Cold Steel All Purpose Tactical Machete with Sheath, Great for Clearing Brush, Survival, Camping and Outdoor Activities, Gladius Machete, One Size

This Gladius style 'Machete' came out of the box extremely sharp with the expected burs along the edge as explained by previous reviewers, I cut my thumb when I ran it over the edge! That is impressive in my book even with pocket knifes. The polypropylene handle is good but the pommel actually seems to hurt the balance for me but that may be a training issue. It had some issues cutting some branches off of a tree but it cuts cleanly true water/milk jugs and water melons where the real fun lies in this piece. It is capable for doing some Substantial damage and could be a serious choice for self defense in lieu or absence of a firearm. The sheath that came with it was adequate with proper support for the tip so it won't puncture it, Talking about the tip, Be careful since it may eventually bend on you after a few slashes, Also be wary of the carbon steel this blade is made out of and it's maintenance, It will require regular oiling and some light sharpening after use for peak performance. All in all a good solid 'Machete' (or really a budget sword) with an unbeatable price, if you are looking for something inexpensive and functional to slice a few fruits and plastic bottles with this is for you, If you are looking for a fancy wall hanger that is historically accurate look elsewhere....Actually buy it anyway! You won't regret it!

As others have said, although marketed as a machete, this is a perfectly serviceable low-end sword, modeled on the gladius hispaniensis. After testing it out I feel it deserves five stars. First, the aesthetics. The sword comes looking a little rough, but after a few minutes' cleaning and oiling the blade, it's gorgeous. The blade is well balanced and (as far as I can tell) perfectly symmetrical, the handle is clean and comfortable. The black coating on the blade (which I assume is there so they can market it as a machete) looks beautiful once it's oiled. I'm not going to pretend this is a high-end sword, but it's great for what it is: the handle is hard plastic, but it's very durable hard plastic that fits the hand well and doesn't slip. Next, function. The blade sits securely in the sheath and comes in and out easily. The edges come quite sharp -- not razor, but pretty sharp. The point is deadly: even semi-sharp, the shape means it can pierce ANYTHING. After a few minutes sharpening it myself, both the edges and the point are deadly sharp. After whacking around with it for a while, the edges withstand a lot of abuse and still keep their sharpness. I have yet to chip or dent the edges in the slightest. The point, however, because of how long and tapering it is, can bend very easily, but it can easily be hammered back. My main complaint: it comes with a sticker on the blade. This is a pain to remove without using alcohol (which you do NOT want to do, as this will strip the black coating off), but it does eventually come off. All in all, this is a great little Roman sword, especially for the price. With a bit of care and after oiling it, it looks gorgeous. The blade itself is extremely resilient and can hold an edge well, even with a lot of use and abuse. It might not go front-and-center above the mantlepiece, but it definitely deserves a place in my collection.

