Cold Steel Kukri Machete

Minuteman

Minuteman

Joined
Nov 13, 2002
Messages
234
Has anyone had any experience with the new Cold Steel Kukri Machete (97KMS) for felling, limbing, bucking, or splitting small wood? Seems like this one actually has some potential for a good working tool:

(1) Cheap price ($19.99 MSRP with a sheath)
(2) Medium carbon steel, not too hard (1055)
(3) Hard plastic molded handle (instead of kraton)
(4) Good blade length (13 inches)
(5) Blade thickness about right (.1 inch)

I don't know much about the LTC profile as I have never used one. Should be very weight-forward obviously. From the Proof video, the LTC appears to be Cold Steel's "biggest gun" when they want to show off their maximum level of rope cutting ability. 10 x 1 inch as I recall.

I do have a Gurkha Lite Kukri I bought years ago and really didn't like because it was almost the exact opposite of this machete:

(1) Too expensive ($$)
(2) Over hardened high carbon steel that chipped (Carbon V)
(3) Kraton handle
(4) OK blade length
(5) Whispy blade thickness and profile that vibrated and didn't balance well for me

This one appears to be a GLK beater for a fraction of the price.

But actually, so far, Tramontinas are still my benchmark for a practical, long term, hard working tool. Any chance this is a Tramontina beater?
 
Well, I guess these won't be on the market long -- nobody bought one!

Am I going to have to be the pioneer and go out and try a knife I haven't read anything about? Unheard of. I could go broke buying a $15 dollar knife that turns out to be a waste...
 
The one I have has a rubber handle not plastic it also wasn't sharpened. I haven't got around to sharpening it I don't really use these kind of things very often and only bought it because it was cheap. I also have a Tramontina machete which I have had for years and has seen quite a bit of use it's great probably the best value knife I ever bought.

Chris
 
Chris, when they said "polypropylene handle" I assumed it was hard plastic, but yours is actually rubbery? Like Kraton? Does it seem durable?

This is the reason I have learned to stay away from Kraton for any kind of working tool: If the blade turns out to be any good and you start using it alot, before long you have a nice blade that needs a handle. Kraton is great for uses where grip adhesion is important and material fatigue is not a concern. That's not heavy chopping, though.

I don't worry about the factory edge too much on any knife, myself, since I almost always create whatever edge geometry I want according to what I intend to use it for.

Sounds like my Tramontinas may be safe after all. With a few little modifications I like to make to them, I find them to be about as good as anything going, overall, for brush and small wood. Amazing considering how much they cost.
 
I just ordered one of the Kurkri machetes, it should be here in a couple of days, I picked it up for 13 before shipping.

Ill tell yall what I think of it.

John
 
The rubber handle on the one I have does seem softer than on the other cold steel knives I have so durability could be an issue. I really don't use thing's like this that much and have to go looking for things to chop but it the handle is very good it didn't chop any better than my tramontina but that's probably down to my not having used a kukri before. Also about the sheath I find it rather awkward to get the knife in and out because it's a bit thin and floppy but all my friends think that it one of the best things about it. Now a couple of them have ordered them after trying mine they, they both chopped better with the kukri but I think the fact I was more comfortable using the machete affected my judgement. All thing considered it seems like it's going to be worth every penny even if it's only for the discussions :D about which is best.

Chris
 
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