Drew
St Louis

Dec 16, 2015

Pros: Handle Material, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

When your chainsaw fails...

We got one of these as a joke a few years ago saying "This...is the new tool for the Zombie Apocalypse." I kept it in the back of the truck for a while just in case we needed it for clearing small brush or whatever. One day, we started clearing out some trees with a chainsaw and wanted to use this for hacking some limbs off. The guy that brought the chainsaw snapped the chain and had to run a good 15 miles into town to get a new one. Only having one tree out of EIGHT, we cleared the limbs and sat waiting. I got bored and just started baseball swinging this bad boy at one of the trees. It stuck in pretty well and came back out pretty easily. So...I kept at it. After about five minutes of swinging, we had another tree down. After about an hour, we had six trees down. About that time, our buddy got back with a new blade and some lunch...and noticed we only had two more to go. Now all the sizes ranged from 4in (total circumference of 12inch) to 8in...but we were able chop our way through what we needed and chainsawed the rest. Of course we saved the big trees for the saw, but we were still impressed on what this thing did and the abuse it took. Then...it was gone. One of the younger guys took off with it further down the trail and didn't bring it back. About that time it was getting dark and we had to get back. The next day...still didn't find it. I almost broke down and bought another one, but never got around to it. About a year later, we found it. Damn thing still works pretty well. I would say it was well worth the money I paid for it. Sure, there are better tools out there, but this one is pretty good...especially for the price.

Mick Guyver
East Bumblefuk Penciltucky

Apr 06, 2016

Pros: Weight, Handle Material

Cons: None

For the money i keepem everywhere!

This "two Hander" is an absolute beast! Dont listen to the weakarm whiners. I can swing with one or both hands at quite a distance when needed or choke up for close work, its not a hard concept to grasp. I leave one in the jeep, one in the shed, one by the fire pit, one in the boat. Usually ya get what ya pay for and in a sense you do, your not getting a stabilized birdseye maple handle and a shaving sharp s30 blade for under $20. But five min with some sandpaper to smooth the handle out a bit, then wrap sum paracord around it and sharpen an edge n this will take a beating like nothing else ive owned. I thought id beat it n chuck it when done, but i cant kill it, over the past several years ive beaten it to a pulp and brought back an edge more times than i can count. Since seeing how well it handles abuse ive brought a half a dz so im never far from this monster mauler! Everytime i use it around someone unfamiliar with this pig they are amazed at what i can do with it, whether its diggin the jeep out of a trench or trail clearing trails to camp fire wood piles. This is well worth the money, this is my first review on anything but i thought i should let people know that if u want a good all around tool for the woods that wont make ya cry if ya lose it. This is it, when other tools weren't around ive used this for levering boulders out of a creek, a make shift unbreakable pry bar/lopper/fire wood cutter/trail clearier/ shovel/ baseball bat for rocks creekside/ fire poker etc. It's an apopalyptic behemoth! Ya cant kill it or beat it for the money. Gonna buy a few more to leave strapped to my quads racks and get sheaths for each from their heavy machete(same blade) Better to have it and not need it, Than need it and not have it!

Woodsman Turley
somewhere in WV

Feb 02, 2013

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

Cons: None

snake chopper

It came dull i took my sanding pad and grinder sharpened the front edge for cutting the heads of snakes good machete no problems

Eddie
Center Point, Al.

Nov 26, 2013

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

Cons: None

Best machete I've ever handled

What ever the job, you can do it faster, easier,and with alot less effort with this outdoor tool. I have ordewred maybe ten for myself and friends. Cut a six tree hardwoodin a shooting lane just to see, piece of cake.

Eddie W
Birmingham, Al.

Feb 27, 2012

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

Cons: Sheath/Scabbard

Cold Steel Two Handed Machete 32"

My best bud and I needed a tool for limbing and clearing for farm and hunting property. We have tried many styles and shapes, this two handed cold steel is the real deal. We bought one apiece, and after using and sharing the tool with our friend's have ordered eight more so far.This machete can do it all, from limbing to cutting a seven inch tree, great tool.

Bob L.
Southwest

Aug 17, 2012

Pros: Handle Material, Blade Material

Cons: None

great for clearing cactus

There's really nothing wrong with this tool. You either like the design or you don't. It is what it is. Construction is solid. I live in the desert and have to cut back cactus from time to time. It works great for that as I can keep my distance from the spines. Also it is easy to get it as sharp as you want it and resharpen. The straight front edge is good for digging, uprooting and prying. Also, the best weapon is the one you have with you. It's great for rattlesnakes. There may be better weapons but I wouldn't want someone swinging this thing at me. An accurate swipe could sever an arm or even a head. At a minimum it would make your assailant's head look real ugly. Yes, this is the proverbial ugly stick. But I recommend sticking with property maintenance. Ciao.

