitely a buy. The XL Voyagers are more than just oversized gimmicky knives that are fun for a few days and then you stop using them. These are fun for a few days and then you realize that they’re not just fun, they’re also very practical and usable folding knives for the home, the outdoors or the workplace.
Directness.com Rating 8/10 (Buy one)
My rating is a very subjective score out of 10 for the type of knife it is. So I see the the Cold Steel XL Voyager with the Clip point blade as a mid ranged production folder that’s over sized, uses mid ranged materials, and is made to work hard. It’s how I see it ranking in the style/category/use that it was made for. I want to rate a fish for how well it swims rather than how well it flies (a bird shouldn’t be rated for how well it swims).
Let me know in the comments what you think of the Cold Steel XL Voyager if you own one. Would you recommend it to a friend?
Where to Buy Cold Steel Knives online
USA: Blade HQ (ships internationally)
Australia:
Europe:
Sharpy says
Did you see the bladehq interview of Lynne Thompson where he was carrying a xl espada, 2 xl voyagers and a giant fixed blade bowie?
Directness.com says
Hehe yeah, I saw that. He just kept pulling the knives out lol
I think he said they’re his everyday carry knives at the moment?
I’ve tried carrying one XL Voyager and it’s more than enough for me. I’m assuming he had a good belt on to keep his pants up.