|
Product Reviews for the Cold Steel Kukri Machete W/ Sheath 13" Blade
|
Avg. Rating:  (Based on 17 reviews)
|
Review 1:  Headline: Kukri machete
|
|
Pros:
Overall Quality
,
Materials
,
Weight
,
Blade Material
,
|
|
|
Cons:
Blade Sharpness
,
Handle Material
,
Sheath/Scabbard
,
Finish
|
|
|
by Holden Carr From Texas on 06/23/2009
|
|
The Kukri machete is overall a great chopper but the finish and factory edge it came with needs improvement. for the price though, you would be hard pressed to find a better beater blade!
|
|
Review 2:  Headline: Eh Kinda disappointed
|
|
Pros:
Blade Material
,
Weight
,
Finish
,
|
|
|
Cons:
Blade Sharpness
,
Overall Quality
,
Handle Material
,
Sheath/Scabbard
,
Materials
|
|
|
by Adam From New York on 07/09/2009
|
|
I can honestly say this is the 1st Cold Steel product (of many, many I have owned) that disappoints me. Granted, one can only be so disappointed with a price point hacking tool, but I would have like to see better overall fit and finish. With most of my Cold Steel purchases, the price is right and because of that low price, I can play or alter with the tool to suit my needs. And if I over-alter it, and its scrap... no big deal, it was cheap. On the other hand, like my Rifleman Hawk... I made a number of small adjustments, and its perfect. Same with many of their knives. Small bucks, big fun. Anyway... The blade thickness and shape is fine, but there is not even enough edge to lodge into reinforced cardboard. The very tip is heavily nicked, and has these little pieces of plastic peeling from it. The handle is bottom of the barrel, and could use material that doesn't feel like you are grabbing a cheese grater. The sheath is very low end, and it took me a few minutes to get it off the blade. Had I known it wasn't sharp whatsoever, I probably would have gotten it off quicker and thrown caution to the wind. All in all, I will be messing with and grinding and finding suitable material to wrap the handle with. If it becomes a lost cause, I will be trying out another brand of low prices Kukris.
|
|
Review 3:  Headline: Solid blades
|
|
Pros:
Overall Quality
,
|
|
|
Cons:
Handle Material
,
Blade Sharpness
|
|
|
by Blade From Columbus, OH on 07/31/2009
|
|
I've used Cold Steel machetes for quite a few years. I have the Light Machete which they no longer manufacture and the Heavy Machete which is still available. I bought two of these Kukri Machetes for brush clearing and other experiments in simultaneous two-handed use. Being familiar with these blades the sheaths didn't disappoint me, they're very light and you have to be careful with them but this is a very inexpensive knife. I do agree with the earlier reviewer who said that the handles are a little rough and they are a problem for heavy longterm use. They do need to be smoothed out or you need gloves or hands of iron. The earlier machete handles were much smoother and this current checkered and ribbed design would be far more appropriate for a softer material such as the Kraton rubber used on other Cold Steel knives. With the hard plastic used on these handles the design is really inappropriate. The blades definitely do need to be sharpened up out of the box but that's not an unreasonable chore for a new knife. Bottom line, this is a respectable tool for someone who does a lot of serious chopping at a really unbeatable price from one of the most trustworthy knife makers in America. A really no-lose purchase in my opinion.
|
|
|
Review 4: Headline: Fantastic chopper
|
|
Pros:
Overall Quality
,
Weight
,
Materials
,
|
|
|
Cons:
Sheath/Scabbard
,
Finish
,
Blade Sharpness
|
|
|
by Leadsled From Dade City, FL on 08/08/2009
|
|
I waited until I had used this machete in the field before reviewing it, and it is a performer. The handle material has been improved, I have a Cold Steel Magnum Kukri that required an hour of sanding to removed the cheese grater checkering. This one's handle is much smoother and just feels better. The blade is great but certainly requires some work removing the baked on finish on the edge, a little work with a fine file and some time with a honing steel. I wish Cold Steel would find a cheap Kydex solution for their machete sheaths, they are awful.
|
|
Review 5:  Headline: Incredible Deal
|
|
Pros:
Blade Material
,
Materials
,
Handle Material
,
Weight
,
Overall Quality
,
|
|
|
Cons:
Finish
,
Blade Sharpness
|
|
|
by C-Dub From Maryville, Tennessee on 09/01/2009
|
|
Having read the reviews before I purchased this machete, I knew from the getgo that it would have a poor edge. Unsurprisingly, the edge was quite dull, and I had to sharpen it before the Kukri became very useful. After sharpening though, the blade preformed very well, hacking through everything from brush to small tree limbs. I have even used the machete as a hatchet to chop down small trees. The blade itself and the tip in particular are also very sturdy. Since the machete was only $16 I kind of set out to test its limits and generally abuse it, and I have used the machete quite frequently as an oversized throwing knife. The tip has held up incredibly well considering the weight of the blade, in fact, the only problem is that the black finish wears off after repeated throwing. There have been a lot of complaints about the sheath, and I too believe it to be lacking. I'm actually somewhat fond of the design, but the plastic guards on the tip are useless. If there was one solid guard instead of two plates sewn together it would be a lot more effective. As it is now, the machete will sometimes slice through the tip of the sheath. Trust me, unnoticed, this can turn quite ugly. Overall though, I am extremely satisfied with my purchase. For $16 you absolutely CANNOT buy a better machete. It is easily worth twice as much, and I would readily buy it again.
