Cold Steel Cutlass Machete

Reviewed 10/24/2015 by Sam

-Price Paid: $55.00
-Used for Outdoor/Survival
-Owned for Less than 1 Month

Comments:

(Note that the price I paid was in Canadian Dollars.)

This is a very good knife overall. The blade came quite sharp (I would say possibly a bit too sharp for a machete, but I’m not an expert), and it isn’t wide enough for CS to put their usual infuriating sticker on it. The sheathe serves its purpose very well, and I would have no reason not to trust it. No major imperfections in the blade that I’ve noticed.

One problem that this item has is that the handle is uncomfortable. Your mileage may vary, as I do have relatively small hands for a man of over six feet, but I have let others handle it and they agree with me. I feel like using this machete would be murder on my hand. As for the sturdiness of the handle, I am quite impressed. Part of the reason it’s so uncomfortable is the beefy construction of the handle, and while I can’t speak to the internal aspects of it (how far the tang extends and how well it’s anchored, etc.), I would be very, very surprised if this machete failed to perform.

With all things considered -low price, generally good quality, intimidating profile, and solid construction- I would recommend it. As a weapon, I would trust it. As a tool for heavy duty chopping for long periods of time, I’ll stick with their Kukri machete. Since a machete is primarily a tool for heavy duty chopping, perhaps look elsewhere unless “cheap, sturdy substitute for a sword” is what you’re looking for. If that is what you’re looking for, you can’t go far wrong with this.

If you want my advice, buy the CS Kukri Machete first, as I would say it's a better machete for a lower cost. However, I will likely own the entire CS machete line eventually, as I've been pretty impressed with the two I own for the price I've paid for them.