Ashton H
Billings , Mt

Oct 17, 2012

Pros: Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Just got mine in mail today. Shipping was fast. Blade arrived sharp. Not super sharp but that is quickly fixed. Overall great blade. Great home defense weapon.

John
Ohio

Apr 03, 2013

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

I love my gladius

I am a practitioner of martial arts. I have practiced with single edge swords before, but never a double edged weapon. In full force swings one must be aware with a double edged weapon. It is vastly different from double edge knife practice. Though it is a machete the weight is excellent. It is not light and delicate. After long practice one's forearm feels exercised. The blade is nice and sharp, and since it is carbon steel, can be sharpened easily. I have othe machetes for yard work, but if I didn't, I wouldn't hesitate to use my gladius. For 30$ plus s&h, a Fine Product. Thanks

Rich P.
Ct.

Nov 03, 2011

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

I am very pleased with this product, It's make well, I use the product for a display with other knifes I owen.

Brad
Rome Ga

Jun 18, 2012

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Very impressed with the quality and balance of this weapon

I love this weapon and was most pleased with the quality, sharpness, balance and the overall feel of this product. I took it out of the box and put it up to my arm and it shaved like a razor. This weapon would be an outstanding home defence tool. I would like to thank Knife Center for getting it out to me so promptly. I will be purchasing more knives from them.

John
Neb

Jun 26, 2015

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Sheath/Scabbard

Excellent product. Could put a little more in the sheath

Steve A
Australia

Feb 16, 2012

Pros: Overall Quality

Cons: None

Fun piece of gear

My son just had to have one. It is well made for the price. I've seen some negative comments on the quality of the sheath, but the one we got was well-put-together and the whole package can't be bettered at the price it's on for.

Woodsmanturley
the woods of west virginia

Dec 22, 2012

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

must have

Super sharp cool as heck love it more of a defense weapon than a machette but its a must have for any coldsteel fan

Dan
Over There, Place

Mar 27, 2011

Pros: Weight, Blade Material, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Handle Material, Sheath/Scabbard

WOWOWOWOW!!!!

So I talked to Cold Steel and got this ahead of time. SHWHOAH! This thing is mean. I can cut, hack, slash, dig, and penetrate. And I mean PENETRATE. The tip on this thing is Ultra-sharp, perfect for penetrating deep. For chopping, it is pretty wicked. If you want an amazing all around blade go for this. The handle is a little cheap feeling and so is the cordura sheath. Similar to other CS machetes. The pommel is crud but whatever. For crowd control, there is no better choice. Note: Did not come razor sharp out of the box but five minutes on a stone and it was good to shave hair. When it came out of the box, Sharpness Rating (10 being sharper than razor sharp and 1 being duller than a brick): 6

Gii
Canada

Apr 28, 2014

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Review

Awesome balance Super Sharp

John N
Natchez, Ms

Apr 27, 2012

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Sheath/Scabbard

roman legionary would approve!

very sharp straight out of the box! the weight is excellent and was also a little unexpected. nice cold steel quality as expected. wishing the scabbard was a little more heavy duty, but not really a reason to gripe much. will be buying another for a gift

Jay
Kansas City, MO

May 29, 2012

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material

Cons: Finish, Blade Sharpness

Gladius Machete - Wow.

I use this as a serious machete for light and medium brush. It works way better than i expected. I was skeptical. The broad blade gives it good weight for chopping, and you don't have to roll your wrist over on the reverse stroke - briars just fall over. The cool factor is there. You can imagine a Roman legionaire chopping limbs off some barbarians on the frontier. The factory edge was decently sharp. Used a med diamond stone to improve. This is soft machete steel - very tough but you don't want a keen edge as it will roll. It does not need to be razor sharp to be wicked.

Jd
calif

Nov 16, 2011

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

gladius

totally cool spartan sword

Stephen M.
Stockbridge, GA

Jan 10, 2012

Pros: None

Cons: None

The item was excellent and the price is indeed right.

Brandon Y
Diamond Bar, California

Oct 27, 2011

Pros: Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Materials, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Sheath/Scabbard

The Gladius is great, when you get it, it comes with a warning tag about it's sharpness and by far means it's really sharp so do be careful. The feel on the blade is great, but it's weight does feel a little heavy, and the finish did have some smudges on the edges, but my cousin's doesn't have any so I'd say he has the better finish, but both of our blades work great. The Sheath however, good or bad, it does have a cheap sense, and it can be better.

