Cold Steel All Purpose Tactical Machete with Sheath

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.

I have owned a number of machetes over the years, and this is the best by far. It is a lot more substantial and heavy than many have suggested. I was afraid at first that I would not be able to handle it with one hand, but once I put some Gamma grip tape on it, it was as if it was tailored for my hand. It looks super cool, and says "don't mess with me, I can cut the head off of anything, and knock down trees." I have actually seen it tackle and do just that in a number of Youtube videos. It is comfortable to hold, and has knock out power to brush, or thick trees and bushes. It cost $17.78 when I bought it, and that included free shipping. Awesome, and it looks tough as "Leroy Brown, the baddest man in the whole damn town!" Mine came pretty sharp and ready for work, but I decided to put a sharper blade on it with a little bit of work with a sharpening stone. Now, it is sharper than my barber's razor! You won't go wrong with ordering this item, and with a little effort, this Kukri can give you magnum payback for yard chores or self-protection. Just this week, a older lady put a gang of burglars to flight with this very machete after they barged in with a home invasion! They literally ran for their lives, one after being sliced and the rest at the awesome sight of a kukri machete! Believe me, this is worth the pittance of money they want, and don't believe the naysayers and knife snobs. You won't go wrong with this as a knife or weapon.

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).

This is a really great tool. Overall I'd say this is a high quality machete, with only a couple of nit-picks. The blade's thickness, weight, and length are just right, but the handle and sheath are both decent. The blade was really rough out of the box. I never expect a good edge on a new tool, but this one was especially blunt and jagged; the edge consisted of horizontal ridges/grooves that were pretty deep. It took quite a bit of manual work with a file to get the insanely smooth and sharp edge that I wanted. It wouldn't take long to get just a decent edge on it, but I wanted it to be smooth as well, which took quite a bit more work due to the rough edge. The handle seems sturdy enough, but I'd prefer if it were just a tad thicker and removable so that it could be swapped out if so desired. As for the sheath, it's not horrible like some reviews claim, but it could stand some improvement -- it would be great if there were some additional places to secure the sheath other than just the belt loop, but it shouldn't be too hard to modify. None of these small details detract from the overall quality, though, and all can be fixed if you have the patience and desire. It's absolutely worth the price and will last for a very long time.

After reading the reviews here, looking at a lot of YouTube videos, and checking out many other machetes, this one impressed me the most because of it's price, usefullness and apparent durability. Now that I have had it a couple of months - I have no regrets... It's a tool, not a show piece. It came quick. It came 90% sharp and it does what it's supposed to do. I read complaints about the sticker on the blade. Mine peeled right off (slowly) with no sticky residue. The handle works fine. I would prefer a stiff spongy grip, but that's just me. Again, it's a tool. Use it like any other tool... responsibly. If you don't have a good grip on it - somebody is going to get hurt. It took some work to put an edge on it I like, but that's a good thing! Once it was sharp, it holds it's edge well. The flimsy sheath could use some improvement. The second time I sheathed the blade, it poked right through. But for the overall price - this is not a complaint, only a suggestion. A machete is a basic tool everyone who works outside should have, If this model appeals to you - go for it. The couple extra inches really help the 'sweet spot'. If you like shorter, longer, fatter, whateverer... I recommed staying with 'Cold Steel'. They make a no nonsense line of tools that, for the price, simply cannot be beat. (Did I mention it's the coolest, baddest looking blade ever!)

