CRKTChanceinhell Fixed Blade Machete: 12 Inch Black Powder Coated Carbon Steel Drop Point Blade with Nylon Sheath for Survival, Hunting, and Camping K910KKP

Back in 1994 when I bought my waterfront property in Southwest Florida the first bid I got to (legally) trim my mangroves was $1,000.00. Even then I thought that the price was outrageous and I decided to do it myself. Needless to say it involves a lot of time and and some really good cutting tools (and skills). There's not a lot of room for maneuvering in the wetlands, the footing is hazardous, the flora and fauna always a challenge (most Florida plants either have thorns or some type of poison), and the bugs can drive you nuts. Now that I think about it, maybe the $1,000.00 would have been money well spent.Now at age 67 the current bid for the same job is up to $8,000.00. Either the workers are a lot smarter or they don't really want to do this type of work. About 10 years ago I had some major surgery and had to hire three people to do the job for me. When I was watching them the youngest picked up and held a very pretty snake for his father to see, causing me to yell at his father to "put it down". I was really surprised to find out that they didn't know what a coral snake was. That hiring experience also resulted in all of my tools being damaged to the poiint of no return. But the real capper was that they cut the mangroves to a height of 4 feet -- when I had specified 6 feet. Fortunately no one reported me to the mangrove police.So I have trimmed my own mangroves for 22 of the past 23 years, even at my advanced age. The secret is to keep your eyes and ears open, to use adequate insect repellant and sun protection, wear boots, long pants and long sleeves, and an SPF 50 hat. But the key to being able to trim mangroves for up to six hours at a time is to have a really good medium length machete. This CRKT Chanceinhell(CIH) really fits the bill. It has a durable, heavy and sharp blade, a well-constructed rubber grip for comfort, and a decent sheath that you can hang from your belt when you are using a different tool. This machete is blade heavy which gives you better balance for chopping versus slicing.When I have the room to swing a machete, I rely on an Esee Lite machete (around $80.00), a blade perfect for slicing thicker wood. For the crowded areas where taking a full swing would be impossible (or foolhardy) I find chopping to be more efficient and safer. That is where the CIH hits the mark and is the best tool to use. You might wonder why I don't use a small chainsaw instead. There are a multitude of reasons: the high noise level masks other sounds that I need to be aware of ( like the movement of snakes, alligators and other critters), chainsaws are dangerous even when operating in the best of conditions (which is far from true in the wetlands), the probability of bounce-back or dropping a running chainsaw is pretty much guaranteed, and trucking in and out of the wetlands to refuel sets you up for additional problems.So this year I'll be heading into the wetlands with my Chanceinhell and Esee, splitting my time between slicing and chopping, hoping to avoid any injuries. One thing that I can guarantee is that the experience is always interesting.

Why did you pick this product vs others?:I like CRKT and am a Ken Onion fan. I waited for a sale (I own many machetes in different styles, because why not?). Feel:It has a nice handle that grips comfortably. It's easy to handle during swings.Build quality:Thick blade, and sharp out of the box. Cutting ability:I used it immediately. Easily cutting through 1/2" branches, larger branches took a couple of hits. Value for money:this is worth the money. I have several lower price point parangs and machetes, but the halfachance handles easier, and is much better built. Functionality:Like I said before, it works great out of the box.

I was, am very impressed with the outabox cutting edge! It cuts vines without that annoying RINGARINGARINGAH. Smooth black coating is nice. Be aware that the hollow rivets are pushed in from either side with rubber bits in the holes. Trying to push the lanyard in may be nighunto impossible. I tried a 11/32 drill bit, but it pushed and pulled the decorative rivets out. After I cleared out the holes I could gently tap the hollow half rivets back into the rubber. I chamfered them to accept lanlards. The rubber handle is man size. A bit blocky, which helped avoid deflection off old black berry vines! At 66, I am more into shorter, medium weight tools. The old 22 inch machette is retired as clumsy and too long to kneel with sheath. The chance in hell sheath is cool looking, but allows the hilt to escape if you flip it upside down. I added an extra tie down with the extra lanyard included. It is a very nice belt carry tool for kneeling! A wrist lanyard attatched is comforting! A few minutes on a fine stone makes a mirror edge. A vegioil wipe and a custom lanyard loop to coat hanger made me grin! My ka bars and okc knives all had a rough grind edge that took a lot of finish work to smooth out. CRKT is worth the price!

Nice weight an balance. Feels solid & was sharp right out of the box. I was initially worried about it being shorter than the standard 22" machete it was replacing, but it doesn't feel any shorter.My only nit pick is that the sheath isn't of terrific quality, but that's par for the course on larger knives or machetes. I'd look into something kydex or leather if you're worried about longevity.No complaints so far.