Cold Steel 97KMS Kukri Machete,Black

This is just a first impressions review of the Kukri Machete. It seems really great and has a nice minimalist design. It feels solid, is decently sharp out of the bag, has a nice forward heavy weight to it, the handle is grippy and comfortable, and the sheath is actually pretty good for a $21 machete. The only negative for me was I was expecting two of them for the $21, but that's not Cold Steel's fault so it doesn't reflect in my rating. I have plenty of other Cold Steel products that have been fantastic so I'm certain this will be too. Lots of hard use reviews on Youtube and plenty of good feedback online as well. I will say this first, Amazon is great at addressing any issues. Mine was a fulfillment issue on this item. Be cautious if ordering it via the Amazon Smile 2-Pack listing. I ordered this and only received one machete not two as expected. There was a mix up with the order fulfillment I guess. It had the Amazon Smile 2-Pack symbol on the order page and it was verified by me and a Customer Service Rep thru a Chat prior to ordering that it was definitely for a 2-Pack offer at that price. However only 1 item was received. Customer Service was great and said they would credit the account for the missing item, but it was disappointing to not receive both ordered items as expected. But for half price it makes this machete even better.

As expected, the Cold Steel 97KMS Kukri Machete arrived with a blotchy black paint job that gives the tool a cheap appearance. The cutting edge was roughly shaped with a burred, rolled ribbon edge along its full length. It was probably sharp enough to take brush-busting right out of the carton, but I like to tweak and clean up a blade before use. One coat of Citristrip Paint and Varnish Stripping Gel and then buffing with steel wool improved its appearance enormously. I know the black paint was for rust-protection, but acid-etching the blade with mustard produced an interesting tiger-striped finish and keeping the blade oiled should retard rusting. Fifteen minutes with a file and then ceramic rods reshaped and honed the blade to a paper-slicing edge; sharper than needed for yard work, but I was curious to see how long it would take to reach that level without a belt sander. The 97KMS performed up to Cold Steel's reputation in field tests, the sharpened blade trimming shrubbery with clean cuts that required no follow-up knife work. The blade's overall heft and weight distribution were nigh-on perfect, making bamboo whacking and clean-up a breeze. A relaxed grip and flick of the wrist were sufficient to slice through silver maple branches up to an inch thick. After chopping an aggressive 4" wide, 4" deep notch in a seasoned ash log, I checked the blade and saw no nicks, rolls, or dings. The edge was still sharp enough to slice cleanly through a hanging 3/8-inch nylon climbing rope in a single stroke. After a couple hours of testing, I found the grip's texture, size and shape very comfortable, making it easy for me to adjust my swing as needed. I was very pleased with this sub-$20 purchase. A nice addition to my bug-out bag

I actually bought this by accident, thought i was getting the larger 17" blade, once I realized it I also ordered the larger model before i received this one. These are imported from South Africa not manufactured by Cold Steel, which if i would have known (ordered via the phone app and didn't see the origin) i probably would not have purchased them. As stated in other reviews the edge is not all that great, mine came with a decent enough edge to take chunks out of an old table made from 2x4s with out a problem and you could probably do some damage with it as is. The grind on the edge was uneven (the grind on the larger version was better) but after some file work it sharpened up pretty nice (did get it to shave hair of my arm) and stayed sharp even after destroying an old 6x6 i had laying around. I even accidently tried to stick it into a cement floor with no noticeable damage to the tip (wouldn't suggest testing that however). The blade has minimal flex, handle is comfortable and it is fairly well balanced (actually throws pretty nice). I have never owned a Kukri style machete and i haven't really gotten this one out in the field yet, but after using it a bit i can see where it could be much more functional and preferable to a hatchet. comparing it to the larger 17" version (23" over all), this 13" version (18" over all) feels like the prefect size to weight ratio and unless you are chopping zombies, seems much more functional than the larger blade. This would also be a great inexpensive blade to throw in a get home bag to just leave in a vehicle. Aside from being imported i would probably pick up another one. The sheath is functional but not a whole lot to talk about, i will probably cut the lower snap off as it seems unnecessary. PRO: Functional, nice weight, handles nice and throws decent, good for the price. CON: Imported, not actually Cold Steel, needs edge work.

I can honestly say I have waited over 3 years to write this review. I bought the Cold Steel Kukri Machete based on what I had heard online and my own experience with the Cold Steel GI Tanto. I can say that after 3 years of pretty hard use, occasional neglect and then more abuse this thing is still a SOLID buy. For the money you cannot beat this thing. I have cut down small trees. Split wood and even pounded in a tent stake with it sideways, which is like...one of the worst things you can do with any knife/machete. It personifies the word "Chopper". The steel is some combination of adamantium and mithril. I actually make knifes as a hobby and I can say that cold steel got this spring steel JUST right. It holds a decent edge and bounces back from just about anything. I have heard and seen a lot of gripping about the factory edge on it. Yes it's not the best. It's rough, and depending on what your chopping the angle may not be the best. HOWEVER I honestly believe there is a method to Cold Steels madness. If you take it out and start using it, you'll notice that the rough factory edge starts to polish it's self with use. The edge starts to smooth with each subsequent chop and in essence the more you use it, the sharper it gets. Now if you don't want to wait for that then, go nuts as soon as you get it, I used a simple file and a good old sharpening stone and had the thing slicing paper in no time. That edge has stayed on it pretty well considering what I've done to the poor thing. If you are worried that the handle will break, don't be. If you are worried that it's too thin for hard work or a survial/ bug out bag etc. don't be. If you are worried about it not being a good chopper, don't be. For the money it's superb.

