Cold Steel All Purpose Tactical Machete with Sheath

Can do must of the chopping work of a small-medium ax and all the duties of a machete. Very well made very well put together. Size is about perfect in it will pack well but still big enough to handle any chopping task shy of cutting down a larger diameter tree. Will chop kindling and firewood well especially if you use a small log as a mallet to assist in spitting wood. I feel a must have camping and survival tool. Sheath is also well made and not all cheaply done. Well worth the price you really get your moneys worth from this chopping tool. Like to add when I bought this Cold Steel Royal Kukri machete I also bought a Accusharp carbide blade knife sharpener. The Cold steel Kukri came only OK sharp. Yes it would cut you, but I felt it to dull for my liking. So I did 50 passes with the Accusharp, tested the blade for improvement and repeated, 50 test, 50 test etc. After 250 passes the Cold Steel Kukri was very sharp and no doubt I could get it even sharper as it's sharpness improved noticeably with every 50 passes of the sharpener, but I got it sharp enough to cut anything I will need to with minimal effort. All in all I can highly recommend both the Cold Steel Kukri Machete and the Accusharp knife sharpener.

From the male of the family. I wanted a couple of fighting swords for home defense, and this Cold Steel cutlass is certainly one of my picks. We have a large property, with lots of wildlife on it as well, including javelina (in the pig family), bobcats, coyotes, and more, so it's nice to have a hefty longknife at my side while working out there. Of course, call it a machete and you can get it for a far better price than most "swords," so that's fine with me. I was watching a video on knife fighting, and one of the instructors said, "if you get in a knife fight, don't ever think you're going to use your arm or body to block a blade. Your best defense is always, don't get cut. To that end, go for your attacker's knife hand." Then I remembered reading stories about battles from medieval times when women would go around after the fighting, and fill entire baskets with fingers. You know what I'm leading up to: if you're going to ever use a sword or longknife in self defense, you want to be sure and protect your hand. Most machetes and even a lot of swords don't do this for you. This cutlass does! That tough polypropylene handle will stop a blade -- or thorny branches, for that matter, if you're using it as a machete. We need the hand protection! As for the blade, it is 2 feet of high carbon steel. That means, it will take an edge. Mine came reasonably sharp, but not enough (and I do understand that it's a safety feature, not to ship a blade with it's keenest edge. The makers don't want your first experience to be slicing yourself!). A few minutes with a file, then stone, and I had a wicked edge. The handle is 6 inches long, and fits my hand very well. I like that the blade has a baked on anti-rust finish, and that the cutlass came with a canvas sheath. This is a great price for what you get! Recommended.

As expected, the Cold Steel 97KMS Kukri Machete arrived with a blotchy black paint job that gives the tool a cheap appearance. The cutting edge was roughly shaped with a burred, rolled ribbon edge along its full length. It was probably sharp enough to take brush-busting right out of the carton, but I like to tweak and clean up a blade before use. One coat of Citristrip Paint and Varnish Stripping Gel and then buffing with steel wool improved its appearance enormously. I know the black paint was for rust-protection, but acid-etching the blade with mustard produced an interesting tiger-striped finish and keeping the blade oiled should retard rusting. Fifteen minutes with a file and then ceramic rods reshaped and honed the blade to a paper-slicing edge; sharper than needed for yard work, but I was curious to see how long it would take to reach that level without a belt sander. The 97KMS performed up to Cold Steel's reputation in field tests, the sharpened blade trimming shrubbery with clean cuts that required no follow-up knife work. The blade's overall heft and weight distribution were nigh-on perfect, making bamboo whacking and clean-up a breeze. A relaxed grip and flick of the wrist were sufficient to slice through silver maple branches up to an inch thick. After chopping an aggressive 4" wide, 4" deep notch in a seasoned ash log, I checked the blade and saw no nicks, rolls, or dings. The edge was still sharp enough to slice cleanly through a hanging 3/8-inch nylon climbing rope in a single stroke. After a couple hours of testing, I found the grip's texture, size and shape very comfortable, making it easy for me to adjust my swing as needed. I was very pleased with this sub-$20 purchase. A nice addition to my bug-out bag