(sorry about the weird non-wordwrap formatting the site did with my text here) it amazes me the things some people find to complain about. of the negative/one star reviews on here i've found the complaints to be complete cloned echoes of each other- almost as if a certain demographic of the same type of persons had certain same expectations. i'd have to say my expectations were well met. i dunno what an "acceptable" sharpness is for something like this but mine came perfectly..i would say proportionately sharp for something this size. if it were a knife under 10 inches, made in the U.S., Japan, Germany or some other nice country then yeah- i might have found it a bit 'factory rough'. as it stands i've already managed to cut myself with it a few times- mostly just due to gravity-the heft-and little motion on my part- so i can't imagine people putting like razor edges on these things. YOU'RE NOT EVEN SUPPOSED TO ! a razor edge on this basically sword wouldnt be durable or conducive to serious treatment and hard work. i touched it up a bit w/ a diamond file which now fits in the plastic part of the sheath. the blade itself comes roughly(but not too roughly) ground n coated with some crap which i had planned to, and did promptly remove with aircraft remover. several grades of sandpaper, ending in 1500 were used to bring out a lustre in the blade to a nice semi-reflective polish. i then blued the blade with gun bluing- which actually gave it an almost "fantasy sword" look due to how the bluing flowed. it seems as though people wanting a true Gladius, or a true Machete might not the either find what they seek in this thing. it lacks the diamond cross section of a roman sword, and it lacks the light-weight and maneuverability (sabre-like-ness if you will) of a traditional ma-cheh-teh. i don't see this as a compromise however. instead i see this as a legit,affordable, 1055, South African made contender in the modern tactical shortsword realm. just do a google search for 'Tactical Short Sword'. BOTTOM LINE- all these folks were worried about this thing not looking pretty. IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO ! it's a $30-$40 modern day Gladius adaptation with an ugly poly handle. THERE would be my principle concern. How SECURE IS THAT TANG within the plastic? i don't give a flying rat if there's flashing at the guard, or there's a BIG STICKER on the blade...dude...if you conceived to, and then ordered, and then are holding this thing in your hands and you go online about how you were overcome/defeated/subdued by an effing sticker..welll..i think you have bigger problems. (or perhaps smaller ones if you catch my drift) i'm not saying a few customers havent had legitimate issues- one guy had a broken tip; one guy actually had a skinny very unhealthy looking tip that it looks like the african dude was messed up when he was profiling it on the belt. these are isolated incidents though. call it "sword karma" perhaps. this things not gonna win any beauty contests (well..mine might). but if you look at the overall attributes it's a clear winner- Handle- provides protection/resistance from chemicals (poison for you RPG buffs), and electric shock (lightning), but is weak against fire. and for a dark souls reference- the blade causes Bleed, lol. for me the appeal was the price coupled with the fact that this is a historically proven class of sword. the short sword. in today's uncertain world- you are unlikely to go against anyone wielding any longer type of edged weapon. (most enthusiasts tend to have a bit of manners) but- against a....baseball bat? tire iron? crow bar? collapsible baton? indoor CQB scenario? outdoors? if you train you may yet prevail. i feel confident i could defeat(or declaw as it were) a Bear with it. I mean only if the bear was attacking. (i would not proactively engage the bear) so there you have it. my honest, slightly whimsical review. budget priced. entry level. good quality.

...But if you did want a machete sword, this is definitely the coolest one I've seen. It's fun in that sort of way your parents and significant other wouldn't approve of. It's also stupid beyond belief (what are we, post-apocalyptic Romans?) and not ideal as a real machete. Hell, a sword is an impractical weapon in today's world anyway. But it's still so much fun to play with (USING PROPER SAFETY PRACTICES.) Anyway, onto the details: Blade: The wasp-waisted blade looks very impressive in person. Photos just don't do this thing justice. It's not pretty, but it is really cool. Coated with the standard cold steel black finish that will not last, but ultimately that's not a huge deal. The edges are sharp enough (no need for a razor edge on a sword; indeed most swords had an "appleseed" edge shape,) and the blade is flat in profile. Although this is ahistorical for a gladius, it allows the blade to cut quite nicely while historical gladii were used primarily as thrusting swords. As Oakeshotte so nicely pointed out, a cutting blade needs a flat cross section. Thrusting, as you might expect, yields brutal results. Hilt: Slice it any way you like: its plastic. Impact resistant? Probably. But clearly plastic. On a purely practical level, though, the grip seems to be secure in the hand. The pommel feels like it will get in your way in the execution of the cut, but it doesn't. Lanyard hole is a nice touch and not a bad idea. Sheath: A little too flexible like all cold steel cordura sheaths. One nice touch is that the plastic drag covers the entire point up to the start of the edge. Be careful when removing or returning the blade. Belt loop is generous. Kydex would have been a better choice, but would have also been more expensive. Overall, a stupid stupid product that's fun as all get out. Please be careful with this. It's not a toy. Well, really it is, but it's a dangerous toy. Use responsibly.

When I first received the Cold Steel Gladius Machete I was impressed with how solid this blade felt. At first I wanted to chop my way through some heavy brush or zombies which ever came first. I did have some reservations about beating this gem to pieces in the backyard, over the years I have destroyed some supposedly good brand machetes. My seven acres is covered with trees and greenbrier, the later being my mortal enemy. While cutting through greenbrier and chopping at the roots I hit hidden rocks and a variety of other blade chipping objects. I didn't want to damage my precious new toy but the wife said, "You said that you needed that machete to cut through that brush in the back yard." In a tone that meant it was time to scuff my blade. I have been using this machete for over a year now and have yet to break, chip or bend this blade. I have cut greenbrier vines o'plenty as well as 3"-6" saplings, normally in one or two swings. I have whacked trees with over 9 inch diameters and she keeps on chopping. I am buying two more for family members and will definitely buy Cold Steel products in the future. If you want a functional, durable, sharp machete/sword click "add to the cart"

