- Joined
- Jan 21, 2000
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I want to clue you guys in on what I think is an exciting development. Jerry Hossom has been experimenting with machete formats, both with refining the edge geometry on standard machetes and also with his own designs in CPM3V. You can read an impressive review on the CKD ("The Great Outdoors" forum) by our own Bronco (Bill Hall), of a standard Ontario machete with convex edge applied by Jerry a couple of months ago.
Jerry just completed an experimental model of his own design and has allowed me to test it. He has already begun designing his next trial piece, because he's not satisfied with this one. My opinion is a little different.
The blade is just over 18" long, of 3V at about 59 RC, and about .125" thick, with a deep convex edge bevel and convex swedge (to remove weight) along the spine. It has the typically super-ergonomic, sculpted Hossom handle. This one has green canvas micarta slabs, separated from a black micarta bolster with tasteful brass spacer, and finished off with mosaic pins. The blade finish is not mirror, but higher polish than "brushed". The package doesn't look fancy, but appropriately, very handsome. The handle feels great, especially with gloves on, which is how I use machetes.
The reason Jerry doesn't like this model is its thickness--about 1/8". Since the edge bevel transitions directly into the full blade thickness (unlike a conventional flat-ground blade), it cuts more like an ax than a machete. For slashing through light brush, foliage and weeds, this edge/blade profile is not functional, as I demonstrated for myself. Even with Jerry's razor-sharp edge, the blade does not penetrate deeply on springy stems and branches--typical machete fodder.
However, Jerry won't be seeing this machete again, as I've discovered it is the "bomb" for heavier work I normally reserve to hatchets and axes.
My typical way of clearing "jeep trail" type passages, through heavy brush in ranch country, is a technique I've developed over many years of managing hunting areas. Large encroaching limbs are followed back to a fork in the tree. I split the middle of that fork with a full-swing blade stroke. I can then easily bend and break the encroaching limb back and away from the trail. Machetes typically don't stand up to this kind of work very well, especially on mesquite, which is in the same family as ironwood. On the other hand, axes are very awkward, because you have to get into the right position and then aim the head of the ax at the fork, which is a target that requires accuracy within an inch or so of your aim, to split it. If you swing the ax too hard and miss, resulting in a glancing blow, it's dangerous. If you swing too lightly, trying to guide it, the head won't penetrate and split the fork. If the target is above your head, the problem is worse.
"El Macho" (my pet name for the new blade) however, cares not what position you stand in or where it happens to hit along its length. It will cleave mesquite forks, up to about 5 inches across, consistently splitting them deeply enough with one stroke to allow me to bend back and break free large branches with ease. After half an hour of gleefully demonstrating this for myself, I cleaned up the blade and found no evidence of any loss of sharpness (much less any damage). El Macho also smoothly carves off great clumps of prickly pear cactus with casual strokes, kind of like using a bowie knife on fried cheese sticks, which was not unexpected.
But the very bullish, ax-like effect of this blade on hard, dense wood impressively belies its weight--less than 20 ounces! Balanced about 4 inches ahead of the bolster, it feels very businesslike in the hand, and the sculpted handle makes it a joy to work with. You can let the smooth micarta slabs rock back and forth in your gloved fist without fear of losing control, because the deeply contoured shape always feels secure.
I don't know what the next one will be like, but whatever it is, I'm convinced it will be one awesome blade. More later.
--Will
[This message has been edited by WILL YORK (edited 12-06-2000).]
I want to clue you guys in on what I think is an exciting development. Jerry Hossom has been experimenting with machete formats, both with refining the edge geometry on standard machetes and also with his own designs in CPM3V. You can read an impressive review on the CKD ("The Great Outdoors" forum) by our own Bronco (Bill Hall), of a standard Ontario machete with convex edge applied by Jerry a couple of months ago.
Jerry just completed an experimental model of his own design and has allowed me to test it. He has already begun designing his next trial piece, because he's not satisfied with this one. My opinion is a little different.
The blade is just over 18" long, of 3V at about 59 RC, and about .125" thick, with a deep convex edge bevel and convex swedge (to remove weight) along the spine. It has the typically super-ergonomic, sculpted Hossom handle. This one has green canvas micarta slabs, separated from a black micarta bolster with tasteful brass spacer, and finished off with mosaic pins. The blade finish is not mirror, but higher polish than "brushed". The package doesn't look fancy, but appropriately, very handsome. The handle feels great, especially with gloves on, which is how I use machetes.
The reason Jerry doesn't like this model is its thickness--about 1/8". Since the edge bevel transitions directly into the full blade thickness (unlike a conventional flat-ground blade), it cuts more like an ax than a machete. For slashing through light brush, foliage and weeds, this edge/blade profile is not functional, as I demonstrated for myself. Even with Jerry's razor-sharp edge, the blade does not penetrate deeply on springy stems and branches--typical machete fodder.
However, Jerry won't be seeing this machete again, as I've discovered it is the "bomb" for heavier work I normally reserve to hatchets and axes.
My typical way of clearing "jeep trail" type passages, through heavy brush in ranch country, is a technique I've developed over many years of managing hunting areas. Large encroaching limbs are followed back to a fork in the tree. I split the middle of that fork with a full-swing blade stroke. I can then easily bend and break the encroaching limb back and away from the trail. Machetes typically don't stand up to this kind of work very well, especially on mesquite, which is in the same family as ironwood. On the other hand, axes are very awkward, because you have to get into the right position and then aim the head of the ax at the fork, which is a target that requires accuracy within an inch or so of your aim, to split it. If you swing the ax too hard and miss, resulting in a glancing blow, it's dangerous. If you swing too lightly, trying to guide it, the head won't penetrate and split the fork. If the target is above your head, the problem is worse.
"El Macho" (my pet name for the new blade) however, cares not what position you stand in or where it happens to hit along its length. It will cleave mesquite forks, up to about 5 inches across, consistently splitting them deeply enough with one stroke to allow me to bend back and break free large branches with ease. After half an hour of gleefully demonstrating this for myself, I cleaned up the blade and found no evidence of any loss of sharpness (much less any damage). El Macho also smoothly carves off great clumps of prickly pear cactus with casual strokes, kind of like using a bowie knife on fried cheese sticks, which was not unexpected.
But the very bullish, ax-like effect of this blade on hard, dense wood impressively belies its weight--less than 20 ounces! Balanced about 4 inches ahead of the bolster, it feels very businesslike in the hand, and the sculpted handle makes it a joy to work with. You can let the smooth micarta slabs rock back and forth in your gloved fist without fear of losing control, because the deeply contoured shape always feels secure.
I don't know what the next one will be like, but whatever it is, I'm convinced it will be one awesome blade. More later.
--Will
[This message has been edited by WILL YORK (edited 12-06-2000).]
