REVIEW- Cold Steel 12" Barong Survival Machete- Bushman's Big Brother

[coloradowildman]

Cold Steel 12" Barong Machete Review- Bushman's Big Brother​

I've been wanting to do a review of this wonderful bush tool since ordering one on a fluke from Cold Steel last year for the ridiculous closeout price of only $7.00! I had never heard of a "Barong" machete and to be honest, the name was rather off-putting and strange to me being as I'm not much of a tactical gear person, but the blade shape looked very useful and for only $7 I decided to order one to see what it was about.

What I found (to my utter suprise) was a machete that was basically a Cold Steel Bushman on steroids but with a quality, fit and finish that seemed more like a knife costing $50-$60. Needless to say I was pretty blown away. After using the tool for the better part of a year up here in the Rocky Mountains, my initial favorable impression has only grown stronger. Since I had already owned a Cold Steel Bushman, I was struck with the fact that the Barong machete just seemed more or less like a bigger version of the Bushman, so after a long winter, I wanted to post this review with that in mind.

Cold Steel Barong Machete specs

• 12" Blade length
• Overall Length 17.75"
• Weight without sheath (as measured on a digital postal scale)- 16.9 ounces
• Weight with sheath- 22.3 ounces
• Blade steel- 1055 Carbon Steel
• Price- Discontinued last year

The Barong when it was new out of the package and taken last year when the weather was still warm (ahhhhh!). Note the Cold Steel logo stamped into the machete which is conspicuously absent on the South African made Cold Steel machetes (like the Kukri Machetes, for instance).

Unlike the Kukri Machete, the Chinese manufactured Barong machete sports a much higher quality sheath, with thick Cordura material similar to the Bushman's sheath. My Cold Steel Kukri Machete's flimsy sheath literally ripped open after only my first outing, but the Barong sheath has easily handled almost a year of bush trekking with no problems. It holds the machete securely and also hangs low enough to clear a backpack strap, a big plus for me since I backpack quite a bit. I like cordura over leather for this application as it is lighter than a comparable leather sheath yet still holds the tool safely and securely.

The fit and finish of the blade is also much higher than the Kukri's and this particular one came with a fairly sharp edge right out of the package. The handle material is also of much higher quality, being much softer than the rather hard plastic of the Kukri and closer to the feel of the Kraton on the Cold Steel SRK. The handle is just about perfect and one of the things that makes this machete such a pleasure to use.

The steel is 1055 Carbon Steel, which is commonly used in machetes as well as Cold Steel's line of axes and tomahawks. It's not the greatest in edge retention but makes up for it in toughness and ease of sharpening. This machete will easily get hair shaving sharp with no effort, whereas my Kukri machete took quite a bit of work to reach this point due the rough grind. It comes stock with a very efficient Scandi grind profile, similar to what the Swedish Mora Knives have. This makes it an excellent chopping and cutting tool. In practice, this machete will chop nearly as well as my 1.25 lb head Wetterlings Wildlife Hatchet, which is really quite an accomplishment considering the machete weighs almost 6 ounces less than the hatchet. Though this is a very tough machete in general, the Scandi grind does require one to be a little more careful when using around rocks and tree knots. That said, it is easily fixed in the field with a file and some 220 grit sandpaper. (PART TWO OF REVIEW BELOW)

 

[coloradowildman]

I already mentioned that the Barong was like a Bushman on steroids. Here's a size comparison between the two, with my Husqvarna\Wetterlings 1.25lb Hatchet thrown in to give a better idea of the size. As you can see, the Barong really looks more like a big honkin survival knife than a typical machete.

The Bushman and the Barong both have the same blade thickness as shown here:

The tips of both blades (to the right is the Barong)

 

[coloradowildman]

Now for the fun stuff- chopping and batoning. Though I consider myself more of an axe person, tools like these can be used for batoning if the situation calls for it. That said, they should be able to handle these tasks easily without breaking. The Bushman has been put to the test already by thousands of users as well as the Noss guy on Youtube, so I won't rehash any of that here. What I did want to find out was how well the bigger Barong would fare against the Bushman in chopping and batoning and if the extra weight would be worth it.

