Pro's:
- Made in the USA
- High carbon 1095 steel heat treated to a proper hardness
- Edge came sharp with an even edge bevel grind
- Well balanced in hand

Con's:
- Handle shape and size is functional but leaves something to be desired for comfort and extended use
- Black blade coating, while it helps prevent rust I would prefer no coating to reduce friction and let a natural patina develop

Overall this is an excellent product compared to the cheap made in China garbage you find at your local hardware store. It will provide a long service life due to the quality materials used in its construction, holds an excellent durable edge and does what it is supposed to chopping through brush and debris.

I had read other reviews about this machete and I still thought that this would be a good work/z.a. machete. I have a kabar kukri, and a coldsteel magnum kukri. So I thought why not get the bigger machete? Then I would basically have one in all 3 sizes, turns out this machete is on the heavy side, very top heavy. Its really not a good machete to do alot of work with because it is so long and top heavy. The d loop also bruised my pinky knuckle, so I had to put tape and foam on the inside of the dloop. It is a nice machete and would be a great zombie killer but for around the house I would choose my smaller machetes any day. I would definitely buy the 18" over the 22" if I had to do it again. I have no other complaints about the machete as it is well made and mine was semisharp

American made, and very solid. I *highly* recommend wearing a leather glove on your swinging hand. Not only for protection against stray thorns, but bad strikes can cause the blade to twist, or "ring" back, and the D-grip hammers your knuckles; very painful. That isn't unique to this particular machete. I used to use a Barteaux and Sons(no longer in business), which had a very similar design, and had the same problem. A glove fixes it.

On the subject of the Barteaux, that was a great blade, but I like this one just a bit better. This blade is stiffer, and the handle is more comfortable. The Barteaux handle was more rectangular, and had a diamond cut pattern which shredded your fingers when new. I had to go over it with a file to remove the points. So, for those that previously used Barteaux, this is a more than satisfactory replacement. Some smoothing of the handle may still be desired to remove mold flashing, but it really isn't necessary. I just did it to be particular, but it was fine in it's as-shipped condition. The blade was also sufficiently sharp for the task at hand. I've probably cut over 1500' of mixed wood, briers, and vines with this machete, and aside from a couple dings hitting rocks and iron posts, the factory edge is still sharp enough for the job.

I like the weight and durability. I just have to sharpen a little bit more to meet my standard of sharpness. Can be utilized right out of the package but it won't cut as good for me anyway.

It's a good heavy-duty machete. Take the time to put a proper edge on it before you use it. I prefer to have a sharp edge, but not razor sharp. Too fine an edge just dulls and nicks easier. Keep a flat file with you if you're going to be working with it for a while so you can touch up the edge as needed. Call it "break time" and cool off in the shade while you sharpen the blade.

It is heavy, probably too heavy if you plan on using it all day. A long time ago I painted boundary lines for a timber company and used a lighter weight, thinner machete all day, day after day. One as heavy as this one would have been impossible to use on a job like that. I use this one for no more than a hour or two at a time around the yard so I'm not concerned about the weight. And sometimes a heavier cutting blade works best.

I bought the matching sheath to go with it and they go together perfectly. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0040I0ITG/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_20