To start this review I’ll talk about the stats. The blade is 24″ which separates it from the other shorter versions (18″,21″). The blade is 1055 medium carbon steel,and has a black anti-rust coating. It weighs 18.3 oz. and is 2mm thick. The handle is made out of polypropylene which is very grippy and a good material. The combination of the 24″ inch blade and 2mm thick blade makes for a some what floppy machete, make no mistake this machete is still a very effective cutting tool, in order to make good cuts, you have to have a very good edge on this blade, the factory edge is very rough but sharp.
Cold Steel sharpens the blade after they put on the coating which is a mistake in my mind because the coating alters the edge. Either way you can always put an edge on it yourself very easily since it is a moderately soft steel. 1055 medium carbon steel is a good choice for the application, it is a tough carbon steel that bends very well, the only downside to this steel is the softness and the corrosion resistance. The edge will fold often due to softness and it will rust very easily if the coating comes off. The coating is very high quality and will not come off easily at all.
Its 18.3 oz. weight is light and effective. I have found no problem with the weight as it does not matter nearly as much to me as it does to some. The polypropylene handle scales are medium quality but not much more can be asked of from Cold Steel with the price tag that this machete has of just 11 dollars. A previous machete I had started having handle problems. I had the 12″ spear point machete from Cold Steel and I threw it many times. The handle scales became loose and eventually came off and I discovered that only glue held the handle together.
Over the past 15 years I have extensively used cutlery for a variety of uses and from my experiences I can tell you it will perform well.I have used this machete many times cutting brush and limbs of trees up to 3 inches thick. The machete’s blade always came back to original shape. The only problems were constant resharpening. For 11 dollars you get a great value machete with a cardboard carrying sheath, which for several dollars more you can buy a durable nylon/polypropylene sheath. Overall likability:7 out of 10 (price considered).
