The Cold Steel True Flight Thrower is one of the company’s upper mid-range offerings. It aims to offer the experience and features of some of the premium knives available in the market but at a slightly reduced price.
With a star rating of 2.3/5 on TrustPilot and 4.4/5 on Amazon, the Cold Steel True Flight provides a balanced knife with a lot of premium features. Overall, I found the knife to be a very satisfying experience, albeit only for a short time.
This review will tell you why the Cold Steel True Flight is a great thrower and also why you shouldn’t purchase it.
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Cold Steel True Flight Thrower First Impressions
Opening the box, you get a single knife inside. The carbon steel blade comes with a black, baked-on protective coat that gives the knife a very premium feel. At first touch, the True Flight Thrower seems like a very durable knife with a resilient blade. Knives in a similar price range that mare made of stainless steel cannot compare to the finish on this one. The time model on my unit was 80TFTC.
You also get a durable cor-ex sheath, which feels a lot more premium than your average sheath made up of cheap nylon. Just to be clear, as far as knives under $50 go, this feels like it is worth its price. The paracord-wrapped handle grip, while ugly, is wrapped tightly around the handle and feels soft to the touch. While I do not prefer to have a paracord wrap on the handle, I must say it was an enjoyable experience on this one.
How I Reviewed the Cold Steel True Flight
I bought two units of the True Flight knife. As you will later discover, this was a good idea. I planned to use these knives for an extended period of time and compare them with multiple models (both similar and higher in price). However, I had to cut my testing short at the end of two days.
As something of a knife expert, I was able to use my extensive experience with hundreds of knives to figure out where the True Flight excels, and where it fails to live up to the expectations. As you will discover, there is only one problem with the thrower, but it’s enough to make me not recommend it.
How the Cold Steel True Flight Thrower Knife Compares
You Will Love The Experience
The True Flight throws extremely well. It works with pretty much every single throwing technique, and it is possible to hold it in any of the standard grips.
I found that being accurate with the knife came easily, even at over twenty feet. My favorite technique with the knife is the full spin, as holding the knife in a hammer grip through the cord handle wrap makes you confident of hitting the target. The learning curve that goes along with using a new knife was virtually non-existent with this one.
Perfect for Larger Hands
This is a heavy-duty knife, and it is ideal for those that like to have something hefty in their hands. If you find the average thrower to be lightweight and toy-like in your hands, this is the ideal knife for you.
Throw it, and Then Camp With it
The Cold Steel True Flight Thrower has a very sharp functional utility edge. As such, it is possible to use it, as the company claims, for the ‘toughest chores’. This makes the True Flight a very practical knife. Not only can you use it for knife throwing, but also as a survival knife or for your basic camping needs.
Beginners Stay Away
Not only is this knife too heavy for a beginner, but the same sharp edge that gives it so much versatility also makes it difficult for a beginner not to cut themselves while holding it from the blade. As such, I would advise beginners to get a knife with a dull blade edge, and something that is cheaper as you are likely to break it.
Why You Shouldn’t Buy it
It breaks. That’s it. There are numerous reviews online that say that the knife broke between the handle and the blade, and that is exactly what happened to me, twice.
I bought two knives because it is possible for a knife, even a premium one, to break occasionally. However, I had broken both of my units by the end of the second day. As such, while this is a great knife, I would advise against purchasing it.
It wasn’t just me. Throwing knives often get bad reviews for breaking. Most often when beginners are just flinging it as hard as they can towards a solid target and hoping for the best. The True Flight Thrower gets far more of these reviews than your average knife. It just seems to be some fairly poor construction and it’s hard to justify.
Is Cold Steel a Good Knife Brand?
While there are certain products from Cold Steel that are great for use, the company, in general, has employed numerous shady practices (such as not delivering orders correctly, or delivering damaged products) in the past.
Also, most of their products have had some form of quality control issue in my experience. The True Flight is no exception. We have a great-looking knife that throws way above its price bracket, but the chances of you breaking it are so high that it’s virtually impossible to recommend.
Common Alternatives
Cold Steel True Flight Thrower vs Cold Steel Carbon Throwing Knives
Just like the True Flight, the Cold Steel Carbon Throwing Knives are not nearly durable enough for sustained use. While they feel good in the hand and have an ergonomic design, placing your trust in Cold Steel is quite similar to flushing your money down the toilet. If you are looking for premium knives, there are many other options. Some of them, like Gil Hibben, have models that are not a lot more expensive than Cold Steel. Moreover, they make up for the higher price by lasting you many times longer than your average Cold Steel thrower.
Cold Steel True Flight Thrower vs SOG Fling
Overall, the True Flight throws a lot better than the SOG Fling, and it is a lot more versatile due to its functional utility edge. However, I would advise you to get the SOG Fling as it is cheaper (considering that you get three knives in the pack rather than a single one), and it will last you longer.
However, if you have a really soft target and you are confident you won’t break your True Flight Thrower, then it will provide you with a much better experience compared to the Fling.
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