Adjusting machete poly handle size

[deChelca]

Hi everyone,

I recently bought an OKC machete. The weight and balance is the best of any knife or machete I've ever had. However, the polycarbonate handle is too big. Too big and too slippery. I'm genuinely afraid of cutting something off, and I don't mean my backpack.

I was just going to use sandpaper, perhaps a dremel tool, to resize it, working only the underside and the sides, leaving the top as is.

To make it non-slippery, I thought a couple of bicycle tire patches glued on to the top (where it's smooth) might do it.

Any suggestions?

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

You'll want to use the abrasive of your choice to work the scales flush with the tang, then either use abrasives or a sharp knife to shape the handle to your preference. Then sand any irregularities out of it and bring it to a high grit to smooth it out. No need to use inner tubes on the grip in my opinion--rubber on machete handles tends to cause rubbing and blisters during extended use from the pivoting action they use. I prefer a pretty smooth handle, personally, and I feel that grip security should come from good handle design/contours rather than texturing.