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

Perfect quality & beautiful blade!

Well balanced and sharp

(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.

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.

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.

I sent the first one back because the hilt had gouge marks form the grinder. It was very sharp however, it cut paper easily. The one I have now has very good fit and finish, but can barely cut paper. This is OK for a machete. It is light, 1lb 11oz, with a point of balance 3" from the hilt. So it is not tiring to use. It is full tang, and has a very solid plastic moulded hilt. So there is nothing to go wrong. The black paint will keep most of the rust away. It would work OK as a machete, although a more traditional design would be better for yard work. As a practical sword, it would work very well for indoor work, especially with a shield. The point speaks for itself. The sheath is also sturdy and serviceable. At the price point it is an excellent sturdy sword-like thing. I also have the Chinese sword machete which is as choppy as the Gladius is stabby. So this would be an excellent choice for anyone low on swords on a budget.

Kenne den Gladius von Cold Steel seit 2011 und hatte schon lange vor , diese Machete zu kaufen. Endlich im jahr 2016- ist es soweit. Die verpackung macht schon einen qualitativ hochwertigen eindruck, die Gladius Machete ist luft und wasserdicht -> 'n durchsichtigem Hartplastik - eingeschweisst. Nach dem Auspacken, wurde ich nicht enttaeuscht , es ist eine sehr respekteinflössende Waffe . Die Verarbeitung ist gut, und es kommt schon ab werk ziemlich scharf geschliffen beim Kauefer an.Material ist KarbonStahl,welcher schwarz lackiert wurde. Der Gladius liegt ausgewogen in der Hand,laesst sich gut schwingen, die Balance stimmt.Die Scheide,die mitgeliefert wird, besteht aus einem stabilem Cordura-Plastik Mix, welches mit robusten stahl Nieten fixiert wurde--> scheint ziemlich haltbar zu sein.Ein kleiner kritikpunkt ist, das der griff,der aus dem plastikmaterial Polypropylene besteht ein wenig zu rutschig ist, das problem könnte man leicht beheben indem man den griff mit einer lage schwarzem tennisband umwickelt.. ich habe dafür inklusive versand knapp unter 48€ bezahlt. Cold Steel bürgt definitiv für Qualitaet,ich wurde von dieser Firma noch nie enttauscht, kann ich jedem Sammler und Messer & Schwert Fan nur empfehlen. Für den Preis kann man nix falsch machen .

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.