Colonel Kline
Belgium

Apr 02, 2013

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Sheath/Scabbard, Materials

Practical, Handy, overall Perfect for my Purpose

I use this as a general purpose big knife or short sword on my farm. It is handy to carry, being not too long. The steel is stiff and sharp. It goes through branches as well as any machete its size. The grip is perfect for use as a tool or as a weapon, and one can hold it for a chop or a thrust. The shape of the blade gives it a good weight forward for a chopping action, while the point being angled as it is ensures good penetration through just about anything that the strength of my arm and weight of the gladius can manage. The steel seems good, and the grip material practical. The scabbard is well designed, although for aesthetic purposes I would have preferred any kind of leather. Having said that, the Cordura is practical and probably better for some climates than leather, and is better able to handle neglect than leather can. If one has to use it as a weapon in a restricted environment, such as inside many buildings, it is an ideal size. In my house, which has thick stone interior and exterior walls, and lots of doors and turns, I would consider my chances against someone with a pistol about even, if I knew that he was there. Fighting against someone with a spear or longer sword in the open would put one at a disadvantage with this short weapon, and of course in the open one would be a dead man if faced with someone armed with any kind of gun. Its only chance against a gun is if the gunman has no choice but to get close enough to negate his range advantage. It would certainly remove any hand with a gun in it at the wrist as it comes around a near corner. Bottom line: excellent value, built for business and not for looks.

Bob
usa

Nov 13, 2012

Pros: None

Cons: None

The best

OMG, This is not an ordinary MACHETE, sharp, perfect weight, practical, great price!

Gregg E
Selbyville,Delaware

May 01, 2015

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Great fun and useful!

Very sharp out of the box and we felt like centurions when we passed it around! VERY POINTY! Still a very formidable close quarters weapon! Fun and practical. I have yet to buy a lame Cold Steel product.

Mike
New Castle, DE

Apr 01, 2013

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Great blade for the money. Found it to be very balanced in hand. I was able to cut a long 4” log down to size in no time with it. I can see why Rome favored this as their primary sword. :-) The blade came sharp, but a bit jagged. It took me about 5 minutes to make it perfect with my file, so not taking points off for that.

Michele
Napoli ( Italy)

Mar 22, 2012

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

fantastic gladius

I was never disappointed by a Cold Steel machete but this is really fantastic! An absolut real and deadly gladius in your hand exactly as the ones found in Pompei.Sharp but not razor sharp, finely pointed( as real one),astonishly good sheat for the price, the handle is raw polypropilene but give a good feel and look sturdy. I will buy more!One suggestion:pay great care and attention to the point because is very pointed and very sharp, can go through a human body with ease. I'm not joking this is a serious, serious sword don't think is a game because of the price

Dan
Bermuda

May 31, 2013

Pros: None

Cons: None

Great Machete!

Great product! Sharp and pointy! Do you need a pointy machete? No! But is better to have one and to don't need it, than to need one and to do not have it, if you know what I mean.

James
Denver, CO

Nov 03, 2011

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Awesome!

Bones
So Cal.

Apr 15, 2012

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Finish

Usefull?

Awesome looking and quite intimidating as a home defense tool. I used it to cut some old growth in the garden and was actually impressed. Worth the money? I think so if you have a use for it.

Roy G.
Milano, Texas

Oct 13, 2011

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Gladius Machete Most Excellent

Sharp, light and delivers more than adequate energy to the end of the blade for a solid chopping motion. It comes with a sheath and is easy to resharpen after continued use. In my opinion it's worth the money. A secondary use is for my son. He's into the Renaisance Festival stuff. He made another sheath and the machete doubles as a Roman Gladius for his reenactment scenarios. Overall a very good buy.

Henry P.
ALABAMA

May 01, 2012

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Materials, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Sheath/Scabbard, Finish

Cold Steel Gladius Machete 19" Carbon Steel Blade, Cordura Sheath

Use as a hunting machete and clear brush

Ray
Union Mo

Oct 13, 2011

Pros: Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Sheath/Scabbard

Awesome and ready to go.

