REVIEW: Cold Steel Kukri Machete

Those awaiting the next zombie hunt or looking to navigate through a jungle will not be able to do without a powerful tool: the Kukri knife. Cold Steel, known for its often somewhat unusual knives, has it in its product line. SPARTANAT has tested it for you.

Kukri knives (also called Khukuri's) have a long history in the military service of Nepal and India. They are also becoming increasingly popular in the survival and preparedness scene. Why? Firstly, they are very robustly built, secondly, very top-heavy. The latter, in contrast to knives, gives us the advantage with machetes that much more striking energy can be obtained (which is probably not bad for zombies either). With it, one can almost cut through a tree trunk as quickly as with a similarly heavy axe. However, the biggest advantage of the machete is its versatility. It can be used for striking, chopping, hammering, leveraging, cutting, working through underbrush, and much more.

The Cold Steel Kukri is made of 1055 carbon steel. A material often used in swords and machetes. It is a particularly tough, durable steel that is not easily defeated. The sharpness when unpacking is poor. Of course, a machete does not need to be as sharp as a knife, but a little more could have been done. With the sharpening stone, the issue is resolved after 5 minutes, even with a blade length of 33 centimeters.

The handle is made of polypropylene plastic, which will last longer on this earth than we will. The Kukri appears indestructible, and this opinion has not changed after initial outdoor use. Its herringbone pattern is very non-slip and easy to grip even with gloves. There are certainly more comfortable handles, as it is not very shock-absorbent and you really feel every strike. But you are working with gloves anyway... A loop at the end gives the option to attach a cord - as a wrist strap.

The included Cordura sheath is very robust, coated inside with plastic and also black. Unfortunately, there is only one attachment option, a vertical belt loop. A few more loops would not have increased production costs (Made in South Africa), but the customer would have benefited more. If you are skilled yourself or have a dear friend who is, you can easily sew on a few loops or straps.

CONCLUSION: An indestructible machete for uncompromising outdoor use. The 30 euros are well invested, the Kukri does not give a cheap Chinese impression and proves itself as a tool. The sheath could have been more versatile. We know that sometimes length matters: Here you get 46 centimeters for around 30 euros. That's a good price for a versatile tool.

The Kukri Machete from Cold Steel is available for around 30 euros.