The Camillus Carnivore is the envy of many outdoor enthusiasts. This durable machete has many features giving it a variety of uses. The 12-inch blade sits on a comfortable, camouflage ABS handle.
Is this For Me?
Camillus Titanium Bonded Carnivore Z Machete, Camouflage/Silver
Features:
- Full tang 440 stainless steel and multi-grind blade
- Chisel, cutting, sawing, digging and integrated wire cutter
- Top quality ABS handle
- Ballistic nylon sheath
- 8-inch blade
For me personally, yes! If you are looking for a practical machete to use in the woods, to cut through dense foliage on your hunting trip or to just chop up your Christmas tree that has been sitting in your backyard for 6 months then I would say this is a good match for you too!
Blade and Sharpness
The Carnivore is a durable machete that will hold up very well while you hack away at a tree or post. The blade is full tang 440 stainless steel. Full tang means that the blade extends all the way through the handle. This ensures extra blade strength, as well as making the machete more balanced. 440 stainless steel is a high carbon steel, which means it is strong and will resist wear. This grade of steel also exhibits superior resistance to water, foods, weak acids and air. The smooth polished surface helps the steel resist corrosion as well. This blade is also titanium bonded which helps with corrosion; it makes the steel three times harder than regular steel. This is a high-quality blade for the price.
Handling and Grip
The handle on the Camillus Carnivore is contoured to fit comfortably in your hand. The handle material itself is not particularly great for gripping but the shape of the handle provides the grip that you need to hold onto the machete while it is in use. Another great part about this machete is the camo handle…even though this does not improve the function of it in any way! It’s a personal thing…the way something looks plays a part in influencing my decision to purchase or not. In my books, camouflage increases the cool factor. The handle is composed of ABS Plastic. ABS stands for Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene which is an opaque thermoplastic and amorphous polymer…aka heavy-duty plastic. This type of plastic is often used for common work knife handles. ABS plastic provides a good balance of toughness and rigidity.
Competition
One machete that stood out to me was the Ontario SP8 Machete. This machete is similar in structure and pretty close in price as well. Its blade is made out of 1095 carbon steel instead of the 440 stainless steel. Both of these are comparable in sharpness, strength, and durability. The blade on the Ontario is 10 inches instead of 12 and there is no hardware on it to hold the handle onto the tang making it very unlikely to fall off or break apart. If you are interested in this machete, follow this link. Ontario SP8 Machete
Other Capabilities of the Carnivore
This machete has a few other capabilities. It has a saw, a chisel at the tip of the blade as well as a notch for wire cutting. The Camillus Carnivore also includes a sheath and a lifetime warranty.
Technical Specifications
- 18 inches overall length
- 12-inch blade
- ABS Handle
Conclusion
This is a good machete for trimming branches, cutting down small trees, chopping through vegetation and making kindling. It will hold up as long as you treat it well. The harder you use it, the faster it will dull. It is a great deal for a machete in its category and price range. If you are interested in this machete click this link. Camillus Carnivore. But don’t wait because prices are always changing!!
I always buy my outdoor tools from Amazon because they are a safe site and they can offer the most competitive prices.
It’s a fake full tang!
I also love this machete for its many features. Just a couple of corrections to your article though.
ABS – Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrylonitrile_butadiene_styrene
The notch is more for cutting hide, fabric, or stripping bark from sticks for making kindling but would not likely work well for cutting wire. While the metal is surely hard enough, cutting wire requires at least a scissoring action, or some sort of blade and anvil configuration. The notch will be of little use for cutting wire.
Mine broke in half on a small twig and stuck in the ground. Just glad it wasnt my head!
Dude I was gifted one of these a Couple years back from my bother for my birthday, I use machetes quite often when felling trees & cutting firewood they actually come in far more handy than a hatchet! Anyways this POS Completely busted in half First Swing, first branch, barely even scarred the bark, in 100% serious this thing is (as a machete anyways) completely useless! Imagine some poor f@)&er buys one of these and packs it in an outing only to get into a situation where he actually needs it and the pos busted in half! Could be a deadly situation!