Cold Steel Machetes ; 12'' Barong & 18'' Bowie
Jan 12, 2010 21:32:56 GMT
Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2010 21:32:56 GMT
Cold Steel Machetes Review : the 12'' Barong and the 18'' Bowie
Review by Sébastien ''Sebastian'' Bilodeau, from Montréal, Quebec, Canada
*Both of these machetes are discontinued, but still available on many websites. They are also very similar to Cold Steel machetes that are still produced and sold.*
Lack of cash, beeing short of money is one the lame things in life. Especially these days, after a recession and the holidays ; jobs are harder to get, bankruptc...bankrout.....getting overrun by debts has become common, ect... On the bright side, if you are a bankrupc...whatever lawyer, business must be good right now...
Luckily, there are a few hobbies that can relieve one of his/her frustrations, which includes... backyard cutting !
(I may add that cutting when angry can be a good way to fumble cuts and may increase the risk of tearing off someone's limb .... The latter may be a legally bad thing but a good event if you dislike your bankrupc... lawyer backyard cutting partner.... Just remember to not mention my review nor my name in court ...)
Besides beeing good for body, mind and soul, backyard cutting is a fine hobby to enjoy. Unfortunately, most functionnal blades that can be safely used (''safely used'', not considering human mistakes and bad form) cost at least 100 US $. But, thanks to Saint-Lynn C. Thompson infinite wisdom and subtle marketing, there is a solution ; the Cold Steel machetes !
Available for less than 30 US $, in many different sizes and shapes, these blades can easily be used for work, self-defense and backyard cutting. This review will describe the two machetes I bough from Cold Steel. I will try to give you a good idea of what to expect from these blades if you take the plunge with them ... Here goes ...
First Impressions
Now, let's start the serious part of this article ...
I wanted a cheap, simple backyard cutter. I quickly settled on the Cold Steel machetes and started shopping on www.knifecenter.com . I selected the 12'' Barong and the 18'' Bowie, beeing a fan of stab-and-chop blades like these. Both blades were sold for less than 20 US $ each. Shipping was quick and cheap, but came with a pleasant surprise; an extra 20 bucks to pay when the box arrived at my doorstep. It quickly turned into an opportunity to do one of the most mature and socially-acceptable thing; throwing a tantrum on an hapless FedEx employee (actually, I just payed the damn extra money...).
Both machetes were in a large box filled with white plastic flakes. They came in small Cold Steel plastic bags. Both blade were sharp and didn't need extra sharpening to cut bottles straight out of there box. Both came with a sheath, these are sturdy sheath with a loop for easy carrying and an easy-to-open safety clip.
Here are some numbers, taken from knifecenter site ;
12'' Barong
•Weight: 16.9 oz.
•Thickness: 2mm
•Handle: 5 5/8"
•Overall: 17 5/8"
•Sheath: Cordura (included)
•Handle: Polypropylene handle
18'' Bowie
•18" Model
Weight: 23.3 oz.
Thickness: 3mm
Handle: 5 5/8
Overall: 23 5/8"
Handle: Polypropylene
Nylon Sheath Included
Fittings
Both machetes have large blades, covered with a black substance, which is anti-rust, I imagine ... This substance doesn't reflect any light (which really helped me making quality pictures) and tends to slowly come off with use. This quickly shows a shiny secondary bevel on the edge and lighter-shaded lines where the blade has made harder cuts. (You may notice these things in my pictures, since these were taken after more than a few backyard cuttign sessions ...). Also, none of these blade has a second edge. The Bowie false-edge is a bit thinner than the rest of the back of the blade, but it would require some metal-shaving and lots of work to turn this false-edge in a functionnal, sharp edge.
The handles are made in Polypropylene, a black and hard plastic. These handles offer a strong, confortable grip, and also come with a hole, in case you want to insert a lanyard.
After multiple cutting sessions, I may add that the edges started to loose their sharpness. However, they were easily sharpened back with a sharpening stone. Someone once told me that these blades were made with a slightly softer steel, to make the blades more resilient (but loosing some edge-retention in the process). I believe that is true ; both machetes never chipped, after many, many cuts (including some fumbled cuts that struck wood and plastic cutting stands). Personnaly, I believe this resilience make these cutters very beginner-friendly and that the edge retention isn't a big let-down (mostly because the edge loss can be very quickly and easily repaired, and that I paid less than 100 $ for both blades and shipping).
