+1, thanks for the review.

I've been looking at these for a while. But around here they're always shrink-wrapped, and not cheap either; that sets my spidey-sense a-tinging.

For a tool like this, I think 420xx is a reasonable choice. It will take a decent edge, but it won't chip as easily (or deeply) as some steels under the stresses that a machete faces.

BTW: good job in dodging the Cold Steel cheap-o machetes -- see rant in recent post. Okay for vegetation, but completely inadequate for anything made of wood. (This does not apply to the C/S shovel; I want five more of those.)