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Post by izzy on May 2, 2024 11:39:26 GMT
The war sword machete is on the german CS page but not on the US, weird. It says "model of 2017" so it might be left over stock and not really produced at all? The Kopis isn't anywhere on the CS pages but still can be found in a few shops around EU, these definately are old stock. iiz, you are right, the Hanwei Dao probably runs equally hard (50-ish) making neither better. Although 5160 and 65Mn have chromium and silicon added, this might make these two perform slightly better in edge retention at the same hardness - how much is anyones guess. I have just seen a review of a Kingston Arms sword where it is said the edge retention is better than 1060 and Kingston also seems to run as soft as Hanwei. I have found the Kukuris rounded handle turns a bit when I get resistance from my target, like a glancing blow on a hard branch, but it's fantastic over all. There are 4 CS Kuks in all: The 33cm bladed normal without guard, the 33cm Plus with guard, the Royal which has a 40cm blade and the Magnum with a 44cm blade but a thinner 2mm blade. I am not so sure about the 2mm stock with the Kukuri shape, it feels a bit too flimsy for me. The waist makes it more bendy than a latin style machete of the same dimensions, for thin brush though a very fast blade. Thank you for the info on the Magnum Kukri, yes, that is is bit thin. So my choice is Between the CS "Royal" or Regular Kukri.
My take on 65Mn is it's an OK steel when done right, a step up from 1060, and pretty cheap in China. As always the HT for the intended use is what makes or breaks the deal.
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Post by mrstabby on May 2, 2024 12:13:17 GMT
The war sword machete is on the german CS page but not on the US, weird. It says "model of 2017" so it might be left over stock and not really produced at all? The Kopis isn't anywhere on the CS pages but still can be found in a few shops around EU, these definately are old stock. iiz, you are right, the Hanwei Dao probably runs equally hard (50-ish) making neither better. Although 5160 and 65Mn have chromium and silicon added, this might make these two perform slightly better in edge retention at the same hardness - how much is anyones guess. I have just seen a review of a Kingston Arms sword where it is said the edge retention is better than 1060 and Kingston also seems to run as soft as Hanwei. I have found the Kukuris rounded handle turns a bit when I get resistance from my target, like a glancing blow on a hard branch, but it's fantastic over all. There are 4 CS Kuks in all: The 33cm bladed normal without guard, the 33cm Plus with guard, the Royal which has a 40cm blade and the Magnum with a 44cm blade but a thinner 2mm blade. I am not so sure about the 2mm stock with the Kukuri shape, it feels a bit too flimsy for me. The waist makes it more bendy than a latin style machete of the same dimensions, for thin brush though a very fast blade. Thank you for the info on the Magnum Kukri, yes, that is is bit thin. So my choice is Between the CS "Royal" or Regular Kukri.
My take on 65Mn is it's an OK steel when done right, a step up from 1060, and pretty cheap in China. As always the HT for the intended use is what makes or breaks the deal.
I'd say the 50HRC 65Mn works. The hedge I assaulted was Ligustrum vulgare which has very hard wood when older, I found a tiny bit of glinting after, nowhere near as bad as the 1055. Granted, the edge wasn't super sharp to begin with and the angle is steeper, just one pass of 800grit belt sander and a 3µm diamond strop over the original edge. Draw-cut magazine paper, no push cut. The original edge is a bit over polished, where the SA original edges weren't polished at all and only needed some stropping to get shaving sharp the chinese do need some more work to get there. Of course Tramontinas 1075@55HRC wins, but the Kukuri-design just cuts better for such things because it funnels the branches into the blade more. There is one Tramontina, the second on the picture, that also does this, but the waist makes it feel kinda flimsy If it was 16" it would work with the 2mm blade, but at 18" I don't trust it. Of course it would be possible to re-grind one of the others like this one, but it is much work and might not go well. Don't get me wrong, it also destroys the Liguster, but something thicker, it just feels wrong, like it wants to bend - it might, but it might not, I'm not gonna press the issue.
