Normak,
The problem with CS machetes is quality control. I don't know if its still the case, but they used to have inconsistent results on their finished products. (CS is a Marketing / Distribution company not a manufacturer, so their different products come from different sources which submit them to different QC procedures, which leads to different levels of performance. That's why some of their products have an excellent reputation, but others don't.) Their machetes are very popular and are usually well recommended, which means that most of their machetes match or surpass QC expectations, but you also find some that perform well below expectation.
Personally, I like their Kukri machete. I think they are a great buy for the price, but no better that any other inexpensive kukri machete. I've owned four (I keep giving them away, the last one to my mother-in-law). Two of them would handle everything you put in front of them. The other two would suffer edge rolling very easily. Their edge had to be re-profiled before they would perform as expected. It is obvious Jimi's machete had serious QC problems. That does not mean all CS Kukri machetes will.
This information is cold comfort and doesn't lessen the frustration if you experience a machete fail in your hands, nor will it change anybody's opinion based on their personal experience. I guess the point on this long entry is that with CS machetes, different people will have different experiences and opinions based on the performance they get. Since those machetes aren't 100% consistent in their performance, whatever that experience is, it isn't representative of the performance of all CS machetes.
In a survival situation, I would probably prefer a Kabar Kukri machete. Its characteristics and performance are something in-between a kukri machete and the real thing.
Normak, by the way, I've been meaning to talk to you about a sheath for my Bushman. How do I do that?
