MTech USA – Fixed Blade Knife – Black Stainless Steel Blade, Textured Black Rubberized Handle, Includes Nylon Sheath, Camping, Hunting, Survival, Tactical, EDC – MT-151 14.5-Inch Overall

I ordered this knife partially because of the review of it by Cliff Stamp, but also because of other reviews I have read on line and seen on YouTube. I must say it has proven itself to be as good as the reviewers have claimed. I used it (along with a Bahco Laplander folding saw) to remove a dead tree for a neighbor yesterday and it preformed wonderfully. The tree was around five inches in diameter and the Mtech had zero problems felling it quickly. Once down I used the Laplander to section the trunk into logs then back to the Mtech to split the logs. In just over an hour I had a good sized pile of wood for the firepit. After this I have discovered a very small amount of wiggle in the crossguard.Other than that slight wiggle the only other damage I have been able to do to this blade was a tiny dent in the edge which came as the result of hacking through a semi-truck tire (the steel belts in those things are not small).All in all extremely happy with this purchase. If you're looking for a good, solid, affordable big chopper that can handle all you throw at it and not break your bank, this is a great knife to consider. I would definitely recomend this knife.UPDATE:Well, I have been using this knife for about a year now and figured I would update my review. I have done some modifications to it so it works better for me. A, I removed the top half of the cross-guard, B, I enlarged the finger choil on the blade, C, I fixed the slight wobble in the cross-guard with JB Weld (ran some around the front of the guard, then split the rubber handle along the top and ran some around the back as well as around the tang thus eliminating any looseness with the handle to boot), D, reworked the edge, adding a convex secondary bevel to the full flat grind blade, E, removed all the paint from the blade and cross-guard and polished the blade down to 500 grit sandpaper, F, sanded away any sharp edges on the cross-guard and the spine of the blade. With these mods done to this knife I will boldly claim that this cheap knife is not only as good as the current TrailMasters being put out by Cold Steel, but maybe even better.I know, I know, it's 440A steel. But clearly the heat treat on this knife (at least mine) is obviously extremely well executed. I have been more abusive to this knife than any other knife I have ever owned (partially just because it is so cheap I could do so without feeling guilty) and have quite literally not been able to do any damage to it (save one small dent in the edge hacking up an old tire). Edge retention is not exceptional, but it sure is more than adequate. Combined that with how easily it returns to shaving sharp once it hits the wet stones and I would say it perfectly hits that sweet spot of edge retention vs ease of sharpening.I would put my 151 up against it's Cold Steel equal, the KaBar BK9, the Esse Jungalas or even a Busse Battle Mistress and be surprised if any of those knives could actually out perform this knife in any real-world outdoor, hiking, camping, survival, bushcrafting tasks.I know that's a huge claim, but thus far my experiences with this knife have me confident in making it.Changing my rating from four to five stars accordingly.

I ordered 2 knives. One for me and one as a gift. I've wanted a Cold Steel Trailmaster Bowie since they were introduced. Couldn't afford one. I have owned a couple of CS Recon Tanto's, an SRK and a Recon Scout all of which have been factory seconds and good knives. I have several handmades by knife masters and an array of good and bad Chinese and Pakistani knives. Extensively used a Buck Nighthawk since they were first introduced out at the farm and camping. One of my handmade knives can shave pieces off and notch t-posts w/out blade damage. If you doubt that can be done, go find a Desert Storm era Master Don fighting knife and give it a workout. Bring money. Bring lots of money. I've experienced a full gamut of cheap and expensive knives so I think I know what I'm looking for in a blade. I examined both knives when they arrived. Shipping box was great and well padded, knife boxes were smashed but no damage to the contents occurred. Both knives when inspected were pretty flawless, good machine edge, not hair flinging sharp but adequate. Grind at the points was very well done. Neither were warped or twisted, blade grind was even on both sides. Guards were square, handle material is excellently fit. Blade is thick but feels lively in the hand. Since I've seen the videos on YouTube I know how they will perform with use. I'm impressed with the MT-151. It's not the best knife I own, but it's likely I'll pick up another as knock-about knives, more than good enough for camp use. It's bigger than my Buck and I can leave the hatchet at home. I won't leave an expensive knife in camp or the car or truck, I would this one. I would miss it if it were stolen though.The sheath is another matter. My Buck Nighthawk cost twice as much some years ago and the sheath is twice as thick and has a heavy duty snap instead of using Velcro. Probably would have added 10-20 dollars to have included a thick leather or kydex sheath so I am OK with the sheath that came with the MT-151. I would have paid an extra 5 bucks for a heavy duty nylon sheath that would be usable, about all this one is good for is to protect other stuff in your pack from the knife. I can make up a heavy leather sheath to suit my tastes and for the price I paid for this knife I'm good with that. I mean, a cheap Velcro retaining strap that barely adheres? Give me a break.I'm not a knife snob. I think that the MT-151 is a gem among the cheap knife offerings. It's not a Cold Steel, it's not a Buck or Benchmade or Kershaw. But for 20% of the price and 80-85% of the utility, I think it is a good value. It's got a place in my kit.

For the money, it really is a hell of a knife. A good beater and thrower and such.It is actually .25 inches compared to the actual Trail Master's .3125. The rubber handle is considerably softer than the krayton -- or SuperKrayExTron™ or whatever Cold Steel is calling it now -- is, but that is an easy remedy in any number of directions.My big complaint is the grind lines. Now, it's only fair to say that when you charge less than $50 for a knife of this size, the quality control is the first to suffer. The swedge was not ground evenly, which made for an unsharpened tip. Took about 10 minutes on the belt grinder to fix it, and now the tip is as sharp as the real thing. To be fair, I find this a lot on even the higher-end knives (I had to do a little bit of file work on my Fallkniven), and CS is the only company I have seen that keeps their grinds consistent.I REALLY wish M TECH would tell us what kind of stainless steel so we could know what we are working with. I have seen some folks say 440, which would make me guess 440A. The edge does not stand up as well as I would like, and I don't anticipate the tip will, either. But for the money, again, a hell of a knife.For $25, it is a bargain, and I am sure it will be good for yard work that is too fine for a machete. Price dropped to $18, and I ordered another.