Just got a Cold Steel "Kukri Machete"... Are they all this dull?

K

KennyB

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Jan 19, 2010
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I think I'm going to be looking into a few more kukri/choppers from other companies soon and wondering if other offerings come quite as dull as the Cold Steel one. I'm not really complaining given that it was $25 and a metalfile made short-work to get it sharp, but if I wind up buying something like the KaBar Machax or something I'm definitely going to expect it to come with an edge on it already. Now if instead I bough something like a cheap Imacasa, should I expect the same "needs some work" edge that came with the Cold Steel?

Just wondering. Good blade to get an idea if you want to get into large choppers for cheap.
 
My cold steel kukri machete was also extremely dull. I have spoons sharper than that thing. The Machax edges I've seen have been great. Can't speak for the others mentioned.
 
Most of my cold steel machetes have come in variations of dull. Final edge just needs to be put on by the end user.
 
Mine would have arrived dull but I paid a couple of dollars extra to have the seller sharpen it.
 
Working machetes are usually shipped totally dull. The fact that Cold Steel/Lasher machetes actually have bevels that meet puts them ahead of the curve.

DSC07011.jpg


Imacasa factory "edge"
 
most budget machetes come with a pretty dull edge and rely on the consumer to sharpen. My kukri machete was dull when i bought it but didnt take much get it very sharp. One of the best machetes ive owned for backyard and woods really and i have beat mine like crazy with no troubles. For the $15 i paid i cant imagine finding anything better.

Brian
 
That's not an edge, sir. It's a bonus spine! You got two, for the price of one! That's what we call "value".
 
The great thing about machetes is you get a really good product that's just unfinished.
Take tramontina for example
Good steel for what it does? Check
Hardwood handle( my preferred choice for any fixed blade)? Check
Any blade shape you want? Check
Once you finish the grind and finish shaping the handle, you got a nice functional product for a reduced price.
Or if you don't want to mess with all of that you can still get a ready to go product from other companies like condor.
 
My Cold Steel Kukri came not only dull but with a horribly asymmetrical edge grind. I should have known something was up when the dealer had it on ebay for less than $20 shipped. Most inexpensive machetes have poor edges in my experience but this one the worst I have seen. Fortunately I have belt sanders so it wasn't that big of a deal.
 
Pick em up from Baryonyx and you won't have that issue. Depending on the model, he either pre-sharpens or offers to pre-sharpen all (or at least, the majority of) machetes and knives that he sells.

RBid said:
That's not an edge, sir. It's a bonus spine! You got two, for the price of one! That's what we call "value".
Click to expand...

LOL. That right there belongs in a sig line.
 
Wow I was going to chime in that most machetes come pretty dull but wow that Imacassa brings it to a whole different level.

CS machetes are a good value IMO, and who else makes them in such fun designs!
 
Working machetes come with what I like to call a "courtesy grind" on them rather than a true edge because it makes them not only less expensive to make, but (more importantly) less expensive to ship. This allows the end user, often a low-wage field worker, to buy a high grade but rough-finished product they otherwise could not afford. The courtesy grind is there just to speed up the process of sharpening it yourself.
 
All of Cold Steel's older machetes come dull, though this is pretty common for machetes. Imacasa, Tramontina, Martindale, Ontario...all well respected machete makers and their blades usually come really dull too. Newer Cold Steel machete models(the Royal Kukri, Barong, Kopis, Gladius, Bowie, All Terrain Chopper, probably a few others) come with a decent edge, not hair popping sharp, sometimes burred, but definitely sharp enough to cut.

Really, if you want an older model Cold Steel machete(or a Tram, Imacasa, etc) and don't want to have to put your own edge for it, order from Baryonyx Knife Company(run by our own FortyTwoBlades). They sharpen Cold Steel's older machetes they carry(Kukri, Magnum Kukri, Bolo, Panga) by default, and if you order one of the newer models, or one of the blades from Imacasa and such, you can select the "Special Grade" for a small upcharge and they will put a great edge on it, as well as smoothing out handles and fixing other small imperfections.
 
They ship dull on purpose.
Contact Richard J.
He may be able to set you up with a beauty convex edge.
 
Mine came dull, but nothing a hand held belt sander couldn't fix. No guide either, just by hand. Buddy and I took about 5 minutes on it, now it shaves:

P1060961_zps63593d7c.jpg
 
I've got several machetes from different companies, and most came unsharpened. Some of the nicer Condors came with good edges. On most, the steel is soft enough to easily sharpen them without any specialized tools.

I put a broad convex bevel on this one with some sandpaper (backed by rubber).

20140213_135216.jpg
 
Yep, all my CS kuks came very dull. Not to worry: they clean up well with a bit of elbow grease. After the effort you have a VERY cost effective tool. Hard to imagine twenty dollars better spent on a survival knife!
 
FortyTwoBlades aka Baryonyx Knife Co. does a very good job sharpening the machete's he sells.
 
Ah, Cold Steel's infamous utility edge. The only utility in it is if you need to practice sharpening. Yes, it comes dull, but put a back bevel on it then sharpen it and you'll have a fine cutting piece. I prefer a 4-5 degree per side (dps) back bevel with a 15-17 degree edge.
 
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