CondorTool & Knife El Salvador Machete - 1075 High Carbon Steel - 3mm Thick Full Tang Machete with a Micarta Handle and a Hand Crafted Welted Leather Sheath - 18in Blade - 31.5oz

Very very well made. Has a nice heft to it, the handle is comfortable and seems extremely durable, and the blade is super super sharp. The steel is of very good quality too. Sheath also of very high quality and good design. I use this to clear brush on my property in central Virginia. It cuts through vines, shrubs, small trees, and branches with ease. It's important to get the angle right when striking, but when you do this blade sings. I make sure to clean and hone the blade regularly, but this thing would probably take abuse and neglect with no problem. Will last a lifetime with proper care and use.This machete is the real deal and worth every $$.

Well crafted. Quite heavy for a machete. Great for taking down thicker branches. A lighter, longer blade might be better for dealing with a lot of thinner vines or blackberries, especially if using it for a long time. Overall a great tool.

Awesome! Don't let price hold you back because it's worth it.Highlights include: Super sharp right out the box, perfectly fitted handle with no gaps between the full tang and handle, and rigid blade with no wobble.Other points: Good balance with extra weight towards the wider tip for powerful swings, no rust to speak of, sheath has good fit with a quality edge seam (too soon to tell about it's longevity), and handle lanyard hole has a well-fitted brass rivet.Cons: The micarta handle doesn't offer the best grip surface with or without gloves. Admittedly this Con is a personal preference. Since I wanted the durability of the Micarta I'm going to solve my personal problem with some non-slip skateboard tape.Usage: I've easily cut 1-2" thick saplings, cleared thick brush, and as a testament to the blade's sharpness I cleanly lopped off leaning tall weeds as I walked by. It just sliced right through them as opposed to batting them away. Based on quality I know this is a lifelong tool only requiring sharpening (and skateboard tape upkeep), but if I lost it I would buy another in a heartbeat. I've already told my brother to buy one too.

Me an this machete have a long history together, i bought it in 2015 after wanting to have something that could cut a path through the thick mountain laurel that makes an almost impassable wall in parts of the mountains around here. It has never failed me, neither in the woods or cleaning out parts of the farm. The weight is mostly in the top 25% and around the handle, making it fairly stable when in use. You can get a good grip on the handle, even when wet, at no point did i feel like i had no control over the machete. As for sharping, It comes fairly sharp, and takes a good beating before getting dull, when it does get dull its also easy to sharpen, a complete novice like me was able to get it from dull to sharp in about 20 minutes. The only think i dislike is the sheath, it does not secure the machete very well, and could easily fall out if you fell. all in all its a tool i would trust if i had to pick only one to take with me, the sheath sucks, but you can work around it, worth a buy.

Awesome feel, fit, finish. The machete came quite sharp, probably sharper than you would want a traditional machete of this nature, it looks wonderful, I tested it on green plants, it absolutely destroys them of course, I tried it on springy dead wood, it did quite well in that area as well, despite not being designed for it. The micarta is done very well, uniform with the handle, the blade finish is well, and doesn't wear off immediately, I would recommend this machete if you want something a cut above the typical south american machete in terms of looks and ergonomics. I would also like to add that the micarta version of the condor El Salvador is significantly heavier than the poly handle version, and this version comes with a very very thick scandinavian style leather sheath, so the balance on this one is more akin to a knife, the balance point is above the handle, I think the poly one is more blade heavy and less balanced, like a weighted machete to a degree, probably less nimble than the micarta version. That being said it's a great machete, but if you intend to carry it where you have weight restraints, like hiking/survival etc, the poly handle version would be better.

I own Bark river, ontario, and cold steel machetes, and this is by far the best. Convex edge, excellent, tough steel, comfortable handle, great sheath. By the way, the sheath fits the ontario 18" machete almost perfectly, so if you need a sheath, then order from condor. Apparently what makes this machete so expensive is the micarta scales on the handle. If you get the polypropylene handle, it's about a third the price, but of course, then the handle will be the weakest link. Polypropylene is usable, but nowhere near as strong and durable as micarta.

Excellent value! The blade is razor sharp (for a machete that is) and I'm glad I purchased this blade with a the micarta handle. I was reading and watching videos a few weeks ago about the Mexican/Salvadoran labors that make the sheaths for these fine tools - they are truly great artisans in my book.The blade it self is quality! I'm glad Condor decided to make this a package deal because the sheath it self, is 75$ if made alone. This blade is extremely sharp on bamboo and brush and the balance is just right! I will be purchasing the stainless steel version (if there is one w/ the micarta handle) because I don't always wipe down my machete after each use and I would like it not to rust as easily. Thank you!