So right off the bat, if you are looking for a really good machete, don't buy this.....ANY other machete would probably perform better at this role. Certainly if you keep it sharp and swing it at brush and vines it will most likely cut right through them......but is this really the best designed tool for this task???? So now what on earth do we do with this thing???? I don't know how to answer that... I bought it because my son and I enjoy collecting knives of all sorts, and he also happens to be one of the worlds greatest walking dead fans. I bring home tons of cardboard boxes from work and he has hours of fun going at them with his knives, throwing stars, tomahawks, etc..etc.. Hey, way better than sitting inside playing video games all day..right????? So back to the "sword". In my opinion, the best use for this sword is the one you will never use it for...combat. A machete is much better suited to fill the machete role than this thing. If you want to use it for trail clearing, I'm sure it would work, but you may want to also imagine you are fighting your way through herds of man eating lions at the roman coliseums during the process. That and fighting early A.D. wars alongside the Romans is by far the best use for this well thought out tool. Again, specs can be found on line so I wont go into great detail. 1055 steel so easy to sharpen and cold steel's usual black backed on anti rust finish which wears very well and with a bit of care for the steel is outstanding. sharpens easy and gets sharp like all the cold steel products I have reviewed in this category. ****One very important note about the price***** I purchased this 9/24/2014 and paid 20 bucks with free shipping by combining it with the cold steel bowie machete for free shipping. I see now it is in the mid 30 dollar range. Personally I would not buy this in that price range. The 20 dollar price was the reason I jumped on it so quickly. You however may feel different. Mine came very sharp. So much so, that we heeded the warning label attached to the handle so that we were careful with this double edged sword. Grinds were good and even on mine unlike some that other reviewers have come across. Blade was fairly symmetrical out to the point so that it retained it's true intended shape. Looks just like a roman sword!!! So cool!!! As I stated earlier, very sharp and finished black. The sticker on the blade is hideous, but wd-40 and a little plastic scraper should take care of that with no issues as it did on my all terrain chopper. This is not a decorative quality sword by any means. This thing was made to use and abuse and scratch it up on things that you will never have the opportunity to test it against. (unless there is a purge or zombie apocalypse). The handle...very heavy black polypropylene that is functional, has three gripping rings around the handle, and a very slight textured feel to it. Not nearly as grippy as the other cold steel machete's I've reviewed, but the massive round pommel should ad a bit of security so that it doesn't fly out of your hands when defending the empire. Feel free to add a lanyard if needed as the pommel contains a lanyard whole that would fit up to paracord sized lashing. From what I can see with flashlight inspection, the steel seems to extend all the way through the handle as the steel appears to be drilled through when I peak through the pommel lanyard hole. Cold steel's website should be able to confirm or deny this as I hardly put that much thought into it. Some reviewers have complained about a bit of plastic flashing on the front edge of the handle where the blade exits the handle.......Really????? Do you own a razor knife????? Mine had it as well. I trimmed it off in 2 seconds and slept well that same night. But then again, I only paid 20 bucks for mine. If forced to make a complaint, I would say the handle is way more slippery than I prefer, but I doubt I will be finding myself fighting any gladiator style battles in the near future. Even then, it's not as bad as my Becker BK-7 on the slippery handle scale (no pun intended). As far as blade uses are concerned, this is a thruster through and through. This blade was made for serious piercing of flesh and bone and some slashing as well. But when in the hell you ever gonna do that????? just know that when killing cardboard boxes is in play, this weapon shines! Sheath is typical cold steel machete sheath style. Heavy black cordura nylon with reinforcing rivets around the perimeter with the extra heavy plastic blade guards on the outside front and back to prevent poke through. Secure one button strap around the handle to keep it in place and the usual massive belt loop for anything much larger than you would ever wear in real life. But isn't it nice to know you could wear a 31/2" wide belt if you wanted too??? Overall length is 25 7/8 on mine and not 1" longer as stated in the amazon ad. And yes, I really measured mine. It is perfectly sized for the combat role that I will never use it in. This is one bad a$$ battle sword (machete), but like I said, when will we ever be able to prove that? Overall impressions???? Really cool though maybe impractical. Great for collectors of all this other useless edged crap we love to buy that makes our wives role their eyes and mumble, "what on earth are you going to do with that"? I would gladly buy again as the wow factor when my son unwrapped it was priceless...well at least priceless as far as 20 bucks is concerned. While I love him dearly...maybe not dearly enough to pay the current mid 30 dollar price range. I'm not a big sword collector, so past 25 bucks and I'm out...but you may feel differently depending on what your interests are. Keep in mind this is still a thick machete blade...not a true sword blade. But it is bad a$$ and really fun to play around with. I just would not spend the current amount to get one. Nor would I purchase if I was looking for a true sword of this style. Other than that, lot's of fun here.