For the money it's as close as I'll ever come to a battle ready Roman short sword. And, for the money, it is another good Cold Steel purchase for me. The sheath is not all that good, with the sharp point you can poke it through the side in know time. But I happily accept the challenge to make my own wooden one. I won't even use duct tape. The six month backorder kind of sucked but well worth the wait

Wuji55
J-ville, Fl

May 29, 2012

Pros: Weight, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Handle Material, Sheath/Scabbard

Everything I wanted

It is a fun way to clear brush and chop wood. This design not only allows it to be used as a machete, it is also a better self defense weapon.

Mattjack
Missouri Ozarks

Mar 31, 2023

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

BEAST

I bought one about 4 years ago. I spent alot of time on very long excursions thru some very deep, dense wilderness camping, hunting, and exploring. It cannot be overstated how tough and durable this blade is. I've spent literally countless hours - days on end - off trail, chopping thru very thick brush with it, and it's never let me down. Plenty of scratches have accumulated over the last 4 years, and I've had to re-sharpen it occasionally, but there's not a knick, chip, or bend anywhere on the blade, and is as reliable and effective as the day I got it.

Lawrence
Winter Park, FL

Jan 06, 2012

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Blade Material, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Sheath/Scabbard

Raw Roman Power

Great against anything Caesar can throw at you this includes, but not limited to, Lions, Chariots, Horses, Gladiators, and of course Candles. Not so great against guns, artillery, and modern weapons.

Zain
College Station

May 30, 2012

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Sheath/Scabbard

Awesome! Cold Steel for the win

Personal this is Cold Steels best machete

Mike L
Kingston, On, Canada

Oct 15, 2011

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Sheath/Scabbard

Deadly sharp!!!!

I use it in the garden, and but also keep it hanging on the coatrack for home defence. This is probably the sharpest tool most worthy of serious respect that I have ever owned. Lightweight, well-balanced with n excellent grip. The pommel absolutely prevents grip loss if hands get wet or sweaty. The scabbard is a bit tight and the point so dramatic you can miss when re-sheathing . The double sided blade is so sharp that you want to get it right.

Bill L.
Pacific Northwest

Jul 16, 2012

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Everything and more

Balance is amazing on this machete. Came super sharp. Like the feel of the handle. Good sheath. Use it for looking awesome while landscaping. Worth the money.

Buddy
Norfolk, VA

Apr 09, 2012

Pros: Weight, Blade Material, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Handle Material

This is the second i've bought, the first one was and a knife & gun show. Loved it, and bought this to have a matching pair on the back of my leather and chain vest.

John S.
Pittsburgh, PA

Oct 12, 2012

Pros: Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

unbelievable quality for the price!!

Typical well made, highly functional and incredible value item from Cold Steel.

Zeke
Pinon Hills, CA

Sep 28, 2011

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Sheath/Scabbard, Materials

Best Self Defense Tool on a Budget.

COmes wicked sharp out of the box, unlike other lousy Cold Steel Machetes. This one is finally the design that CS got right, from the factory it carries an edge that makes you feel more secure on a walk. Anyone that looks at a Gladius and thinks this design is great for hedge trimming is an idiot, this is not a camp knife or a tool. This is a weapon, and as such, it is great.

Jb
Boulder CO

Oct 28, 2012

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Materials, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Sheath/Scabbard

Great deal!

For the price I can't give this any less than a 5 rating. Mine needed a little love when I first got it. The edge had a few burrs on it and the tip was slightly bent...easy fixes. I have only slashed up a few cardboard boxes so far. This thing just slices them to pieces! I can see how this would be absolutely devastating in battle. No wonder the Romans adopted this short sword. Bottom line....you can't beat getting such an awesome toy for such a low price! Buy this machete (short sword)

Jake
Toilet

Apr 13, 2012

Pros: Weight, Overall Quality

Cons: None

Sweet blade

If it had costed more than $30 I would say that there is room for improvement. But it is a strong ,cheap, and pretty cool sword. Sure it could come sharper, but that's no big deal to me. Also if you secure this thing into the sheath well enough, you can swing it backwards using the pommel as a war club. Great for piñatas and those darn meddling kids.

