Condor Tool & Knife Discord Machete - 1075 High Carbon Steel Tactical Machete with a Micarta Handle - Hand Crafted Welted Leather Sheath - 3mm Thick - 17.5in Blade - 42oz

I've been taking down a lot of bay trees where I live, doing some fire clearance, needed to get a machete to clear some branches. Originally I bought the 18 inch Gerber gator while I happened to be in rei, made the mistake of not reading some reviews first, destroyed the blade in about a week with light-medium duty use, like many before me. Really surprised me because Gerber has always made great quality stuff. Went back to my dull flea market $5 machete and it held out better then the Gerber, but with it being so light and short, it had no power. Anywho, got my money back from rei and decided I wanted to invest in something...indestructible. I didn't want to have a machete for small branches, then have to switch to an axe or saw for slightly larger branches, I didn't want to carry a pile of tools around with me. I figured there had to be one decent tool out there that could be tough enough for everything I was doing. And this is definitely it.Out of the box it comes sharp and ready to go. This beast was cutting through everything I put in front of it with ease. I was concerned it might be too heavy but for me it's perfect, with great weight distribution. Used this for 3 hours my first go with it, no blisters, my arms were fine, blade was flawless. Next day another 12 hours or so, my arm was starting to get tired after awhile of one handed use but not horribly, blade is still razor sharp.Have always been careful with machetes but just holding this thing the first time gave me a strong desire to be intensely aware of my actions when using it. With some things you think, "hmm if I cut this way I might hit my leg and cut it, I guess I shouldn't do this..... ahh whatever it's not very likely." No. Not with this. If you have any kind of a decent brain in you head you should be getting alarm bells going off saying "hey stupid, if you cut like that and things go wrong YOU WON'T HAVE A LEG ANYMORE. Rethink your positioning."I feel with proper care I could pass this down to my children's children's children lol. If you have any doubt about it's power and abilities there's some video reviews on YouTube that made me feel better about buying it without getting to hold it in my hands first (the dilemma with Internet shopping...). I might add a short video of myself taking out the little 6 1/2 inch thick tree pictured below, if I do I'll come back and link it here. I tip my hat to Condor for making such a high quality product.Update 5/12/16Had an issue with my sheath, the buttons felt hard to close but thought I was just being a sissy, figured tighter is better then loose and they'd get better with time. Maybe I was wrong because the bottom one broke. I contacted Condor and they express mailed me a new sheath, and this one the buttons feel much better. And many hours of work later I'm still very satisfied with the machete.Update 1/2/2022Countless hours of use TOUGH use. Absolutely no regrets.Over the last 5+ years I've put this machete through the gamut and it came out the other side flawless. One of the best purchases I've ever made. Good to put oil on the blade after each use to avoid rust.

I own many blades for many purposes. Some I collect. Some I use. This machete got my attention right out of the box. It is an exceptional tool. The micarta handle is well made. It is not slick like some, but roughened up a bit to give a solid grip. The blade is very sharp. I cut my index finger just touching it, a good sign. Be careful with this beast, it can and will bite you. This tool is well crafted. It is made of 1075 high carbon English steel and will rust if not cared for properly. I clean after each use and apply a thin layer of Japanese Choji Oil before I place it in the sheath. I use this oil on all my high carbon steel blades. It seems to have an almost perfect flexibility in the blade. It will bend but not break or distort. Uncanny really.The sheath, like all of Condors sheaths are among the best quality in the industry. The sheath for this blade is no exception. It has two snaps to secure the blade. Just make sure to rotate the snaps out of the way when inserting the blade. Otherwise you may cut the snaps or yourself. This is no toy, but a serious working tool. It will also work well two handed, although I would see no purpose in that. The price is a bit high for a machete, but well worth the cost if you require the best.

I am a Prime member; I received my Discord in two days; I only give it 4 stars because it did not come with the sheath as pictured on Amazon; it came with the sheath as pictured in the old Condor catalog with the two retaining straps; It is very difficult to put this blade in the sheath without cutting the straps or your fingers. I was hoping for the newer? sheath as pictured on Amazon. I am not going to return it. I will most likely have a kedex sheath made for it. I have wanted a two handed machete all my life it seems; it is full tang! the handle won't break as all the other so called two handed machetes on the market; NONE of them are full tang and all of them do break, even "Cold Steel"; there is nothing more dangerous than having an edged weapon break in your hands in a full power swing! It is heavy; there is very little flex in the blade; the steel is HARD; it passed the paper test on computer paper right our of the box. It is not shaving sharp; it is hard to sharpen; I suspect it will hold an edge quite well. As for the little top edge on the back of the blade at the tip; what the hell is that for? It prevents the blade from fitting any of the machete sheath I have on hand. It serves no purpose, I plan to slowly grind it off so the back of the blade is flat, eh? However, I have been using machetes since 1956 and I grind a short dull blade on the back just where this addition is. I use that for cutting roots in the dirt and also when cutting sticker bushes such as black berry vines I hook the briar with that tip after cutting it off and fling the stem over my shoulder. But, as it comes on the Discord the little edge is sharp and slanted down; to hook something with your back hand swing you need a dull flat blade. I have read some critical reviews of the handle on this machete. I wish it was an inch longer; I have large hands; I have no trouble griping it with one hand close to the blade and find that finger groove very handy; I can also grip it with one hand on the very end of the handle; the way the handle swells towards the end helps you keep a safe grip. I never use a lanyard but, you always should, eh? I have owned and used various machetes over my life time; this is the out of the box sharpest one I ever seen; All in all I am happy with my purchase and thing it is worth the money; I would like it better with a better sheath and without that little raised edCondor Tools & Knives Discord Machete, 18-Inchge on the back of the blade.