|
|
|
Review 6: Headline: GOOD DEAL FOR UNDER $20
|
|
Pros:
Weight
,
Overall Quality
,
Blade Material
|
|
|
Cons:
|
|
|
by BEST BLADE From AGANA, GUM on 09/07/2009
|
|
This kukri may have many complaints about its sharpness, but you got to look in the bright side, how many knife and machete that is being sold by many other manufacturer that is more expensive than this kukris that is also not sharp. For under $20 I'm happy to sharpen this kukris to a razors edge. You got to remember machetes are not to be razor sharp any ways, because you use it to chop all kinds of things from grass to heavy wood. So what is the big complaint and crying all about on previous reviews. Other thing is about the handle, yes it maybe a little rough on some peoples hand, but if some people can't handle a little bit of blister hand or finger, then I don't think they should be doing any kind of work with a machete. They should just stay indoor and put lotion on their hand all day.
|
|
|
Review 7: Headline: tough
|
|
Pros:
Overall Quality
,
Weight
,
Blade Material
|
|
|
Cons:
Sheath/Scabbard
,
|
|
|
by doublej From Ga on 09/08/2009
|
|
Exactly what I expected.
|
|
|
Review 8: Headline: Disapointing
|
|
Pros:
Weight
,
|
|
|
Cons:
Handle Material
,
Blade Sharpness
,
Finish
|
|
|
by Chopper70 on 11/09/2009
|
|
After sharpening this machete with a convex edge, I took it out for its first outing. After cutting just a couple branches from some standing dead wood box elder trees, the blade twisted. The belly was approximately 5° off from the spine of the blade. In addition, the handle chipped on the third or fourth hit. My opinion (not expert, by any means) would be the blade is too hard, and does not have the spring required for use as a machete. I have no gripe against Cold Steel in general, but I would recommend the Bolo Machete over this one, by a long shot.
|
|
|
Review 9: Headline: Great machete for the price.
|
|
Pros:
Blade Material
,
Weight
,
Sheath/Scabbard
,
|
|
|
Cons:
Handle Material
,
Overall Quality
,
Blade Sharpness
|
|
|
by Jayco From Philadelphia, PA on 11/11/2009
|
|
Keep in mind that I haven't used too many machetes before, so this review will kind of be an every-man's type thing. The most important thing is that the price is unbeatable for a machete like this. That said: The blade isn't that sharp from the factory. The edge is honed, but it isn't "sharp" (if I drew it across my hand gently, it wouldn't cut. Also the handle has a really terrible texture. After using it for ten minutes, my palm was pretty raw. But it's nothing some grip tape couldn't fix. Overall, it is a really decent machete. No bells or whistles on the knife or the sheath, but it performs well.
|
|
|
Review 10: Headline: Good for the price, not without its flaws...
|
|
Pros:
Materials
,
Finish
,
Handle Material
,
Weight
,
Blade Material
,
|
|
|
Cons:
Sheath/Scabbard
,
Blade Sharpness
|
|
|
by Scout671 From Guam on 11/12/2009
|
|
THIS THING IS AWESOME!!! In one swipe I cleared half an acre of jungle without even breaking a sweat. Trees literally uprooted themselves and fled in horror before my mighty blade! Those that could not flee in time, lost there limbs on my backswing! Now that we got THAT outta the way...in my humble opinion, this thing is worth exactly what you paid. It is not your full blown kukri, merely a machete in the kukri form. That being said, machetes are low priced, cheap cutting tools meant for light to medium-duty cutting tasks and brush clearing. And this product does exactly as advertised. CONS: The biggest flaw is the blade edge, it was ground steep and high (a little under half an inch) which made the edge the most awkward of all the machetes in my arsenal. It took a lot of shaping and honing to finally get it to a satisfying, usable edge. The sheath is also very cheap. Better than nothing I suppose, but close to nothing as well. For those who have trouble with the handle, I just wrapped mine in some baseball bat griptape and that solved the problem. All in all, good for the price, but exactly what you paid for.
|
|
|
Review 11: Headline: Works great !
