Gerber Gear 31-003152N Broadcut Machete 19 Inch with Sheath, Grey

First off, this parang is NOT a part of the recall. Gerber issued a voluntary recall statement on its website which states that model numbers 31-000698, 31-001507, 31-000986, 31-001111, and 30-0006010 could break during use and cause a serious safety concern. Instead, this review regards model "31-002289" which so happens to be a superb machete for serious adventurers/enthusiasts who love the raw outdoors and also for the weekend warriors.My friend had the old parang machete, but because he had sent it to Gerber to receive the new one, we can't exactly compare ours to the previous version. But I can say this, especially for those who have seen this parang being sold before on Amazon, this parang design had an extremely high number of positive reviews.With that being said, let's get on with the pro(s) and con(s):Pro(s):- Very affordable- Sharp out the box (isn't exactly razor sharp where you can shave a man's face with, but you can slice paper into ribbons)- Good sized handle with a rough rubber texture (you can still get a terrific grasp even with gloves on)- Comes with a sheath- Relatively light-weight- Extremely easy to sharpenCon(s):- 1/8 inch thick blade (enough to cut through dense brush, and thick branches; however, not recommended to split/baton wood with it unless other means are absolutely not available)Note(s):- Sheath is decent (it's not terrible, but if you have Kydex or other sheath making materials, I would go ahead and make another sheath for this parang)I used this parang on my recent long hiking trips and camping trips in the woods. I was able to hack through just about everything. The only thing I avoided was using it as a log splitter/baton because I really didn't feel it was necessary to push the parang to its extremes especially when I had an axe with me designed for splitting logs (primarily pine in my area).Overall, this parang is a "best value for your money". You can abuse this parang (within reason) and it will be continue to serve you. It's great to bring with on many long hiking trips and for camping. It's a wonderful machete because it doesn't hurt your wallet and your heart won't ache if it gets damaged or lost because a replacement is affordable. It's honestly a great buy for under $30.Thanks for reading this review.- T. Ho***UPDATE***There has been a recall regarding the machete's SHEATH where people have cut themselves while drawing out the blade. Unfortunately, I don't have a fix for this. What I have done instead was made myself Kydex sheath. It is very easy to make especially for this machete.Anyhow, as always, please be careful when using this machete.Thank you,- T. Ho

Definitely hard steel and will last. Chopped my way through brush and a hard place no issues. only wear and tear is the paint. Blade has no chipping at all. Works even better after sharpening.

Just got the NEW Parang, I have previously owned the "Compact Parang", but there were a few things about it that I just wasn't feelin' (the super thin handle grip, and the lanyard was like 2 times longer than it should have been), so I splurged and bought the original. This thing is sweet, the handle on this guy is quite beefy and has a great grip..just what I was hoping for. The blade was sharp as hell right out of the package, no need to hit it with a diamond rod or sharpening stone. Full tang too. This new Parang also apparently has an updated sheath too, there are no "snaps", like on the older model, it just slides right in and has a wrap-a-round webbing strap with a velcro closure. Fits snug. The only thing I don't really like is the placement of the belt loop, it's kind of weird how it would sit mounted on your belt, but I only plan to have it strapped to my daypack...so no biggie. I also unstitched the land to air rescue instructions, lol. Hope I never need them. I just don't like having it right on the sheath like that...but that's just me.Gave it 4 stars because it IS awesome but not made in the U.S.A.

Put this to use for first time in VT during 4th July weekend. Used it for batoning and making feather sticks. Worked great for batoning with plenty of real estate to hit the tip and split larger logs with ease. Retained edge fairly well. Did notice some slight chipping of blade, but I did beat the heck out of it for first use. After batoning, it was still sharp enough to feather sticks. Using pine wood (which is softer) and letting the length and weight of blade do most of the work, it did the job.I was expecting the blade to not stick into wood the way a machete does, though. After doing some research and watching videos comparing machete to the parang, thought one of the things that made a parang superior was the design of the blad being slighly wider from the edge than a machete. But, it still stuck. Not a deal breaker and the curve made short work of clearing brush. Did not get an opportunity to use the hook at top of blade to bring branches closer, but seems like a great advantage over a machete.The sheath seems flimsy though, but it kept the parang in place with its velcro strap. Would be nice to have molle type attachment straps, but I'm just being picky.All in all, a great blade.

This is a very capable machete! After reading some of the negative commentary about the blade chipping, breaking etc I was a little hesitant to buy this but at the price point, I took a gamble and won ! I used this machete to chop up branches from my chestnut tree after I trimmed it with my saw. This machete made very quick work of these branches and it did have a little scarring on the finish but that’s kinda expected. I mean it is a cutting tool right ? Lol. I have No idea what all of the naysayers claiming that this blade is cheap etc we’re talking about. They must’ve been doing stupid stuff like trying to chop up a branch on a concrete or asphalt surface. 😳😳😳. I placed the branches on the grass and with two good whacks those branches were manageable timber. I took one star off for ergonomics because the blade is nice and heavy at the point of attack but I was used to my Schrade machete and didn’t use gloves. You can’t do that with this blade without getting a nice blister in the webbing of your hand but overall this is a very nice machete for the price point.

First one I got got a chip and they replaced it right away. Got it after 2 days after. It's amazing super sharp and sturdy. Beautiful blade design not to heavy or light perfect for chopping. Other machete's are way too light and bendable lol That's not how a machete should be. The sheath on the otherhand could be better though poor quality. It's an ok quality I have to say Gerber could have made it better, I don't mind paying $10-20 more for a better sheath.

Es un machete curvo, lo utilizo para "quitar el monte", es afilado, ligero y el mango es comodo y tiene buena resistencia, incluye una funda de excelente calidad. el material es durable y despues de unos meses de uso no muestra signos de oxidación o daños.

Efficace, affilato

well made

Excelente calidad y funcional, lo recomiendo.