I have been collecting swords and large daggers for at least 30 years. I have collected all over the states as well as numerous assignments overseas and in unfriendly places. I have many 'shiny' weapons as well as a number of 'real combat' blades. I admit in advance that I have been a fan of Cold Steel ever since I saw them in the San Diego Gun Show in the 1980s and drove by their store going up to play against Temecula for Football games for about 10 years running, but I have had very few products of theirs. Once I saw this new machete series they put out, I could not resist any longer. I bought a number of different kinds, but I digress... The Cold Steel Gladius just looks beautiful. A period piece with a modern use. The length overall length of the Kopis and the Gladius are almost the same by the way. There is a reason the Romans, the Celts, and the Greeks (among many others) used blades just like this/similar to this for thousands of years. It is not too short, not too long, incredibly thick to prevent sheering/breaking during actual battle and the 1055 steel is about as strong and useful as it gets (minus the rusting issues, which they compensate for by putting this awesome black, anti-corrosive finish on them). A fantastic handle--admittedly, I own some good blades that have crappy handles--these seem to be actually 'dip-molded' onto the blade with this hard plastic material that can take a serious beating. I really like the handle, because whether swinging a sword or a machete, with or without gloves, my hand will eventually slip (even when I am not sweating... and I sweat like it rains). When I combine this handle with a simple rope loop through the provided hole in the handle, I know that I basically cannot let go of this blade at the wrong time. It is not as good as the 'u-turn' handle on the Kopis and the full handle on the cutlass, but the Gladius has that 'big old flat ball' pommel that gives me trust in swinging hard. I used mine to chop the heck out of a tree that had so many branches that a chain saw was too heavy and ridiculous. Admittedly, I had two Kopis machete's from Cold Steel that I used more... but that is also because I loved my single Gladius so much I did not want to I have it scuffed from actual use so that I could use it for Ren-Fairs and Costumes. Had I had another Gladius, I would have no issues banging it up for actual practical use just like I did with the Kopis. I have used it twice and was amazed at the chopping/cutting power of this blade. I can chop through all the branches, even those just over 2 inches thick... in winter(it wasn't freezing, but was nearing 50F in the day and 20F at night). I wrapped the handles in some cloth tape (think hockey sticks) and it worked even better. When I was done with my yard work, I took a common, finger-held sharpener and touched up the edges. The handle is just a bit thick for me and is just too wide for me to really feel like I can grip the living daylight out of it for those 'monster swings'. I really wish they could narrow it down a bit while leaving the pommel the same size. I am about 5'10' and an athletic 175lbs. I really like the sheath, but it is utilitarian, and only partially combat useful. The blade comes with a warning that if you 'fast draw' the blade from the sheath that you can cut through it and hurt yourself. I am very thankful for the warning, because I fast draw with most of my blades and would have undoubtedly cut through the sheath and sliced my leg. I am also very careful not to ram the blade home into the sheath for the same reason. Cold Steel did well by adding extra plastic plating on the tip of the sheathe to assist in the blade not cutting the bottom, because the point is truly wicked. This blade is a truly beautiful weapon and useful tool. The price is phenomenal and if you are parent looking to get a kid a sword (no judging here) I would never buy a stainless steel blade bigger than around 12 inches... just google that on youtube and you can see videos of stainless steel swords breaking even with very light use(it has to do with the alignment properties of the steel when they make it stainless steel--more or less--stainless is just not good for combat blades and if used, should be kept for short blades and daggers where it does fine most of the time. These are fully functional, lifetime pieces, that look and feel awesome... for about $30. Yes, they are more expensive than a cruddy machete from Harbor Freight... but do you really want to have a 'bug out blade' or a functional defense weapon that cannot be relied upon to do even the lightest of chores? Bottom line: You cannot go wrong with this blade and I cannot stress enough how much I love this product. Furthermore, this blade makes my soul 'sing' when I have it in my hand (so does the Kopis, but just not as much as the Gladius). Also, no problems with the stickers on this blade... my Kukri's were a pain to get off, but the Kopis and the Gladius had no issues. I loved them all so much I am going to get the cutlass next!

