Cold Steel 97LBM Bolo Machete without sheath Fixed Blade

Quite happy with this machete. Use it regularly clearing brush from a wood lot so my elderly father has an easier job of getting in there to cut down trees with his chain saw. I spent about 5 minutes using a file to de-burr the edge of the machete when I first received it but that's about it. The machete slices right through saplings that are as big around as my thumb with only a moderate effort behind the swings. There has been no damage to the cutting edge of the machete(or any other part of it) and I haven't had to re-file the edge since the first time. Very impressed with this cheap but very effective product. I bought the machete originally to use while camping since I thought it would be a better "all around" tool than a hatchet and I'm very happy to discover that I was right. This machete is far more versatile than a camp hatchet ever would be. It will chop up(or down) anything that a camp hatchet would AND clear a path through thick underbrush(which you couldn't do very efficiently with a hatchet). From what Ive read in the reviews for different machetes is you have to be careful about just which brand you buy. Some brands(like Gerber apparently) have welded on handles instead of a full, solid tang and use metal for the blades which is too brittle, making chipped cutting edges and even broken blades quite common. Other brands use metal that is too soft which ends up causing blades and cutting edges which warp and bend very easily. Cold Steel apparently knows exactly the right way to temper metal for machete making and as far as I'm concerned, it shows in the hardiness of my own Cold Steel Machete. The coolest thing about the entire situation is that Cold Steel machete's are among the most reasonably priced machetes out of all of them out there. Kinda sucks that they don't come with sheaths though.

This has good weight with a nice balance,very easy to use and very versatile. The blackberries had grown about 6' high in an open field and I was easily able to clear it down to the dirt. This also takes out 1 1/2" maple branches in a single swipe with 2 hands. 3"branches takes a few cuts. I keep it sharp with just a 4" angle grinder. It may seem heavy for a machete but it's a lot easier to carry this up a ladder than most power tools and can do a lot of light duty work,quickly. The soil is extremely rocky and it does ding the edge but,like I said,it's an easy fix. Excellent tool and got 2 friends to get these for yard work,they like it too!

I grew up in a rainy valley on the windward side of Oahu, Hawaii. Out there, we mainly used 2 kinds of machetes - cane knives and bolos. Both have heritages in Hawaii that can traced back to the sugar cane industry (cane knives) as well as Filipino immigration (bolos). I am comfortable and happy with both having used them for the tasks each were designed for. Given this, I’ve developed a strong affinity to these machete types and am not nearly as comfortable using Latin machetes that are most commonly found on the market in the US. I already had a Brazilian Tramontina cane knife and a South African Cold Steel Heavy Machete (in a cane knife format), so wanted to round out my quiver with a bolo machete as well. I really like my Cold steel heavy chopper so ordered a Cold Steel bolo I found on sale on Amazon. Upon arrival, I was pleasantly surprised to find a very serviceable sheath included despite the description making clear one is not included - super bonus! Pros: Perfect length for a bolo (18” blade); I love the forward balance of the power-inducing tip bulge; a good blend of toughness and hardness from the properly heat treated 1055 carbon steel; durable handle material with ergonomic shape for multiple hand sizes; and I like the semi-rigidity but somewhat lightness of the 2mm thickness for a long blade that is meant for all day work. Cons: Arrived with a painted over edge that was practically non-existent requiring 1hr+ with a bastard file and ax sharper to get a proper edge; and a handle texture that is oddly slippery but rough at the same time needing an overwrap of some sort (I used a bicycle inner tube). Once I had the bolo set up to my liking, including a lanyard, I tested it out. It was pretty good cutting up a hard, dead, dried out lemon tree (held an edge and didn’t roll or chip), but not as good as my heavy chopper (no surprise there). However, this bolo tore into grass, reeds and light shrubbery like freakin’ demon, totally awesome!!! My super light Tramotina is good for all day light duty work, but the bolo is not bad for long periods either and can take out a much wider range of foliage with no problem. All and all, I really love this bolo and it takes me back to clearing patches of jungle for flower beds as a kid in Hawaii. Despite some finishing and edge issues out of the box, it’s a really good bolo design and I highly recommend it if you are willing to put a little work into it. Chop, chop, chop!

Classic bolo, 2.8mm thick blade need filing to finish edge.. Because that's how things are so you need to know this, machetes never come sharp, you have to sharpen them, if you don't know then you should not have one? then razor-esque, great handle, seemingly average poly but better..great checkering, solid.... Especially with gloves. Tail step with lanyard hole, blunt tip, a modern great version of the one we all love, classic design done in cold steel exceptional manner!

Nice Quality Machete, but the "Cold Steel 97LBMS 18" Bolo Machete with Sheath, Black" does not come with a sheath as advertised, just a thin paper sleeve covering the blade. I would have bought it from someplace else had I known I have to purchase a sheath also, Very disappointed.

Came faster than expected. It came sharpened, so no need to use the buy the file I had bought. The handle sucks really bad. Machetes are not made to use the gloves since they can fly away from your hand and cut others, or yourself. The plastic handle with little grooves is a hand killer. I would have been a deal breaker if I would have know. I would figure out something.

This machete is great for the price. The blade is thick enough to cut through any brush and small trees. Even when whacked against the side of a bigger tree the blade was fine. The handle is the only downside, it’s just some simple plastic. I plan to make my own scales to add to it and have a great machete.

This is a terrible tool. The handle is aggressively textured, and forbids use without gloves. Even with gloves, it wears them out quickly. The steel is far too soft, I'm not sure if it's not hardened of if it's just bad steel. The edge rolls quickly on even the lightest use, and with moderate use the edge looks like summer teeth. It quickly becomes as effective to cut with the back of the blade as the front. This machete has no valid purpose other than to make a bad name for cold steel. The Ontario is just a few dollars more, but light years better.

Excelente su diseño, al tener la parte más ancha de en su extremo de la hoja ejerces menos fuerza. Nunca perdió su filo mientras la use, tampoco se mello o dobló. No trae funda, más eso lo especifica en la publicación. Excelente machete para su precio.

Un excelente producto de Cold Steel. Original de Suráfrica. Su funda de nylon muy resistente y la herramienta de buen grosor.

Excelente material, tiene muy buen agarre

Material resistente

You are getting a pretty darn good machete for a pretty decent price holds an edge quite well and very comfortable in the hand. The no sheath aspect of things is no problem gives a person an opportunity to make one of their own to their own likings.