Went to the hardware store a couple days ago, project in mind? modding a martindale. They are the more expensive machetes available down here, but i much preffer their edge holding over the usual tramontinas. I grabbed one out of the crate (they keep a few crates of machetes instead of putting them on the shelves) and was going to pay for it when i just happened to look down the spine, it had a very noticeable curve to the right! Went back to the crate, picked up another one, same issue. I checked through every martindale in the crate, before giving up.
On the way home, i decided to visit my grandparents, my grandmother had a stroke on christmas day 2009 and is paralyzed, cannot speak, and my grandfather is one of those old guys that you just try to learn as much as you can from. He was a gunsmith, his hobby is metal fabrication, and at 85 years old he still spends about $10,000 a month on making random things for the plantation. We were talking and i told him i was looking for a machete to modify, he told me to look around in the tool shed (well more like small barn) and if i found any that didnt look like they were being used, i could have them all. Went out to the shed, and in the back, i found about 30 OLD martindales, how old, im not sure, but most of them had one single fuller on them as opposed to the 3 that i see from newer ones (when i say newer, i remember the 3 seamed ones from the late 80's when i got my first machete, so these ones are definately over 20 years old i'd say. but.. looking down the spine, all had a slight curve to the right??
I only grabbed one, the rust pitting was pretty bad and most people would not give it a second look, but i find that it gives it a lot of character. The plan is for a handle about 3 inches longer, and a lot more slender, along with the first 10-12 inches of the machete being fairly slender before flaring out to the tip. the only problem is, this slight curve to the right is driving me insane !!
On the way home, i decided to visit my grandparents, my grandmother had a stroke on christmas day 2009 and is paralyzed, cannot speak, and my grandfather is one of those old guys that you just try to learn as much as you can from. He was a gunsmith, his hobby is metal fabrication, and at 85 years old he still spends about $10,000 a month on making random things for the plantation. We were talking and i told him i was looking for a machete to modify, he told me to look around in the tool shed (well more like small barn) and if i found any that didnt look like they were being used, i could have them all. Went out to the shed, and in the back, i found about 30 OLD martindales, how old, im not sure, but most of them had one single fuller on them as opposed to the 3 that i see from newer ones (when i say newer, i remember the 3 seamed ones from the late 80's when i got my first machete, so these ones are definately over 20 years old i'd say. but.. looking down the spine, all had a slight curve to the right??
I only grabbed one, the rust pitting was pretty bad and most people would not give it a second look, but i find that it gives it a lot of character. The plan is for a handle about 3 inches longer, and a lot more slender, along with the first 10-12 inches of the machete being fairly slender before flaring out to the tip. the only problem is, this slight curve to the right is driving me insane !!