Handling and cutting
The Barong feels like a quick and vicious weapon. Weighting around one pound and beeing a bit less than 20'' long, the blade feels light in hand and lively in the cut. Swings, cuts and jabs were fast and easily done. I think it would make a very effective combat knife (I may add I back this with my full real-combat experience, which amounts to some name-calling when I was a teen ...).
Althought the blade easily survived fumbled cuts and seems albe to take heavy punishment, its weight and short lenght makes me believe it may not be the best tool for the heaviest, hardest work you may have to do if you take it in the wilds. However, its size and weight makes it very easy to carry. Please take note that I have spent most of my life only a few minutes from an highway or subway station, so take my judgement with a pinch of salt.
The Bowie feels differently in hand. The extra lenght and weight makes it a bit less lively in hand, but this machete is still very easy to wield. The center of balance seems to be a bit toward the tip of the blade. Swings feel very strong for the lenght of the machete, and jabs feel quite forceful, too. A well-made swing can easily sever in two a 3.8L plastic bottle.
The long blade seems capable of doing hard, tough work. I would feel very safe carrying this weapon in the woods, I would feel even capable of taking on a bear (an experience I would likely not return from ...).
I have a few cutting videos starring these blades. You can follow this link ; /index.cgi?board=cutting&action=display&thread=12448.
You can also see me and a friend use these machetes in some clips from the 2009 Moyoushi.
Conclusion
Overall, I am very happy with these two blades. I think I've got lots of bang for very few bucks. I have used them many times and will use them again, that's for certain. If you don't (or can't) spend much money for a backyard cutter, I think you should seriously consider getting a Cold Steel machete.
Pros
-Cheap as dirt
-Tough as nails
-Comes with an useful sheath
-Can be good working tools
-Easy to sharpen
Cons
-Mediocre edge retention
-Not the prettiest backyard cutters around ...
-Scratch-prone coating on the blade
Review by Sébastien ''Sebastian'' Bilodeau, from Montréal, Quebec, Canada
*Both of these machetes are discontinued, but still available on many websites. They are also very similar to Cold Steel machetes that are still produced and sold.*
Lack of cash, beeing short of money is one the lame things in life. Especially these days, after a recession and the holidays ; jobs are harder to get, bankruptc...bankrout.....getting overrun by debts has become common, ect... On the bright side, if you are a bankrupc...whatever lawyer, business must be good right now...
Luckily, there are a few hobbies that can relieve one of his/her frustrations, which includes... backyard cutting !
(I may add that cutting when angry can be a good way to fumble cuts and may increase the risk of tearing off someone's limb .... The latter may be a legally bad thing but a good event if you dislike your bankrupc... lawyer backyard cutting partner.... Just remember to not mention my review nor my name in court ...)
Besides beeing good for body, mind and soul, backyard cutting is a fine hobby to enjoy. Unfortunately, most functionnal blades that can be safely used (''safely used'', not considering human mistakes and bad form) cost at least 100 US $. But, thanks to Saint-Lynn C. Thompson infinite wisdom and subtle marketing, there is a solution ; the Cold Steel machetes !
Available for less than 30 US $, in many different sizes and shapes, these blades can easily be used for work, self-defense and backyard cutting. This review will describe the two machetes I bough from Cold Steel. I will try to give you a good idea of what to expect from these blades if you take the plunge with them ... Here goes ...
First Impressions
Now, let's start the serious part of this article ...
I wanted a cheap, simple backyard cutter. I quickly settled on the Cold Steel machetes and started shopping on www.knifecenter.com . I selected the 12'' Barong and the 18'' Bowie, beeing a fan of stab-and-chop blades like these. Both blades were sold for less than 20 US $ each. Shipping was quick and cheap, but came with a pleasant surprise; an extra 20 bucks to pay when the box arrived at my doorstep. It quickly turned into an opportunity to do one of the most mature and socially-acceptable thing; throwing a tantrum on an hapless FedEx employee (actually, I just payed the damn extra money...).
