Cold Steel machetes (help)

J

J.Davey

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Feb 10, 2004
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I'm curious about the quality of the Cold Steel machetes. Some of the new models appeal to me (especially the SAX and Spear Point because of their piercing ability). Are they pretty heavy-duty? Any comments or opinions would be greatly appreciated!
 
Seriously, ANYONE that has experience with any of their machetes, please fill me in! If not, any recommendations? I want something that can pierce as well as cut. Once again, thanks in advance!:thumbup:
 
I have not used the models you speak of but I would have to ask why/ what you are piercing. The ones I own are traditional for machetes- light with a thin blade. They work good for cutting once you finish the blade (they come in a variety of sharpness- just depends on luck but you will need to reprofile them). One of the better features of the ones I have is they are cheap but dependable.

Also- be patient- a couple of hours is not much time for everybody to get online.
 
I have a Cold Steel bolo machete. I just got it the other day but I've used it a little around the property at work to cut back ivy and small branches. I find the bolo shape to give excellent leverage on the downswing. Mine came moderately sharp (you can hit your palm against the edge and it won't cut, but a slice would), and I may do some sharpening with a metal file. My understanding is that this is tool steel, which is tough but relatively soft. I accidentally struck nails a couple of times while cutting ivy, and it left notches in the blade edge.
 
Cuts Like A Kris, I've been around these forums for a few years, although my post-count may not show it (I only chime in when I really feel the need), and any CS thread USUALLY has a ton of responses right off the bat. I live in Northern MN, and we have wolves, bear, lynx (rare), and other assorted wildlife. I don't want to carry any more weight than needed while camping and hiking, so I would rather have a brush cutter that can also pierce in a worst-case scenerio (I don't tend to follow the 'beaten path'). Thickness of blade doesn't matter, durability does. I want to know if the handle will hold up and if the blade is tough and can do its job. I don't worry about sharpness, because I've been doing this for years; I always have a way to sharpen my tools when out and about. Thanks you, regardless, for your response!:)
 
Yeah, ummmmm...I'm looking for a MACHETE, not a hundred dollar wood cutter. Sorry to sound like a d1ck, but I want some real opinions on MACHETES, not big knives...I already have those.
 
I've beaten the piss out of my CS machete (Panga?) and it keeps coming back for more. Even if it had a tip and not whateverthehellithas, I would worry about stabbing as it is quite thin and flexes somewhat easily. But its a great cutter/chopper.
 
Thanks, Buck268! That's what I've been looking for! The piercing thing is just for 'last resort' purposes. I want to know about the durability. All machetes are flexible. I have big knives (BKT Brute, Fallkniven A1, etc.), but I need a brush cutter that can defend if it's in your hand (anyone from Northern MN should know what I mean...it hasn't happened yet, but better safe than sorry).
 
CS Machetes are prety decent. iv use mine a bunch and its still holding up well.

Just dont hit anything hard. If you miss and hit soemthing harder than wood, or if the wood has a nail in it or something, it will screw the edge up good. the steel is very thin and very soft; but such is the nature of machetes in general.
 
Thanks, Mr. Trooper! I've heard CS machetes are thicker steel than the usual machete; is that true? It's not a big deal, but I'm curious.
 
I believe thicknesses are listed on the website. Newer models generally seem thicker than the older ones, however, they're still typical machete thicknesses. A casual observer may not even notice any difference. They range from 1/16" to 1/8".

FWIW, I've found CS machetes about as good as any machete. I own a Two Handed machete and Kukri machete. Both I consider kind of novelties, but the Kukri machete is actually pretty useful, with forward weighted blade, easily carried size and weight, durability, and a shape that seems to offer some advantages in some circumstances.
 
I have the Kukri machete and like it. Handle is pretty comfortable, and the blade is sturdy enough to handle soft wood as well as brush etc. At the price unless you are really on a budget I would say give one a try, you may need to sharpen it up (I did) but that's easy and pretty standard for machetes.
 
I have four of the Cold Steel machetes and use some of them on my regular camping trips. I plan to get few more of the new models when they are available......as good as any other machetes in the field.....cold steel?....because of their different shapes and enthusiasm for variety, this is the fun part for a user/collector....all others just make a machete and that’s it.

btw, I sharpen all my blades so they are always sharp at the start of each trip.
 
J.Davey said:
I need a brush cutter that can defend if it's in your hand (anyone from Northern MN should know what I mean...it hasn't happened yet, but better safe than sorry).
Click to expand...


I never hear of animal attacks in Minnesota, aside from maybe dogs. Why not just carry a pistol to deal with a threatening dog or other animal?

A Cougar might attack you, but they won't square off against you while you brandish a pointy machete, they will jump on your back. Cougars generally avoid humans anyway. Bears run away, unless it is sick, or the momma bear walks in on you repeatedly punching her baby. Any knife is a bad match against a bear.

The greatest threat of attack in the woods is from two legged animals, and Mosquitoes.
 
Try to find a ATC, stands for all terrain chopper by cold steel, I use one as a machete and have took the head of a large goat with 1 swing Its weight forward thick blade stands up to rough usage and has a kraton handle, very comfortable for all day use and enough point to do lots of damage.
Larry
 
I have a Panga, a 18” Latin and a Kukri machete. All are very durable. The blades are 1055 plain carbon steel, which is very tough (impact resistant); you won’t have to be concerned with the blades breaking, but as with any steel, hard impacts may damage the edge. Cold Steel’s 1055 is fairly soft and easy to sharpen but needs to be sharpened frequently. The plastic handles also seem to be very tough (I beat on the Panga’s handle with a framing hammer in below freezing temperatures to see if it would shatter – it didn’t). The blades come with a thick coat of ugly black paint which serves its purpose in protecting the blade (but obviously not the sharpened edge) from rust.

My complaint with the CS machetes is the factory “edge” they put on them. The Panga came with about the roughest most uneven edge I have ever seen. The Latin machete’s edge was only slightly better in terms of evenness but worse in that it came with a couple of very large chips, with some soft or weakened steel behind the chips. The Kukri machete came with the best edge of the 3, but it still needed some re-profiling and a complete sharpening.


Once I got proper edges on them, I very much liked the way the 18” Latin and Kukri machete performed, almost as much as my favorite 18 and 12” Ontario machetes. I never much liked the way the Panga handled. I posted a review of the Panga here:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=217728


….and here’s a post with some comparisons of the different machetes vs. a heavy cardboard tube:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=469038
 
I have used the panga and the kukri machete, and although the handle is durable, i would not want to stab anything with it. my hand slips very easily and there's nothing to stop my fingers from hitting the blade. for normal machete tasks, the CS machetes are fine, but they are poor for stabbing
 
I have one of the CS bolo machetes. I have mediume sized hands, and I find the handle just a smidge too big for my taste. Haven't really used the machete much, just keep it in the trunk of the car for "what-ifs."

Ditto on the lack of edge when brand new. I believe part of their cost cutting measure on these machetes is to reduce the amount of time they spend in front of the grinder in order to get a good edge. Be that as it may, it's always good to be able to sharpen your own machete.

The CS bolo machete doesn't really have a pointy tip, although I do remember some guy on one of their dvds very expertly throwing three of these into a target from some distance away. However, I will agree with the others here--machetes are not optimised for stabbing. That's not what they were designed for.

If I had to face off with a BEAR(!) using an edged tool, a machete would not be my first choice. Hell, I don't even think a samurai sword would give me enough distance.
 
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