All Purpose Machete ?

C

coaldigger

Joined
Jan 27, 2007
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Ok...I just traded my ColdSteel Khuk Machete & my KA-BAR BK9 :o The handle on the CS was rough on the hands & the BK9 didn't see alot of action (size/weight just wasn't comfortable to wear all day). I'm thinking about either the new Condor Khuk or Condor bolo machete or CS Barong Machete ?
I've got the 14" Tram & a 12" Ontario. Any other recommendations ? I don't want to pay the price for a custom right now. I'm looking for one blade to replace the 2 I just traded off..is this possible (with out breaking the bank) ?
 
I love my Condor Golok. With its thick blade at the base and distal taper it can do a variety of tasks from wood processing to clearing light vegetation. Also, the size -14" blade- is just about right in my book. The balance on it is incredible, and it came with a better edge than I've ever seen on a production machete before.
 
The CS Barong is discontinued, but there are a few available out there. That's something to consider.
 
Condor Golok or Parang. Martindale makes a bolo that looks really interesting to me. It can be found here. Hope that's not considered dealspotting. My apologies if so.

Preacher Man said:
The CS Barong is discontinued, but there are a few available out there. That's something to consider.
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Condor also makes a Barong, and likely of far better quality than the CS.
 
Carolina River Rat said:
Condor Golok or Parang. Martindale makes a bolo that looks really interesting to me. It can be found here. Hope that's not considered dealspotting. My apologies if so.



Condor also makes a Barong, and likely of far better quality than the CS.
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The Condor is MUCH higher quality than the CS--but it IS smaller. I have the CS and have had the chance to play with the barong. The CS feels kind of dead in the hand and the sweet spot is way far back on the blade, making it chop like a much shorter machete. Also the Condor has a full flat grind.

My vote for an all-purpose machete is the Condor El Salvador Machete in stainless (the carbon one is thicker stock) or the EcoSurvivor. The Latin pattern of machete is the widest used for a reason. Now if you were able to narrow down what sorts of tasks you intended on using it for, I might be able to make a more specific recommendation...:)
 
Take a look at the Marble Bolo, 15 bucks, I baton with it and chop. It is pretty solid and not to heavy..nor too big.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
The Condor is MUCH higher quality than the CS--but it IS smaller. I have the CS and have had the chance to play with the barong. The CS feels kind of dead in the hand and the sweet spot is way far back on the blade, making it chop like a much shorter machete. Also the Condor has a full flat grind.
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Have you tried the 12" CS Barong? How does it compare with the Condor and the 18"CS?
 
Carolina River Rat said:
Condor Golok or Parang. Martindale makes a bolo that looks really interesting to me. It can be found here. Hope that's not considered dealspotting. My apologies if so.

Condor also makes a Barong, and likely of far better quality than the CS.
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I bookmarked that website for future reference - Machete Heaven! :D
 
bladerique said:
What kind of stainless do they use on that one? [Stainless for some reason makes me nervous.]
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420HC with a great heat treatment. I've pounded the snot out of my stainless Condors (including their 20" Viking model) and they hold up great. They're the only stainless machetes I trust. 420HC is actually a very good steel for that application--it ends up holding an edge comparable to carbon machetes from most other manufacturers.:thumbup:

tabeeb762 said:
Have you tried the 12" CS Barong? How does it compare with the Condor and the 18"CS?
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I haven't tried the 12" CS barong. I only have the 18". Between the 18" CS and the Condor, though, I'd take the Condor.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
The Condor is MUCH higher quality than the CS--but it IS smaller. I have the CS and have had the chance to play with the barong. The CS feels kind of dead in the hand and the sweet spot is way far back on the blade, making it chop like a much shorter machete. Also the Condor has a full flat grind.

My vote for an all-purpose machete is the Condor El Salvador Machete in stainless (the carbon one is thicker stock) or the EcoSurvivor. The Latin pattern of machete is the widest used for a reason. Now if you were able to narrow down what sorts of tasks you intended on using it for, I might be able to make a more specific recommendation...:)
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This will be used for light duty chopping around camp & clearing brush. I'll be using my wetterling belt axe or Gerber/Fiskars sportaxe for some of the bigger stuff. I would like one comfortable to wear on my belt if I was just woods bumming around the house here & wasn't using a large pack. I need something durable/dependable & sharp but not something that's gonna cost me alot of money.:rolleyes:
 
My condor golok sees alot of work around the house doing chores in the garden and chopping fire wood. Its a great design, but heavier than a machete should be maybe. The condor golok is nice, but the CS barongs that on on close out sale now are nothing to laugh at either. I like the factory handle on the CS better, but the condor gives you a solid tang to work with if you choose to re-handle it later, with the CS if the injection molded handle breaks you were pretty screwed unless someone hand fits a pair of micarta slabs to it

Condor has the better of the two warranties.
 
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Both the 14 inch tram and 12 inch Ontario are pretty much the industry standard for a multipurpose machete. As awesome as the Condor Khukri is for chopping, it suffers when it comes to other uses. It has a working point but it's offcenter and at a weird angle, and it definitely is not much of a batonning blade. The Condor El Salvador is very similar in design to the ontario and tramontina, but is considerably thicker and will be heavier. I'd say the Ontario 1095 is a higher hardness and retains an edge better, though it is extremely easy to sharpen Condor's 1075. I have the 15.5 inch Bolo and it's pretty beefy. I'm not sure the weight overall would be much different than the BK9. It is a tride and true multipurpose blade, however, with forward chopping weight, a defined sweetspot, a large flat portion of the blade for drawknifing and battoning, a practical working point and a false edge for digging firepits.
 
coaldigger said:
This will be used for light duty chopping around camp & clearing brush. I'll be using my wetterling belt axe or Gerber/Fiskars sportaxe for some of the bigger stuff. I would like one comfortable to wear on my belt if I was just woods bumming around the house here & wasn't using a large pack. I need something durable/dependable & sharp but not something that's gonna cost me alot of money.:rolleyes:
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For light-duty work I might suggest one of the Condor goloks, their Puerto Rican Machete, or the Jungle Saber. The golok or Puerto Rican models will handle hardwoods pretty ok for their size, but if you want a piece specifically for brush and vegetation then the Jungle Saber will do great for you, and ride comfortably on the hip. It's a VERY light and thin blade designed for green thin targets.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
For light-duty work I might suggest one of the Condor goloks, their Puerto Rican Machete, or the Jungle Saber. The golok or Puerto Rican models will handle hardwoods pretty ok for their size, but if you want a piece specifically for brush and vegetation then the Jungle Saber will do great for you, and ride comfortably on the hip. It's a VERY light and thin blade designed for green thin targets.
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Not alot of green stuff around here ...mostley saplings & dead brush & wild rose bushes & blackberry vines. Does the Condor golok come with a sheath ? How is the Condor bolo machete ?
 
You traded away your BK9? :eek: Aren't the blades your looking at around the same weight? :confused: Personally two out of three of the Condors I've used have not fared well. They were both stainless models. My Golok has performed well, although I prefer a genuine (Himalayan Imports) khukuri for a large, heavy blade.
 
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