For demonstration purposes, I grabbed a big 9 inch seasoned and knotted up Douglas Fir log, pretty much a nightmare to split even with a big axe. I know the selection of this kind of log may seem extreme, but I've been in situations before where I camped or hiked in more well used places and the only firewood around has been bigger pieces like this. The Bushman's 7" blade is simply out of its league on a piece like this and could only be used to take off very small pieces from the outer edge, realistically. Note that even at the edge, there is very little metal to strike with a baton

I didn't baton this log with the Bushman, but wanted to show the difficulty it would have if one encountered a larger log.

By comparison, the 12" Barong Machete dominates this log and has plenty of exposed metal on the back of the blade to baton with:

Though the Barong is pictured in the middle of the log, I would never attempt to baton through the middle as it would probably destroy this or any other blade since the knots are so bad in this one. I ended up taking a piece from it, which it handled easily......

The Fir chunk was easily reduced into kindling with the Barong, and to demonstrate the cutting capabilities, created a featherstick with it.

In a comparison to test chopping, a piece of partially seasoned Douglas Fir was used. On the left is the Bushman after 25 chops and on the right is Barong notch after 25 chops. Clearly, the Barong is a much more powerful chopper. The angle of the photo doesn't show the depth of the Barong chopping notch as well as I would have liked, but needless to say, the Barong chops almost 3 times better yet weighs only 7 ounces more than the Bushman.

 

[coloradowildman]

My overall impression is that the Barong is about three times better in batoning and chopping for only a 7 ounce increase in weight over the Bushman. As evidenced by the featherstick in my photos it is also capable of some of the finer work that the 7" Bushman blade can do as well. I've found the combo of the Barong machete plus a Mora, Swiss Army Knife or Multi-tool along with a Coglan's 7" Sierra Saw to cover just about all bases.

As a machete, it's probably not the best of the bunch, because the weight tends to be towards the center and not at the tip as most machetes are. That said, it still clears brush fairly well. I think it is more of a survival\bush machete in that it can do so many things well, but there is always a compromise.

As a defensive weapon, it is truly fearsome because of the combination of the sharp point, 12" blade length, thick enough to have power yet thin enough that it is extremely fast in the hand. Though I carry bear spray as my main defense against animal attack, this is one tool outside of a firearm that makes me feel as if I would have a fighting chance if I were attacked by a mountain lion or black bear or wild dogs. The reach, sharpness and hitting power would be devastating even to a tough animal like a bear or cougar, as the way this thing takes out chunks of wood means it would crush or break bones, etc. Hopefully none of this ever happens, but God forbid if it does then it's nice knowing that your bush tool can double as a defensive weapon.

On a final note, I just don't think you can beat the 12" Barong Machete when price is factored in. Though they were discontinued last year, they still sell new on eBay for under $30, an absolute steal in my opinion. Buy two if you can, because once word gets out they will probably get more expensive as many other discontinued Cold Steel products have. Just an incredible value and I have to pinch myself that I was able to buy several of these for only $7 a piece!

Cheers, CW

 

[Gambrinus]

Very nice review.
I love mine and though i had to pay a "european" price for mine (29 Euros!), i still kick myself for not getting two. The chinese models here are so much better than the south-african ones.
But it works best for people with big hands! If you´re smallish, you won´t like it, i suppose.
And, yes, it can scare people

 

[coloradowildman]

Very nice review.
I love mine and though i had to pay a "european" price for mine (29 Euros!), i still kick myself for not getting two. The chinese models here are so much better than the south-african ones.
But it works best for people with big hands! If you´re smallish, you won´t like it, i suppose.
And, yes, it can scare people

Gambrinus, are machetes classed differently than knives where you're at? I would think this would be illegal in Europe.

As for the handle size, I have medium sized hands and my girlfriend's hands are even smaller and we both have been using the 12" Barong for a while now for bush wacking and we both find the handle to be extremely comfortable.

And yes, the South African models are pretty crude compared to the Chinese made machetes! I still can't believe how cheaply the sheaths on the Kukri are made. I had to get a piece if leather and some duck tape to fix mine, as the blade would protrude through and cut my hand if I had it in the wrong place.

Cheers, CW

 

[Gambrinus]

German law considers machetes as tools first so there are no carry restrictions as such.
In theory, they are the same as axes and hatchets.
On the other hand, sale of machetes if often restricted to "adults only", so the dealers are contradicting the peaceful idea.

