Pros: Sheath/Scabbard, Finish
Cons: Handle Material, Materials, Blade Sharpness
I purchased my workhorse recently and it came in one week. The first thing that was off with it was that the tang was not aligned flush with the wood handle slats. It just looks like nobody cared to make it look pretty. The pine handle is good but being soft wood it will ding easily. The next thing I did was lightly sand the handle's rough spots and linseed oil the wood. Then I went to work. It was dull so I sharpened it good and it worked fine. Anything up to sapling trees is about right for this machete. However, with use the handle soon became loose and didn't have the sure feel when swinging it anymore. I poured some super-glue between the handle and tang and it solved the problem (for now). Marble's (and other companies) uses phrases like: "Fire hardend CARBON (OMG! reAL CARBON!)steel! flexible temper grooves! wood handle! free sharpening stone!" to make this sound like a big deal. The price says a lot. I think the sheath is worth half or more of the price! I do like the orange finish it's nice to see a machete that doesn't look like it just broke out of hell. This machete looks remotely civilized and grown-up. Not like those all black/monster one's that geeks play zombie wars with and talk about like it'll protect them when the next mutant aliens invade the world. If you wanna be older than that get this machete. -And now for the good points: The sheath is great. The quality and weight looks like the Ka-bar or Cold Steel logo could be on it instead of Marble's. The pouches are great for little things like matched, lighters, cell-phone?, compass, string, etc. The rivets ensure the durability. The only problem is the belt loop is pretty flimsy unlike the rest of the sheath. But it's just a bad idea to put something this big on your belt anyway. -My previous machete (which I still have) was an el-cheapo one from wal-mart (you've probably seen them under ozark trail/coghlans/or coleman names). I had it for many many years and I have used and abused it. I bought the Marble's because I felt I had out grown the other and needed a more sophisticated one. It was less than I expected but I did graduate to the next level of machetes. So if your on a budget and need/want an attractive machete go for it. I'm sure I'll have mine for many years it's just not made to be the best. However, if you use a machete for your work or something go for a Ka-bar or Cold Steel or maybe even Gerber. Don't be afraid to pay $50 it will most likely be worth it. You get what you pay for! All in all, this machete works and works well enough I give it 3 stars for good sheath, good looks, and good performance. Be your own judge!
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