Hot on the heels of my Cold Steel Voyager Tanto XL review I now bring you the review for the Vaquero version of the same knife. Superficially, these two knives may seem quite similar due to the identical handles, however, as you will soon find out, the Cold Steel Voyager Vaquero XL has some unique quirks of its own.
Cold Steel Voyager XL Vaquero Over-sized Folding Knife – Amazon / Blade HQ
Much like the Tanto Voyager, this is a huge knife. The core difference is the sheer amount of blade you get. The tanto doesn’t have that much belly, unlike the Vaquero. It’s definitely more than a handful and will take over your entire pocket should you choose to EDC it.
Opened, you get a glimpse of that insane blade. The Voyager Tanto has a more heavy duty/beater aesthetic to it, but this blade is all bad intent. This is not designed to cut cardboard or slice tomatoes (although it does both quite nicely), this is 100% a two legged predator filleting knife. It’s one of the few knives that has ever made me flinch when whipping it out. The first day I wielded it, it left a nasty impression on my finger, and as you can imagine, was entirely unapologetic about that.
I think Cold Steel should have called it the Widow Maker. I get the Spanish Vaquero vibe with those sexy swoops and lean cutting performance, but frankly this is an evil, evil blade. I have mean looking knives, like my Boker CLB Karambit, but this one takes the cake in terms of sheer intimidation factor.
The Cold Steel Vaquero XL is 12.25 inches (31 cm) long overall with 6.75 inches (17 cm) of that being the handle. So as you can imagine, wielding it in public is… interesting. I did it once with my in laws and they just stared at me like I had two heads. My advice (unless you enjoy horrifying people) is to use this around the more outdoorsy types and not at a family picnic. You might cause a stampede (away from you, not toward you); just sayin’.
Below you can see the core difference between the Cold Steel Voyager Tanto XL and this Vaquero. Some might question why I would review this one seeing as it’s so similar, but as you can see, the blade on the Vaquero is tapered to a toothpick. Unlike the Tanto Voyager XL, you wont want to pry with this one – at all, even though the stock is 4 mm at its thickest point.
A lot of this review will echo my previous thoughts on the Tanto Voyager, of course. The Cold Steel Voyager Vaquero XL is a lightweight beefy knife thanks to the most excellent TRIAD lock. I am sure by now you are sick and tired of me raving about this lock, but really, it’s pretty darn amazing. Demko did an amazing job designing it and Cold Steel knocked it out of the park when it came to executing it across their entire folding knife range (for the most part) at an extremely affordable price point.
I am always impressed by how much Cold Steel brings to the table for such a modest sum!
The full flat ground blade is super super lean with a scary sharp edge out of the box (my fingers can attest to this). The Vaquero XL is a horribly vicious slicer and I caution against waving this bad boy around, as anyone near you might lose a limb or two.
The newer Vaqueros come with Carpenters CTS-BD1 steel, which is an upgrade over the AUS-8A one that I have, although not a particularly noticeable upgrade in terms of real-world use (I have both and couldn’t tell the difference personally).
As I said, extremely tapered edge. This steel shard will stab through anything like butter. I am surprised the nanny state hasn’t forced Cold Steel to add a warning label before shipping it out!
Fit and finish on the Cold Steel Voyager Vaquero XL is quite excellent. We are talking about a relatively inexpensive knife with world class grinds and a crazy amount of blade – frankly, Cold Steel never fails to amaze me.
Nested liners; very happy with that. The weight rings in at 7.2 ounces, which is very impressive for a knife with 5.5 inches of blade. A lot of that is thanks to the lightweight “Grivory” (basically a glass reinforced nylon) scales which offer decent rigidity with the steel liners and excellent grip with that protruding cross pattern.
Deployment of the Voyager XL Vaquero is very smooth. It’s always interesting to unleash a 5.5 inch blade, but after 20 minutes of flipping it about and scaring everyone around me, it felt like any of my EDC folders. Sure, I had to adjust my grip a smidgen, but it’s remarkably “normal” if that makes any sense.