Cliff W
Arlington, TX

Dec 08, 2012

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

The KnifeCenter was a pleasure to deal with! I received the order much sooner than I expected. The product (Cold Steel Gladius machete) was first class given the many reviews I've read about it. I'm extremely satisfied with the purchase. I will definitely do business with KnifeCenter again!

John
boston

Aug 01, 2015

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Sheath/Scabbard

gladius machete

For the price this gladius os the best one in my collection. This gladius is also one of the sharpest ones in my collection you will regret if you dont buy one

Grady H
High Ridge, MO

Nov 14, 2011

Pros: Weight, Overall Quality, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Sheath/Scabbard

Cold Steel Gladius Machete

Razor sharp out of the box. High Quality and Great value

Dino
Philadelphia

Feb 23, 2023

Pros: None

Cons: None

Tactical Shortsword

Unbreakable Cold Steel quality Sleek sheath and secure locking Newly updated design Excellent shortsword and doubles as a machete Pommel acts as a two handed grip option

Joe B.
Marietta, GA

Dec 22, 2011

Pros: Weight, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Awesome, powerfull, heavy and impresive!

Very heavy, strong, sharp, ergonomic, durable, weatherproof and stunning to look at! I am buying another to keep in reserve!

Harry K
New Mexico

May 15, 2012

Pros: Weight, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Sharp

Practice for self defense.

Db
Missouri

Aug 22, 2011

Pros: Weight, Overall Quality, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Handle Material, Sheath/Scabbard

Nice blade....bad sheath

Ok, so i got my gladius machete from CS today and took it for a test-drive so to speak. Cutting ability is nice for both edges right out of the box. the edges nearer to the tip are much less sharpened than the sides on the main body of the blade but are still capable out of the box for cutting smaller and lighter materials. the penetration ability of the blade is quite nice right out of the box. After a thorough sharpening of all the necessary surfaces the penetration ability becomes almost scary. This blade is wicked. My only concern and therefore the 4/5 rather than 5/5 rating is that the sheath purely sucks. It is a very light cordura sheath with very little reinforcement and much too great of a flex factor. The belt-loop attachment point is also a concern as mine came barely stitched on, no doubt this will fall off in the field the first time. If you have a way of reinforcing the sheath or providing an extra then this blade is a no-brainer buy one today...actually buy two, you got two hands right?

Brian B.
Fayetteville, AR

Sep 24, 2011

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Finally It's Here.

Took forever, but I got my Gladius machete today. Have to say, it's pretty sweet. The handle is sturdy, which is the only thing I was worried about - doesn't have any rivets or screws, just jammed on there. Seems solid enough though. Balance and weight are good. The blade is thick and seems to be decent steel, the tip is WICKED. They attached a red warning tag to my machete, reminding me the tip is sharp and to be careful when putting it into the sheath - I appreciate the concern, but that the tip is sharp and pointy stands out just fine without a red tag. I saw where others didn't like the sheath - mine is perfectly adequate. A solid sheath would of course be better, but it's not bad. No real problems other than the long wait. If they get that issue fixed, I will be buying others as gifts this Xmas.

Alibaba
Cape coral

Jan 16, 2012

Pros: Weight, Blade Material, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Sheath/Scabbard

Cool

High rating considers low price point. This thing's utility can be questioned all day but it is worth it just for the cool factor.

Matt B
north of boston

Feb 21, 2012

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials

Cons: Blade Sharpness

Great Short Sword CHEAP!!

It is nearly impossible to find a functional Gladius without spending $100s. Thank you to the husky boys at Cold Steel for this "workhorse" Gladius! The double edged blade and point make it ideal for home defense (PLEASE only if you have formal training, this is a VERY dangerous design) and it's rugged construction makes it a monster for yard work. Out of the box the edge needed a few licks to clean it up, but after a few minutes w a stone and honing oil it was worthy of a Roman Legion!

Tony P.
NY

Nov 02, 2011

Pros: Weight, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Finish

Cons: Handle Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Blade Sharpness

I was pretty impressed with this when I first received it. I did have one issue and that was that the edge was ground to a burr on both edges and wasn't a finished edge. I took a stone to the blade and fixed that in no problem. Now it is sharper than sharp. The handle could be a bit thinner, but overall I'm happy with it. The pommel can begin to become a hot spot with use. I haven't had a chance to really put this thing through any paces yet, but I did use it to clear out a tree that had bent over our stairs during the October snowstorm here in NY. It went right through the low hanging branches with very little effort and I was actually surprised how well it worked. Normally I would use a regular machete or even a hatchet for this, but I wanted to try out this Gladius. The sheath isn't great and I'm afraid that the blade is going to come right through the side unless I am very careful with sheathing it. Thinking about getting a kydex sheath made for this. Good length, nice weight, sharp edge, ridiculously sharp point, and it looks good too. Had to go with 4 stars because of the factory edge and the sheath.