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Post by izzy on May 2, 2024 13:27:59 GMT
Nice collection of Tramontina...I like the big blades, but found it really thick brush the shorter ones like 14" worked better in FL not having much room to swing my bigger ones ( mostly 18" to 20"). Some areas were just impassible even with shorter machetes ( areas like creek beds with fallen trees thorny vines, and no prescribed burns would touch it...). From what I understand from previous conversations, the brush is not as dense in your part of Europe.
If just using as a machete I don't see the 2.2mm blade second from left breaking, if using for chopping small trees, making shelter etc., maybe you would have some concern of a bending issue (?).
IN short I'm glad CS thickened it's machete's up a bit, and seems to be using a slightly better steel. I can already see this thread resurrected a couple of times as more members buy the new stock.
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Post by mrstabby on May 2, 2024 13:57:43 GMT
I have finished sharpening, the 65Mn throws a lot more sparks. It also felt easier to get sharp (even though they are same hardness, the 1055 felt gummy? IDK). The 65Mn feels better to me, now I wonder will they also update the 1055 swords to 65mn? Or did they only change the machete production to china, I hope someone will tell us.
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Post by Sir Thorfinn on May 2, 2024 15:49:29 GMT
Oh my....I just snagged a Kopis Machete on Amazon for 25.00. WOOT! +2 for clearance items!
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Post by mrstabby on May 2, 2024 17:49:11 GMT
Oh my....I just snagged a Kopis Machete on Amazon for 25.00. WOOT! +2 for clearance items! Man, that's a good price. I'd get a second one for that price.
I have been looking for a thicker bladed Kopis/Falcata because I really like the CS thing, but the ones I can get are either over 1300g or Deepeeka....
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Post by izzy on May 5, 2024 3:05:39 GMT
Oh my....I just snagged a Kopis Machete on Amazon for 25.00. WOOT! +2 for clearance items! Man, that's a good price. I'd get a second one for that price.
I have been looking for a thicker bladed Kopis/Falcata because I really like the CS thing, but the ones I can get are either over 1300g or Deepeeka....
Maybe a Sirupati would do the trick?
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Post by howler on May 5, 2024 16:50:18 GMT
Oh my....I just snagged a Kopis Machete on Amazon for 25.00. WOOT! +2 for clearance items! Man, that's a good price. I'd get a second one for that price.
I have been looking for a thicker bladed Kopis/Falcata because I really like the CS thing, but the ones I can get are either over 1300g or Deepeeka....
If this is the one being discussed, the CS Kopis Machete is on Midway for $16, and I believe they had a two day additional 25% off CS products sale over a week ago, so it was $13 after sales tax.
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Post by mrstabby on May 9, 2024 7:55:27 GMT
Some small additions. The 2mm stock is still 2mm but also 65Mn (the latin machetes, magnum kukuri). Here is the unfortunate thing: every single blade I got is bent at the tip. Every single chinese blade was bent. I was able to straighten some, but others also were twisted and for me there is no repairing that - especially since they are new! The 2mm stock was warped and bent the worst. I do like how the Latin D-Guard feels, extremely light, but I see no use for it because it is so thin and quite easily bent by hand (bend it 30° and it takes a clear set - I know from trying to straighten, but no chance to get the cork screw out). EDIT: For clarification, 30° isn't bad, but it will flex by that much when it hits something with resistance, so 100% chance of sets in the future, even against PET bottles. The 3mm also takes a set when you bend it by 30°, but there is just no way that's happening in normal use.
The Royal Kukuri seems to be around the same weight as it was with the 2,8mm stock. 640g/1,4lbs (15g heavier at maximum), PoB at 11,5cm/4,5". Weapons dynamics computer says the Royal should be heavier feeling than the Royal, but the Kukuri feels easier to manage. I am guessing a lot to do with the better grip, for me it is anyways. I t looks like the thicker stock does not have a big impact on weight.
I am not sure that I can still say the chinese CS products are on par with the south african ones, yes the grind was worse (not only the burrs but some of the SA were almost chisel ground, only one side), but at least 95% came straight. I had only one SA arrive with a slight bend, the Kopis actually, but the 2mm stock is really easy to straighten out - though I feel like the 1055 gave me more of a fight than the 65MN...
