ESEE Lite Machete

FortyTwoBlades said:
That's one of the things I love about machetes--they use length to alter their rotational inertia, allowing you to carry a tool that as a whole is light-weight, yet hits like a ton of bricks. I think Vector has illustrated this when discussing 'hawks, too.

Also they maximize their ability to both chop and slice well by utilizing thin, broad blades. By putting the mass behind the cutting edge instead of to the side of it you get higher mass with less friction due to matter displacement, allowing it to bite deep without undue effort. That thin profile then allows it to feather a fuzz stick or prepare dinner, and the spring temper allows you to baton wood for the camp fire without much worry. :D:thumbup:
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I totally agree. Why in the hell would any of us ever pay more than 7 dollars for a survival knife?
 
We know that Imacasas makes several styles of machete, but the Latin style is probably the most popular. Assuming that is the style the new ESEE Lite Machete, it will likely not be a long one. Being naturally lazy, I tend to use my lightest machetes the most. Of course the thing that most determines the weight are blade length, thickness, and width. Shown at the top is a very long thin Truper machete. With a 26" blade, it is heavy. Next down is a 22" Collins, which is also quite heavy, though not as heavy as the thicker 22" Ontario (not shown). Just under the Collins is a 22" Tramontina. It is the only 22" blade machete that I can swing all day. It thin and fairly light for a 22" blade. Below that is my 18" Tramontina, very light and fast. As you can see, my Trams get the most use. Next down is the 18" Condor El Salvador in 420HC. It is a fine machete, heavier than the Tramontina, but lighter than an 18" Ontario. The Imacasas made machetes seem to be a touch thicker than the Tramontinas, more like the old Collins machetes. Below the Condor is a little used 16" Gavilan from Colombia. I got it just because I liked the Indian sheath that came with it. It is a light machete. Below it is a heavier and thicker Collins 14" machete. And at the bottom is an old WWII Collins 12" machete.
Latin001.jpg

Latin006.jpg

The cool thing about the Condors is they come with a beautiful hand finished convex edge and nice leather sheath. If the new ESEE Light machete has a similar edge, it will be a great machete right out of the box. And the micarta scales will make it even nicer.
Latin004.jpg


The 18" and under blades are the ones I consider "light" machetes.
 
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Thanks for the info Horn Dog. Great post as always. I'm still semi-stuck in my axe bearing ways, but I can absolutely see machetes as a great tool.
 
Horn Dog--the Lite Machete will indeed have the Condor polished convex edge. :):thumbup:
 
I really like using an axe for heavy chopping and splitting wood. But to carry an axe and machete is redundant. The machete can chop and split wood as well as clear brush and even do some finer knife work. The axe is not so useful for clearing brush.
 
We are going to offer this two ways: 1) without a sheath of any kind and 2) with a simple cordura sheath (no bells and whistles). It will indeed be an 18" machete with the Condor edge.
 
The 18" is a good all-around size. Long enough to have some reach, and light enough to swing all day. I'm looking forward to whacking some palmettos and chopping some dead bay trees with that new Lite machete.
 
i can't wait for that to come out...i have a 22" that i got from a "dollar" store, it serves the purpose but i would like one that is easier to carry in my jungle (the white mountians) :D
 
R.A.T. said:
Oh, you'd be wrong about me. I've never supported a "general consensus" because I think that's pretty close to a Socialisitic attitude. I simply support what works. We're not building knives for the masses and could care less if someone doesn't like what we build. We do build what works for our requirements when we design it.
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I didnt mean to misrepresent you Jeff. I just meant that you didn't do everything according to your favorite, but rather the accepted idea from experienced folks of what works.

As far as "not building knives for the masses" damn Im glad you dont! :D
If you did it wouldnt be worth a shit!
The "masses" are general stupid. (at least when they are all together)
 
I'm looking forward to the Rat machete. It will be one more piece of awesomeness from the RAT Cutlery crew. :D
 
Don't forget the awesome folks at Imacasa who produce machete blades to the RAT standard! :D
 
Imacasas are great. They're pretty rough out of the box, but with a little TLC, they sure do clean up nice. The factory, polypropylene handles are excellent- once you round the edges off and smooth things out a bit with sandpaper. They're nice and smooth, there's no obnoxious texture or rivet holes to create hot spots and tear up your hands. Like any properly designed handle, the grip comes from the form, not from surface texture. :thumbup:

That said, I'm really, really looking forward to the ESEE Lite machete. It's a MUST HAVE for any machete fan. It will be the mack-daddy machete that all others wish they could be. There's nothing wrong with the regular line Imacasas, actually, they're pretty amazing. This doesn't stop Condors from being even cooler. There's nothing wrong with Condors either, but that won't stop the RAT machete from being even cooler still.
 
R.A.T. said:
Well, lets hope they do. I haven't seen this first batch yet! :D
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True true. If I had to hazard I guess I'd say they'll be fine, though. It's just an 18" Latin-style blank with a convex edge on it, and they pump those out by the thousands. Not a lot to mess up...we hope! :D

moonwilson said:
Imacasas are great. They're pretty rough out of the box, but with a little TLC, they sure do clean up nice. The factory, polypropylene handles are excellent- once you round the edges off and smooth things out a bit with sandpaper. They're nice and smooth, there's no obnoxious texture or rivet holes to create hot spots and tear up your hands. Like any properly designed handle, the grip comes from the form, not from surface texture. :thumbup:

That said, I'm really, really looking forward to the ESEE Lite machete. It's a MUST HAVE for any machete fan. It will be the mack-daddy machete that all others wish they could be. There's nothing wrong with the regular line Imacasas, actually, they're pretty amazing. This doesn't stop Condors from being even cooler. There's nothing wrong with Condors either, but that won't stop the RAT machete from being even cooler still.
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I figure that between the ESEE Lite Machete and that crazy modded-up Collins that Fiddleback is doing I'll be able to satiate my machete addiction...for a little while. :D
 
Necrodamus said:
...As far as "not building knives for the masses" damn Im glad you dont! :D
If you did it wouldnt be worth a shit!
The "masses" are general stupid. (at least when they are all together)
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The masses are ordinary people.

Bud: "Look at 'em, ordinary f*****g people, I hate 'em. "


Repo Man :eek:
 
stoffi said:
Hey, what's the oval die-cut on the blade with the blue handle all about..?
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If you have 2 machetes with that hole you can drop a bolt through there and have a set of hedge clippers.
 
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