I was disappointed when I opened the package and pulled the blade out of the sheath. It looked terrible. The machined edge on this blade was nasty. It looked like something with fangs had bitten the edge of the blade to pull the steel off to create a semi-edge. In fact, it looked somewhat like the edge of an arrowhead chipped away to be sharpened (but with nasty gooves and burrs). Cut marks in the steel... Awful. I pulled out my sharpener and spent every sitting minute for a week -- literally several hours -- running the blade over the sharpener, peeling back the burrs the grooves, the cuts and the marks. I could have done it using a grinder, but the blade had too much grind and not enough love and it needed to be fixed. While this is a working machete, not a showpiece, I found myself unable to resist working the edge to razor sharpness. I mean hair-shaving, paper slicing, bloody thumb sharp. It was overkill, but it did a lot to make it look and perform better. Being high carbon steel, it also took and held that edge well. I didn't get all the marks, grinds, grooves and machine cuts out of the edge near the cutting blade, but I improved it a lot. It looked a lot better, was a lot sharper and, most importantly, working it in the field proved it could withstand tremendous abuse. I've had it for a year or more now and I've used to baton wood, to cut back brush, to chop limbs for firewood off deadfalls and I've even used its flat blade to scoop up fire coals for cooking. It still has marks where the machining abused the steel. It's also still a little thinner than I'd like. But it is a beast. We took a SOG Fasthawk, a Bear Grylls Gerber Machete (parang) and this Cold Steel Magnum Kukri and the bites into a wooden log were very similar. As a friend and I worked side by side on a red cedar deadfall, collecting wood, his Bear Grylls Gerber Machete broke at the handle (a failing like others that has led to a recall of that blade). The Cold Steel Kukri keeps on kicking. I think it's inexcusable for the blade to have come in the condition it did and if others rate it a 2 overall, I can certainly understand why. Out of the box, this thing was horrific and Cold Steel makes too many great products not to know better. In fact, they should have put another brand name on this blade, because some folks will see this and will think it represents the company's work. That would be a shame to confuse this South African (where it's made) machined abuse with typical Cold Steel quality. Anyway, once sharpened correctly, it maintains an edge, it has good weight and power and it's the kind of blade you can use again and again and not sweat hurting the steel. I like it and enjoy having it ride with me in my expedition kayak for utility use, firewood chopping, path clearing and more. Seeing its utility over time has given me a new respect for it that was lacking when it arrived on my doorstep. ** EDIT - I purchased another one for a friend as a gift and was going to go ahead and clean up the edge... It came in MUCH better shape than my first one did. While it was obvious that a machine grind had been used and the edge was semi-dull, it was far superior to the burred up mess I got the first time around. Quality control appears to have improved. (11/15/2013).

OK first of all, if you dont know how to sharpen a blade properly, or need a pre sharpened blade out of the box dont buy this machete. Now if you can sharpen a blade and want a custom sharpen on it this is an awsome blade. This is #7 for me in the machete blade world. I have multiple sog, cold steel and a few other name brands this is one that is a keeper. The second i got it out of the box i noticed it was not sharpened(not a problem for me for i know how to sharpen and i like to customize it my self.) The construction seems primative but thats the way it should be it was made to chop through brush and small braches not a show piece at all.(also good for the silent zombie dismemberment lol) the blade is properly weighted to the front for a hard swing increased the PSI once the strike has landed. The hilt is light and very strong but for those who have soft hands or a weak wrist you might like to wrap the handle with 550 cord or something of that nature to increase comfort. The blade is not weak by any nature but it does have a small flims in it which for me is great because the blade will not break under a strike but will move enough to stay intact. I have put it through a strenious stress test under a shop press to see how may PSI it would take to warp/break the blade so far it has taken 450PSI from the side without warping the blade and the handle took every bit of it. i went into the wood and cleared a path 4 feet wide and 40 feet long with my custom sharpen on it(about 40 minutes of work) and the path is clear as a day. the blade stayed in tact very light dulling and the handle didnt even flinch. My hand was slightly sore and my wrist also. Over all if you need to clear some brush for a path or need it for survival i highly recomend this blade. it stood up to a magnitude of test and kept on going.

Ordered this little beauty from Stealth Rabbit for $32 on Thursday, received it on Saturday with free shipping. Props. Pros: Weight Balance & Feel: Balance point is about 4 inches from the guard. Weighs right around 22oz, or ~1.4 lbs. Blade stock is about 2.5mm 1055 High Carbon steel with a very forward heavy blade. It is very sturdy and makes short work of shrubbery and small- medium diameter trees (along with cardboard boxes and water bottles). Handle is comfortable (although I recommend gloves, especially if you have small hands), and very large- so if you have large paws you'll feel right at home. The guard, while it may look a little bit odd is completely unobtrusive, and does not get in the way. Mine came relatively sharp with a decent convex edge- I recommend using a steel or file on the edge to get rid of the burrs when you first get it. It's a working edge, so don't expect a razor (it will cut paper out of box). The secondary bevel has a good profile, so if you are completely anal about honing it to a polished edge, re-profiling won't be a major issue. Cons: The sheath is a medium quality, riveted ballistic nylon sheath, just like one that comes with every other CS machete. It is not quick draw, but it is adequate for $30. Again, you can make or custom order a leather/ kydex sheath if you're really anal about it. Red Hill Kydex makes nice ones. The bottom line: Buy it. This is of superior design and quality than Gerber, SoG, and most other machetes in this price point. Condor also makes very high quality machetes in a similar price range, so look into those as well. BTW: This is a fairly adequate substitute for a Kopis/ Falcata style sword one might find on KoA, so if you want to try out something new that won't break the bank- this is your ticket right here.