Ok let's get this out of the way now: It's not a kukri. This is a Kopis/Falcata. Besides the point maybe, but it bugs me enough that I have to say it. I used this to clear south Texas ranch land. cactus, mesquite, and huisache mostly. So a lot of thorny, angry vegetation. This thing is an absolute monster. I was cutting wood as thick as a 20oz water bottle and even after a full day of chopping it was still sharp (I sharpened it beforehand, since the edge sucked out of the box). This is the blade design used by many ancient armies, including Alexander the Great. There is a story that the Persians, facing troops armed with this sword, would not take their wounded back to camp because the wounds were so horrific that they worried it would demoralize the rest of the men. After defeating an army of trees with thorns up to 3" long, I believe that story. Based on what it can do to hard wood like mesquite, flesh and bones would stand absolutely no chance against a swing from this machete, if you happened to be looking at this as an edged weapon for whatever reason. You can also swing this two-handed like a baseball bat, although I found that when you do this your hands start to slide off. I'm going to take 8 gauge wire and fashion a handguard that passes through the lanyard hole and around the blade just ahead of the handle, this should put a stop to that and add a little more protection against thorns. I'm the guy who watches machete reviews and says "why don't you just use an ax" when I see them hacking at big branches. Well with this, you don't need an ax. I had an ax with me, and didn't use it. This replaces the ax for anything under 4" diameter. It's easier to maneuver in thick brush, since you're not going to get enough room to swing an ax. The metal is thick enough that it doesn't twang when it hits, which really helps because that twanging tires your hands out fast. It's also great for when you only want to chop down to a certain level instead of all the way down to the ground. Try using an ax to cut brush at waist level, won't happen. I even cut an overhead branch almost 5" thick to see how it would do. The branch was high enough that I had to jump for every swing. Took a while, and I'll pay for it in soreness tomorrow, but it worked. Cold Steel impresses me every time I buy from them, but with this one I'm blown away. I also have the royal kukri, which is good, but this one is just on a whole other level. They really got the weight, size, shape, and length right. And for the price? Kidding me?

I purchased the cold steel magnum kukri because I thought that it would be a great alternative to the vast majority of other machetes available on the market. Other machetes out there seemed to me to be flimsy and of poorer quality due to their lower grade steel and thinness. I liked the fact that this machete was thicker than most and was made from high grade steel; for these features are indicative of a hearty and long lasting blade which will hold an edge. I wanted a tool that would endure great amounts of abuse, and the kukri design in general is ideal for chopping pretty much anything. So the fact that there exists a kukri which is 17 inches long is an extremely attractive solution for me to an array of wilderness problems. Here's the thing, when I got it I wasn't prepared for the fact that it was not prepared for immediate use. The blade was extremely dull out of the box and had virtually no angle to it. I did a cursory sharpening job making the blade sharp but not putting on the gradual edge (20 degrees) experience has shown me to work well. I was sorely let down. I have butter knives that cut better than this blade did, and that is after twenty minutes of sharpening with a file and a sharpening stone. Not willing to accept that it was a waste of money, I have spent approximately five hours putting a twenty degree angle on the blade an inch back (using first a grinder, then an ax file, and then a course sharpening stone, and then a fine sharpening stone. I am belated to report that once the work was put in on re-profiling the blade edge I am seeing results that resemble what I expected to see out of the box. I have an 11 1/2 inch blade kukri made by Ka Bar which runs circles around this cold steel magnum machete when it comes to chopping; however, the extra length on the cold steel machete lends itself nicely to certain tasks which the smaller Ka Bar kukri is unable to do well. I think that if one has the time, ability, and will to re-profile this product it is a viable option for your needs; however, out of the box this product earns itself no love from me.

I just received this yesterday and have not field tested it yet. I will update my review when I do. So far let me give my initial impressions. The Sheath: The sheath is a well made cordura sheath with a plastic tip to prevent accidental blade protrusions. It's not flimsy and is somewhat rigid. There are 2 snaps on the top of the sheath that you unsnap to remove the machete and resnap to secure it. A lot of people don't like this design and continue to berate the sheath as "cheap" and "bad design". I've thought a lot about this and come to the conclusion that with the kukri type design of the blade there is no other option. The Blade: Well, reviewers are right on the money when they say that is will not come to you sharpened from the factory. I literally ran my finger down the edge of the blade and it was like a butter knife. The only chance I had at being cut was by one of the million burrs or knicks. You WILL have to spend some time putting a decent edge on it. I used a dremel and then a DMT Diafold course sharpener. After about an hour or so I finally had a decent edge on it. How it will hold up, time will tell. Other than that, the blade quality seems to be good. This is not a brush clearer as much as it is a chopper. It has a good weight and forward momentum that leads me to believe it can do much damage in a single swing. I highly recommend you put a lanyard of it, your wrist will thank you and you'll have much more control of the blade. The Handle: The handle very much reminds me of a bicycle handle. The grip is good, but like I suggested, a lanyard is a must. With the kukri design, there is so much forward weight that I think some might have trouble controlling it. The Dreaded Sticker: I have heard horror stories of people ruining the finish on their blade from using solvents to remove the sticker. Eventhough this is a machete made for work I understand that any wear on the finish is better to come from use in the field rather than a pesky sticker. Too many overthink things though. After taking as much sticker off I could with my fingernail and hot water I was left with a mess of glue on the blade. This came off EASILY with some dish soap and a sponge (the kind with a green scrubbing side and yellow sponge side). Use the green side of the sponge with some dish soap hot water and it will come off very quickly without hurting the finish. Overall: So far I'm quite happy with my $21 purchase. Time will tell how the edge holds up, but I think it will do ok. I wish this were made in the USA or another quality country like the UK, Germany, etc instead of South Africa. I know the blade would have come in far superior form. Would have probably cost 2-3 times as much, but it is what it is.