I bought 3. one of them was a dud. ZERO EDGE, ZERO POINT. I guess one slipped pass quality check. The other 2/3 however, were super pointy, edge is sharp, but needs quite a bit of honing to work efficiently. if i were to rate this on aesthetics id give it 1.5/5 because its tacky, the handle is HUGE even for the average gorilla, the anti rust paint was scraped off random parts of the blade, the file they used created an uneven antirust paint line on the edge, but hey, its 20-30 bucks a piece. we all know what we are getting into for the price. Anyway lets just get to the pros and cons list: PROS: -pointy as hell (pierces flesh effortlessly) -durable, you can beat this into the ground and the ground would break. (not really) -comes with sheath.(youll need it) -cheap -anti rust black paint baked on the blade -hand sharpened.....in south africa? -the steel used gives just the right amount of rigidity to pierce and enough flex to absorb a lot of the force a person in general could generate. meaning you can use this sword to thrust with all your might and you probably wont deform or break the blade. Cons: -ugly, tacky, uneven antirust paint lines on edge -file scratches on random parts of the blade -too much of everything: this is the downside for me about coldsteel products. most of them are made for giants. the sword is too thick, wide, calling for a thick and big handle. its practicality would be much better if they shaved off about 30% of its weight and size, and changed the balance point to the tip. -unbalanced decreases maneuverabilty of the sword. cannot use it for anything really, just a fun sharp toy. -unbalanced, not made to be used as a machete: because of its shape, it isnt head heavy. most of the weight is in the handle then the middle of the blade. this is not practical for chopping, or even if you found a time machine and went back to the warring times and fought in a battle. BOTTOM LINE: with a little bit of work you can make this a crazy weapon. anyway i got want i wanted from this purchase. a sharp, fun and tough toy. you can kill the theoretical zombie with it. you can chop wood with it. its not a machete, its not a sword. i wouldnt buy another, but id recommend for you to try one for yourself.