This is the best all around BIG knife for the money period. This has serious cutting power, its made of 1095 so its REAL steel for quality performance and longevity especially since it has the black coating. The kukri is by far the best shopping blade I have ever used far better than a machete and far more diverse than a hatchet/tomahawk. Of course there are much higher quality kukri available for purchase but they will be much more expensive. Again for the money this is the best big blade you can buy. Because of the design of a kukri it has serious chopping power but also protects the beginning of the blade so it can stay razor sharp for slicing. The point is also sharp enough to do work a point would be desired for. Truly awesome for $20 The sheath is not super great but again for the price it is more than adequate in almost all situations. Its light weight which is the only real bonus to the sheath besides the price. It does appear to be pretty strong as it is made of thick nylon and has rivets to hold it together. There are NO downsides to this blade. BUY IT

This will be my last review here at Amazon.com. They will not let you write a review unless you purchase the item from them. My wife made the purchase on her account and I want to write this review from my account. Too bad because I used to come to Amazon to check out pricing and read the reviews. A lot of times I would purchase from Amazon because I was already here. Not anymore. Now to my review. I am doing a lot of flying over the Rockies and I want several levels of survival kits at hand while doing so. I researched many primary survival knives and it came down to this Cold Steel Kukri Machete. Two factors convinced me to buy this one. The first was the destructive testing video on you tube and the second was the price. I am buying this Kukri Machete as a one time, save my life, survival tool. The sheath. Made cheaply in Taiwan. If I ever have to use it for real I hope it can stand up to a few days of use. I justify using the sheath by saying, "What do you expect for 20 bucks?". Now the Kukri Machete. PROS: Lightweight for its intended use, its shape makes it ideal to be an all around "tool" for survival, made from 1055 Medium Carbon Steel is the best all around material for a survival blade. Amazon made a mistake stating that this is a High Carbon Steel which it is not quite. Coming to their aid, they did state that the steel was 1055 which you could research to verify this aspect of the Kukri. CONS: Looks and feels like a Third-World made piece of junk (made in South Africa), my Kukri must be a third or forth generation from USA made (it is very, very roughly made), the blade is stamped and poorly made too, the edge is well what edge?, the edge is ground and not the same on both sides either, I could cut myself easier if I ran into a wall than I ever could right out of the box, I had to go back from the beginning and rough grind the blade before ever starting to sharpen it, the finish, well, the finish is ... the finish must have been done by child labor learning to finger paint (combining education with work experience), the handle does not fit my average sized hand (slightly too small), the handle has sharp burrs of plastic all around (made me test out my medical survival kit), and the tang, I have no idea how far the tang goes into the plastic handle (I guess I will find out when it might be too late). If you do not mind partially re-fabricating this Kukri and for the price, buy it. It uses a very good grade of steel. Oh, the paper sticker must be permanent because it takes a lot of work to remove it (be careful not to damage that quality finish).

I originally purchased one of these directly from Cold Steel's mail catalog. I bought it years ago, and it has seen quite a bit of use. When I first bought it, it was because I was more of a knife enthusiast than an actual knife user. But shortly after I got it, I used it to take down my grandmother's deck. Yes, I had access to power tools, but I wanted to test the machete. If it wasn't for my father getting impatient and grabbing a power saw, I'd have chopped the whole thing down easily. It got a few dings from contact with deck nails, but they came out easily with a knife sharpener. My brothers have some of Cold Steel's other machetes, and I can tell you that this one has the best balance and most comfortable handle. Some of the others have a smooth grip, this one is checkered. It'll stay in your hand when you hold it. I have also taken this camping with me, and used it to chop branches for firewood. I made sure to sharpen the lower part of the blade, which allowed me to remove bark from branches and shave off small shreds of wood. This is a great feature if you can't find any kindling. You can make your own by shaving down a dry branch. The Kukri Machete is also fun to wield. I've chopped pineapple, coconuts, and have dispatched some pumpkins with it as well. The best part is the price. I couldn't justify purchasing any of Cold Steel's other Kukris. They cost several hundred dollars. I bought this one for around $20. I'd be afraid to use a $300 kukri for fear of ruining it. At twenty bucks I'll hack away all I want, and it it does get damaged, it's easily replaced.

5/5 — the Cold Steel 97KMS Kukri Machete is basically a workaholic blade. Zero chill, full commitment, clocking in for every task like it’s trying to earn Employee of the Month at the Forest. This thing has that classic kukri curve that screams “I cut efficiently,” and the build quality is peak Cold Steel — thick, durable, and very “I will not break even if you try to make me.” Whether you’re clearing brush, chopping wood, or just asserting dominance over stubborn branches, it handles it all like it’s bored by how easy the job is. Strong? Yup. Versatile? Absolutely. Design? Clean, mean, and ready to be seen. Verdict: A reliable chopping demon with main-character energy. 5/5.

got two to dual wield also because the price was right but definitely glad I did these things are trucks for their size, yeah not a Gurkha kukri but you wont be disappointed, gives the heft of a hatchet/small axe to a very versatile knife, recommended

This is a good machete for the price. It arrived fairly dull, but it's nothing a good sharpening couldn't fix. The metal is tough and looks like it should hold a good edge. The handle is good and the sheath is a decent quality. Definitely worth the money.

4/5 for what it is (a cheap machete), 2.5/5 compared to machetes in general. This is a decent machete. Out of the box it wasn't sharpened at all, and I couldn't even cut the cardboard box that it came in (usually the case with cheap machetes). Had to go get it professionally ground, but now it's pretty functional and holds an edge reasonably. The handle feels a bit cheap, but it is! So no complaints. This will just end up being a machete I use for messing around/ not caring how beat up it gets.

Great tool

Best buy for the money! Would really recommend it to anybody looking for a workhorse machete that is not so big but not so small either!