Cold Steel All Purpose Tactical Machete with Sheath, Great for Clearing Brush, Survival, Camping and Outdoor Activities, Cutlass Machete

A Great gardening tool or for bushcraft.

Nice cheap utility machete.I had a harborfreight machete that was pretty handy.I decided to replace it with something stronger.The one time I really worked that cheap hf machete, it didn't really "survive".This coldsteel came with an actual edge, so i didn't need to sharpen it like i had to do with the harborfreight one.An easy 30min saved.This one is also much thicker, and it has a nice "pirate" theme going for it.I'll probably buy a second one for the boat.Sometimes when beaching i find myself wishing I could cut some of the brush back in order to properly tie the boat to something solid.

This is one of those cutting tools that you can't help but to feel like a bad-a$$ as soon as you strap the thing on.I was blown away when it arrived, the box was HUGE!! I reverently removed the cutlass from the box and could not help but to giggle maniacally at the sheer size of the thing. I immediately took it outside to judge Mother Nature for a bit and judge I did. You know those weeds that when ignored become small trees? Yeah, well I've got quite a few of those in my yard and there is this particular small forest at the edge of my yard that we refer to as "Little Cambodia". Now, I'm not joking when I refer to this as a "small forest". In fact, I believe the only way I can retake the ground from nature is by virtue of a flame thrower (which my wife just absolutely refuses to allow me to try) and so I chop away at this ground from time to time in order to reclaim it.This cutlass was devastating, despite the factory edge. The length of the blade allows for an awesome swing that requires little effort in devastating nature. Later, I added a fine razor's edge (not the wrestling move - even though that might be cool) and now the thing's just scary. The grip is cool and I love it; however, the PVC composite that the handle is composed of made me slightly uneasy at the prospect of the thing slipping out of my hand and so I wrapped the grip with 550 paracord to enable me to have a better grip, and plus, it just looks cool; however, it should be noted that I can't snap the sheath closed due to the extra diameter of the paracord around the handle, but honestly, that doesn't matter to me much because I must be ready to draw at moment's notice...trees, zombies, demons, rabid weasels, and home invaders (The added benefit would be that it would certainly be easy to take a trophy-arm or whatnot) ....I take down trees with this sword with reckless abandon that would normally require my chainsaw (Chain-Friend) or my ax (Back-Biter) and we're talking like stuff with like 4-5 inch diameters....mind you it takes a few swings, but hell, let's face it, I like the work-out and the opportunity to vent frustration....Oh yeah, the sheath is straight and not curved like the sword. Again, not a deal breaker, but I thought I would add that.In closing, this sword is awesome! It is a fine friend to have in a myriad of situations. There is actually a video on Youtube where some guys are chopping away at a beef carcass showing off the sword's capability, and I could not help but to be pleased.I have not named my new friend yet, but I'm still working on that....

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.