BRKT KSF Machete....

j williams

j williams

Joined
Nov 14, 2005
Messages
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Now that these have been around for awhile, and those of you who have one had had some time with it, What do you think about it? How are they holdin up? Any regrets? Im seriously thinking about grabbin one with some christmas money, and I would love some real user feedback.:thumbup:


Oh and machete pron never hurt either;)
 
They sure do look cool.

Although I have not used one, I am quite surprised that the counterweight portion of the handle is not covered up. I imagine that could get pretty irritating on the hand after some use.
 
I noticed that too. It does look like it could cause a hot-spot. I guess one could remove it if inclined, but maybe its been softened up, or serves an important feature. Curious to see what owners/users have to say....
 
One of my winter projects is going to be grinding off the exposed tang at the butt. No need for it after all the use this past summer.
 
I have a handful of machetes and a bunch of other big chopping tools.

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The KSF Machete is without a doubt the best machete I have ever used. :thumbup:

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The Sheath is awesome too. :thumbup: :thumbup:



Not cheap,
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but worth the price of admission.



I never found the exposed tang extension to be problem;

...I tend to chop with a relaxed grip and this summer when I had very sweaty hands I was glad it was there,

as it does provide a bit on insurance if your hand slips. :eek:




"If you're not living on the edge, …you're taking up too much space."

Big Mike
 
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Good to know. So after a summer of use, you a fan Kev?

Great pics as usual Mike. Good to know you are liking it, cause you are the big blade guy Ive noticed!!:thumbup:
 
I really like it J. The 14" size is just right when 18" is too long and 12" doesn't give enough reach. I will still carry mine next summer when the green veg. returns.
 
Cool. With the thick underbrush we tend to get in the spring/summer, It would definately be a usefull tool for me in the woods.....
 
I just received mine from KSF on Friday, and I am amazed at the what Mike and his crew at Bark River were able to do with the Ontario Machete. It is a really nice piece of work, though I have yet to put it through its paces. The satin finished edge is beautiful, and wickedly sharp. Very happy with this one.
 
Without a doubt it is a beautiful machete with top-rate fit and finish.

I didn't end up keeping mine because of vibration transfer from the exposed tang extension. When I swing a knife I tend to whip it with a loose grip on the front with my ring finger and pinky anchoring my grip at the heel of the knife. With this knife the exposed tang would sit right against my pinky and at impact I would get a great deal of energy transfer right into my pinky. Needless to say, when using the machete as a chopper it hurt after just a few swings. The design just didn't work for me but it may be my technique, and not the knife, that was at the root of my problem. Using the machete to cut grass and vines (it's primary use anyway) it was an absolute dream to use, just not for chopping/limbing and I wanted that capability for any larger knife I plan to carry.

Note I have the same issue with some of the older Busse blades so this may be user error on my part. :confused:
 
I used bootlegger's a while back, and we had to end up taping the exposed part. It is still $150 for a modified ontario. Just my 2 cents (and I'm broke alot).
 
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heck yes it is. No qualms on that part.
 
LeeCQC said:
Not to hijack the thread, but how does the machete compare to the BRKT golok?
Click to expand...

Weight and length; the Golok is substantially thicker and shorter...of course no point at the end:D I like the Golok for harder woods/vines and it's a much better option if you need to baton through any wood. The handle is more comfortable for me too.

The KSF machete is just the right length as Kev pointed out...I've always like the 12" machetes, but the 14" just seems about perfect. The protruding tang hasn't bothered me yet (not a lot of chopping), but I wish the handle was a tad thicker. Brian's modified 12" machete is usually my go-to light chopper now. I love the convex grind and the stock handle is actually more comfortable (needs to be smoothed a little though).

Yeah, it's expensive for what you get, but it really pushes the envelope on what a machete can do (and it looks really good while doing it).

ROCK6
 
The sheath was a huge part of the cost. It takes about 2 cows and 1 goat to provide enough leather. :)

It is very well designed for the machete.

I have used it extensively and the exposed tang tag has not been an issue. It is softened up a bit and really just provided a bit of safety in use.

I know when Mike was doing the project, he considered taking it off, but some machete guru said NO!! it was important, so we left it on.

Yes, it is expensive. No two ways about it. It was a fun project and we sold about 1/2 of them in the first day and the rest have trickled out. We get lots of good comments.
 
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