Cold Steel's marketing strategy seems to consist of a magnet, made of their proprietary wunder steel ( you wonder who is making it this week) dragged through the world picking up every ethnic cutting tool or museum piece, reproducing the form but not the nuance of original genius and stabbing a Buick on Video. You want a machete? Get a cheap brazilian Tramontina. Spetsnaz commando shovel ? Army surplus from Germany,UK,or your own tax dollar US of A. I won't comment on the Russell. The sad part in all this is Cold steel has marketed some very nice items ( marketed, not manufactured. Anyone still lament the loss of a few NY based makers?)The SRK, once you scrub off that epoxy scab and buy at aftermarket discount is a great surival knife. you might even rescue somebody with it! Odds are, it will be some kid who watched Tom Cruise rewrite japanese history in his reprise of Richard Chamberlain in SHOGUN ( or was it the Karate kid?) packing a Cold Steel lion spear, machete,Tanto and boot knife- but no whistle or compass. Items Cold Steel does not make.