CRKT Chanceinhell Fixed Blade Machete: 12 Inch Black Powder Coated Carbon Steel Drop Point Blade with Nylon Sheath for Survival, Hunting, and Camping K910KKP

Back in 1994 when I bought my waterfront property in Southwest Florida the first bid I got to (legally) trim my mangroves was $1,000.00. Even then I thought that the price was outrageous and I decided to do it myself. Needless to say it involves a lot of time and and some really good cutting tools (and skills). There's not a lot of room for maneuvering in the wetlands, the footing is hazardous, the flora and fauna always a challenge (most Florida plants either have thorns or some type of poison), and the bugs can drive you nuts. Now that I think about it, maybe the $1,000.00 would have been money well spent.Now at age 67 the current bid for the same job is up to $8,000.00. Either the workers are a lot smarter or they don't really want to do this type of work. About 10 years ago I had some major surgery and had to hire three people to do the job for me. When I was watching them the youngest picked up and held a very pretty snake for his father to see, causing me to yell at his father to "put it down". I was really surprised to find out that they didn't know what a coral snake was. That hiring experience also resulted in all of my tools being damaged to the poiint of no return. But the real capper was that they cut the mangroves to a height of 4 feet -- when I had specified 6 feet. Fortunately no one reported me to the mangrove police.So I have trimmed my own mangroves for 22 of the past 23 years, even at my advanced age. The secret is to keep your eyes and ears open, to use adequate insect repellant and sun protection, wear boots, long pants and long sleeves, and an SPF 50 hat. But the key to being able to trim mangroves for up to six hours at a time is to have a really good medium length machete. This CRKT Chanceinhell(CIH) really fits the bill. It has a durable, heavy and sharp blade, a well-constructed rubber grip for comfort, and a decent sheath that you can hang from your belt when you are using a different tool. This machete is blade heavy which gives you better balance for chopping versus slicing.When I have the room to swing a machete, I rely on an Esee Lite machete (around $80.00), a blade perfect for slicing thicker wood. For the crowded areas where taking a full swing would be impossible (or foolhardy) I find chopping to be more efficient and safer. That is where the CIH hits the mark and is the best tool to use. You might wonder why I don't use a small chainsaw instead. There are a multitude of reasons: the high noise level masks other sounds that I need to be aware of ( like the movement of snakes, alligators and other critters), chainsaws are dangerous even when operating in the best of conditions (which is far from true in the wetlands), the probability of bounce-back or dropping a running chainsaw is pretty much guaranteed, and trucking in and out of the wetlands to refuel sets you up for additional problems.So this year I'll be heading into the wetlands with my Chanceinhell and Esee, splitting my time between slicing and chopping, hoping to avoid any injuries. One thing that I can guarantee is that the experience is always interesting.

I bought this recently and took it out for its first test today. The test subjects were various Autumn Olive trees which I thought were great for testing. They're invasive, I'm having them ripped out soon, they're still green strong wood, and I had all various sizes to hack away at from 1/4" to 3-4". I also tested it straight out-of-the-box, I have not sharpened the edge additionally.It did a great job and cut through anything 2" and under usually in one swing. Small twigs on the branches flew off with just a light touch. You can hack through 3-4" trunks if you wanted or were in a pinch where you were left without an axe/hatchet, and while not it's intended purpose with a little work it did as well as I could expect. I cleared out 5 of the Autumn Olives without much effort at all. The second section was chopping back the grape vines that had become diseased that we're removing. Machete and vines? A match made in heaven and there was no disappointment here. The other thing I liked is that our grapes were growing up and through metal fencing, and this knife was easily maneuverable enough to chop what needed, without striking the metal of the fence.What are we left with at the end after an hour of work? We have a blade that held up amazingly. It will need a sharpen to conform to perfectionist edge standard, but it's still plenty sharp and I can see easily getting more hours out of it without needing to sharpen it again if I were really so inclined. This is a working blade through and through and my initial impressions are I'm very impressed with it.The biggest thing I've notice? After that hours work I had no hand or arm fatigue. Whatever they did with this handle was amazing and I couldn't recommend it more. I have a bad wrist and not once was that a factor while using this in that hand. If the first hours is any indication, I could have chopped for hours with ease using this. The black coating also held up wonderfully, not a spec out of place.

Very sharp..good length with forward balance..comfortable grip..like it better than my Ontario military machete..and even like it better than my schrade makhaira brush sword..probably the best choice

If you're looking for a big knife or a small machete that is easy to handle, this is the one for you. Compared to the Kershaw Camp Knife of the same size, this is more like a big knife with it's 1/8" thick blade. The handle is purposely angled downward much more than your standard machete which feels curious at first but provides maximum ergonomic leverage for thrusting attacks. It will shine as an all purpose knife/small machete, doing your daily chores or defending one's self with ease. But as a survival knife, I would opt for the Kershaw with it's 1/4" thick blade, Kydex sheath and more robust construction. However, the CRKT is well-designed with its grippy, Kraton rubber handle with 5 holes drilled through giving you various lanyard placement options. A word of caution with the ballistic nylon sheath - 3/4 of the way up the front of the sheath is open and only secured by 2 straps. If you're a right-hander like me, you would hold the sheath with your left hand while sheathing the knife with your right. You need to make darn sure that you bias the blade part of the sheath as you slide it in otherwise the blade tip has a tendency to exit the open section and slice your thumb wide open! It is a design that may make for a faster draw but may have a potential to hurt the owner. I don't like the design and you'll have to get used to it. I would have wanted a Kydex sheath like the Kershaws for mold/mildew resistance especially for usage in moist, humid, jungle climates. But because of its thin blade, Kraton handle, fast-draw sheath and overall lightness, this is one fast machete that would be extremely deadly in a tactical, combat situation.