Video by: The Late Boy Scout
Knife on deck: Cold Steel Recon Tanto 13RTK
It doesn't take any great strength of observation to notice that this knife is a pretty awesome combat knife, and while we'll admit that its primary design function, we've decided to explore its worth as an outdoor knife. The Late Boy Scout has also tested this combat knife for outdoor tasks (which you can tell by the chipping of the black Tuff-Ex finish in the middle of the knife), and wait until you see how it performed. First, though, let’s look at the specs.
Cold Steel’s Recon Tanto 13RTK has an overall length of 11 3/4 inches with a weight of 9 ounces. The blade style is, obviously, tanto. The blade is 7 inches long, has a flat grind, is 3/16 inches thick, and made of Japanese Aus 8A stainless steel. They seem like pretty good specs for a tactical knife. It definitely looks battle ready straight out of the box.
The Late Boy Scout points out that though the blade is 7 inches long, the actual cutting edge is shorter – about 6 inches or so. The Kraton handle is, of course, very grippy and has a single lanyard hole which you can use when doing outdoor tasks.
THE BLADE:
This knife is pretty tough. Our reviewer has used the Recon Tanto for batoning and chopping branches off trees. And while it was designed for combat, it performed admirably. In fact, it was an excellent knife for splitting wood because of several features on the blade.
First, it has a flat grind which means there is less drag/friction when the knife goes through the wood. Second, the thickness of the blade also makes batoning much easier. This just goes to show that the Recon Tanto, despite being a tactical knife, can baton through wood quickly and efficiently.
The tip of the Recon Tanto, along with the rest of the knife, is pretty tough. Japanese Aus 8A stainless steel is a very durable material and is also rust resistant. Of course, if you've read some of my other articles, I still think carbon steel is better. But for review purposes as well as how great the knife held up during outdoor tests, I'd say the stainless steel is good enough in my book.
Anyway, the tip of this knife is pretty tough. It's also a bit shorter than some tanto blade tips. For The Late Boy Scout, this means that there is more stabbing strength because the tip is backed up with the strength of the entire blade stock. In short, the tip will be very, very good at piercing. The Recon Tanto is also great for prying and digging because of this very tough tip.
THE WEIGHT:
The knife weighs a pretty hefty 9 ounces. Now, there are some that weigh more, but I would think (and The Last Boy Scout agrees with me) that as a tactical knife, it should be light in hand. You want to be swift with your knife when fighting.
TLBS also notes that the weight of the knife isn’t that balanced since most of the weight comes from the blade. Of course, he (and I) admit that we’re not really experts on knife fighting. Some reviews on the blade claim that it is well-balanced and lightweight. Those reviewers may be more knowledgeable about that aspect of the knife. Anyway, it’s a point to consider.
THE SHEATH:
The sheath that comes with the Recon Tanto is just about perfect. It holds the knife securely so there's no need to worry about the knife accidentally slipping out while walking. It protects the knife perfectly, has numerous holes allowing the knife to be mounted in various positions, and has a fairly small drain hole that will allow any moisture on the knife to drain out.
WHY WE LIKE COLD STEEL'S RECON TANTO
Simply put, this tactical knife would perform well in an outdoor survival situation despite being designed for a different purpose altogether. And, if you were to find yourself in a combat situation, this knife would most probably also perform pretty well (if you knew what you were doing that is). So, if you're looking for a survival knife with good tactical features, the Recon Tanto just might be the perfect blend of the two.
View the Cold Steel Recon Tanto 13RTK on Amazon!
BEST CRYPTO RECOVERY EXPERTS ONLINE?