Big T
Georgia

Jun 22, 2013

Pros: None

Cons: None

A wicked machete!

This thing is pure medieval. One can do some serious damage with this machete!!! I bought the Heavy Machete scabbard for it and had to add a snap to the rear loop (to make it 1/2" longer) to accommodate the handle and now its protected nicely.

Paul
SOUTH EAST MISSOURI

Feb 20, 2013

Pros: Handle Material, Overall Quality

Cons: None

two hands are better than one

Doubles as walking stick using the flat edge. Could be a little longer.

Ann_Onymous
Oregon

Aug 21, 2008

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

Cons: Sheath/Scabbard, Blade Sharpness, Finish

All in all, the overall quality matches the price-point

I purchased Cold Steel's two-handed machete roughly three years ago, and I have found it to be a highly effective tool for clearing medium to heavy brush; it falls between an axe and a machete, which has both advantages and weak points. The long handle and light weight allow for an efficient swing and follow-through when clearing saplings or other dense brush. The reach allowed by gripping far back on the handle can allow the user to reach further than a comparable one-handed machete, while allowing a good degree of control due to the light blade. This is very good, I find, for clearing Himalayan Blackberry, as one can reach into the brush and pinpoint the main branches rather than expending energy chopping one's way into the core. In this way, the brush can be pulled out in larger sections and then disposed of. When taking down saplings, the short blade has less of a spring tendency then a single-handed machete, and the light weight allow multiple quick strikes. It does not fell like an axe, but it does not carry the mass of an axe either. The limitations can be found when it is necessary to clear large swathes of grasses where, while more effective than an axe, the short blade can not compete with a single-handed machete of even half its length. The key to using the blade in an effective manner, I find, is to strike at intentional targets: branches and stems rather than leaves, and whit most grasses this is an exercise in futility. I am very disappointed by the lack of an available sheath, as the blade should really have a cover for it to be utilized in the manner which Cold Steel suggests "lash to your pack and is a natural to stash in your vehicle, boat, or airplane". I happen to keep mine in my vehicle as I find it to be a good balance of my requirements in one tool. I would like to see a full-length nylon scabbard with an insert for the blade and multiple attachment points, even if it were an accessory. The handle itself is of a good design overall, and has good texture. I removed the parting lines from the mold, as I found they caused uncomfortable hot spots in the grip. I do not see this as a knock to the overall quality, as you really do get what you pay for, and at this price, I don't expect polished bevels and smooth handles. The blade came with less than a working edge, though it was easy to sharpen with a file and seems to have a good balance between edge-holding and shock-absorbing characteristics. I would like to see a better factory edge, as well as more attention payed to the handle finish as not everyone wants to spend the time to get it right. All in all, the overall quality matches the price-point, and the tool is as effective as a light weight, long reach clearing tool.

Braghtworst

Jul 29, 2008

Pros: Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Finish, Materials

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

A very poor hybrid attempt.

Machetes are one handed for a reason, and this proves that fact quite well. There is no one major flaw so to speak; it is a collection of ‘gray area’ flaws and imperfections that add up to make this a rather useless tool or weapon. First off, it is too light to be two handed, and too heavy/lopsided to be one handed, despite what it said in the description. The handle is too long; the blade is too short and too light to be what it claims to be. It's the type of weight imperfection that makes it feel like it literally has no heft for a chopping tool. Using two hands in the proper two-handed position, when you attempt to chop, there is no 'follow through' with momentum, being so light. Your top hand when holding it with two hands does ALL the weight work, and is a real wrist-killer when you attack that brush. It literally has no swing with two hands. With one hand however, its handle length flaw comes into play when you have zero point control because of how long it is, and lacking blade length has you hitting as much brush on the handle as the blade. And when holding it further up the shaft, the rest of what's below your hand gets in the way. I suppose if you cut the handle in half and shave down the plastic it would be a somewhat effective one-handed machete, though at that point you might as well buy Cold Steel's ‘heavy machete’. Like most Cold Steel blades, it comes only with a starting edge, and with work gets it hair-shaving. I almost did not bother though. What is it effective with? Honestly, nothing. It is trying to be too many things at once and fails miserably at it. As a blade collector, for someone who likes to see both sides of the coin, I almost say one should buy it anyway, (because of how cheap it is), to see and feel the flaws I speak of, and put your mind into thinking of ways to fix it. I love doing that. Cold Steel's worst machete.