The Vaquero is tip up only. Reversible because Cold Steel provides an extra clip in the box. It’s sorta discreet (I guess..) for a nearly 7 inch folder in your pocket. Then again, if you buy this, subtlety is not exactly the calling card you’re intending to use.
No choil, but a decent un-sharpened section will protect your digits (possibly) should the lock fail. That being said, it’s a Cold Steel TRI-AD locking knife, so go wild and live a little. I have absolutely no fears when it comes to treating this knife roughly. The only area of concern for me is the somewhat fragile tip, as it’s basically a stainless steel splinter. Not quite as acute as the Kershaw Leek, but definitely up there in the needlepoint rankings.
Interestingly, the blade is ground in a way that reminds me very strongly of the Spyderco Temperance 2. It’s flawless in its execution (at least with the example I have) and I am really impressed with the grinds on the Vaquero XL.
The blade of the Cold Steel Voyager Vaquero XL has that crazy recurve to it. In practice, I don’t notice it much – it just offers excellent pull cut performance and a lot of belly. The only thing I would add is that sharpening might be a problem if you don’t have a rod style sharpener like the Spyderco Sharpmaker. I don’t see how you would sharpen this on a waterstone.
The grip and comfort is identical to the Cold Steel Tanto Voyager XL. You can expect to find the same excellent ergonomics and choices/cut outs throughout which lock your hand in. With or without texturing and jimping, this knife isn’t going anywhere.
Choking up on the Cold Steel Voyager Vaquero XL is pretty comfortable. Detail work with a knife this size is always going to be a challenge, but if you’re making wood shavings or a point on a stick, then it’s definitely comfortable (enough). The recurve full flat ground blade adds a lot of slicing real estate, far more than the Tanto Voyager XL has.
Choking back on the Cold Steel Vaquero XL is where this angel of death gives you all kinds of bad ideas. It’s a ridiculously potent weapon. I don’t EDC this knife, but if I had to sweep the house after hearing a broken window, this is the knife I would grab. Frankly, with a blade this mean, technique is almost superfluous to requirement. Point towards enemy. Yep.
In terms of having a blade that combines slashing, penetration, and power almost organically, this is the knife. I can think of no alternative. The Spyderco Civilian is a better slasher and a Boker Applegate will stab better, but nothing I own will do both (together) as well as this.
Pinch grip is not comfortable but in a pinch (heh), it’s viable. Would you really take this knife to harvest wild flowers though?
And finally, balance point: perfect. And I do mean actual perfection.
The Cold Steel Voyager Vaquero XL is light in the hand and balanced like the mean martial blade craft blade it asserts itself to be. Hold the Vaquero for more than 10 seconds and you will find your eyes darting around your environment looking for something to slice. It’s what it was meant to be.
It’s hard to review these enormous knives (but a lot of fun) as the performance as an EDC is, of course, limited by size, at least in my neck of the woods. When I reviewed the Tanto Voyager XL, someone did mention that they could EDC a knife this size, and to that I say, kudos and please adopt me.
Where I am, I can’t walk around with this in my pocket. Canada technically has no law that explicitly forbids this, but the police have a lot of discretion and I don’t think they will take kindly to someone saying they use the Vaquero XL to peel apples.
It’s sad that we live in a world where I have to rationalize with the policing powers that be what my tool is intended for, but that’s the way it is. This is why we should all support each other in this community. I fear in the future people will expect such badass tools to be nothing more than wall hangers – and that’s a damn shame.
With that said, the Cold Steel Voyager Vaquero XL is a well ground blade with a bucket loads of cutting performance. We are talking class leading slashing results here, swing downwards and it cuts. Tatami mat? No problem. It’s light and at the end of the day a formidable self defense option.
Whether this is something you desire, well that’s up to you. In terms of this knife or the Tanto Voyager XL, both are visually impressive. In terms of intimidation factor and cutting performance, I would have to give the edge to the Vaquero, but the Tanto is undoubtedly tougher thanks to that tanto tip. I own both and I am pretty content with that situation. For me, why chose?