I had high expectations for this machete, based on the positive reviews I have seen. It did not disappoint. The blade arrived with adequate sharpening. The blade was well finished. Thus far it has handled all the tasks I have thrown at it with relative ease. To make this review a little more helpful, I will give a little more detail about this machetes performance and quality. STEEL QUALITY This machete is made out of 1055 Carbon steel. It holds an edge well. When in use, this steel is just flexible enough to avoid breaking without compromising performance. It wouldn't be easy break the blade on the Cold Steel Cutlass Machete. For what you pay, I believe this machete's steel quality is astounding. BALANCE It's a cutlass. As such, it isn't usually a very balanced weapon. But I found no difficulty maneuvering the machete during use. I would say that while the balance is not perfect, it does not detract from the functionality of this machete. PRACTICAL PERFORMANCE When subjected to abuse, this machete delivers. If you need a machete that you can abuse, the Cold Steel Cutlass is the machete for you. It's simple to use, maintain, and performs typical tasks with ease. I was able to cut through a one and a half inch thick wooden stick with one blow. That's pretty good for a machete that costs about $30. OVERALL VALUE Taking into account the price tag for this machete, I am convinced that this machete is an amazing value. It does everything you could plausibly expect it to do. It's made out of good steel, it handles well, and is priced well. All in all, I am convinced that you will not find many machetes that are a better value than this one. I own swords (including an ordinary cutlass), and this machete performs more like a sword than a machete. It is truly a joy to use the Cold Steel Cutlass Machete. I hope this review was helpful. If you have any questions, comment. I'll be happy to answer them (if I'm able to!). Enjoy your machete!!!

So spring is here, and with it, the yearly infestation of barbaric blackberry bushes. I have battled these fine foes many a year, and they had grown powerful over the winter. With long spines and thick trunks, I knew I wasn't going to cut through these mighty warriors without a serious blade. I had a few old machetes lying around, but most were dull and didn't have a handguard. I ordered this cutlass and set to work. When I finally set my blade aside, the devastation of war was all around me. Many a blackberry bush gave its life in defense of its young on that day. First Impressions: The point of balance on the cutlass is at around a third of the blade up from the guard, so it's quite top-heavy. The machete feels heavy in general as well. I would not consider this a sword-the Cold Steel Cutlass Machete is definitely a machete. It does one thing well, and that's chop. I was not impressed with the look of the weapon. It's ugly as sin. Comparisons: Now, to take on the brigade of evil blackberry brigands, I had several other tools with me to compare to the CS Cutlass Machete. I had an old $10 machete I bought at a flea market ten years ago, a cheap Gerber machete, an ancient single-bitted axe for use on the biggest branches and a small hatchet. So I was able to see how the Cutlass stacked up against other machetes and hacking tools. As I said, this machete is top-heavy. I would definitely say it feels sturdy, however. With the balance so far forward, using it was much more tiring than my two cheaper machetes. I was also surprised with its cutting power. As sharp as the weapon was out of the box, I kind of expected cutting to be easier. Unless I really put my entire body into the cut, I found myself struggling to cut cleanly through large branches. That said, the Cutlass worked very well as a beater, smashing down any branches it didn't cut. I expected a little more from this machete, so I'm disappointed with what I got. The blade was sharp out of the box and the machete looks sturdy, but it's very heavy and the handle feels light and insubstantial. The plastic grip does not fill me with confidence. Supposedly, this blade is full tang, but the handle doesn't feel like it has much metal in it. Honestly, in terms of feel and cutting power, my $15 or so Gerber (gator) machete is much better. It's lighter, balanced better and cuts cleaner (even though it almost certainly was less sharp.) Another issue I had is with the handle. I have somewhat large hands and I can fit one hand into the guard, but someone with larger hands than me would find it difficult to use this weapon at all. Conclusions: At the end of the day, many evil brambles had their dreams crushed by the CS Cutlass Machete. If what you need is a tough blade to beat a path through some prickly plants, you could do worse than the Cutlass Machete. If, however, you were hoping for a little more, think again. It's just my opinion, but compared to the average price of a decent machete, I would suggest the CS Cutlass is a bit overpriced. Machetes are sold everywhere very cheaply, and most of the cheap machetes I have work just as well, handle much better and have lasted a really long time. You're not going to be dueling with a blade like this, any more than you would duel with a felling axe. But hey, CS sells this cutlass as a machete, and as a machete, it's decent.