Knife Deep Dive: Cold Steel Tai Pan

Beware, although it is non-venomous it can have a nasty bite! The Cold Steel Tai Pan gets its name from one of the most venomous snakes in the world. And while it may not be quite as large as its distant snake cousin, it still measures an impressive 33 cm or 13 inches in total length.

Who designed the Tai Pan?

It was designed by Lynn C. Thompson himself and has been around for at least two decades, making the Tai Pan a modern Cold Steel classic. If you dig into the deep reaches of the internet, you can still find the Tai Pan in threads on bladeforums.com going all the way back to 2001 and there's even a possibility it was in the 1995 Cold Steel catalog! This means that the Tai Pan is old enough to drive to the store and buy his own knives.

What is the Tai Pan made of?

In its existence, it has been made in different steel grades, such as CPM-3V and VG-1. The blade on this piece is made from VG-10 San Mai III steel, which is common in more premium models from Cold Steels. On closer inspection one can see the lamination lines that embellish almost the entire length of the blade and end in a subtly reinforced point. The blade is separated from the handle by a no-frills tsuba-style guard that provides just enough protection for your hands without sticking out like a sore thumb. The handle is made of textured Kray-Ex, which really sticks to the hand and gives a very comfortable and secure grip. The handle is rounded off with a beautifully polished steel tip that also features a lanyard hole for a personal touch. No matter what part or angle you admire it from, aesthetically it is very well balanced.

Does the Tai Pan come with a scabbard?

Today, the Tai Pan comes with a Secure-Ex sheath that keeps the blade in place. The scabbard has a detachable belt loop that can be adjusted so that it can be worn at different angles with different clips. This allows for a wide range of carrying options when carrying is of course permitted by law.

Needless to say, many of us grew up with the Tai Pan. But no matter how old we ever get, the Tai Pan was and always will be the younger looking one and may last for many generations to come.

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