Cold Steel 97LBM Bolo Machete without sheath Fixed Blade

This machete is great for the price. The blade is thick enough to cut through any brush and small trees. Even when whacked against the side of a bigger tree the blade was fine. The handle is the only downside, it’s just some simple plastic. I plan to make my own scales to add to it and have a great machete.

This has good weight with a nice balance,very easy to use and very versatile. The blackberries had grown about 6' high in an open field and I was easily able to clear it down to the dirt. This also takes out 1 1/2" maple branches in a single swipe with 2 hands. 3"branches takes a few cuts. I keep it sharp with just a 4" angle grinder. It may seem heavy for a machete but it's a lot easier to carry this up a ladder than most power tools and can do a lot of light duty work,quickly. The soil is extremely rocky and it does ding the edge but,like I said,it's an easy fix. Excellent tool and got 2 friends to get these for yard work,they like it too!

I grew up in a rainy valley on the windward side of Oahu, Hawaii. Out there, we mainly used 2 kinds of machetes - cane knives and bolos. Both have heritages in Hawaii that can traced back to the sugar cane industry (cane knives) as well as Filipino immigration (bolos). I am comfortable and happy with both having used them for the tasks each were designed for. Given this, I’ve developed a strong affinity to these machete types and am not nearly as comfortable using Latin machetes that are most commonly found on the market in the US.I already had a Brazilian Tramontina cane knife and a South African Cold Steel Heavy Machete (in a cane knife format), so wanted to round out my quiver with a bolo machete as well. I really like my Cold steel heavy chopper so ordered a Cold Steel bolo I found on sale on Amazon. Upon arrival, I was pleasantly surprised to find a very serviceable sheath included despite the description making clear one is not included - super bonus!Pros: Perfect length for a bolo (18” blade); I love the forward balance of the power-inducing tip bulge; a good blend of toughness and hardness from the properly heat treated 1055 carbon steel; durable handle material with ergonomic shape for multiple hand sizes; and I like the semi-rigidity but somewhat lightness of the 2mm thickness for a long blade that is meant for all day work.Cons: Arrived with a painted over edge that was practically non-existent requiring 1hr+ with a bastard file and ax sharper to get a proper edge; and a handle texture that is oddly slippery but rough at the same time needing an overwrap of some sort (I used a bicycle inner tube).Once I had the bolo set up to my liking, including a lanyard, I tested it out. It was pretty good cutting up a hard, dead, dried out lemon tree (held an edge and didn’t roll or chip), but not as good as my heavy chopper (no surprise there). However, this bolo tore into grass, reeds and light shrubbery like freakin’ demon, totally awesome!!! My super light Tramotina is good for all day light duty work, but the bolo is not bad for long periods either and can take out a much wider range of foliage with no problem.All and all, I really love this bolo and it takes me back to clearing patches of jungle for flower beds as a kid in Hawaii. Despite some finishing and edge issues out of the box, it’s a really good bolo design and I highly recommend it if you are willing to put a little work into it. Chop, chop, chop!

Classic bolo, 2.8mm thick blade need filing to finish edge.. Because that's how things are so you need to know this, machetes never come sharp, you have to sharpen them, if you don't know then you should not have one? then razor-esque, great handle, seemingly average poly but better..great checkering, solid.... Especially with gloves. Tail step with lanyard hole, blunt tip, a modern great version of the one we all love, classic design done in cold steel exceptional manner!

Well its a good weight good build however Mine never got fully edged its stamped but not beveled luckily I have the workshop to do this but if you didn't have the tools then you've got a useless piece of steel so be prepared just in case I guess.

Dont let the price fool you, this is a good machete and can be compared to the quality of a 50 dollar machete, its all i could ask for and is very durable. I choose it over my top dollar machete most of the time

THE BLADE IS NOT CHIPPED, THERE ARE NO LARGE AREAS MISSING, IT IS IN AWESOME CONDITION, IT WORKS PERFECTLY GREAT, & THE BLADE IS NOT AT ALL DULL...IT IS A RAZOR SHARP BLADE.

I got this as a fun toy to take outdoors and play around with. I have more than enough knives and axes that a machete is overkill for most situations that I find myself in, but you've gotta have some fun in life an live a little.The craftsmanship is very good. Blade is build ruggedly and could no doubt stand up to years of abuse from someone who tortures their tools much more than I do. The handle feels quite nice in my (medium sized) hand and in my use so far (clearing light brush, chopping wood, wielding dangerously) has not caused any blisters or gross discomfort.My machete came in what I would call an "unsharpened" state with an edge dull enough that I would let my 4 year old play with it without fear of her getting injured. I quickly rectified that situation by filing it into a suitable bevel and honing to a useable edge. It is VERY easy to sharpen and the softness of the material will likely require multiple edge redressings in it's lifetime. That's the nature of a machete though, so nothing to complain about.I bought the cold steel nylon sheath for it as well and am mostly unimpressed.