Gil hibben

[Inosukesuzuki]

Looking into the gil hibben IV machete knife i know might sound stupid an i get it its a replica from a movie but can it be modified an improve so it can be used maybe once in a while for light yard work. If anyone has one let me know if you use it or just have it for a collection item.

 

[Dadpool]

My experience with machetes is that they're pretty hard to mess up. I used a generic cheapo machete from an army surplus store, which I never sharpened or took care of, to hack away brush and weeds for years and it never let me down.

If your Hibben machete is reasonably springy and has an edge of any kind, it'll work just fine for yard work.

 

[hhmoore]

I wouldn't trust it in use - read some reviews.
Gibbens are wall hangers.

 

[killgar]

Welcome to Bladeforums Inosukesuzuki.

Which one is it? Apparently there are two Gil Hibben IV machetes (pictured below).

The top one is basically a slab of 1090. I don't know how well it would hold up to actual use, in particular, if it hit a rock, metal fence post, or any other hard item that might be hidden among the brush, but it doesn't look like it would be very comfortable to use. And it's rather pricey for a weed whacker.

As for the fancier version with wood handle, I'd be concerned about the handle coming apart. And I'm guessing it has a stick/rat-tail tang, which might not be very strong, or well-suited for a "user" machete. It's also pricey for a weed whacker.

But it's always possible for either one to handle light yard work just fine. I guess there's only one way to know for sure. But I personally would choose something else.

 

[BitingSarcasm]

I got the cruder looking one for $40 years ago, and it's a big, heavy slab of 1090. It does hit like a truck, the heat treat seems fine, but the handle is a leather wrap over what feels like a rubber scale and there is not enough of it to make chopping comfortable. It's basically a knife-shaped hatchet, so it won't be useful on grasses or light stuff. If I feel the need to knife stuff in the yard, I actually use a Zomstro--that I also got for $40, still on clearance at kabar.com--and it's far more versatile and easy to use. On the other hand, if you can find one for 40, you won't find many other deals that give you so much heat treated 1090. It just needs a proper handle and maybe half a pound ground out of the blade.