Going Primitive

[Liveitloud]

I find it interesting that us knife nuts are always on a quest for the latest and greatest in knives and steels. I am certainly putting myself in this group. But, I am always taken back when I see other countries using the most basic meat and potato's blades to get any number of jobs done.

In particular I have been looking at the knives the people of Laos use. It is probably some no name steel shoved into the end of a piece of bamboo but they use it as almost their life source to get the job done.

When I see things like that I wonder.....what does it really take to get the job done. I guess after years of collecting knives with rare/new/better/best steels, I am coming full circle in appreciating your basic, no frills, get the job done at minimal cost, and wondered if anyone else had an interest in more primitive styles of knives... and what they were.


I have scoured the internet trying to find one to buy to give a go but have come up empty and I am certainly not going to hop in a plane and go half way around the world to pick up a knife for 1.80 to see how it cuts but in the same respect I can appreciate the innovation of people with less means and the tools they use.

A snip-it from the information I was reading:

Next stop was a blacksmith village to buy knives for our last village stop tomorrow. That village was extremely poor and knives, used like a scythe to cut wheat and rice, are considered a luxury. The knives only cost about $1.80 but that is a fortune to these people. The group happily started buying knives to be presented to the village.

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[ktk]

Somewhere in SEA?

 

[popedandy]

I've seen some at gun and knife shows. In fact, that is how I got my first chopper.
If the style is what you are interested in, but you would be willing to pay a little more money, look at the ones by dfarmerknives in the knifemaker's market. He does a range of styles. Here is one example: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=776784

 

[Liveitloud]

That is a cool looking knife. I like the raw look to it. Looks like a good chopper. Not a bad price either.

 

[tabeeb762]

You can get Philippino machetes on ebay.
I've got one that is primitive as they come. Golok shaped, and made from a leaf spring with two slabs of truck tire for a handle.

The temper is surprisingly good, and the blade has a great distal taper. Its around a 1/4" in front of the handle, and less than 1 mm thick at the tip. Blade is 17" long.
The makers mark is just says "FCI" and has another marking that looks like the end of a gear shaft.

It holds a great edge, and goes through cane, grasses, and saplings like nothing.
The edge is harder than most machetes but responds well to a file, and since the tip is thin you dont want to hit dirt with it.

I paid about 20 times more than $1.80, and half of that cost was shipping.

 

[Liveitloud]

So do I just do a search for Philippino machete? I just did a machete search and am 33 pages through 99 pages of listings. I am starting to glaze over.


Edited to add that I just tried that search and got zip. How are you doing your search?

 

[tabeeb762]

Try "Philippine Machete" instead of Philippino. The seller's name is Jarodelfin.
I just looked and didn't see any of the truck tire ones listed, but he has a few others.

 

[jimh0220]

Look at Cold Steel's pae of machetes. They have something similar, and they're affordable, and tough to boot! Cool part, they can be easily sharpened to knife sharp.

 

[Liveitloud]

Jim I have been looking at them and might snap one up. Would really like one of the originals though. Found one on the Bay I liked but it ended with reserve not met. Apparently the seller saw more value in it than I did. *shrug*

So, in the meantime I grabbed a Condor Golok. Have been really liking the looks of them. Hope it doesn't come dull as a butter knife.