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Goloks, Bowies, Kukris, and Machetes!
- Thread starter Horn Dog
- Start date
- Joined
- Nov 14, 2005
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- 11,135
Thats alot of steel..... I cant wait to see some choppin. I just dont want to check back in and have this thread evolve into some sort of debate. Please dont tease
- Joined
- Sep 9, 2005
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- 4,363
I'll start with the goloks. Got my new BRKT golok yesterday. Not sure why. I though I might need it. It has an 11" long, .21" thick blade of 1095 steel with a convex grind. Handles are black micarta. First I tried it out on some sweet gum suckers. It slashes well.
I found it to be livlier in the hand than my British Special Forces Golok. It is lighter. Better on limber stuff.
Knives are of about the same thickness, but feel very different in use.
Despite the extra weight of the Brit one, they chopped fairly close. The BRKT was more effective on light vegetation, so I give it the nod of the better all-around golok.
More to come.
I found it to be livlier in the hand than my British Special Forces Golok. It is lighter. Better on limber stuff.
Knives are of about the same thickness, but feel very different in use.
Despite the extra weight of the Brit one, they chopped fairly close. The BRKT was more effective on light vegetation, so I give it the nod of the better all-around golok.
More to come.
- Joined
- Sep 9, 2005
- Messages
- 4,363
Kukris are next. I have some crappy Windlass Kukris from India that I hate. The handles just suck. So here I have one of Cold Steels early 10" Mini-Terrain Choppers, with a 1/8" thick blade of 1095 steel and kraton handle. This was my favorite swamp knife for years. It is light, fast, and chops well, too. The other kukri is the CS Gurkha in Carbon V steel. It has a 12" long, 5/16" thick flat ground blade. It is a bit heavier at around 19 oz. Both ate up the palmettos and brush well in my little ditch. The light one is better on the thin stuff.
The Gurkha is better on the woody stuff.
They both chop well, but the heavier one is a bit better.
Bowies are up next.
The Gurkha is better on the woody stuff.
They both chop well, but the heavier one is a bit better.
Bowies are up next.
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- Mar 18, 2008
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- Mar 11, 2008
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Thanks for the review. I've got a BRKT Golok on order, so I'm glad to hear it chops well. :thumbup:
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2006
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- 4,012
What's the one at the right end?
- Joined
- Sep 9, 2005
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- 4,363
I started out slashing clumps of field grass with my Ontario RTAK. It is a huge thing with a 10.5" long, 3/16" thick blade of 1095 steel. It has a handle of linen micarta. A cross between an bowie and a machete. It's a slasher! I put it up against my favorite chopper, the Scrap Yard Dog Father LE, with its flat ground 10" long, 1/4" thick blade of SR77 (S7) and Respirene C handle.
They both handled light stuff well, being lively in the hand. The DFLE only weighs a little over 1 lb. Next some chopping.
The RTAK has a tendancy to stick or bind in this maple, and it takes some time and effort to dislodge the blade. It bites deep, though.
But the DFLE is the better chopper.
My Busse FBM, with its 10" long 1/4" thick INFI blade can out chop the DFLE, but it is too heavy to be effective slashing limber light vegetation.
But none of my bowies is a match for the FFBM Fat Battle Mistress. When this fat lady sings, the wood flies. The .31" thick INFI blade is a brute. But this knife weighs nearly 2 lbs, too darn heavy to carry around on my belt.
It is the king kong of my chopper bowies. Five whacks and it was through this hard maple.
Short machetes up next!
They both handled light stuff well, being lively in the hand. The DFLE only weighs a little over 1 lb. Next some chopping.
The RTAK has a tendancy to stick or bind in this maple, and it takes some time and effort to dislodge the blade. It bites deep, though.
But the DFLE is the better chopper.
My Busse FBM, with its 10" long 1/4" thick INFI blade can out chop the DFLE, but it is too heavy to be effective slashing limber light vegetation.
But none of my bowies is a match for the FFBM Fat Battle Mistress. When this fat lady sings, the wood flies. The .31" thick INFI blade is a brute. But this knife weighs nearly 2 lbs, too darn heavy to carry around on my belt.
It is the king kong of my chopper bowies. Five whacks and it was through this hard maple.
Short machetes up next!
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2004
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- 4,172
Great collection; I have several of the same...that Cold Steel Barong (I have the 12" model) was quite a surprise for what it can do. It's much thicker than you think...the rubber handle (even though I don't care for them) is very secure.
