Have you ever modded a long machete?

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Folderguy

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Have you ever modded a long machete to make it heavier near the sweet spot?

I'm thinking of modding this machete:

Ontario-1.jpg


by drilling some 1/8" or 3/16" holes in the spine perhaps 6 or 8 inches from the tip of the blade and pounding in some lead fishing sinkers, shaped like rivets.

I'm hoping to have a high performance "poor man's chopper."

Your thoughts?
 
the sinkers will be sheared off or loosened by impact and come out. you might do better attaching thin brass strips on each side of the blade with steel pins.
 
how long is that machete? my unmodified 18" machete out chops my choppers (esee junglas and becker bk-9) by a mile! the only thing i've tried that out chops it is my axe.


richard j said:
the sinkers will be sheared off or loosened by impact and come out. you might do better attaching thin brass strips on each side of the blade with steel pins.
Click to expand...

this reminds me back when i used to play tennis, they sell these lead weights with very sticky adhesive on the back that people can stick on their racquets to change it's balance. i'd imagine if it's sticky enough to stay on a tennis racquet that it's also enough to stay on the machete...and it's reversible if you change your mind.
 
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Folderguy said:
Have you ever modded a long machete to make it heavier near the sweet spot?

I'm thinking of modding this machete:

Ontario-1.jpg


by drilling some 1/8" or 3/16" holes in the spine perhaps 6 or 8 inches from the tip of the blade and pounding in some lead fishing sinkers, shaped like rivets.

I'm hoping to have a high performance "poor man's chopper."

Your thoughts?
Click to expand...

You'd be f'ing up your blade profile by using sinkers as weight. The thing will get stuck in thicker vegetation.

EDIT: I never tried it, so I don't know for sure.


EDIT II: This?:

yhst-29358752693524_2141_1039965


Imacasa 20 Inch Rozador Machete
Click to expand...
 
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Sounds needlessly complex to me. I'd just buy a machete with a heavier profile. Like this beast!

It's hard to tell by the picture alone, but it's one MONSTER of a chopper. If you really want to go your route and try modifying the piece you have, then go for it. I've modified plenty of long machetes, though, and use the heck out of them, and I'd really rather just pick an appropriate pattern than try my hand at something that complex. :o
 
I agree with Richard, the impacts will loosen anything you add. I wouldn't add the thin brass strips either, I would expect the same issues and the additional material to drag/bind on the material you're chopping. The thinner blade of a machete might not handle additional weight well either.
 
JV3 said:
how long is that machete? my unmodified 18" machete out chops my choppers (esee junglas and becker bk-9) by a mile! the only thing i've tried that out chops it is my axe.




this reminds me back when i used to play tennis, they sell these lead weights with very sticky adhesive on the back that people can stick on their racquets to change it's balance. i'd imagine if it's sticky enough to stay on a tennis racquet that it's also enough to stay on the machete...and it's reversible if you change your mind.
Click to expand...


It has a 22 inch blade.

About those sticky weights, sounds interesting. Do you remember what they're called?
 
wlifter123 said:
I agree with Richard, the impacts will loosen anything you add. I wouldn't add the thin brass strips either, I would expect the same issues and the additional material to drag/bind on the material you're chopping. The thinner blade of a machete might not handle additional weight well either.
Click to expand...

It's 1/8" thick, pretty thick for a machete.
 
bladerique said:
You'd be f'ing up your blade profile by using sinkers as weight. The thing will get stuck in thicker vegetation.

EDIT: I never tried it, so I don't know for sure.


EDIT II: This?:

yhst-29358752693524_2141_1039965
Click to expand...


That's a good one. I like those a lot. Lots of heft. :cool::thumbup:
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
Sounds needlessly complex to me. I'd just buy a machete with a heavier profile. Like this beast!

It's hard to tell by the picture alone, but it's one MONSTER of a chopper. If you really want to go your route and try modifying the piece you have, then go for it. I've modified plenty of long machetes, though, and use the heck out of them, and I'd really rather just pick an appropriate pattern than try my hand at something that complex. :o
Click to expand...

Aw, it's not that complex. :)

And that Ontario 22" chops plenty well, but.... I'm getting ready for a chopping fest with a friend, and he has some monster choppers, one of which is a Benchmade competition chopper. I know, or expect, my machete won't come close to the performance of his BM, but, well, with the right weight, edge profile, and the extra 12" or so of swing with my machete, well, one never knows who might win! :D
 
JV3 said:
22" machete should be more than enough to put the average 10" chopper to shame.

lead tape: http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/catpage-HEADTAPE.html
Click to expand...


Here's the chopper he'll probably use: http://www.benchmade.com/products/171

Thanks for the link!

EDIT: Just checked out the link. I don't think the weight that tape adds will be enough to make a difference. I'm thinking 6 to 8 ounces of weight, and 36 inches of one of those tapes weighed in a just 9 grams, or about 1/3 of an ounce. If I drill out a series of holes and fill them with lead, and cover it up with epoxy, it should be good to go.
 
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richard j said:
dont go over 400 grit and the edge will last a lot longer. you can even go coarser if you want.
Click to expand...

I created the convex edge with Norton Blaze 80 grit belt on my Worksharp, and finished it up with a 240 belt. It will slice though stiff paper quite well.

If I put a convex razor type edge on it, will it not do so well when chopping?
 
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