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Post by AndiTheBarvarian on May 9, 2024 8:35:41 GMT
Who sells those CS 3 mm m65 machetes? I didn't find it even with a google search. Cold-steel.de and coldsteel.com have the usual 2,8 mm 1055 offerings, also the usual German suspects.
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Post by mrstabby on May 9, 2024 8:37:54 GMT
Everyone sells them now, only some older models are left as SA models, but the specs haven't been updated. Knivesandtools or Knifestock both only have the new ones now. Pretty sure swords-and-more also only has these in stock now, except for stuff that isn't produced anymore (Kopis for example).
EDIT: There was a time from middle/end last year where you couldn't get many CS machetes anymore, now they are restocked and it's all the new chinese manufactured machetes. Just the product specs haven't been updated.
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Post by AndiTheBarvarian on May 9, 2024 9:12:51 GMT
Please post a link. I looked up knivesandtools and knivestock too, all CS are 1055 as always. Or did you order one of these and got one with new specs only printed on the product?
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Post by mrstabby on May 9, 2024 9:19:57 GMT
The specs have not updated anywhere. They say South Africa and 1055 but they are all China and 65Mn.
Except this one, it's still SA, but all others I got this month are Chinese.
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Post by mrstabby on May 9, 2024 19:04:48 GMT
Uff, Cold Steels 2mm blades really are wobbly (these new ones at least. More than twice as flexible than the 2mm 1075 on the 20" Tramontina, and I thought the Tramontina was flexible. The CS is really floppy in comparasion. It cuts well, but I REALLY can feel it when changing direction. Also the grip feels different than on the cutlass and likes to twist in my hand like crazy. The only real difference are 5HRC points. The steels are actually pretty close in all their basic data points, well the 65Mn actually scores a bit higher in many. I have no qualms sending it back since it is also quite warped. Probably the stamping process, not that the Tramontinas didn't have bends as well, but half the price and at least no twists.
The upper 2 are from knifestock, the lower is from knivesandtools. And a friend bought the Kuk+ from knifestock and it also was 65MN/3mm/china with a slight kink. You can identify the chinese ones from the logo as well.
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Post by izzy on May 10, 2024 11:44:15 GMT
I was talking to a knife maker a few days ago he mentioned There is a certain "memory" with steel off a coil, it's supposed to straighten with Tempering, but sometimes it needs physical straightening, and then there is warping in the HT itself.
It's a shame they went down to 2mm, I would still think about getting the 2.9/3mm Kukri, as that tip Picture does not look too bad to me. One would expect 65Mn ( true spring steel) to be more flexible, and should be thicker to compensate. Thank you for making the effort and letting us know about the issues.
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Post by mrstabby on May 10, 2024 12:53:55 GMT
The Latin machetes and Magnum Kukri always were 2mm. I am quite sure it's not that 65Mn is a spring steel, the 50HRC 1055 is equally as flexible as 50HRC 65Mn, almost 100% sure it's the hardness. The Kopis is just as flexible so I should have known, but with the Latin design it feels worse - more mass at the tip and thinner waist (the flex itself wouldn't be a problem if it didn't take a bend so easily, does not feel significantly tougher than the 1055). Unless they sell 1055 as 65Mn, but I believe it's a different steel. It feels different while grinding, puts up slightly more of a fight and definately throws more sparks. Of course, I could be wrong in the end The elastic modolus is pretty much the same for 1055, 1075 and 65Mn. I was able to straighten 2 but not the third, for 2 the bend was at the waist, easy fix, but on the Royal it's exactly at the widest part of the blade making it a real fight do to anything without destroying the finish, it's about 3mm off.
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Post by juardian on May 14, 2024 17:38:16 GMT
I've had the gladius machete, all terrain chopper, 2-handed katana machete, and tactical katana machete. Cold steel machetes are some of the most fun per dollar items I ever used especially as a teenager who just wanted to chop things. The gladius machete had a wicked point and I ended up giving it away as a gift. The all terrain chopper was owner by my friend many years ago and we chopped up old OSB, phone books, you name it. 2-handed katana machete was always awkward to use but it is fantastic for practicing sword throwing. Tactical katana machete is very fun and I made a video on how I customized mine. Basically rasped off the handle, made a saya, and completely reground the edge to cut better.
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