Some models with more martial shapes (like the barong) could be classified as "stabbing weapons", making things a bit more complicated regarding transport, use and even, to some extent, storage (away from people under 18).
If you classify it as a "long bladed knife" (more than 4.5 inches), it would require a legitimate purpose of use, whenever you carry it outside of your secluded home.

An individual judge can always classify it as whatever he wants, but an expert assessment from the federal police would probably state the tool character clearly.

Sounds like fun, hm ?

 

[coloradowildman]

German law considers machetes as tools first so there are no carry restrictions as such.
In theory, they are the same as axes and hatchets.
On the other hand, sale of machetes if often restricted to "adults only", so the dealers are contradicting the peaceful idea.

Some models with more martial shapes (like the barong) could be classified as "stabbing weapons", making things a bit more complicated regarding transport, use and even, to some extent, storage (away from people under 18).
If you classify it as a "long bladed knife" (more than 4.5 inches), it would require a legitimate purpose of use, whenever you carry it outside of your secluded home.

An individual judge can always classify it as whatever he wants, but an expert assessment from the federal police would probably state the tool character clearly.

Sounds like fun, hm ?

Thanks for the clarification. So it sounds like transporting a Mora is no problem based on the blade length? How about regular axes and hatchets like the Wetterlings\Gransfors? Are they pretty much hassle free when transporting compared to something like a Barong? I ask because I plan to visit Europe in the future and do some bushcrafting while I'm there and I have both traditional tools like Wetterlings along with my Barong. thanks!

 

[Gambrinus]

I can only speak for Germany.
fixed blades under 12cm (if they are not daggers) are completely hassle free.
folders must not be one-handed AND locking. either thing alone is also free from explanation. (Spyderco UK or Buck 110).
regular tool style hatchets and axes are perfectly ok.

other things (f.e. : gerber mk1, spyderco endura, vietnam tomahawk, kabar 7 inch) need a reasonable explanation (self defense is not counting) and should be transported locked until you´re in the woods. rucksack with a small padlock is enough.

butterfly knives, push daggers, brass knuckle knives, hairbrush knives, are a felony to own or import.

some cities like hamburg have "no weapon zones" in the inner city.
in those even a keyring mini knife or a can of tear gas can be confiscated and reported.
the same is the case if you participate in a political demonstration. then the multi-tool or SAK on your belt is a weapon.

 

[hatchetjack]

Good review. Wow...7 bucks! The CS 12" Barong is a favorite of mine and is part of my car kit and is always on hand when I'm out in the field.

My son made his first debris shelter with one when he was 10 y/o and I also use it every summer to chop up a spit roasted pig at our annual block party.

Being of Filipino descent, I've seen the barong used as a field bolo with great efficiency and it is a formidible weapon among the Moros even today. Nice job.

 

[hank_rearden]

Was looking for a thread on the barong. This is a good review on its utility aspects. But try practicing with it for FMA! There's a good reason why Moslem Tausogs favored it, even when fighting American troops during the early 20th century Muslim insurgency in the Philippines. It's the perfect offensive blade. It's short enough to be concealed in one's body. Whip it out and rush an opponent. Do a circular downward strike twice (doblete); the first to either ward your opponent's weapon or cut his hand, the second to decapitate him or split his head vertically. The J-shaped handle butt in traditional models keeps the weapon in your hand during fast centrifugal cuts.

Sadly, it's the Moslem's favorite weapon when staging an amok, or a more stealthy and methodical juramentado.

 

[me2]

I love mine. I put a primary grind on it about 4 degrees per side and a 17 dps edge. Cuts way better than stock.

 

[Cobalt]

I love all the CS machete series. This one is no exception. Great knives.

 

[Brad "the butcher"]

I have 2....great bush tool.....
.I also have the discontinued cold steel real one with large blade and wood handle and scabbard...that thing would be pretty serious in combat

 

[rpn]

I keep thinking about barongs...I have 5" Street Barong from Jim Bensinger and it's cutting ability is just amazing. Figure it's all that curve that just keeps cutting and cutting and cutting...

Always thought about the Cold Steel and Condor version but never sprung.