Das mag an dem mehr als schrecklichen finish liegen. Diese Machete hätte ich mir lieber als ungeschliffenen Rohling gewünscht, als mit diesem verkorksten Maschinenschliff. Aber eines nach dem anderen. Mittlerweile habe ich so einiges an Macheten durch und nutze diese auch relativ stark im Gelände. Ich besitze unter anderem auch die allseits verspottete Walther Mach Tac 2 - diese tut aber seit etlichen Jahren hervorragend ihren Dienst und hat lediglich ein bisl Spiel im Griff mittlerweile. Die Walther Machete war damals in etwa genau so teuer wie der Gladius, jedoch weitaus besser und hochwertiger gearbeitet - wie ich leider feststellen muss. Wer Cold Steel kauft, will Qualität ohne Schnörkel kaufen. Viele, viele Messer dieser "Marke" konnten mich bis heute stets überzeugen und der Stahl soll besonders gut sein. Ich muss aber ehrlich sagen, wer so eine Machete nicht zu diesem Preis vernünftig fertigen kann, sollte es einfach lassen. Ich kann mir nicht vorstellen das Cold Steel UK eigentlich weiß was da in Süd-Afrika produziert wird! Das wichtigste in Kürze: + Tolles Design + Liegt gut in der Hand, die Klinge fühlt sich leicht und ausgewogen an + Der Griff macht einen soliden eindruck (mit einigen hinnehmbaren Guss/Druck fehlern) + Die Scheide wirkt hochwertig. Vernietet, vernäht und mit geschlossener PP-Spitze- klasse! + Meine Klinge kam ohne den berüchtigten, unentfernbaren Aufkleber, sondern mit einer relativ schicken Prägung/Stanzung "Cold Steel South Africa" ein Stück über der Parierstange. - Der "Schliff" der Klinge!!! : Asymmetrisch, unsauber, grob, schief und ätzend. Absolut des Namens nicht würdig und für mich die ober-enttäuschung!!!! Spähne und grate kamen mir aus der Scheide entgegen! - Dieses schwarze "baked Anti-rust" zeugs findet sich in stellen auch in der geschliffenen Klinge wieder und lässt sich mit einem Taschentuch und längerem rubbeln einfach abtragen... :( Da ist nichts gebaked (wie bei der Walther), sondern einfach nur drüber-gerotzt. - Dunkle Thermo-Verfärbung an der Spitze. Hier wurde zu doll geschliffen und der Stahl dadurch weich. Schade - Die gesamte Klinge hat nicht einmal einen feineren Schleifstein gesehen. Also leute, was habt ihr euch nur dabei gedacht? Fazit: Es handelt sich hier definitiv um die Kriegswaffe Gladius, welche sehr effektiv und gefährlich ist. Irgendwie haben die es geschafft das Ding als Machete in Deutschland zu vermarkten. Ich werde die Klinge jetzt vernünftig nachbearbeiten und schleifen und habe dann ein ziemlich heftiges stück Stahl ;-) Ich hoffe inständig, dass es sich zumindest wirklich um den 1055 Kohlenstoffstahl von Cold Steel handelt, hätte aber für diese schicke Waffe auch gerne 20 Euro mehr ausgegeben mit vernünftigem Schliff und Gewissheit ob des Stahls. Ich denke mein Gladius hier ist der Auswuchs von der Gier nach dem schnellen Geld und ich finde es unheimlich schade, dass Cold Steel sowas zulässt. Die Firma lässt bei verschiedenen Herstellern weltweit Produzieren, aber auch dann kann man einheitliche Qualitätsstandards einhalten. Wer Lust und Zeit hat sich diesen Rohling zu verfeinern, wird mit einem schönen, eleganten und ausgefallenen, zweischneidigen und spitzen Gladius belohnt, welcher sich im Notfall auch zum Erlegen von...wilden Tieren wunderbar eignet. Macheten-Anfänger oder Gartenarbeiter sollten lieber zu etwas anderem, kopflastigerem und besser verarbeiteten greifen. Hier bei uns im Waffenladen gibt es Macheten aus Blech für 12 Euro - reicht zum Hecke und Geäst schnippeln. UPDATE 10/17: Ich habe den Gladius bis heute schonungslos im Feld benutzt und unzählige, armdicke Äste durchgehackt und eine kleine Tanne gefällt! Ich habe auf Europaletten eingedroschen, bringe meine Apfelbäume regelmäßig damit in Form und habe das Ding immer dabei wenn es raus ins Gemüse geht. Und was soll ich sagen... Bei dem ganzen, heftigen Impact hätte ich jetzt mal langsam Spiel im Griff erwartet oder Scharten in der Klinge. Aber NICHTS davon ist passiert :-D Die Spitze habe ich leider an Metall krummgehauen (meine Schuld, sollte man lassen), was dazu führte dass ich die Machete in mühevoller Handarbeit nachgeschliffen habe. Ich liebe das Gerät! Dafür nochmal ein Stern rauf! UPDATE 01/20: Was soll ich sagen, nicht kaputt zu kriegen. Der Griff ist wie am ersten Tag bombenfest, da wackelt nichts! Die Scheide habe ich leider mit dem sehr scharfen Gladius beim hineinstecken einmal sauber durchgeschnitten. Das Gerät ist öfter mal im Einsatz, auch zu trainingszwecken. Leider habe ich ihn einmal ohne mein Wissen für ein paar Tage nass in der Scheide gelassen, dadurch hat das Finish ein paar Rostflecken bekommen- was nicht weiter schlimm ist. Mein absoluter lieblings-Engelmacher :-) UPDATE 03/26: Hält und hält, einfach wunderbar. Der Griff hat noch immer nicht einen Mikrometer Spiel obwohl ich schon einige kleine Bäume mit diesem Gerät verarbeitet habe. Also lässt sich rückblickend sagen: Der Schliff war zwar blöd, die Verarbeitung aber tadellos. Für diese Haltbarkeit gibt es doch wieder 5 Sterne.

