KA1248-BRK Machete Cutlass

I bought the Ka-Bar Cutlass Machete a couple months ago and have been delighted with it.The carbon steel blade is easy to sharpen, takes a great edge, and holds the edge well.One important use for me is working inside our hedges. A long machete just won't work there as I cannot get a long enough swing to cut anything. The Ka-Bar is just right: short enough to swing well, heavy enough to develop some momentum. It easily cuts branches and stems over inch thick with one stroke, and easily handles bigger than that- it just takes more swings. It's also a real good size for camping when you don't want the burden of something bigger.It feels good in my hand, and the hook at the end of the grip helps a lot for retention.The sheath has gotten some negative comments. While I would prefer it was all synthetic to resist mold here in Hawaii (no problem with that yet tho), I use the sheath mainly for storage and have no real gripe with it.I have two other short machetes which I liked a lot, both traditional hand made Philippine pieces. One, hand forged from what I suspect was a leaf spring from a vehicle, with buffalo horn grips was a favorite until I got the Ka-Bar. The Ka-Bar has more mass for better chopping.When I am finished for the day, I clean the blade, sharpen it, and oil it before putting it away. Treat good tools well and they will treat you well for a long time. I expect this one will.UPDATE: We are just back from several days at a campground on the North Shore of Oahu. I used the Ka-Bar Cutlass Machete for splitting ironwood/Australian Pine (Casuarina)logs up to 5 inches thick into kindling, and it worked fine.The technique is simple: wearing heavy gloves, lay the blade on the middle of the end of an upright log (that is, bisect it so you get two roughly even sized pieces), letting the tip end of the blade project several inches beyond the log. Whack the top of the blade with another piece of wood to set the blade into the log, then, holding the machete handle firmly, keep hitting the projecting part of the blade until you have split the log. Repeat until you have pieces appropriate for kindling. Don't hit it like you are trying to kill an attacking T.Rex, just firmly.Do bisect the log: if you try to cut a quarter off, the blade may veer out of the side of the log, and hit your leg. Self-amputation is widely regarded as exciting, but considered bad form. And yes, do wear shoes while doing your wood splitting. Your toes are attached for a reason. Keep them that way.UPDATE II (February 2013): I have now used it on a camping trip on the Salmon River in Idaho, camping again on the north shore of Oahu, and cutting bamboo for a couple hours in the mountains above Honolulu, as well as routine yard work. I am still delighted with it. I generally sharpen with a diamond sharpener it before each use, and spritz it with WD-40 before putting it away. On the Salmon River trip I used it to fell dead Ponderosa pine up to about 5 inches, to trim off the branches, and to baton the logs for kindling. Camp on north shore: split ironwood again for firewood. Bamboo: I helped remove invading bamboo from around a radio transmitter station/tower. Most of the bamboo was 1" to 2" diameter, so not the big stuff. It worked like a dream, and after two hours was still quite sharp. Green bamboo, by the way, is softer and easier to cut than dry (brown) bamboo.So far the sheath is holding up fine. I have not experienced the problems several others have reported, but I use it more for storage than hard use on my belt.If you'd like a video showing how to baton firewood, just go to YouTube and plug in "baton firewood". There are a number of videos, some by people who look like they have never done it before, but you'll get the idea. Just remember to keep splitting the log in half, not shaving a skinny piece off the log. Also: Keep a firm grip on the handle when you hit the blade. You do NOT want this thing flipping out of the log and hitting anyone.

As much as I hate to use the old adage "A jack of all trades, but a master of none" when talking about tools, it applies so perfectly here with Ka-Bar's.. large knife..small machete.. camp axe.. boarding weapon.. whatever you want it to be. Usually, when I hear people apply the term to a knife or tool, it's with a scornful tone. In the case of the cutlass, I say it with endearment. As an avid backpacker and trailblazer, I want to share my thoughts on why I have deemed this as my most trusted and worthwhile tool: a blade which I keep on my belt at all times when on extended stays outdoors. To anyone who values traveling lightly, this is a ~20 oz (with sheath) multi tool you will never regret having in your pack or on your leg.However, do not be mistaken: an ideal set up when venturing in the wilderness ALWAYS dictates, at the very least, a small to medium sized knife, and a larger tool blade such as a machete or axe. All of which depend on your location and goals. Relying only on one blade for everything is risky.Which brings me to my first point; the absolute uniqueness of the cutlass's design and functionality. It's pretty hard to categorize this beaut but in the most objective of observations I think it is best described as a large knife. Many people list the blade thickness at 1/8", but with a ruler at the base of the spine it clocks in at just under 3/16 of an inch: a length much thicker than traditional brush machetes (as a reference point my Ontario 18 is in the 1/16 - 3/32" range and that is considered a rather stout machete for its size). It's very forward heavy with the large belled blade and, overall, is surprisingly heavy for its size at around 16 oz. This design is overtly made for massive chopping action very similar to a hatchet or small axe. And when you take your first few swings with it, you'll feel like you're, in fact, wielding a hatchet. Much like the increasingly popular kukri design, it chops with as much gravity as it does technique. When properly wielded and maintained, it cut through small to medium diameter wood of all types like butter. In fact, in my experience it has performed just as well if not better than any hatchet I own.Unfortunately, the cutlass will still get outclassed in chopping by a good cruiser or hand axe and even extremely robust blades like the Cold Steel Gurkha Kukri.Regardless, refer back to that "machete" label in the product description because when put to the brush and briar, the cutlass can perform in league with full sized machetes. 11" (I admittedly think I'd prefer it at 12 inches) is just enough surface area on a blade to get good horizontal momentum and connection, that it can clear trails with the best of them. This style of blade was favored by sailors due to the ease with which it could cut through thick nautical cordage on ships.Perhaps the icing on the cake is the fact the cutlass is still just small enough to do finer work with the back half of the blade. It may be more clumsy and time consuming than a proper bushcraft or wood working knife, but it can be done much easier than with an axe or full sized machete. I can think of numerous occasions in the Sierra Nevedas where the workload was light and it was the only blade I used all day. From proportioning firewood to chopping up a few vegetables, everything was achieved at zero inconvenience.If forced to take only one blade into catastrophe and the unknown, my cutlass would be at my side. Though I'd much rather have a Gransfors Bruks axe next to my wood pile, an Ontario 18 in the swamps of Georgia or the jungles of the Amazon, and any Mora on my belt with fresh game or fish, I could carry my cutlass with confidence knowing I could use it for any of the above tasks. It is my permanent companion on extended stays in nature and provides a psychological comfort on par with a firearm or fire starter.Buy it with confidence and trust it with your life. It's a tool that will last generations with the proper care.As a side note:To make it a true jack-of-all-trades knife, I recommend the factory hollow grind (which, admittedly, is an odd choice of grind for a knife like this) be replaced by a more consistent convex angle on the bell, and 2 - 2 1/2" of a scandi grind near the rear for finer work. This is a relatively common modification made to machetes to give them more versatility. The hollow grind did work fine for me, though. The 1085 steel is easy to sharpen on a hollow grind and still retains the edge decently. Just be careful as it is more delicate than convex on a tool made to be used and abused such as this.Also, the sheath is only just decent. The leather and cordura will not hold up to repeated exposure, especially if you live in wet areas. I was able to get quite a bit of mileage out of mine before it was completely unusable. If you plan on using this blade extensively, I recommend investing in constructing your own kydex sheath. It can be done cheaply with minimal tools. Check out some tutorials online.