Stolen Crypto? How To Recover Lost Bitcoin with Decentralized Codex Security
By Robert John
The Day My World StoppedI never believed lost Bitcoin could be recovered. Like most people, I assumed that once crypto was stolen, it was gone forever, vanished into the anonymous void of the blockchain. That belief shattered on an ordinary Tuesday morning when I lost 2.8 BTC.The cause was devastating in its simplicity. I was sending payment to a business partner and copied a wallet address from what I believed was a trusted, long-standing forum post. It looked identical to my intended recipient’s address—the same first three characters, the same last four. But a malicious actor had inserted their own address into the thread, hoping someone would make a mistake. I pasted, double-checked the first and last characters (a common but insufficient security habit), and hit send. The transaction confirmed in minutes. My savings, accumulated over years, were gone.Nowhere to TurnThere is no customer service for Bitcoin. No bank manager to reverse charges, no 1-800 number to call. I went to the local police, but the officer patiently explained that cybercrime units are overwhelmed and that crypto cases are notoriously difficult to prosecute. My report went into a file, and I never heard back. I contacted general cybersecurity firms, but they simply shrugged, explaining they dealt with network security, not stolen funds. My hope was almost extinguished. The despair of knowing the money was out there, moving through digital space, but completely out of reach, was suffocating.A Beacon of Hope: Decentralized Codex SecurityLate one night, buried deep in a Reddit forum thread about blockchain forensics, I found a case study referencing Decentralized Codex Security (DCS). With no other options and nothing left to lose, I visited www.decentralizedcodexsecurity.com. The site explained they are a specialized cybersecurity and blockchain forensics firm based in New Jersey, not a boiler-room recovery scam. I emailed consult@decentralizedcodexsecurity.com and received a personalized, compassionate response within hours. For the first time in weeks, I felt a flicker of hope.Transparent ConsultationThe initial consultation was free, which told me they were ethical enough not to charge for hopeless cases. The specialist asked for my transaction ID and the scammer’s wallet address. They explained that because I acted quickly—contacting them within 72 hours of the theft—the funds might still be traceable. The blockchain is a public ledger; with the right forensic tools, it’s possible to trace stolen assets in real-time and uncover fraudsters’ networks.Following the Digital TrailOver the next week, the DCS team analyzed my Bitcoin’s unique digital fingerprint. Using advanced on-chain analysis software, they tracked my stolen funds through a labyrinth of wallets designed to confuse. The thief attempted to launder the coins through several “hop” wallets and even routed them through a cryptocurrency mixing service, which is designed to break the connection between sender and receiver.The BreakthroughOn day ten, the tracing revealed a critical mistake by the thief. Despite their efforts to anonymize the trail, my 2.8 BTC had landed in an account on a KYC-compliant exchange. “KYC” (Know Your Customer) requires users to submit government ID and proof of address. The thief, perhaps overconfident or needing to cash out quickly, had tried to convert the funds on a regulated platform. This was their fatal flaw.DCS immediately prepared a legally rigorous Forensic Tracing Report, a document with irrefutable, court-admissible evidence mapping the stolen coins from my wallet directly to the exchange account. They liaised directly with the exchange’s legal and security teams, providing the evidence required to freeze the assets before the thief could withdraw them.Funds RecoveredOn the 16th day after my initial contact, I received the email I had dared not hope for. The exchange verified the forensic report, confirmed fraud, and initiated the return process. After final verification with my identity, 87% of my original Bitcoin was returned to my wallet. Their fee was a percentage of the recovered amount—a structure that aligns their success with yours and was worth infinitely more than the 100% loss I was facing.Why Decentralized Codex Security Stands OutThe crypto recovery space is rife with scammers who prey on the desperate. DCS is the real deal because of their:Expertise: Their team includes certified cryptocurrency forensic investigators.Legal Network: Based in New Jersey, they have established relationships with law enforcement agencies.Technology: They track funds across Bitcoin, Ethereum, and even privacy-focused networks.A Warning: Don’t WaitIf you’re reading this feeling the same dread, understand this: Time is your enemy. The longer you wait, the more time the thief has to launder funds. Document everything—transaction ID, scammer’s wallet address—and contact DCS immediately. They offer a free consultation. Be wary of recovery scams; if someone contacts you out of the blue promising recovery for an upfront fee, run. Legitimate firms like DCS work on transparent, success-based fee structures.ConclusionI was one of the lucky ones. I found the right experts with the correct tools and legal partnerships. The team at Decentralized Codex Security didn’t just recover my assets; they restored my faith that justice is possible in the digital frontier. Don’t suffer in silence.
Robert John