I bought this to clear some brush, and boy did it deliver! Once sharpened, it just wanted to swing through bushes and small trees like a hot knife through butter, and the edge stayed sharp even after hours of hard service (apart from a couple of dings from stupidly hitting rocks, but those came out). The weight-forward kukri design works very well, producing a much stronger impact for a given swinging force. It did come with a dull edge, more appropriate for breaking than cutting, but it only took a few minutes with a file to get a serviceable edge and a few minutes more with sharpening stones to get it wickedly sharp. Other reviews mention a difficult-to-remove sticker on the blade, but mine had no such sticker, so it seems Cold Steel has wisely listened to that piece of feedback. Bear in mind, this is not a top-of the line showpiece; it's a tool that is meant to be used, and it's a truly excellent one for the price once you put a bit of work into finishing the edge to your liking.

I have lots of different knife sharpeners and was ready to get to work, but they must have listened to other reviews and fixed the problem, because this one came with a consistent sharp edge. Its a tool for hacking, so don't expect a show piece finish for this price. Very pleasantly surprised with what showed up.

Pros: 1055 Carbon steel makes for one heck of a tough tool. Balance seems to be good Handle is comfortable enough.. but I recommend gloves for heavy usage. Did not come with sticker.. Paracord hole is handy.. I am extremely impressed with the sheath.. very high quality for the price. Cons: Black coating does NOT prevent rust from what I've seen (I saw some rust on the edge of the coated blade). Black coating is uneven and I had to use some steel wool to even it out. Blade tip had a strange bulge at the end.. I had to sand it out with a stone. Blade itself is extremely dull.. I passed over it over a dozen times with a carbide sharpener without the blade being sharpened.. I then spent another few hours trying to get the darn thing sharp by hand with some stones and even a waterstone.. Could only get it so-so sharp.. I'd recommend using a belt sander if you want to sharpen this without wasting hours on it. The edge is NOT convex.. which is disappointing for a tool like this. You'll have to retool the edge if you want this blade to stay sharp for long periods of time. Notes: Would probably be better just to remove the entire black coating from the blade.(But I do not personally have a belt-sander.. so this is difficult).

Great as machete and looks good. Sheath is well designed and sturdy. Needed sharpening when it arrived but sharpening was easy and has a great edge.

I was fairly disappointed. The metal was rough, burrs everywhere on the edge rough. The blade was ground on each side, but with vastly different angles, I’ve spent almost 8 hrs with wet stones trying to “rebuild” the edge by hand, and thus far, it’s ok. It’s functional, but the edge is still embarrassingly bad even with the work put in to fix it. It’s become a project of its own just to try and get a proper edge on each side. I like it, the Kopis like design is superb, but the craftsmanship is beyond poor. To top it off, the sheath it came with, isn’t very strong, certainly won’t last even occasional use, and the design of the sheath doesn’t allow for quick access, or single handed access, you’re gonna want to dismount it from your pack and take it out with both hands. I would find a better higher quality machete, and I say that sadly as I generally think cold steel delivers in the rugged and I’ll last category, not this time.