- Joined
- Oct 3, 1998
- Messages
- 4,670
At the 2001 Blade Show, Camillus Cutlery Company unveiled a new addition to their Becker Knife & Tool line of heavy duty fixed blades. The Patrol Machete is a no-nonsense work tool for those heavy duty cutting chores around the back forty or camp site. As with all the knives in the BK&T line, the Patrol Machete features a rugged, oversized handle grip of GV6H, a Swiss engineered polymer that is contoured to fit your hand for maximum comfort. Three pairs of hex head screws fasten the scales to the full tang. The front and rear guards prevent your hand from sliding back and forth while the lack of texturing does not raise blisters after an afternoon of use.
The blade is 14 long, flat ground out of 0.188 stock of 0170-6C carbon tool steel. The blade flares slightly towards the tip, forming a belly on the blade, therefore creating a sweet spot in which the knife is most effective at doing the toughest cutting jobs. A black epoxy powder coat is applied to ward off moisture and corrosion. Overall length of the Patrol Machete is 19.5 long and comes with a heavy duty Cordura sheath with webbing belt loop. A single button loop enclosure secures the Patrol Machete inside of the sheath. Go ahead; take the knife out of the sheath. How light it is and how balanced it feels in the hand will pleasantly surprise you. This is a cutting tool one can definitely work all day with.
Following the conclusion of the 2001 Blade Show, Camillus Product Manager Will Fennell had invited me to his familys farm in rural South Carolina for a retreat of sorts. About 10 knife industry folks had gathered with us to unwind after the busy weekend. The Fennells property serves as an unofficial proving grounds for Camillus products, and during the course of the two days that followed, there were plenty of opportunities to try out the Patrol Machete and put it to use. Upon waking up the next morning, we needed to get a fire going in the back yard pit so that Ethan Becker (BK&Ts founder, noted cooking expert, and the Joy of Cooking co-author) could begin to fix our first meal of the day. Fennell and myself grabbed a couple of Patrol Machetes and went to work chopping limbs from a few dead cedar trees on his property. We were able to split the limbs up into smaller lengths with no problem. The belly of the machete facilitated this task easily combined with the length of the blade.
After breakfast, it was time to perform some more cutting tests with the Patrol Machete in hand. Under the guidance and watchful eye of knifemaker extraordinaire and designated National Living Treasure, Jerry Fisk, I was able to make a few cuts of free hanging 2 hemp rope. Striking the rope at an angle, aiming for the inside curve of the Patrol Machetes blade, this is the sweet spot of the blade. The Patrol Machete went through the rope easily with the factory edge. Next up, slicing water filled soda cans in half. With the speed and the right touch, the machete was able to cut through the cans one-by-one. Back to real world applications of the Patrol Machete, the real cutting power of it can be experienced on saplings. I managed to de-limb a couple saplings, each limb falling to the ground with one mighty stroke. Clean cuts! Over the next couple of days, the machete was used and used hard. During this time, the handle did not create any hot spots on the palm of my hand, nor did my hand experience fatigue of any kind. This goes to show how well engineered the machete is. In between some of the cutting tests and use, the edge was touched up using a diamond rod sharpener. The 0170-6C steel can really hold an edge through all the use/abuse, yet remain easy to sharpen which is good in case you have to bring the edge back in the field.
The verdict? The BK&T Patrol Machete is a very well made tool. I had enjoyed putting it to use over those two days. Its a well balanced cutting/chopping tool. If youre looking for a high performance machete but are disappointed at what you find at the local hardware store or home center, this is your blade! Fit and finish is excellent per Camillus standards, absolutely no complaints here at all! Those of you who would like to upgrade the sheath, Elite Tactical Carry Systems makes a handy Kydex carry rig for the Patrol Machete. There are two ridges running parallel to the blade that keeps the machete from rattling around inside, yet it is easily withdrawn when the time comes to put it to use. ETCS is asking $40 for this sheath, and is available by contacting them at 740.965.9970 or emailing them at elite_tactical@hotmail.com. The BK&T Patrol Machete is available now from your favorite Camillus retailer. Suggested retail pricing is $99.95.
