I am fairly sure that it is from my bad technique. Full story in a minute. Way back, like two or three weeks ago, I redid the edge (from the first damage) based on my previous thread. http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...edge-on-my-machete-!-!?highlight=blackberries
I tried the edge out in the back yard and it preformed well until I hit a metal burn barrel with it! I had to redo the edge again. Finally found the time to get out and try it out to day. First couple of cuts lead to minor rolling. I tried to strop the roll out with some black compound on paper around a stone. Got the burr size down and tried again. More rolling and worse this time. To much for the strop. Then I happened to remember that I am carrying a dmt folding fine hone on my keys. I started using it exclusively for my touch ups. Nothing else used except maybe a light pass on my jeans. And not always that. That really seemed to up the edge quality. I need to check that it still has an apex because part of edge lacks a burr. However, there is a giant roll in the transfer from belly to straight edge. I am fairly certain that, when I hit a woody stem (3/4 to 1 inch thick) while cutting vines, the machete twisted in my hand and damaged the edge. I think the edge is strong enough. But if I hit a stem with the machete in a pinch grip, the blade is twisting. If I grip the blade more like a sword, I don't think it will damage the edge. By this time, I had been outside for about an 1 and 1/2 hours. I was too tired to keep working/testing. Will probably have to invest in a powered option because these vines are just to thickly overgrown for a machete. It is like trying to cut a rug laid between the back of two chairs. You can't cut it because it pushes away from you.
I tried the edge out in the back yard and it preformed well until I hit a metal burn barrel with it! I had to redo the edge again. Finally found the time to get out and try it out to day. First couple of cuts lead to minor rolling. I tried to strop the roll out with some black compound on paper around a stone. Got the burr size down and tried again. More rolling and worse this time. To much for the strop. Then I happened to remember that I am carrying a dmt folding fine hone on my keys. I started using it exclusively for my touch ups. Nothing else used except maybe a light pass on my jeans. And not always that. That really seemed to up the edge quality. I need to check that it still has an apex because part of edge lacks a burr. However, there is a giant roll in the transfer from belly to straight edge. I am fairly certain that, when I hit a woody stem (3/4 to 1 inch thick) while cutting vines, the machete twisted in my hand and damaged the edge. I think the edge is strong enough. But if I hit a stem with the machete in a pinch grip, the blade is twisting. If I grip the blade more like a sword, I don't think it will damage the edge. By this time, I had been outside for about an 1 and 1/2 hours. I was too tired to keep working/testing. Will probably have to invest in a powered option because these vines are just to thickly overgrown for a machete. It is like trying to cut a rug laid between the back of two chairs. You can't cut it because it pushes away from you.