Both machetes were in a large box filled with white plastic flakes. They came in small Cold Steel plastic bags. Both blade were sharp and didn't need extra sharpening to cut bottles straight out of there box. Both came with a sheath, these are sturdy sheath with a loop for easy carrying and an easy-to-open safety clip.
Here are some numbers, taken from knifecenter site ;
12'' Barong
•Weight: 16.9 oz.
•Thickness: 2mm
•Handle: 5 5/8"
•Overall: 17 5/8"
•Sheath: Cordura (included)
•Handle: Polypropylene handle
18'' Bowie
•18" Model
Weight: 23.3 oz.
Thickness: 3mm
Handle: 5 5/8
Overall: 23 5/8"
Handle: Polypropylene
Nylon Sheath Included
Fittings
Both machetes have large blades, covered with a black substance, which is anti-rust, I imagine ... This substance doesn't reflect any light (which really helped me making quality pictures) and tends to slowly come off with use. This quickly shows a shiny secondary bevel on the edge and lighter-shaded lines where the blade has made harder cuts. (You may notice these things in my pictures, since these were taken after more than a few backyard cuttign sessions ...). Also, none of these blade has a second edge. The Bowie false-edge is a bit thinner than the rest of the back of the blade, but it would require some metal-shaving and lots of work to turn this false-edge in a functionnal, sharp edge.
The handles are made in Polypropylene, a black and hard plastic. These handles offer a strong, confortable grip, and also come with a hole, in case you want to insert a lanyard.
After multiple cutting sessions, I may add that the edges started to loose their sharpness. However, they were easily sharpened back with a sharpening stone. Someone once told me that these blades were made with a slightly softer steel, to make the blades more resilient (but loosing some edge-retention in the process). I believe that is true ; both machetes never chipped, after many, many cuts (including some fumbled cuts that struck wood and plastic cutting stands). Personnaly, I believe this resilience make these cutters very beginner-friendly and that the edge retention isn't a big let-down (mostly because the edge loss can be very quickly and easily repaired, and that I paid less than 100 $ for both blades and shipping).
Handling and cutting
The Barong feels like a quick and vicious weapon. Weighting around one pound and beeing a bit less than 20'' long, the blade feels light in hand and lively in the cut. Swings, cuts and jabs were fast and easily done. I think it would make a very effective combat knife (I may add I back this with my full real-combat experience, which amounts to some name-calling when I was a teen ...).
Althought the blade easily survived fumbled cuts and seems albe to take heavy punishment, its weight and short lenght makes me believe it may not be the best tool for the heaviest, hardest work you may have to do if you take it in the wilds. However, its size and weight makes it very easy to carry. Please take note that I have spent most of my life only a few minutes from an highway or subway station, so take my judgement with a pinch of salt.
The Bowie feels differently in hand. The extra lenght and weight makes it a bit less lively in hand, but this machete is still very easy to wield. The center of balance seems to be a bit toward the tip of the blade. Swings feel very strong for the lenght of the machete, and jabs feel quite forceful, too. A well-made swing can easily sever in two a 3.8L plastic bottle.
The long blade seems capable of doing hard, tough work. I would feel very safe carrying this weapon in the woods, I would feel even capable of taking on a bear (an experience I would likely not return from ...).
I have a few cutting videos starring these blades. You can follow this link ; /index.cgi?board=cutting&action=display&thread=12448.
You can also see me and a friend use these machetes in some clips from the 2009 Moyoushi.
Conclusion
Overall, I am very happy with these two blades. I think I've got lots of bang for very few bucks. I have used them many times and will use them again, that's for certain. If you don't (or can't) spend much money for a backyard cutter, I think you should seriously consider getting a Cold Steel machete.
Pros
-Cheap as dirt
-Tough as nails
-Comes with an useful sheath
-Can be good working tools
-Easy to sharpen
Cons
-Mediocre edge retention
-Not the prettiest backyard cutters around ...
-Scratch-prone coating on the blade