------------------
Proud member: AKTI, NCCKG, NCKK, and SCAK
Living life on the edge
[This message has been edited by Dexter Ewing (edited 06-13-2001).]
The blade is 14 long, flat ground out of 0.188 stock of 0170-6C carbon tool steel. The blade flares slightly towards the tip, forming a belly on the blade, therefore creating a sweet spot in which the knife is most effective at doing the toughest cutting jobs. A black epoxy powder coat is applied to ward off moisture and corrosion. Overall length of the Patrol Machete is 19.5 long and comes with a heavy duty Cordura sheath with webbing belt loop. A single button loop enclosure secures the Patrol Machete inside of the sheath. Go ahead; take the knife out of the sheath. How light it is and how balanced it feels in the hand will pleasantly surprise you. This is a cutting tool one can definitely work all day with.
Following the conclusion of the 2001 Blade Show, Camillus Product Manager Will Fennell had invited me to his familys farm in rural South Carolina for a retreat of sorts. About 10 knife industry folks had gathered with us to unwind after the busy weekend. The Fennells property serves as an unofficial proving grounds for Camillus products, and during the course of the two days that followed, there were plenty of opportunities to try out the Patrol Machete and put it to use. Upon waking up the next morning, we needed to get a fire going in the back yard pit so that Ethan Becker (BK&Ts founder, noted cooking expert, and the Joy of Cooking co-author) could begin to fix our first meal of the day. Fennell and myself grabbed a couple of Patrol Machetes and went to work chopping limbs from a few dead cedar trees on his property. We were able to split the limbs up into smaller lengths with no problem. The belly of the machete facilitated this task easily combined with the length of the blade.
After breakfast, it was time to perform some more cutting tests with the Patrol Machete in hand. Under the guidance and watchful eye of knifemaker extraordinaire and designated National Living Treasure, Jerry Fisk, I was able to make a few cuts of free hanging 2 hemp rope. Striking the rope at an angle, aiming for the inside curve of the Patrol Machetes blade, this is the sweet spot of the blade. The Patrol Machete went through the rope easily with the factory edge. Next up, slicing water filled soda cans in half. With the speed and the right touch, the machete was able to cut through the cans one-by-one. Back to real world applications of the Patrol Machete, the real cutting power of it can be experienced on saplings. I managed to de-limb a couple saplings, each limb falling to the ground with one mighty stroke. Clean cuts! Over the next couple of days, the machete was used and used hard. During this time, the handle did not create any hot spots on the palm of my hand, nor did my hand experience fatigue of any kind. This goes to show how well engineered the machete is. In between some of the cutting tests and use, the edge was touched up using a diamond rod sharpener. The 0170-6C steel can really hold an edge through all the use/abuse, yet remain easy to sharpen which is good in case you have to bring the edge back in the field.
The verdict? The BK&T Patrol Machete is a very well made tool. I had enjoyed putting it to use over those two days. Its a well balanced cutting/chopping tool. If youre looking for a high performance machete but are disappointed at what you find at the local hardware store or home center, this is your blade! Fit and finish is excellent per Camillus standards, absolutely no complaints here at all! Those of you who would like to upgrade the sheath, Elite Tactical Carry Systems makes a handy Kydex carry rig for the Patrol Machete. There are two ridges running parallel to the blade that keeps the machete from rattling around inside, yet it is easily withdrawn when the time comes to put it to use. ETCS is asking $40 for this sheath, and is available by contacting them at 740.965.9970 or emailing them at elite_tactical@hotmail.com. The BK&T Patrol Machete is available now from your favorite Camillus retailer. Suggested retail pricing is $99.95.
------------------
Proud member: AKTI, NCCKG, NCKK, and SCAK
Living life on the edge
[This message has been edited by Dexter Ewing (edited 06-13-2001).]