SchradeDelta Class Decimate Kukri Machete with Stainless Steel Blade for Outdoor Survival

This is the best machete in the $50 price range, hands down. I collect a lot of knives and I use them. This blade will hold up to everything you would ever need it for practically. It is great for outdoor work and camp chores and is designed to work very nicely as a combat weapon.SpecsThe blade is full tang and constructed of 3cr13 steel. A good choice because it still had a good hardness but is soft enough to withstand constant high impact use. The blade is 13.3 in long and 1/8 in thick. Most machetes are 1/10 at best. The nice thick spine ensures durability. The blade design is a time tested and proven classic that dominates when it comes to efficiency. It's bigger belly and curved shape allow for maximum chopping power and quickens the time it takes for a swing to make contact. It has a nice tough powder coating on it. Not the smooth thin powder coating that looks like a layer of paint, this is thick, rough, and durable powder coating. (In all the abuse my schkm1 has been through the powder coating has not worn at all.) The handle is the Schrade safe-t grip and it is amazing. It is super ergonomic and is very small designed to comfortably fit almost any size hand. It is long enough to choke up on for slicing or slide your hand to the lower part of the handle which changes in shape to accommodate a tighter grip for heavy chopping. The curvature of the handle added to the handle shape result in the slight difference in hand position to equal a significant change in blade weight distribution and chopping power. The sheath is extremely well built nylon. It is double stitched at all the seams and riveted in strategic locations for added strength. It comes with a pouch attached to the sheath that contains a ferro rod and a diamond stone sharpener. It comes with a shoulder strap, thigh straps, and two loops secured to the sheath for strapping to a bag, vest or belt.All in all this is an amazing blade. Well constructed is an understatement, Schrade really blew me away with this one. And to get this quality and the accessories for this price is insane. I honestly expected to be dissapointed in this blade and I tried to find a flaw, I failed. It feels better in the hand than any of my other machetes and that includes condor, cold steel, kabar, and others. And I couldn't believe how easy it chops through trees and wood. I do a lot of chopping wood with machetes and I've never had one that could cut through some of the things this one has.I read review after review and watched even more videos before getting any blade and I'm always a skeptic. Even when I see great reviews I'm skeptical of that persons opinion. Are they being honest? Do they know what they're talking about? Well, if you're like me then please take it from someone who understands, this is the blade you want, and it is worth every penny. You will not be disappointed. I would easily pay $70 for this.

Read lots of reviews & watched half a dozen YT videos before buying this blade. I have a few other Schrade blades, but am always skeptical of reviews by other people (my nature I suppose). I received my shipment 2 days after ordering from Amazon and immediately took it out in the woods for some testing. Mine came sharp out of the box (though this may not be the case with all), but will still get a diamond stone finish. I tried 1" dry pine branches first which took 1 hit to remove from the parent tree. 2"-3" dead & seasoned branches were next...4-5 hits this time. Time for a 6 incher (timed)...less than 45 seconds to cut in half. So it cuts through your standard larger stuff, but what about the finer camp chores...no problem. The spine will shave bark, feather sticks are no problem (with the 2-3 inches closest to the handle), boring holes is easy even with the thickish tip etc, etc. The sharpening stone, while not ideal for this blade's shape, will suffice in a pinch. The ferro rod is actually of fairly good quality and works well in conjunction with the "lightening holes"/Spetzel making holes in the blade itself. I have yet to baton wood with this, but when I do I'll update this post. The only real negatives are in regards to the sheath & not the blade thus far. The sheath, while reasonably constructed, lacks a belt loop or similar attaching device for waist carry. It does include a shoulder strap & 2 leg straps though that would be a rather odd & cumbersome way to carry. All straps will likely get repurposed and the sheath attached via 550 & MOLLE to a ruck. I'm ordering another as soon as I'm done writing this (2 is one & 1 is none) due to the high quality & low cost.

SCHKM1First Impressions:Though I live in NYC, and it hardly makes much sense to own a Machete; I ordered this item as I have been looking to buy either a Kukri or a Machete for my collection, camping use or for a Zombie Apocalypse-like scenario.I had my eye on a Genuine Nepalese Kukri for a while, but the $80.00- $100.00 was a hard price to justify, considering such an item will probably sit in the closet and gather dust except for those rare-occasional family camping trips we hope/plan to take in the future.I have debated on buying the SCHKM1 for the last few months and missed my opportunity to buy it when the price went down to $33.95 for one night last month. I figured "I'd sleep on it" as I woke up the very next day, all the stock had been sold out, and the only available option was $42.30. Needless to say I did not purchase it, but promised myself I'd buy the item if ever the price ever went down to the same price. In the past week or so, the SCHKM1 was reviewed by Chris from Prepared Mind 101 and it performed really well.I decided to commit to buying the item and used a $10.00 Amazon credit. Luckily as I searched for it on Amazon it's price has gone back down to the same price. I got it for under $28.00 shipped after NY Taxes we're added. I received it today and am certainly impressed. Even at it's average $35-$40 price range, this is certainly one sweet piece of gear.The sheath :It is fairly well thought out, though I wish it could be switched from righty to lefty carry. I also agree with Chris on Preparedmind 101 with regards to the supposed two leg straps as there is no dedicated Belt loop. In order to use it for belt carry, I had to remove one of the leg straps and used that loop for the belt. This caused it to ride fairly high on your belt. (I might missing something, Is there as secret belt loop?) The bottom leg strap is also quite short; I had to fully extend mine. It was still too snug on my thigh. (And I am not that big of a guy.) I believe it is best to carry this over one's shoulder.The Kukri Machete:It is a few inches shorter than I thought it would be, with the blade only measuring 13 1/2 inches, and the handle approx 6 inches. This does work out better for me as it does fit in my Northface Big Shot, which is my current Camping/Bug Out Bag. It comes sharp out of the box. The weight is mostly on the top curved end of the blade, but the balance when wielding is excellent. The handle is grippy and very comfortable.The Pouch and Accessories.At the sub $35 price point. The Kukri and included Sheath is more than enough to justify the purchase.The pouch is an excellent and welcome addition to the tool. The ferro rod and striker are of high quality, though the diamond sharpener is only decent in my opinion. After searching Amazon for similar items to the pouch and accessories I found that if bought separately it would cost approximately $15-20 for such items together. The included pouch is the same size as the standard 4 inch Leatherman Sheath. By setting aside the included diamond sharpener the pouch can fit a Leatherman Wave along with the included ferro rod, and some tinder in small waterproof ziploc bag. I intend to fiddle around with this pouch, and will include some basic survival items in there.This is truly an excellent buy. I highly recommend this product for anyone for camping, or building a bug out bag. I give this 4.5 Stars. I'd give it 5 stars if it was available in lefty carry. (My Zombie Apocalypse fantasy would be to have two strapped on my back, or two on my belt for dual wielding.