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

It came sharp. despite my fears due to other reviews, the gladius is sharp, clean, and required nothing more than some light deburring with a knife sharpener to make it an extremely lethal, battle ready, one-handed, short sword. I love the weight, feel, and grip. Awesome sword for a great price, very sturdy. It's overall length is equal to my katana, so it's a bit longer than I expected ( that's a good thing) I thought it was going to be another hatchet grade long knife, but it's so much more! Pair it with a targon shield from cold steel for defense and you're set in that department lol

History buffs might recall the short swords issued to 19th century artillerymen for the purposes of helping to clear brush and use as a last-ditch weapon. Many of those short-swords were, like this, based off of the antique Roman gladius. Cold Steel's interpretation of this weapon bears resemblance to a short Mainz-style gladius from around the time of Christ, as well as the later incarnation from the time of America's Civil War. As an old artilleryman, I like that. The scabbard is sturdy nylon reinforced with rivets and plastic, and it's rigid enough to work well. This gladius, like most other machetes, is not an urban breaching tool so get that thought out of your mind if that's something you're contemplating. It slices, cuts, and stabs through most animal and vegetable material something fierce, but it was clearly never meant to be used as a prybar or to smash metal hardware, and you'll damage it if you try to use it like that. That said, this is a wicked blade that can clear brush as well as most South American style machetes, and would probably be very effective for discouraging unfriendly locals if discretion was required or in the absence of authorization to use your rifle. Obviously, when doing heavy chopping through wood, you're not going to want to use the needle-like tip. If Cold Steel's design has a fault, it's the severe point that they've ground on this weapon. A more gradual taper would have made the tip sturdier. But when stabbing someone, the tip they gave this weapon would make it very deadly even through thick clothing. The balance on this sword is closer to the hilt than it is on most machetes, resulting in a weapon that is balanced more like a traditional short sword and is livelier in the hand than most machetes that were made simply for clearing brush. This is a fighting tool. Some people have made a big deal about Cold Steel calling this a "machete" when it is clearly intended for use as a short sword. My understanding of this practice is that they are attempting to differentiate their inexpensive, no-nonsense, everyday use product line from their pricier "swords", which are functional as well as pretty and shiny enough to display on your wall. That said, I'm not privy to any information that anyone else isn't. If you're looking for something to decorate your house with, look elsewhere. This is an ugly tool intended for brutal work, and it is a time-proven design that has been inflicting horrific results in close combat for over 2,000 years. There's a very good reason that this pattern is still around after so long: it works. If you're looking for a sword that wouldn't look ridiculous in a 21st century military setting and you're authorized to carry things like this, give it a thought. I would totally have carried this along with my pipe-tomahawk back when I was in the military.

...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.

A+ first item. As a machete it is functional, as a stabbing weapon it is brutal. I got it as a curio and had my doubts with the shape but has done well with use so far. Dulled it a few times and its good to go with a few minutes on the grinder. I have been watching the tip since that's where I figured it would bend first but solid so far. If it does its a machete..heat, beat, sharpen, and paint it. If you want a sword of this type that can take abuse, is easy to sharpen, and you can afford to beat up I would go this route. I carry it with me hunting as a machete\boar saber and buying another for when I finally wear this one out. My second arrived with part of the tip bent. Easy fix. There was no edge on the blade to speak of over an inch long. A longer fix. This item is really cool but you may have to fix and finish it as I have.

I will start by saying this thing sucks as a machete. The fine tip and thick blade to don't bide well for cutting trees. Where this weapon shines is thrusting/stabbing. After I removed the sticker with a hair dryer. Hold over sticker to warm glue and it peaks right off. Remove residue with a towel soap and water. And if you are like me your weapon came with a crappy factory edge. I recommend everyone going to your local harbour freight and picking up a 1x30 belt sander. There are plenty of videos on YouTube to help you learn. In fact go to dollar store and pick up some test knives. As for belts they are here on Amazon at a good price. 220,600,leather strop you can achieve insanely sharp edge. With that said once I sharpened my gladius. I performed a paper test and shaved hair off my arm with no pulling or grabbing. I then make some ballistic gelatin and put some deer rib bones in it. With little to no effort it cut thru gelatin and bone. Being a butcher I have access to hog carcasses. And like in the cold steel videos chopped right thru one an inch below the eyes. Back handed as well so not a full power blow. After this I examined the edge still sharp but not as sharp as it was. 1050 carbon steel has middle of the road edge retention. But remember you have another edge. So in the start of my review I mentioned it was a crappy machete. But clearly this not a machete but a short sword. If you want a machete buy a cold steel Latin machete. If you want a cheap functioning sword buy this. More than capable of providing protection against bipedal or quadpedal attackers.

This is my first Cold Steel product I have purchased. I was BLOWED AWAY by the look of this monster! This thing maybe called a machete but this is no machete. This is a short sword!! The 1055 carbon steel blade is what I have heard to be a tough steel that can take impacts and holds its edge well. On top of that it's tough steel the blade is thicker than I have expected. I have never seen any edged weapon with a blade this thick! This thing is built like a tank. When it came it had some rough burrs on the blade,but after using a wet stone I smoothed them out. The handle is pretty good and can get a good grip on it. I wrapped mine in paracord. I also made a sling for it so now I can carry it on my back! I must warn you. The very tip is thin and would avoid using this tip to chop down trees or bushes or what not. Not that the tip is not strong,but its not designed to be whacked on trees,rocks or vegetation like that. This thing is not designed to be used as a machete. It is made to kill. Its tip and its double edge proves that this is a weapon and the wielder is not just trimming his bushes with it. I dont see this as a garden machete. I see this a defensive weapon. I see this as the thing you reach for when you know someone broke into your house. I have this sword by my bedside at night for this very reason! Its an awesome defense weapon! Its tip looks like it will go through a man if you wanted it too. Its light and easy to control,that makes this sword deadly. As I states earlier. This is a weapon. You can use it as a machete if you want too. But I would be careful with the tip when cutting down tree branches. And also keep in mind that when your going at it at that tree remember that you have a second,equally sharp blade facing you at all times. It will do a great job as a garden machete don't get me wrong,but its designed to be a weapon meant to kill. The primary purpose of this thing is being a weapon in my opinion, but thats just me. Overall a great sword and definitely worth buying!

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.