12 inch machete or heavy bowie?

I don't about some people on here, but I have batonned my 12" and 14" trams through a lot of wood with no ill effects. ( Now that I just said that they will break the next time I pick them up. LOL)
Like valcas1 said, the bowie will hold up to better abuse when splitting wood. The only other thing is weight, if that is even an issue for you. If like to travel light then I think the tram and maybe folding saw is the way to go.
 
EMT_Lee said:
Mike, you know anyone who's selling the BRKT goloks for a reasonable price? KSF have been out for quite a while.
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EMT Lee, check out McKnight Cutlery. I just picked up a Golok from Jeff. He is a great guy to deal with:thumbup:.
 
Everyone here knows I'm biased towards the machete. For the money I don't think there is a better blade out there for most heavy work. Clearing trails and campsites, leveling ground shelter construction etc, the machete pays its way. That said a machete breaks down when you have to work with seasoned hardwood. Yes you can get through a log or small tree but if you have to produce a large volume of firewood for winter weather you don't want a machete. In the winter in North America give me a small axe and a saw, in summer I'll take my machete. Mac
 
Another fun chopper might be this 11"-bladed monster!
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It's an F. Dick German butcher's knife, or blockmesser. :)
 
if you got the vash get a brkt machete but if not get a ontario 12in machete send it to me a you will be reay to got
 
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Like untamed I live in SE Asia and prefer a parang or machete. However, I grew up in upstate NY and there I also preferred machetes to large bowies, but this is strictly a personal preference.
 
I prefer my thinned out golok to any big knife. If I were to have a knife that big with me it would be because I needed a knife shape tool, so it would be a big chefs knife. In every other instance I find the golok shape just more practical all round than knife shape knives are. For me I think the golok puts all the weight to more versatile uses than a big bowie does. Money where my mouth is, I'd buy something else if I believed differently. Dunno how well my home baked Martindale stacks against a BRKT done Ontario but my guess is the BRKT golok Big Mike suggests would work very well for me if I was there.
 
I love big blades, but if you need wood splitting capabilities I would go with a knife over a machete. If you are going to be clearing more vegetation, than a Machete. Or, do as KGD suggested..
 
I've never had a problem splitting straight grained wood with a machete. The 12 inch Ontario is very good at it. I have a 13 inch Saico in Brazil that I often use. I once hammered it through a very twisted piece of Candeia. The Saico is a short thick machete, thicker than the Ontario, but as I hammered it in it suddenly took a 20 bend and that wood was not going to split. I had to beat the blade back out and it snapped right back to straight.

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Typical Candeia, this stuff could challenge wedges and a slegehammer.

Mac
 
My main large knife is a HI Khukuri. Some of them like the Sirupati, Gelbu Special and Chitlangi can cut brush, branches and small logs pretty well. Having said that, I'm considering carrying a 12" to 14" Machete on my pack in a custom sheath and a 5" to 7" fixed blade on my belt.

I'd say use both and deside which you like best.

Heber
 
kgd said:
Why not get the best of both worlds? Koyote traditional leuku :D
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That's exactly what I did kgd...I have your Leuku's twin from Koyote; finally arrived but I haven't had any opportunities to get it out yet.

Koyote's Leuku is a 10" blade short machete...with a great edge. I'll still do the digging with my 12" ontario, but the Leuku is going to give my Brian Andrew's modified machete a run for it's money on the next trip out.

ROCK6
 
Cool Rock, post a review thread on it when you get a chance! It batons like a champ and whacks through tall grasses nicely too.
 
I have a number of large blades. I favor the kukri for "work". I also have the short Ontario machete, nice and light weight. For a bowie type knife I have an oloder Western 49 high carbon bowie. It's alot like looking for the lost chord. Lots of stuff to try. It's a real dance that's lots of fun and a priviledge to discuss the topics with people with so much experience. Regards
 
baldtaco-II said:
I prefer my thinned out golok to any big knife. If I were to have a knife that big with me it would be because I needed a knife shape tool, so it would be a big chefs knife. In every other instance I find the golok shape just more practical all round than knife shape knives are. For me I think the golok puts all the weight to more versatile uses than a big bowie does. Money where my mouth is, I'd buy something else if I believed differently. Dunno how well my home baked Martindale stacks against a BRKT done Ontario but my guess is the BRKT golok Big Mike suggests would work very well for me if I was there.
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I also prefer the golock or parang shape, I think there is a ton of value there....

The weight forward design, the edge forward of the centerline, all good...

Marion
 
I picked up the sax 12" yesterday and put it to work after a good sharpening job. I trimmed some sugar maple with the HT 101 (pole saw) and had tons of test material to cut. Seeing my damn polaris MV7 needs a battery(150$!) I had to trim it all to fit a large cart. It cuts so well I figured I would share.
 
Sometimes I use Tramontina shortened to 13", i really like that blade, and sometimes I use 12" Ontario.Ontario is heavier and thicker and therefore stiffer and can be used for digging if need

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But I don't dig that much, so Tramontina is up to all my needs + it can be resharpened much faster in the field.Didn't try with Ontario, but with Tram I cut 4mm nail in two, with very little damage, nothing that couldn't be easy fixed with file.
 
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