Got Golok?

DaleW

DaleW

Joined
Dec 22, 2006
Messages
2,194
My SAS/Martindale #2 golok arrived today :D

I headed for the workshop and gave it a good polishing wiht a green scotch pad and then some steel wool and took the belt grinder to it and came up with a nice convex edge. I took it to paper-bag-cutting sharp and left it there.

This rounds out my wilderness tools. I was considering a larger machete, but I got the golok for a good price and I think it's about as much iron as I would care to hike with. It's about 16" overall and the blade is 10-1/4"; weight is 17.1oz and the sheath is 4.4oz. Accoring to an article at Wikipedia, it has a good shape for cutting green wood without hanging up. It would certainly do for shelter-making and gathering firewood. The self defense properties are obvious.

800px-Golok.jpg
 
Thats a nice bush knife mate. I have the larger Martindale golok. I wasn't awhere they made a smaller version. Where did you get this one from??
 
perksy said:
Thats a nice bush knife mate. I have the larger Martindale golok. I wasn't awhere they made a smaller version. Where did you get this one from??
Click to expand...

This one came from Ebay-- $28.59 with shipping ($17.59 pus $9 shipping). The seller had nasty feedback, but he did follow through just fine. It's supposedly the SAS military version with all the milspeak stenciled on the back of the sheath:

"FROG BAYONET
SRN 130-9327
DWG NO A0/8478
CONT. NO SL 32A/4723
RA1990"

It may well be that the one I have is a copy made in Africa, according to the Wikepedia article. The one listed on Martindale's site has a 13" blade vs mine which is 10". Their photo shows a blade with lengthwise grain to the milling process vs mine with a cross-blade grain. The rivets on mine are a pin and washer style vs the blind rivets in the Martindale photo.

There is a good review of Martindale machetes at http://www.cutleryscience.com/reviews/martindale_machetes.html. They list the specs on the 13"/35cm golok (all metric) too.

I tried to locate one of the paratrooper knives. Brigade Quartermaster had them on a closeout and has now run out of stock.

The Martindale web site is at http://www.ralphmartindale.co.uk/ralphmartindale/europe1.html
 
I just picked up one of these also, same price probably the same seller. Im fairly impressed with the quality although the handle is slicker than S&#T and the edge leaves a lot to be desired but the potential is there. It's a little on the heavy side 20 oz compared to my GB Wildlife hatchets 24 oz. The GB out chops it but I wont worry too much about hurting it working close to the ground clearing brush and I can use it to dig with if I have to. At this point it wants to turn and skip if Im not careful about the strike angle but maybe that will change after I work on the edge. Anyone else have one?
Also anyone have a sorce for the Martindale Paratooper knife?
 
Sweet! I like it. Good work on the edge, btw.
 
+1 On paratrooper info, I have been looking at one of these myself but would like to hear from someone who has actually had hands on before I plop down the cash. Chris
 
Loink should have the paratrooper knife. If they don't I'll sell you mine with its leather sheath. I don't like it, the balance just doesn't suit me. On the other had the Golok is great! It is my most used "machete" by far. Mine has the terrible cordura sheat but I'll change that someday.

http://www.loink.com/
 
I like that shape. I have a few tramontinas I should cut down, that's a likely
profile.
*Edit*
This was interesting from that cutlery science.com link,

"The Martindale machetes used in the above are of far greater performance than experience with similar products from Ontario, Tramontina, Diamond, and Cold Steel."

Better pick one up soon.
 
Real nice bush blade. Nice job on the edge. Nothing like a convex edge. :D
Scott
 
pgroup_6848_image_400x600__shadow.jpg


Oh, wait a minute. . . G-o-l-o-k. :o Never mind.



That looks like a real handy knife to have around camp.

-- FLIX
 
i have the paratrooper knife and the jungle knife:
http://www.loink.com/product/503/39

i like the jungle knife better, the paratrooper is real thick, and hos not much of an edge, sharpened prybar compared to the jungle knife. i am going to take the belt sander to the paratrooper to see if i like it better after i am done.

alex.
 
Gossman Knives said:
Real nice bush blade. Nice job on the edge. Nothing like a convex edge. :D
Scott
Click to expand...

That photo isn't mine, but the model is identical. Didn't mean to pass that off as my work.:o

I have one of those little tabletop Rockwell sanders that has a 1" belt running vertically and a 6" disk on the side. If you work an edge above the backing plate on the belt sander, you get a convex edge with no effort-- it's just the bow in the belt. Putting a peice of steel on the table and up against the belt with the plate/guide behind it will give a flat grind. It works fine on soft steels like a machete. A few passes on each side and the edge was nice.

I've played around with grinding on a couple old junker knives and it gave me an instant respect for the bladesmith's art! That takes a lot of hand-eye coordination. Just keeping the blade symmetrical and even amazes me, let alone all the complex grinds people crank out.
 
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