Okapi Knife and Tool KO65141 Reliance Machete with Plastic Handle, 14"

Got it recently. Good looking machete with a black coating. Was not sharpened and had a lot of unsharpened areas! Had to spend a good amount of time with my metal grinder and my file to get it sharpened. Works good after sharpened and I will see how it holds up.

I have worked on it but not sharpened and put to use yet. I have used the similar 16 inch slim and expect quality to be the same on this one. Weight is 12.2 oz. for the 14in vs. 12 oz for the 16in slim. Essentially same weight, difference is in packability.Traditional 2mm blade thinness, no distal grind. Low price occasionally ($9-12 for some reason, other times it's $14-15), although by the time you add a sheath, the apparent value isn't so compelling. For that reason, a wood handled Tramontina with a sheath is a much better value, and closer to finished from the factory. Reasons to buy this one? 1) You want a composite non riveted handle, and don't mind buying or making a sheath. 2) You find the stamp on the blade made in South Africa with a cool little animal appealing. 3) You are a machete, ahem ... enthusiast/nut.Another option, more expensive but should arrive finished and with a great sheath, is the Condor Eco Light El Salvador 14 inch. One of the few Condors that I think is a reasonably good value. If only the similar budget Imacasas were easier to find... By the time you add a sheath to this you're looking at $25 or $30, and still have to smooth the handle and sharpen the blade. Something to consider.Lanyard hole isn't well located, but not a big deal. Blade sweeps back more than I'd like, especially when so many extol kukris. Orange is a good hi viz color for the handle. From the factory, the handle is a pretty good shape for small hands. For larger hands you can easily work on it with a rasp or dremel. The handle has a raised pad as pictured, but there is no Okapi stamp on the handle. Probably good 'cause you'll want to grind off the pad to match the oval. The factory "sharpening" grinds are lousy. but you can work it with a file. If you decide to take the paint off, the steel is a bit harder to patina - rusts more easily than others. Maybe leaving the finish as is would be smarter with this one.