Cold Steel 97MKM Magnum Kukri Machete - Perfectly Balanced for Maximum Cutting Power

K. Nelson: Maybe lucky, but apart from being not that sharp, this machete has been abused and abused and keeps cutting great. Just the right weight too. I can’t believe it hasn’t bent or broken as every other machete I’ve owned has. I’m buying another to ensure I always have one handy for clearing brush and branches.

United States on Oct 30, 2023

Chris McDonell: I was fairly disappointed. The metal was rough, burrs everywhere on the edge rough. The blade was ground on each side, but with vastly different angles, I’ve spent almost 8 hrs with wet stones trying to “rebuild” the edge by hand, and thus far, it’s ok. It’s functional, but the edge is still embarrassingly bad even with the work put in to fix it. It’s become a project of its own just to try and get a proper edge on each side. I like it, the Kopis like design is superb, but the craftsmanship is beyond poor.

To top it off, the sheath it came with, isn’t very strong, certainly won’t last even occasional use, and the design of the sheath doesn’t allow for quick access, or single handed access, you’re gonna want to dismount it from your pack and take it out with both hands. I would find a better higher quality machete, and I say that sadly as I generally think cold steel delivers in the rugged and I’ll last category, not this time.

Canada on Dec 09, 2021

jordan: So i'v had a couple of machete's over time and i got a pretty gimpy wrist and its nice to see that the blade doesn't deform after the first or second swing, basically its the only blade i currently own that can outlast my gimp wrists cuts thru brush no problem, sheath is cheap but does what its supposed to would recommend sharpening this with a file as those axesharpeners dont give you enough of an angle to get a nice sharp edge.

Canada on Sep 07, 2020

Paul: RECOMMENDATIONS------------------------------
-hand resharpen the edge using a chainsaw file, i find it gives the best chopping results
-Overcoat the finish with liquid electrical tape for better waterproofing and rust protection.

Pro's--------------------------------------------------------
-Price
-Durability of the steel is amazing (mine got stuck in a tree knot and the blade was bent at roughly 30 degrees and when it came ouyt the blade was perfectly okay)
-Sheath is surprisingly comfortable (over a 11day trip i had it rubbing against my leg almost constantly and i never noticed it
-Handle is does a good job of keeping your hand in place when choping(as usual, use gloves if you're going to be using it in hot climates or for more than 3 hours because of hot spots on very end of the handle)
-Blade retention is fantastic(- mashed 5cm of the blade on a rock and i used the same rock to re-roll and sharpen the edge because the edge damage was so minor)

Con's-----------------------------------------------------
-It rusts very quickly
-Coating is rubbish, it comes off very quick
-Belt attachment is okay(it is a simple belt loop)

Canada on Apr 18, 2016

Nic: I bought this to clear some brush, and boy did it deliver! Once sharpened, it just wanted to swing through bushes and small trees like a hot knife through butter, and the edge stayed sharp even after hours of hard service (apart from a couple of dings from stupidly hitting rocks, but those came out). The weight-forward kukri design works very well, producing a much stronger impact for a given swinging force.

It did come with a dull edge, more appropriate for breaking than cutting, but it only took a few minutes with a file to get a serviceable edge and a few minutes more with sharpening stones to get it wickedly sharp.

Other reviews mention a difficult-to-remove sticker on the blade, but mine had no such sticker, so it seems Cold Steel has wisely listened to that piece of feedback.

Bear in mind, this is not a top-of the line showpiece; it's a tool that is meant to be used, and it's a truly excellent one for the price once you put a bit of work into finishing the edge to your liking.

Canada on Aug 02, 2015

Amir E: Pros:

1055 Carbon steel makes for one heck of a tough tool.
Balance seems to be good
Handle is comfortable enough.. but I recommend gloves for heavy usage.
Did not come with sticker..
Paracord hole is handy..
I am extremely impressed with the sheath.. very high quality for the price.

Cons:

Black coating does NOT prevent rust from what I've seen (I saw some rust on the edge of the coated blade).
Black coating is uneven and I had to use some steel wool to even it out.
Blade tip had a strange bulge at the end.. I had to sand it out with a stone.
Blade itself is extremely dull.. I passed over it over a dozen times with a carbide sharpener without the blade being sharpened..

I then spent another few hours trying to get the darn thing sharp by hand with some stones and even a waterstone.. Could only get it so-so sharp..

I'd recommend using a belt sander if you want to sharpen this without wasting hours on it.

The edge is NOT convex.. which is disappointing for a tool like this. You'll have to retool the edge if you want this blade to stay sharp for long periods of time.

Notes:

Would probably be better just...

Canada on Jul 02, 2015

W. R. Russell Jr.: For the past 15 years, I've had the bittersweet fortune to get more time behind machetes than most folks. I live on a large park property that's got tons of palmettos and scrub oaks and general overgrowth. The marsh and water views are spectacular, but only if you keep things thinned and trimmed...and something always needs trimming. That's where the machetes come in...and my love/hate relationship with them.

I used to think one machete was as good as another...no more. Living in Florida, all I ever saw were latin machetes and so that's what I used...and the best one was the 18" one I got from Harbor Freight a few years back for about $5. It has decent steel and an OK grip...or so I thought until now.

Accidently while shopping for a knife on Amazon, I saw all the killer reviews on the CS Magnum Kukri machete and knowing that a particular clearing job was due again, decided to see if it was all that up against my current 'keeper'. It was and more and here's why:

I divided up the current job into halves and last week used the HF latin machete on the first half and finished the chopping and clearing in about 3 and a half hours...and I was whipped. I started the...

United States on May 31, 2011

A. Thomas: My dog apparently ordered this for me with a "One Button Click" when he jumped up onto my lap/notebook. I was surprised to find the delivery the next morning on my doorstep, but I figured perhaps my mutt had a premonition regarding an impending zombie attack and I sure would have been kicking myself if I had returned this great anti-zombie tool just before "dawn of the dead" broke out.

My first impression when I picked this up was that it was well balanced and a nice weight; not to heavly, not too light. I was surprised that the rather ugly looking handle was a very good design in use: it sticks well in the hand but it's not sticky, it works well with gloves on or off and it has an lanyard hole that is large enough to use 1/2" tubular webbing as a lanyard, which is a far better solution then 550-cord for the size and potential force generated by this Kukri. Not having held one of this for a decade or more, I had forgotten what a fantastic anti-personal weapon these would make. The reach and the cleaving capability would provide a significant advantage against any zombie armed with a lessor blade.

The blade is not all that thick, and perhaps could use another 1/16th...

United States on Jul 03, 2010