Marc M
Rockland ny

Feb 29, 2012

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Materials

Cons: Sheath/Scabbard, Finish, Blade Sharpness

I purchased this machete in march of 2012 for a great price on this website . When I received the machete the blade was rough ground and unfinished . I put an edge on it and it immediately became something different . Now it slices through 4inch thick sapling like butter and anything else in its way gets sliced through as well! Nice tool/weapon!

Michael
Odessa, TX

Dec 26, 2012

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Overall Quality, Finish

Almost Perfect

Great machete. Arrived already with a sharp edge. Didn't take much to fine tune the edge which was quick and easy enough. The black finish on the blade seemed to be water-soluble as it bled off quite easily when washed after first use. Decided to just remove it altogether for a better look. On one flat side of the blade was straight and smooth. The opposite side revealed a lateral bump line across the short width of the blade from 1/3 of blade end. Other than that t is a great machete at a great price.

Creighton
Missouri

Mar 23, 2012

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish

Cons: Blade Sharpness

When I opened the box for the Gladius my first thought was about how light it was. With the blade thickness I was expecting it to be heavier, but the weight is perfect. The molded handle on the one I received was a little beat up and sunken in at a couple spots, but not a big deal. It also wasn't very sharp at all when I got it and had excess metal all along the edges. Still after I sharpened it up, I took it out to the woods and put it to the test, and even though it's not meant for brushwork per-say it still worked out great for clearing small tree's and limbs, and held a good sharp edge the whole time. The handle can get kind of slippery, so you may want to add a lanyard or something to improve your grip such as gaffers tape. The sheath isn't the best, but works well enough for the machete, this item is more just for fun anyway and I'm glad it even has a sheath. I will for sure buy more Cold Steel products (especially machetes) from Knife Center not only because the prices are right, but they do seem to make a good dependable tool. Oh also, even though it can be used as a hammer doesn't mean that it should, it will bend pretty easily and take some of the finish off as well.

Josh
Portersville, PA

Apr 30, 2013

Pros: Overall Quality, Sheath/Scabbard, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Finish

Fun Recration

This is a fun recration of the Gladius. While not fantastically balanced, a great

Kevin
South Carolina

Mar 28, 2014

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

impressive

Great for cutting. The handle is a little slick, but some grip tape takes care of it. The tip is so acute that its actually bent easily. I filed mine down a little and its perfect. Overall a good tool and an impressive weapon. Well worth the price.

Jeff J.
Michiana, Indiana, USA

Sep 23, 2011

Pros: Weight, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Materials, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Sheath/Scabbard

Fun blade though if looking for a utility machete, look elsewhere.

I knew getting this it wouldn't be a brush clearer. It could do it in a pinch, but there are much better designs for it. That being said, it's lots of fun. Out of the box mine was much sharper than any other CS machete I've purchased. Good balance, very lively in the hand. Want a cheap sword? This is the way to go. It might be inexpensive, but it's good quality and will take a lot of abuse. Much better than buying a pretty wall hanger. Get a matching trainer too, but the balance is much better on the machete. Very lively in the hand and like I said before, nicely sharp. Sheath does suck though as stated above in a previous review.

Andrey
Ukraine

May 30, 2014

Pros: None

Cons: None

serious thing!

Ordered for delivery to Ukraine. Devastating thing. Was afraid that it would not be delivered, but received it quick. I am grateful to the store!

Erick
cal

Dec 11, 2015

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials

Cons: Finish, Blade Sharpness

sweet buy

Nice blade for the price, however the powdercoating was a little rough. Still a good buy.

