Gil HibbenIV Machete Knife with Leather Sheath | Heat Forged 1090 Carbon Steel | Weathered Blade Finish | Black Cord-Wrapped Handle | Rugged Machete for Practical Use | 18 1/4" Overall

I collect edged weapons and already had the Gil Hibben III, which is a cross between a cleaver and scimitar and is a work ofart.I handled the Hibben IV at a gun show ($90.00)and was impressed. This thing is a BEAST. No bells or whistles, just 2 lbsof 1090 high carbon steel.The grip area is wrapped with flat black leather, which feels good. It comes with a nice, heavyblack leather sheath that has a large belt loop. The sheath has a "cosmetic" snap on the front(but no strap) with Hibben logo on the back. This is to stay true to the movie version. There are 2 holes for leg tie-down on the bottom of the sheath and a hole in the handle of the blade with a brown leather wrist strap. The blade is approx. 1/4" thick and is sharpened about 2/3 of its' 18" length. It needs to be further sharpened, but with 1090 I haven't done it yet. In use, this is great for cutting heavy branches etc.,or for any chopping where the weight of the blade does the work. It is really too heavy for any long, sustained use. It is brutal as a weapon, and could easily knock-out or kill with a strike from the back of the blade. I would highly recommend it. I wanted a large blade I could chop anything with, without worrying about damaging it. This is it. A word of caution: The 1st one I ordered came with a visibly twisted blade, but I returned it quickly and easily, with free return UPS shipping,and fast credit back on my card. The 2nd had an 1/8" burr in the notch near the base of the blade, but since it doesn't effect its' use, I kept it. All things considered, a great blade for the price.

I don't know how people say that this thing breaks or comes defective or is too big! It clearly states the dimensions and weight on the product description.I bought this because quite frankly, I liked the idea of a massive brute that is simple with no frills and no asking about a full tang. The tang is the handle so there is not way to miss it. This is one solid chunk of metal turned into a sharp chunk of metal. It does come with a rather dull edge which, for a chopping tool, makes sense. It was nothing I couldn't fix by taking the grinder to it. I thought by reading the description that it came with a leather wrapped handle, but mine came with some weird "leather" like material. No matter, I immediately took it off and wrapped it in 550 cord. I did notice that it had sharp corners on the handle but I ground those down as well so they wouldn't cut into the 550.After I gave it an edge with my grinder and then sharpened with my sharpening stone, it became a very pretty brute. I have chopped a few saplings for a field expedient lean to shelter as well as sharpening some stakes tor a pit roaster. It kept the edge beautifully. This thing is pretty darn awesome.For the money spent, you can definitely do a lot worse. Don't expect something fancy or shiny. I think this is something a guy that expects to grunt when he chops will definitely enjoy.

OK This is a pretty heavy piece of steel. But as a whole I am very pleased. As stated by another reviewer the factory edge is lacking but a couple hours with a combination whet stone and it has a very nice edge now. I'm a big fan of the sheath (although the one lone snap on the front did puzzle me until customer service advised me that they all have it. Hibben got something planned for the sheath?) It's a high quality leather sheath and not a cheap leather/leatherette one that I've seen on a few copycat knives. Wearing it might prove difficult so I figured on my left side so I can draw it right handed. It is heavy but not cumbersome heavy as some larger knives can be. This one is def a workhorse kind of knife. No real frills! As its one big piece of high carbon steel with a leather wrap, its very spartan in its look but then there's nothing to break on it! I have yet to chop/cut with it (hence only 4 stars) but my upcoming camping trip should prove fun! All in all I am very pleased. Normally I'm not a fan of large knives but this one stands out. Great price for it as well! So either chopping fire wood or fighting off bigfoot from your campsite, I think this one will do the trick.

It comes with a certificate of authenticity, but I have suspicions this isn't a Gil Hibbens original, as I saw this same one in the BUDK. However, that doesn't make it a bad replica of the Rambo IV knife.It's quite a whammer, inw solid hunky of steel. The blade comes darker than I've shown in my photos, as I took fine grit sandpaper to the blade to remove this dark coating. Also note that the blade comes with protective oil coating that can be easily wiped away with a towel.The knife comes unsharped, and is too thick for your normal kitchen knife sharpener, but can be sharpened with a whetstone or a power grinder, though I'd recommend the whetstone for better control.The knife also comes with a cloth wrap on the hilt. The movie knife used electrical tape, which I've added to my copy.The sheath is made of a tough fakeleather. Feels very cheap and plasticky, but I suppose it will keep the knife protected, though I would have preferred real leather myself.In all, I'm very happy with this purchase and it's a very well made knife despite the size and price. I would recommend it to your less discriminating Rambo fan and any knife collector.

This is one big and heavy knife. It’s made from one sold piece of hand forged 1090 high carbon steel down to the temper and hammer forging marks on the blade.Please note when this blade arrives it does not come very sharp. It only has a utility edge. I got mine professionally sharpened and now it has a good bite too it.Although it is big and heavy this is a great blade for trail clearing and for use around the camp site. It is a fully functional heavy duty blade. It’s not a knife you’ll want to carry on the trail all day long because it is heavy. When you hit hard objects like tree branches with the blade your hand will take quite a beating since it is such a heavy piece of steel. The hand wrapping helps but they could have made it better.