Solid bushwhacker...
Good balance for a machete. Ridiculously sharp for an out of the box machete. The handle hooks the base of the hand very well. I do wish it had a bit of a palm swell and I would have liked a bit of a cross guard at the hilt, just because. In true cold steel fashion the handle has very little texture to it. I live in the Pacific Northwest so whacking bushes with wet hands and even slippery -er gloves isn't out of the question. I may experiment with a grip sleeve or ranger bands to help hang onto my new blackberry slayer. You never know what you'll end up hitting under the massive mound of blackberry vines the previous tenants abandoned to the ages. Found a table, two benches, a lawn chair and some kind of hobo camp style lean-to so far.
So far it's less tiring to swing, cuts easier and is holding up better than my Lowe's Rambo special.
It's a keeper!
Sean A.