Tim
North Texas

May 18, 2016

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Blade Material, Materials

Cons: Overall Quality, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Beast

I bought mine quite a while ago as a pre-order from knife center when they first came out. The edge on my sample was horrid: not sharp forward of the point where the blade starts to taper to the tip, burred, gouged and uneven with dull spots where the grinds didn't meet. The area where the edge transitions from the side to the taper was the most dull and stuck out like ears on the side of the blade. It looked like it was sharpened by dragging the pavement on a bumpy road from the back of a moving vehicle. The tip was ridiculously thin and fragile. It bent almost immediately. It took several hours of work with a file to correct these problems. Once that was done, I had an amazing machete. Double edged means twice as much cutting between sharpening. The acute point is great for boring holes and digging. The concave sides don't let vines slide off before being cut. This excels at chopping tough woody plants like holy as well. The slightly reprofiled tip has proven highly durable when subjected to abuse like throwing, and springs right back from ludicrous bending under the weight of the rest of the machete plus the stick it's lashed to as an improvised spear. The grind on a later sample I purchased was MUCH better. The sheath doesn't inspire confidence but has held up well to being lashed to my pack as well as bouncing around in the toolbox of a truck.

The Hunter
South america

May 12, 2012

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Finish

Great sword

Great sword.

Ken
Milwaukee, Wi

Sep 01, 2017

Pros: Weight, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Solid sword

Very sharp,full tang. Appears well built. Not fancy but not expensive either.Lanyard hole at end of handle is a nice feature.

Bw
PA

May 14, 2012

Pros: Weight, Handle Material

Cons: Finish

As advertised

Good balance. Not a high quality piece, but then, you get what you pay for. In this case, an economical machete that can be worked to achieve a better edge.

T
Taruntius

Aug 05, 2023

Pros: None

Cons: Finish

Burred blade a bit rough.

Easy to swing. Blade edges really burred over and need a little file work. No complaints for the price.

Jcvk
Mesa, AZ

Oct 02, 2012

Pros: Weight

Cons: Blade Sharpness

Overly Sharp Tip

The blade came with the edge furled over and the tip so thin and sharp that it was already slightly bent when I first pulled it out of the scabbard. However, these issues are easily fixed with a file or rough stone. Beyond this one complaint the blade functions as a machete quite well. While any blade is dangerous in a self defense situation, this one is a little too flexible to have the armor piercing power of its namesake. But it is perfectly functional in its intended use.

Jason G
hawaii

Feb 10, 2015

Pros: Handle Material

Cons: Finish

Cold Steel Gladius

If you are like me you struggled to choose between the cold steel gladius and the united cutlery gladius. So I bought both. and for two such close items they are quite different but I prefer the United cutlery version it is shorter and more knife like. I feel it is much handier and it has a better fit and finish and point and shape. However the cold steel is more sword like and if that is what you are looking for it is worth the money. finish was rough had to take off burs and the point was already chipped but fixed it up and not a bad gladius sword. I wish the point was a better design too thin and will break

We value your privacy

Reviews and Ratings for Cold Steel 97GMS Gladius Machete 19" Blade, Polypropylene Handle, Cor-Ex Sheath

Price: $36.95

Customer Reviews

I love my gladius

Very impressed with the quality and balance of this weapon

Fun piece of gear

must have

WOWOWOWOW!!!!

Review

roman legionary would approve!

Gladius Machete - Wow.

gladius

Practical, Handy, overall Perfect for my Purpose

The best

Great fun and useful!

fantastic gladius

Great Machete!

Usefull?

Gladius Machete Most Excellent

Cold Steel Gladius Machete 19" Carbon Steel Blade, Cordura Sheath

Awesome and ready to go.

Everything I wanted

BEAST

Raw Roman Power

Awesome! Cold Steel for the win

Deadly sharp!!!!

Everything and more

unbelievable quality for the price!!

Best Self Defense Tool on a Budget.

Great deal!

Sweet blade

gladius machete

Cold Steel Gladius Machete

Tactical Shortsword

Awesome, powerfull, heavy and impresive!

Sharp

Nice blade....bad sheath

Finally It's Here.

Cool

Great Short Sword CHEAP!!

Almost Perfect

Fun Recration

impressive

Fun blade though if looking for a utility machete, look elsewhere.

serious thing!

sweet buy

Beast

Great sword

Solid sword

As advertised

Burred blade a bit rough.

Overly Sharp Tip

Cold Steel Gladius