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It's absolutely heat treated.
1055 is OK. Not the greatest, but not garbage either. It sharpens very easily which is nice.
Comparison of Machetes?
- Thread starter Wolfeye
- Start date
It's absolutely heat treated.
1055 is OK. Not the greatest, but not garbage either. It sharpens very easily which is nice.
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Thanks Benjamin, I didn't know.
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Most Marbles can be had for $13-$15 with sheath. A couple are $20. I got a bunch of Latin pattern Imacasas on closeout awhile back for $3 (14") - $8 (18-20") each. No sheath.
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That's a GREAT value!
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Yes, at least here in the U.S. I have a catalog from Incolma, I believe, that is maybe 5 years old. They list the prices for wholesalers, retailers and the end-user price. If I got the currency exchange rate right, most were $3 - $8 or thereabouts (no sheath). Amazing value for a usable tool.
Funny thing is the Marbles sheaths. They seem to very heavy-duty. Sewn, riveted, with two side pockets and a sharpening stone. Very sturdy, very rigid. But heavy. Nothing I'd want to carry for long.
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Yes, at least here in the U.S. I have a catalog from Incolma, I believe, that is maybe 5 years old. They list the prices for wholesalers, retailers and the end-user price. If I got the currency exchange rate right, most were $3 - $8 or thereabouts (no sheath). Amazing value for a usable tool.
Funny thing is the Marbles sheaths. They seem to very heavy-duty. Sewn, riveted, with two side pockets and a sharpening stone. Very sturdy, very rigid. But heavy. Nothing I'd want to carry for long.
Sounds like my sheath. It has several pockets. It is a nice sheath, considering it comes with the machete! And if I remember right, mine did come with a sharpening stone too.
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Sorry for the last minute after dark garage pic, haha.
By the way, that's boiled linseed oil on the blade.
By the way, that's boiled linseed oil on the blade.
Henry Beige
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I think of my machetes as fitting into two broad categories, choppers and slashers. My choppers are mostly Condors, have blades from 4-6 mm thick, and no longer than 14”. They sell at anywhere from $40 up to 80 or 90 bucks. Some of those that used to sell for $40 now go for $70 or $80.
The slashers are made of lighter stock, and range in length from 14” up to 30” or more, with thinner blades, under 3 mm and sometimes as thin as 1.5 mm.The longer ones are pretty much just for grasses. The shorter ones will work on grasses, but can be configured also to work well in heavier vegetation including green wood.
In general, a weighted blade, like a bolo or panga, will work better on thicker or woody vegetation than an unweighted blade will. That said, an 18” Tramontina bush machete has a pretty thick blade for a slasher, and will chop pretty well for a slasher. Working around my yard, I like to carry a 14” Tramontina or Marble’s (Imacasa) bolo for trimming up whatever I run into. They are very light and nimble, easy to have around.
I didn’t think too much of pangas until the last couple of years, when It was pointed out to me that a sharpened back edge can work as a brush hook. I have a 16” Marble’s panga. It took me a while to sharpen the back edge, but now it works pretty well. On some of their machetes, Marble’s offers a wire-wrapped handle. Give it a pass. I used to have a wire handle that I really liked, but on this panga, the wire gets loose and shifts in the hand. I have tacked it in place with a light-curing resin, but Will probably just remove it in the end.
If you want something really versatile, try the Baryonyx machete. With the brush hook on the back, it can cut in both directions, or gather material to your hand to hold it taut for cutting. With 18” of length, it will breeze through grasses and tall weeds. The blade is thin for a chopper, but with the weight behind it will cut deep in green wood instead of throwing chips, and easily cuts through some pretty good-sized stuff. The weight means I don’t want to schlep it around for random tasks, but for a specific piece of brush to be cleared it is often the tool of choice.
The slashers are made of lighter stock, and range in length from 14” up to 30” or more, with thinner blades, under 3 mm and sometimes as thin as 1.5 mm.The longer ones are pretty much just for grasses. The shorter ones will work on grasses, but can be configured also to work well in heavier vegetation including green wood.
In general, a weighted blade, like a bolo or panga, will work better on thicker or woody vegetation than an unweighted blade will. That said, an 18” Tramontina bush machete has a pretty thick blade for a slasher, and will chop pretty well for a slasher. Working around my yard, I like to carry a 14” Tramontina or Marble’s (Imacasa) bolo for trimming up whatever I run into. They are very light and nimble, easy to have around.
I didn’t think too much of pangas until the last couple of years, when It was pointed out to me that a sharpened back edge can work as a brush hook. I have a 16” Marble’s panga. It took me a while to sharpen the back edge, but now it works pretty well. On some of their machetes, Marble’s offers a wire-wrapped handle. Give it a pass. I used to have a wire handle that I really liked, but on this panga, the wire gets loose and shifts in the hand. I have tacked it in place with a light-curing resin, but Will probably just remove it in the end.
If you want something really versatile, try the Baryonyx machete. With the brush hook on the back, it can cut in both directions, or gather material to your hand to hold it taut for cutting. With 18” of length, it will breeze through grasses and tall weeds. The blade is thin for a chopper, but with the weight behind it will cut deep in green wood instead of throwing chips, and easily cuts through some pretty good-sized stuff. The weight means I don’t want to schlep it around for random tasks, but for a specific piece of brush to be cleared it is often the tool of choice.
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what is a good SS equivalent to 1055? 420? 1055 seems to be fairly low quality/price for a machete, as you all have noted. It sharpens well (like 420), but does not hold up.
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Imacasa 14 inch data or 18 inch linero
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