Customer Reviews

Cold Steel Sjambok - 42" - Black

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I bought this on a whim but now am glad that I did. I hike a lot in desert country and really like this to sweep the grass and check for snakes. At 42 inches I am not sure this is good for any other critters but the flexibility and light weight makes me prefer it over trekking poles/walking staffs. Not recommended if you need something for stability.

I just received my 42" Sjambok today in the mail and eagerly took it out for a trial spin while walking my dog. First, I have to say that the Cold Steel Sjambok is solid state in construction and very light. I carried it tucked under my arm like a swagger stick. The initial appearance is that of a riding crop on steroids. Not so obvious as to draw unwanted attention but certainly impressive enough to mean business.

I have been using a recently purchased Cold Steel African Walking Stick lately but wanted to give the new Sjambok a try. My first night out I was charged by a loose German Shepard in my neighborhood. I swished the stick about while yelling and the dog immediately backed off. I have no doubt that I could have effectively flayed the beast if necessary but the intimidation alone seemed sufficent.

So far, my initial impression is quite positive. This stick delivers exactly as advertised and seems impervious to destruction. It is light and quite pleasurable to carry while walking the suburbs. For those roaming off the beaten trail, a solid, load bearing stick like the African Walking Stick might be more suitable provided some good padded gloves are worn (see my previous review on that item).

In summary, no complaints on the Sjambok. It is exactly as described and very capable of being used for defensive purposes. I'm happy with my purchase and consider this a steal at the current price.

Sjambok is a type of rigid whip used by hikers and citizens for defense against wild animals, snakes, and human assailants. The Cold steel product is as durable as billed. The handle fits nicely in the hand, and the "whip" action is reliable and powerful.

I am a martial artist who has also been practicing and teaching Bullwhip Artistry semi-professionally for more the half a decade, (look online for the work of Anthony DeLongis, Adam Winrich, and Chris Camp to see what I mean by "Bullwhip Artistry.") I picked up the Cold Steel 42" Sjambok to expand my arsenal of tools for demonstrations and such, (and also as a tool to take to the dojo and explore some defensive stuff through sparring.

Now, I'm not a huge fan of a lot of Cold Steel's business practices, (in my experience, they like to rip off blade designs from top blade makers and pass them off as their own, but when you're faced with spending $700+ on a tactical folding knife, or a similar, quite comparable product from Cold Steel for < $200, Cold Steel is your best friend. Good products vs. questionable business ethics. While I don't care for that, your mileage may vary,) but when it comes to the sjambok, they are the ONLY game in town unless you're lucky enough to find a good quality traditional one made of rhinoceros hide on eBay. Good luck with that.

Even being the only kid on the block making these, the Cold Steel Sjambok is quite good. My first day with it at the dojo, and the self-defense functionality became quite clear. It's very responsive and quick, and very easy to control the amount of force you deliver with it, from light "attention getting" taps to some rather painful strikes. It can deliver quite effective blows as a baton, but has the advantage that can come from "around corners," due to it's flexibility. I find that it seems to more naturally fall into sword/knife/escrima types of techniques, rather than baton/club like ones.

All in all, I'm VERY pleased with this purchase. It's an excellent tool for around $10.

The only complaint that I could have about this product is the weight. In my opinion it is a little light for being a tool that relies primarily on mass for effectiveness. I feel it could be far more effective with more of the weight shifted toward the tip of the whip, (not just a weight out at the end, like a flail, but an even distributition along the length, like a thin steel cable core,) but for the price, it can't be beat!

The Cold Steel Sjambok is exactly what it's described as. Good length, durable material and not too heavy. What it lacks is finishing. The cord that comes attached to the handle is a simple piece of kraton pulled and knotted through a rough hole in the handle, which came undone after a few minutes of use. There are bits of material sticking out where the edges of the mold were, and the woven pattern on the handle looks fake and tacky. Still, Cold Steel doesn't set out to be stylistic: It sets out to arm normal people with weapons that you can use to defend yourself. Now a sjambok is by no means an effective tool for self-defense, but it does it's job, and for about $10 it's not like you invested a lot in it if you're not completely satisfied.

A few years ago I was on a walk with my then-5-y.o. daughter and we were attacked by a pit bull. A crack across that canine's face and back repelled that beast smartly and saved the bipeds from horrible injuries.

If I may be honest, I was actually looking for a fake walking stick for my Halloween costume and thought to myself "If a fake stick is [...] bucks, maybe I should get something practical I could use after Halloween for about the same price" .. And that's what got me down the path of eventually purchasing this sjambok for [...] bucks. It arrived nicely packaged about 4 days after I placed my order. Single piece so nothing to put together. This items uses seem to be endless. I like jogging .. And dogs annoy me when they come yipping by. With this in my hands, that's a thing of the past. It's an awesome self defense tool and my fiancé sleeps with it next to her headboard. As a hiking stick it's incredible .. Not for supporting yourself upright though it does help a little in that area (it's flexible and isn't really made for that), but hike through bushy areas and this makes a nice grass swatter to scare of snakes and clear some brush. Oh, and yes, it's an awesome fake walking stick for my Halloween costume.

Bought one to protect myself, wife, and baby against coyotes, snakes, and off-leash dogs on our strolls. Only about two months after buying one, a big aggressive rattler was coiled and ready to strike at me only a foot off the sidewalk in some brush, much to my surprise. I pushed the baby to safety in her stroller and thrashed the living daylights out of the snake. He won't be threatening anyone again.

I bought this weapon as a less lethal method of defense against four legged predators and possible two legged ones.While I havent had to use it in the capacity in which it was purchased. However I haved tested it extinsively. I practiced smashing nuts just to test my accuracy with it and I even used the handle end to break a cinder block as cold steel did in their video. This thing works and is designed to fit in hand comfortably. Just practice with it.

it was what I expected, but the handle bends too, I didn't expect it, but since the handle is the same material it flexes and ends up causing my hand to cramp up if I am whacking for more than 10 minutes or so.

Also, don't use to spar with any blades, the material breaks pretty easily if you hit metal with it. I whapped a piece of metal L bar just to see how it would hold up, and it took a chunk out of it. Even with a chunk gone the end hasn't broken off. So I would have to say it's very durable, I doubt anyone will abuse it more than I have.