Imacasa: 14.5" Colin and 22" Colima

FortyTwoBlades

FortyTwoBlades

Baryonyx walkeri
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So last week I got out for one of my usual woods adventure/machete testing sessions. Last time it was the heavy 24" Hansa Aguila Lampon, so I figured it was time to try a couple of lightweights--the Imacasa 14.5" Colin and 22" Colima machetes (both from MacheteSpecialist of course!). As per usual in the middle of winter in Maine, it was absolutely nutso-freezy out.

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Upon reaching my destination I paused for a quick side-by-side shot.
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I decided to start with the Colima. It was such an interesting blade style that I just had to give it a go. The top of the bulge along the spine is sharpened so you can cut on the back stroke. This type of machete is usually used on long grasses and the like, but served nicely for clearing any small and obnoxious dead branches out of my way as I walked through the woods. I paused again for a stand-alone shot.

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Let me tell you--this baby RINGS when you strike with it! I took a short video clip just to capture the sound. It doesn't do it justice. This thing is like a bell! Very pleasing to use.

Admittedly this is one thin machete, and it has quite a taper to it, too. But while it took a few extra blows to make it through this log, it didn't seem to take all that too many more than usual. I was very impressed, though I'd probably go with a different machete for large targets like this:

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A nice clean cut. :cool:

Continued...
 
The Colima has one of Imacasa's famous polypropylene handles, which is injection molded directly to the tang. It's well formed and incredibly comfortable, as well as being just about bombproof.

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The stickers that came free with the machete. :D I usually like leaving them on until they wear off on their own. I guess I'm just lazy like that.

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And the marking on the reverse side:

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It's hard to capture the amount of taper this thing has, but I tried anyway. It's normal thickness at the base, but tapers quite strongly towards the point. Not only does this make it lighter as a whole, but also improves the handling since it helps shift the natural pivot point closer to the hand. The Colima is no exception to this, and feels like a feather in the hand even though it hits like a ton of bricks!

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Then it was on to the Colin...
 
The 14.5" Colin actually came with a simple green canvas sheath, which was welcome since very few machetes this small actually have sheaths available at all. Here's the little guy wearing his pants.

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Again we have an injection molded polypro handle, though of a different pattern. The Colin is named after the Collins Co. of yore, and this handle is of an identical profile to one of the classic old Collins Co. handle styles.

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The mark on the reverse face. There was no sticker on this one.

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A full in-hand shot. This guy is small enough to be considered a big knife, and would do very well in camp as a do-all blade.

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Again, it's difficult to show the taper on camera, but this guy has it in the extreme! It's almost ridiculous--I say "almost" because it makes this guy float in the hand, allowing you to choke up and use the base of the blade without feeling like you have to counterbalance the point. It's a very nimble blade.

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Chopping time! I was, again, very impressed by how well such a light machete could chop. Don't expect to get far if you don't use a good pinch grip with it, though. I found a slightly more exaggerated rolling snap had to be used to get strong results. Again, this is just the nature of the do-all camp knife/small machete balance that this piece does so well.

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And a curl thrown in for good measure. Please note that the way the curl is breaking up is because this is old spongy wood. It would look like a conventional fuzz stick curl if I had had something that wasn't decayed or alive around, but where I was seemed only to have those two options. :o

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In closing, you can expect a lot of good work out of either of these blades if you're looking for a lightweight chopper. While best suited for lighter targets (I'd say from grasses up through 1.5" diameter) they'll deal with the thicker stuff in a jiffy if you need them to, and neither one of them will tire you out in the event you have to use them all day. I very much look forward to using them this summer when softer/thinner targets will be in greater abundance, and I'm pleased to say they've found a permanent place in my arsenal!

Stay tuned for our next exciting episode--the Condor Bush Knife!
 
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Nice review/test. I like seeing how well blades can perform in the cold weather. To many people tell me I am nuts and shouldn't be chopping when it is cold outside. I should show them your posts. :p
 
I never have the tiniest bit of trouble, even though it's thin metal with high impact. :)
 
Great Post My Friend!I can't wait to get in the Bush and use My ESEE lite Machete,great Post and Photo's!!!!
 
I've been machete shopping. I know I don't want anything longer than 18" at this point, but can't decide if a 14" would be long enough. Mainly for light chopping, not jungle whacking.
 
Can you talk a bit about edge holding. I'm going to purchase a bunch of Imacasa blades and put Fiddleback handles on them. I'm trying to pick a few patterns now.
 
adaman04 said:
I've been machete shopping. I know I don't want anything longer than 18" at this point, but can't decide if a 14" would be long enough. Mainly for light chopping, not jungle whacking.
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If it's mainly for chopping, and not striking a balance between chopping and knife duties, I'd go with the shortest Pata de Cuche or Chumpa. Nearly identical in most respects, but without the drastic taper to the blade so there's a little more forward mass. :)

Fiddleback said:
Can you talk a bit about edge holding. I'm going to purchase a bunch of Imacasa blades and put Fiddleback handles on them. I'm trying to pick a few patterns now.
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The edge retention has been excellent so far, and the feel of the steel under the file when sharpening it was good and firm. These aren't whippy blades, and they've had no dings, chips, or rolled edges even when making hard strikes on frozen knots. :cool: They do make Condor, after all, and my experience with their 1075 carbon steel has been nothing short of extraordinary! :eek::thumbup:
 
I like Imacasas a lot better than Trams, personally (though I'll be the first to admit that Trams are a great value). The handles on Imacasas knock everyone else's out of the water, the heat treatment is phenomenal, and many of the models have tapered blades which adds significantly to their overall handiness. Sure, they take a little more work than a Tram to neaten up, and they cost a little more (here in North America at least), but they're worth every penny and more.
 
Only Machete Specialist carries them right now. Prices range from around $15-$25. :)
 
Of course they sell for around $6 down there, but plane tickets are expensive. :p Shipping them up this way costs some money, too.

I think Tramontinas are able to be so cheap in the states because of their promulgation of cookware that gets imported here. It's easy for them to toss a few crates of machetes on a boat that's already carrying a bunch of pots, pans, and steak knives. Imacasa doesn't really import anything into North America as of yet, except for their premium Condor line. I had searched for a couple of years looking for a source for Imacasa machetes without any success until Machete Specialist came on the scene. Hopefully they can start wedging their way into the North American market even more--Condor seems to be taking off like a rocket. :cool:
 
Old post Bump

I Just got a couple Hansa Machetes also. I got the 21" Lampon. Its light thin for how wide it is.

I also got the 18" No. 66 Peinilla . Nice too, The peinilla features a fairly light blade, evenly weighted, with a pronounced pointed end.

Hansa are nice machetes. I hope machete specialists gets the others back in stock again and gets a few more of Hansa styles.

Im not sure what the difference in Hansas "Super Economico" (yellow, red, orange ) handles and their "Premium" (black handles) is, unless its just handle color
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