Best heavy duty machete ?

Someone was kind enough to give me two Tramotina's, and I must say, for a heavy duty machete, get the Tramotina Bolo Machete. That thing is a beast and didn't tire me out at all.

You will have to do some work on it though just some sanding on the scales. Also they don't come with sheaths, but I made one out of a box from the Post Office because they have thick ish cardboard.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
Tramontinas aren't too soft for heavy duty use. They put a respectable heat treatment on them. Indeed, the KA-BAR handle shape really leaves a lot to be desired, which is why I'm not personally a fan of any of the models that use that handle template.
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I know your reputable knowledge, but again that's not what I call a heavy dutty tool, I had broken two Tramontina on limbs, for the moment the best machete I've found is the Svord Golok, far way better than anything else on the market, simply because of the L6 steel, it's pricy but when you broke ten cheap machetes you have to rethink your approach.
I'm sure if in South America they could afford a svord instead of tramontina, imacasa, they will throw off those cheap machetes and will take a really good tool instead.


Sorry for the ugly picture, carbon steel is a good meal for moisture here, even if this machete is a little softer than a Tramontina for both the end is the same.


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What exactly where you cutting, and what sort of uses had the blade been put through prior to that? Seems like very unusual damage for just cutting limbs. I wouldn't call the 14" Latin pattern a "heavy duty" model, and the 14" bolo, while a better chopper, is the same stock thickness. The 18" Latin pattern is a little thicker. My main point was that they're not too soft. The very fact that you were able to somehow break two of them is an indicator that they are not overly soft. :)
 
Also, while the Svörd is a nice tool, I'd hardly say that the locals in Latin American would cast aside their Tramontinas or Imacasas--the Imacasas especially. Those are some well-made machetes that I consider better tools for the majority of professional/occupational machete users. The Svörd is based on a military pattern and its best context of use is more towards the outdoor recreation/survival/camping realms. As an agricultural tool it wouldn't be my first choice under most circumstances I can imagine. It's too short for my tastes for serious work unless I was dealing with very cramped space.
 
For this blade it was a dry hardwood but eaten by termites, the blade was brand new and didn't last long. For one tramontina I remember well, I was in the forest and I tried to cut a limb on a trail, the wood was "Miconia calvescens" an invasive specie the limb was 8" large, it's hard but not as a hardwood and the blade made a big chip as the picture above.

I treat all my blades with attention and try to preserve them especially when I do hikking in jungle far from home. Since I changed to the svord I never encounter any problem, for me have a reliable tool is really important as I use to do hiking in remote places.

I understand your point, I like all kind of machetes but for heavy use I want the best I can afford, you're right the golok is quite short, but perfect to open a trail and easy to carry in dense vegetation. Sure for agricultural tasks all machetes do the job easily, but I'm sure if one day South Americans have the opportunity to try a top quality machete like the Svord, they will reconsider their choice, but it's really too short for working in the fields it's true.

And to refocus on the parangatang, if Ka-Bar plan to change this handle it will be an incredible tool for many situations even fields tasks, and will be an awesome bragain.
 
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For heavy duty, the ones that Rinaldi makes are quite beefy. I modified this one by extending and thinning the grind and putting a point on it. They have an upturned flat tip with a hanging hole from the factory.

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Mahatma,

You posted in my forum earlier about the parang I make. I also make machetes that are built for hard use. They are 52100 with a spring tempered spine and 58 RC edge. It may be a blade that would meet your needs.

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They can handle really tough use. Here I chopped and batonned through this steel barrel without any edge damage. Also split some bricks without hurting the tip.

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No clue what kind of steel is used (they don't say) but almost certainly a simple high carbon steel or spring steel. Probably the European equivalent of something like 1055-1075. It holds up nicely in my experience.
 
Huntsman Knife Co. said:
Mahatma,

You posted in my forum earlier about the parang I make. I also make machetes that are built for hard use. They are 52100 with a spring tempered spine and 58 RC edge. It may be a blade that would meet your needs.
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Thanks for the offer, I saw your machetes they look great but they are bit long for my needs, I usually use 14" to 16" length, may be if you plan to make a shorter one I'll be interested, I'm gone pay a subscription so we will can see that together, i'll send you a pm soon.


Thanks 42blades, it's surprising that the brand doesn't disclose about the steel used in there tools.
 
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Mahatma said:
Thanks 42blades, it's surprising that the brand doesn't disclose about the steel used in there tools.
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Not really surprising at all. Angelo B. hasn't sold outside of Italy very much until just recently and they're still just entering the market. Their local customers largely don't care what kind of steel it is as long as the tool is made right and does its job well. They know the brand (they're a big well known company in Italy) and know its quality, and that's good enough for practical purposes. The phenomenon of people wanting to know the exact steel designation of tools is a very recent one, and pretty much only holds any importance with people you could call "enthusiasts". Listing the steel designation to a layperson can sound impressive to them from a marketing standpoint, but because they lack the background to know what that actually means, it's kind of extraneous. Angelo both makes a lot of their own tools, but also carries a lot of tools and equipment made by other Italian manufacturers and sold under their own name. They even have some agricultural forks that are sourced from Johann Offner in Austria (and described/marked appropriately with the different country of origin.) I find Angelo's steel to run a little softer than Rinaldi's but Rinaldi is top of their class and manages to make thin edges perform well under impact at 58 RC. Angelo is a solid brand, and offers a lot of stuff that Rinaldi doesn't, but they're a notch below them.
 
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