The Cold Steel Voyager Vaquero XL is a dilemma wrapped in a quagmire.
I love it, but I can’t carry it. Its sheer size and aesthetics greatly limit where I can take this knife and thus, for me it will sadly be something I carry around the house or homestead exclusively.
If you live in a civilized community where you can use such a beast without fearing legal repercussions – do it. Because one day, you might not be able to.
I love this blade. I have 3 of them. I have one plain edge and 2 serrated XL. I have been carrying since redesigned. I train using Janich focused targeting and am big on slashing for disabling. The Vaquero was made for this as it cuts on its own using that big belly. With the serrations its devastating, and the CS serrations dont catch like the Spyderco Matriarch etc.
I edc this knife daily in a defense sense using Extreme Custom Kydex Auto Sheath on my belt left of waistline in a horizontal carry cross draw method. I have both serrated and non serrated versions. I also carry using same ECK auto sheath in a Mercharness and sometimes a CRKT Biotac. I also alternate in Cold Steel AK47 Large and Talwar XL in same configuration. The Voyager XL is best bang for buck, lightest for big blade, and most importantly balances much better than G10 handled Talwar or AK. The Endura is just to small for grip in a quick draw situation. They are great defense only knives–meaning I only carry and use them in defense situation or extreme sense–so far none ever used but drawn a few times just in case. I carry small folder for edc use—usually Delica or Rajah 3 but trying out new CS Grik.
Sounds like you have a solid set up, could you share your experiences with drawing your knives out in a hostile situation?
A very nice review. I’d like to give my two cents on carrying this knife (or any knife) as it relates to self defense.
I also reside in Canada and am familiar with how knife carry laws work here, but even so, I don’t think people should worry about “What if a LEO finds me with this?” when choosing a knife for defensive purposes. I’ve carried hundreds of knives (not all at once :P) over the years and, through my whole 3 decades of living here, I’ve only even been stopped and searched by a police officer once, and that was being young, dumb, and full of rum.
As long as you aren’t actively causing mayhem with the knife or threatening people in public, just keeping it clipped on your pocket won’t be any cause for alarm, “Out of sight, out of mind” if you will.
If you feel it’s a knife you could defend your life with effectively (which of course hopefully would never happen), carry it and be a normal, respectable citizen, and issues with the law will not come up.
Having said that I will add that I’m not a lawyer, and the consequences of possibly using this knife in a self defense scenario, then having to explain it in court, is beyond my sphere of knowledge. But as they say, “Better to be judged by 12 than carried by six.” Your call I guess.
Also it should go without saying but to be clear, obviously don’t carry it somewhere you could be potentially searched, like a sports event or concert or something. That’s asking for trouble.
Aye, but for liability reasons I have to ere on the side of caution when it comes to giving advice on a platform as large as MTJS.
Objectively, when I was in Canada, I carried whatever I wanted. Never really thought about it and as the law didn’t outright say it was illegal (unlike the ambiguity in the UK), I just went ahead and did it.
Thanks for dropping by and sharing your experiences Eliot!
Great review! Before Illinois (USA) got concealed carry laws, I carried my 5″ serrated Vaquero for self-defense as there are no blade restrictions here. Outside of a firearm, this is the most vicious pocket weapon I have ever used.
Agreed, that blade is straight up vicious. What do you EDC now for a knife?
Lately, I’ve been carrying a Cold Steel Mini Tac with a beavertail blade. It sits in my front pocket where my cigarettes used to be.
I saw those in the past- how are the ergonomics? Always looked weird to me but then again I never handled it so maybe I am missing out!
The draw is a little awkward but once in hand, the grip is very secure. I’ve only used it for odd tasks so I won’t comment on long term comfort. I just liked the idea of having a three inch fixed blade that sits deep and flat in my pocket. It’s great for that! I figured for the $30 I paid for it on eBay it was worth checking out. I like it so far!
Thanks for the feedback mate, much appreciated. Definitely sounds like you got your money’s worth!