Honestly, I am very tempted to order another. I was not expecting much. I figured that, at that price, it was going to be a POS in gladius shape. I was very surprised by what I got. I will start with the things I did not like: which were the blackened finish was pretty smeared and dinged right out of the case. No big, but made me aware that with use it would only get worse. Getting the product sticker off the side can only be done by use of something like Goo Gone. The second is the quality of the edge; the whole blade had the marks to show the edge was ground on real roughly. It is going to take a long time to put any sort of real decent edge on it (out of the box I had dull spots here and there). Now, of course, for the price, I was not expecting much, but still. Those were my only issues. Sure, the metal grade means care will be needed to prevent rust, by I do that to my blades regardless of the grade. The point is something to watch out for. This thing comes to one wicked point. Careful when putting it in the sheath and when swinging it since I could see this breaking off if you hit something it will not pass through. The balance is nice. Most of the weight in swing seems to be on the spade and well behind the point. Cuts well and chops good to. I very much like.

Für den Preis bekommt man ein wirklich überraschend solides Stück Stahl. Das Finishing ist zugegeben nicht perfekt und die Schneide verträgt auch etwas Nacharbeit - aber da habe ich schon deutlich schlechtere Stähle gesehen. Dieser Stahl erlaubt jedenfalls eine gute Behandlung und lässt sich sehr scharf schleifen. Der Griff ist einfach (Kunststoff) aber fest und griffig, notfalls auch für 2 Hände (die Einschnürung vor der Kugel auf den Bildern gibt es bei meinem Exemplar nicht). Den Griff mit Schnur, Leder o.Ä. zu umwickeln ist gut machbar und sichre hilfreich, durch die große "Kugel" am Griffende besteht aber kaum Gefahr, das die Machete aus der Hand rutscht... Die Klinge ist natürlich nicht sehr stark, biegt sich schon durch und bringt nicht allzuviel viel Gewicht nach vorn - ist dem Preis geschuldet. Die Scheide ist zweckmäßig und stabil. Man erhält jedenfalls eine wirklich eindrucksvolle Klinge!

I am impressed with the quality of the Cold Steel Gladius Machete. Some call it a sword-chete, and it certainly is that. I daresay that any self-respecting Roman legionary of the ancient past would be very happy if this was all he had to hand in a fight. Sure, it may not compare to a true gladius type sword costing hundreds of dollars, but it would be great for home defence, for when those pesky zombies show up, or just for chopping up some brush for a campfire. It is a solid bit of kit, very well made, and I'm very thankful that it came without the annoying sticker on the blade, which many reviewers had expressed their displeasure about and was apparently extremely difficult to remove. It is a full tang blade, about 2.8 mm thick. the blade length is 18 inches long, with a handle length of 7 7/8 inches long for a total length of 25 7/8 inches. The total weight is 27.2 ounces. These are the measurements and weight given by Cold Steel on the package closure. Mine also came pre-oiled to aid in preventing rust. From what I hear from other reviewers, with the kind of steel used for this machete, that is an essential thing to regularly do for this blade to keep rust away. The handle is able to be held quite securely using the main grip, but also the pommel is large enough that you can actually grab it and swing with both hands in a safe and secure manner. Although keep in mind that the original gladius after which this is patterned, is a sword meant to be used one-handed, and mainly for thrusting, but this is a machete rather than a sword, so however you wish to use it, please do so, as long as you do it safely. There is a fair-sized lanyard hole in the pommel, and if you expect to be using this as a machete, then perhaps it would be safer to add a lanyard, to aid in controlling the blade when you swing it. It might keep anyone close to you from getting speared on the rather pointy end, if it should fly out of your hand while you attack whatever object offends you, brush or bushes, etc... Overall, I really like this machete, and find it not only looks cool, it has a well balanced feel in the hand. The sheath is quite nice, with a tough plastic end cap, to prevent the very sharp point from bursting through the end. For safety's sake, I suggest gripping the end cap while drawing the gladius from the sheath. You're less likely to lose a finger or two, just in case something goes wrong. Remember, safety first. So, whether you're a certified zombie killer, or like to pretend that you're a Roman legionary holding off the forces of barbarism, remember to do it when there are no wee folk around, or at least not within range of the blade, should it accidentally fly out of your hand while practising your fancy blade-handling skills. This is not some toy for a kid, or even for some adults. You could hurt someone, or yourself rather badly with this item, if you are not careful. Enjoy, but use common sense and keep yourself and others around you safe.

Very cool. Heavy, sharp and good looking. The bottom of the hilt is a little too big in my opinion but overall it's a great addition to my collection. Worth the price for sure.