That British Golok is much thicker than most people think as well...the Martindale Golok is thinner like a machete and better with lighter vegetation.
My BRKT Golok will be arriving shortly...looking forward to using it.
ROCK6
That British Golok is much thicker than most people think as well...the Martindale Golok is thinner like a machete and better with lighter vegetation.
My BRKT Golok will be arriving shortly...looking forward to using it.
ROCK6
- Joined
- Sep 9, 2005
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- 4,363
It's machete time! I have bigger and heavier ones, but for today, let's check these little ones out. Left to right, Condor Puerto Rican (short panga, really), with a thin 2.5mm thick, 14" long blade of German 420HC, tempered to a 53 Rc. This blade came with a mirror polished convex edge. Handles are hardwood. Next is the Tramontina Bolo with a 14" blade of carbon steel and wood handles. It is a touch heavier than the Condor, and has a wicked convex edge and customized handle. To the right of it is the Becker Patrol machete. Its bolo blade is about 3/16" thick and 14" long of 0170-6C steel. It has plastic handles. It is the thickest and heaviest of these machetes, but it swings well. Next is the BRKT machete. It has a .12" thick, 14" long blade of 1095 steel and micarta scales. It has a full convex grind and cuts like crazy. Next is the Ontario 12" Camp machete. I lightened it with a swedge and convex grind. It is 1095 steel with plastic scales. And the last one on the right is the Cold Steel 12" Barong machete with its 1055 leaf shaped blade and polypropylene handle.
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- Sep 9, 2005
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Starting out with the CS Barong, I slashed some sweet gum. The barong was quite effective at this.
Then I used my customized Ontario Camp machete on the same stuff. I think the CS was actually better at this.
Then some chopping, just for fun.
My Ontario's more forward weight, chopped just a bit better than the barong. But they are close.
We'll do the 14 inchers next.
Then I used my customized Ontario Camp machete on the same stuff. I think the CS was actually better at this.
Then some chopping, just for fun.
My Ontario's more forward weight, chopped just a bit better than the barong. But they are close.
We'll do the 14 inchers next.
- Joined
- Jun 19, 2007
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- 2,964
Being a khuk nut I just have to say that your India khuks suck because real Khukuris are made in Nepal.
You need something like this to appreciate a "real" khukuri. :thumbup:
22" 49 ounce HI Bonecutter. Spine is 1/2" thick at the handle and tapers down to 1/4" at the start of the edge bevel.
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- Sep 9, 2005
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Are we having fun yet? Here is my brand new Bark River custom machete. Oooooh is it sweet!
It is so fast and balanced....makes salad out this sweet gum in no time.
My old favorite self-customized Tramontina bolo did well, but the BRKT cuts just a bit easier. Mike Stewart is better at custom machetes than I am....so far!
Now here is the real surprise of the day. This little Condor baby panga is awesome!
I can use the curved sharpened hook on the back and easily whack stuff close to the tree trunk.
I finished whacking around the tree with the Becker, but forgot to get a shot of it.
On to chopping with machetes next!
It is so fast and balanced....makes salad out this sweet gum in no time.
My old favorite self-customized Tramontina bolo did well, but the BRKT cuts just a bit easier. Mike Stewart is better at custom machetes than I am....so far!
Now here is the real surprise of the day. This little Condor baby panga is awesome!
I can use the curved sharpened hook on the back and easily whack stuff close to the tree trunk.
I finished whacking around the tree with the Becker, but forgot to get a shot of it.
On to chopping with machetes next!
- Joined
- Sep 9, 2005
- Messages
- 4,363
Being a khuk nut I just have to say that your India khuks suck because real Khukuris are made in Nepal.
You need something like this to appreciate a "real" khukuri. :thumbup:
22" 49 ounce HI Bonecutter. Spine is 1/2" thick at the handle and tapers down to 1/4" at the start of the edge bevel.
Yeah, thats a real kukri, alright. Thanks. I edited my earlier post. I love that big ole thing!
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- Sep 9, 2005
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So lets do a little chopping with these 14" machetes.
OMG! The little flimsy thin Condor went through this maple in 4 whacks!
I'm just not believing this.
The tram took 10.
The Bark River took 8 chops.
The Becker took 9. The thickest, heaviest machete here.
I need more chopping wood. This is getting wierd.
OMG! The little flimsy thin Condor went through this maple in 4 whacks!
I'm just not believing this.
The tram took 10.
The Bark River took 8 chops.
The Becker took 9. The thickest, heaviest machete here.
I need more chopping wood. This is getting wierd.
