Jun
So you’ve just got your brand new Cold Steel Machete. Well done, you made a great choice.
But let’s get something straight right from the get go – the edge you get on a brand new Cold Steel machete isn’t going to be as good as you would get on a Cold Steel knife.
There are a couple of reason for that.
The machete blades are stamped out of a sheet of 1055 medium carbon steel, they’re then given a rough edge and shipped to Cold Steel in Ventura, CA. where they run each blade through a sharpener to achieve what they call a good utility edge. This is not the same process as making the high-end, quality knives that Cold Steel puts out.
Secondly, a machete is a heavy-duty, low cost tool designed for chopping and clearing. They are just not designed for the same tasks as a knife.
If they came with a razor sharp, super fine edge like you would get on a Cold Steel knife, it’d be just too prone to damage and it would blunt too quickly. A machete needs a usable, tough edge, not a super fine one.
The fact is that a Cold Steel machete is a tool that you simply must be able to maintain yourself, just because of the type of work it’s going to be doing.
You need to be able to keep a usable edge on a machete, whether it’s brand new or you’ve been using it for years.
Of course, the more you use it, the more maintenance it will need so learning the best method right at the outset will pay dividends in the long run.
So, what is the best way to maintain a usable edge on a Cold Steel machete?
The best method for keeping a good, usable edge is to use the right tool for the job.
There are so many different sharpening tools out there but many of them would be wholly unsuitable. As you are not looking for a super fine edge, a coarse/medium sharpening combo would be more than adequate.
Sometimes, a brand-new machete can also have burrs, so getting used to basic maintenance right from the start is a great idea.
First, use a coarse grit to remove burrs, get rid of dings and clean up any chips the machete may have suffered.
Then after using the coarse grit, using a medium grit and repeating the sharpening technique will get you a good usable edge.
Our chosen tool for this kind of sharpening and maintenance is The Puck by Lansky. It’s a circular double-sided sharpening stone. One side has a coarse grit, the other a medium grit.
This one product is all you need to keep that machete in good working order. It’s also great for other tools you might find in the garden shed, like lawnmower blades, axes and the like.
Ok, so here is how you use the Puck.
Gripping the Puck firmly in one hand and the machete in the other, whilst making sure that no fingers are protruding over the edge of the Puck, use small, overlapping circular motions to rub against the blade edge.
Please note that blade edges are angled and it is important that the movements take this angle into account by angling the Puck against the blade to match. As you can see, a Cold Steel machete has quite a wide cutting edge, it’s at least 5mil, so getting the right contact between the edge and the puck is easy.
It’s important not to place too much pressure on the Puck – you only need light to medium pressure for it to be effective.
Continue the small overlapping circles all along the edge to be sharpened.
Once you complete this with the coarse side and any damage has been removed to your satisfaction, flip the machete over and repeat this action on that side of the blade.
Once you’re happy with the results and the burrs, chips and dings are gone – repeat this action but this time use the medium side of The Puck instead.
It really doesn’t take very long and it will improve the effectiveness and safety of your machete use.
This is all you need to get a decent usable edge on a Cold Steel machete. Do this on a regular basis to keep your machete in safe, usable condition.
You can view our large range of machetes here.
Here is a video version of this post.
