CRKT 'Chanceinhell' Machete Review

Anyone who knows anything about knife design will tell you that Ken Onion is one of the industries most sought after award winning knife designers. So when Columbus River Knife and Tool (CRKT) asked him to design a survival machete for them it was a bit of a coup. However, Ken had made his name designing folding knifes and other than some kitchen knives he had previously designed he’d never really designed a fixed blade knife let alone a machete!

Needless to say, there was nothing to worry about!

When you have one of the best knife-makers in the US doing the design work for you, the result is never going to be in doubt and the resulting ‘Chanceinhell’™ is a perfectly balanced machete worthy of a place on any survival machetes ‘best of’ list.

Specifications:

Color Black
Blade Length 12″ (304.8 mm)
Blade Edge Plain
Blade Steel 65Mn Carbon Steel, 52-56 HRC
Blade Finish Bead Blast w/Powder Coat
Blade Thickness 0.1″ (2.54 mm)
Weight 1 lb 4 oz
Handle PP Core & TPR Overmold w/Textured Grip
Style Fixed Blade Knife w/Sheath
Sheath Material Nylon
Overall Length 17.88″ (454.15 mm)

On inspection the Chanceinhell is certainly a hefty looking survival machete but once in the hand it feels much lighter than it looks. It has a durable, 0.1” thick carbon steel blade finished with a black powder coating and is excellent for use in all types of environments no matter how extreme!

The 12” blade holds an edge for a long time before requiring any attention but even then, when it does need sharpening, you’ll find it very easy to do so.

A good firm grip is essential when using a cutting tool as deadly as a machete and the ergonomically designed double injection molded handle, featuring a textured easy grip surface similar to that of a football skin, provides exactly that.

If you’ve used machetes in the past you will know just how quickly you can become exhausted, there are a few things that will help stay off that exhaustion and prolong the time you can comfortably use one.

They are;

Ensure you have a well balanced and lighter machete but without losing the effectiveness of a heavier tool.
Possess a good quality blade, correctly sharpened, that holds an edge for a long time.
Has a handle that fits comfortably in your hand and doesn’t require a vice like grip to stop it flying out your hand.

The ‘Chanceinhell’™ ticks the boxes of all of the above!

The ‘Chanceinhell’™ is supplied with a heavy duty nylon sheaf that looks pretty good but is nothing special and certainly not in the same league as the machete it comes with. However, it is adequate for the job and is decent quality considering the excellent price for the machete/sheaf package. You can see both the machete and its sheaf in more detail by watching the short video below:

VIDEO

Our View:

If you’re looking for a well made and reliable survival machete that is very reasonably priced and will make you look like you’re ready to take care of business then the ‘Chanceinhell’™ is a great fit and will not let you down or disappoint. You can check out the latest and best prices for the ‘Chanceinhell’™ by clicking on the button below.

Other Machetes in the CRKT Ken Onion Machete range –

If you definitely like the look of the ‘Chanceinhell’™ but you really would prefer a longer blade you’re in luck.

Since Ken’s original machete was such a success for CRKT they commissioned him to create an extended range of machetes and the result were ‘Chanceinhell’™ machetes with 16″ and 18″ blades and also a Parang style machete called the ‘Halfachance’™

You can check them out by below.