Hi. Already own a Voyager XL plain edge clip point which I EDC…I see the advantage of the recurve and serrated edge but given my situation would it be worth investing in this mean mofo?
Cheers.
Amko, I will never advise people *against* buying up some XL Cold Steel! Do you need it? Probably not, especially as you already have the Voyager XL! That said, its damn awesome so if you want it- go for it! ;)
That’s is a sweet knife. Love that recurve. And surprisingly lightweight at only 7 ounces.
Aye, I am always shocked when handling this XL Cold Steel knives, super light for the amount of cutting power they possess!
Ha! “I did it once with my in laws and they just stared at me like I had two heads.”
Glad to see I’m not the only one who has done something like that.
The second photo, knife in hand, blade closed, the way the blade hangs out past the handle, I don’t like that. To me, a folding knife should dissapear, or at least more than partially, within the handle. There’s more to be said about that but I’ve not got the wordsmith on that.
That said, the fourth photo of the blade open, that’s impressive and kind of makes up for everything else, no wonder FerFal talked this knife up the way he did. I want one.
RE: “I am sure by now you are sick and tired of me raving about this lock”
I, for one, am not. Quality is good to know about.
It sure does sit high when it’s clipped onto your pocket. Too high for my comfort. …What’s the lowest sitting ‘best’ knife?
RE: “will protect your digits (possibly)” Ha! … On not,oh.
RE: “The only area of concern for me is the somewhat fragile tip” It’s not a workhorse, then. Just a dedicated defender. Trade offs.
RE: “pull cut performance” I’ve never heard that expression before. Interesting, that.
RE: “The only thing I would add is that sharpening might be a problem” Mang, I only just recently got a bunch of wet sandpaper and it sits on my bench. I guess the key to this knife is, don’t use it unless you’re defending yourself? Easier said, than done.
RE: that photo #15 where you’re holding that knife, whoa, that’s an action photo-don’t-mess-with-me if I ever saw one.
RE: “but if I had to sweep the house after hearing a broken window, this is the knife I would grab.”
“this is the knife I would grab” … You guys got mega self-defense restrictions up there, eh? Can’t grab a Glock. I can’t even imagine. Gives me shivers thinking how limited some people in the world are.
RE: “The Spyderco Civilian is a better slasher and a Boker Applegate will stab better, but nothing I own will do both (together) as well as this.”
I don’t think about knives this way. It’s why I read your stuff.
RE: “Hold the Vaquero for more than 10 seconds…”
Yah, after seeing the photos, I know I’d get one if I picked one up. …Problem is, I’d feel weird having a Spiderco in my right pocket, and that in my left, but, at the same time, if I couldn’t carry a pistola,…
RE: “It’s sad that we live in a world where I have to rationalize with the policing powers that be what my tool is intended for,” THAT’s for sure. Bully’s are funny that way.
RE: “I fear in the future people will expect such badass tools to be nothing more than wall hangers”
In that future, we’re all surfs or slaves. From what I’ve read elsewhere, that’s The Plan.
RE: “If you live in a civilized community where you can use such a beast without fearing legal repercussions”
Keyphrase, “in a civilized community” and, “without fearing”.
Tyranny,… er, I mean, are the soldiers in you country, fighting for your freedom, like they are in mine? It seems that way.
Sigh.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts Helot, it is indeed a strange world we live in but I am thankful that so many people are seeing the stupidity of so many laws and are choosing to fight against it. We shall see what the future holds! In Canada grabbing a gun to sweep the house might be legal (on paper) but the police won’t look kindly on you dealing with your own problems. I have a family (like many of my readers) to look out for so I can’t afford to put myself in the sort of position where I would spend the next 5 years in and out of court defending myself.
Its sad, but its the way it is.
I am glad to hear that my rambles about how good the TRIAD lock is don’t annoy everyone, sometimes I worry I repeat myself but frankly I feel its worth stating (more than once), with so many options I think companies should be more proactive with offering the best bang for buck possible and I think Cold Steel gets that better than anyone else.
Sigh indeed Helot.