|
|
Pros:
Weight
,
Handle Material
,
Overall Quality
|
|
|
Cons:
|
|
|
by Jeff 11 From Blfd WV on 11/23/2009
|
|
Brush cutting
|
|
|
Review 12: Headline: Great value for the money
|
|
Pros:
Overall Quality
,
Sheath/Scabbard
|
|
|
Cons:
|
|
|
by Alex From Catskill, NY on 11/25/2009
|
|
I give this a Good rating. It's constructed of mid-grade materials & is acceptable in every way with no defects. I paid about $15 and consider it an excellent value for the money. It's not the ultimate or most expensive machete available, but is totally sufficient & I am satisfied with it and the accompanying sheath.
|
|
|
Review 13: Headline: Thin, but not bad
|
|
Pros:
|
|
|
Cons:
Overall Quality
,
Blade Sharpness
,
Weight
,
Sheath/Scabbard
|
|
|
by EDC-G From MI on 12/16/2009
|
|
When buying something on the cheap side from Cold Steel, you cant expect much from them. If you dont expect much, their stuff isn't terrible though. The blade of this thing came much thinner than I expected. This is not a kukri. It is a machete that vaguely has the appearance of a kukri... fortunately I also wanted a short camping machete, so I'm happy... I just am still in need of a kukri. The blade is also beyond dull. Since something this thin is a bad choice for chopping wood, it would be nice to at least see it sharp enough for clearing brush and other uses. The nylon sheath, I expected to be lousy, but was surprised to see just how lousy it really was!! If you buy this thing, I hope you don't intend to carry it. Within about a day the blade was already cutting through the sheath. I had to buy a decent leather/wood sheath and cut the blade down to fit it.
|
|
|
Review 14: Headline: a functional flat kukri
|
|
Pros:
Overall Quality
,
Weight
,
|
|
|
Cons:
Blade Sharpness
,
Sheath/Scabbard
|
|
|
by Benjamin etxaburu From Spain on 12/28/2009
|
|
a functional, economical flat kukri. worth the money. true kukris are thick and not parallel sided, while this is cut from a thin plank, but for the price is ok. sheath is not rigid at all and does not release blade, needing two hands. sharpness is NOT to the high level of other cold steel economical blades like War Head. for the price, being sharp would get a 5 point.
|
|
|
Review 15: Headline: Great Grip and Durable
|
|
Pros:
Sheath/Scabbard
,
Handle Material
,
Blade Material
,
Materials
,
Weight
,
Overall Quality
,
Finish
|
|
|
Cons:
Blade Sharpness
,
|
|
|
by drumngun From Baton Rouge, La on 02/02/2010
|
|
I use this machete for brush clearing when doing landscaping as well as chopping up small pieces of wood for camp fires. The rubbery grip handle is very ergonomical. It has a nice hefty weight which makes it a great chopper and also has killer looks. The baked on finish is very durable as well. The only con I have with the knife is that I received it with a large burr along the entire edge, likely due to the fact that it is sharpened on some machine by hand. But Cold steel sharpened it for free and threw in some free promo items. Overall a very worthy machete for the price and likely the best you can buy for a workhorse type machete.
|
|
|
Review 16: Headline: This knife scares small children...;)
|
|
Pros:
Materials
,
Handle Material
,
Blade Material
,
Finish
,
Weight
,
Overall Quality
,
|
|
|
Cons:
Blade Sharpness
,
Sheath/Scabbard
|
|
|
by Frank Castle From ON on 01/23/2009
|
|
Hey! a kukri for under $20 that isn't garbage!?! This machete is pretty cool, and for those who like the kukri-styled blade, is an easy way to get one without spending a lot of hard earned green. I found the cutting edge on mine to be sub-par, it was kinda squarish, didn't really cut things, it was more of a "the weight of the knife forced the item being cut to snap/break" type thing, but some work on a sharpening stone fixed that problem. Now after sharpening, this is a scary tool, this weight-forward blade style shears through cardboard & plywood like the proverbial hot knife through butter. The handle raised some hot spots on my hand after a bit of hard use, some minor contouring of the handle with a dremel fixed that issue. The sheath design is a bit flawed, when the knife is drawn out of it, the snaps that hold the knife can potentially be cut (mine have). Again, for $20 bucks, you can't go wrong with one of these!
|
|
|
Review 17: Headline: Nice shea(i)t !!!
|
|
Pros:
Handle Material
,
|
|
|
Cons:
Sheath/Scabbard
,
Blade Sharpness
|
|
|
by sunnysam From turkey on 05/19/2009
|
|
Sheath ripped in first use during my trekking. what a shame ! Handle is perfect, that s for sure. Factory sharpness is not good but it is not a big problem anyway. Material quality ??? well we will see that later.
|
