It's a Bolo, but...

I don't have that one, but I do have a 1917 model in that same leather sheath. It looks like this:

edged_bolo_m1917_800.jpg
 
I have one of those with the pressed tin scabbard. It's a beast!
 
C_Kyle said:
I don't have that one, but I do have a 1917 model in that same leather sheath. It looks like this:

edged_bolo_m1917_800.jpg
Click to expand...

That thing looks pretty good. I would imagine it would chop pretty well, too.

Did you convex the edge, or is that the stock edge?
 
That's stock. On mine it's convexed on one side and almost flat on the other.
 
dawsonbob said:
I never had one of the WW 1 Medical Bolos, although I've seen pictures of them.

The one I showed in the picture is not mine, it was only to show what I was talking about (mine disappeared). You're right — the one in the picture is in great shape, so it probably went for a couple of hundred dollars.

I would love to find one to use, but I wouldn't pay hundreds of dollars for it.
Click to expand...

Ontario made a 12" beavertail machete similar to that in the late 80's - 90's, if i recall correctly.

vec
 
I just did a quick, crude drawing of what I think a modern version could be like.

This could be made of a carbon like, say 1080, be about 3/16" thick, have a blade length of 12", be about 3" to 3 1/2" wide at the widest point. I'd keep the shovel-shaped tip of the original WW 2 model (a useful thing, that). Notice that my version has a deeper grind than the original.

I'd put micarta grips on it. I like having the back of the grip as shown to hold my little finger from slipping.

Here's my quick and dirty, no frills version. I would think it would be fairly cheap to make.

25rnr5j.jpg


Any thoughts?
 
I like it.:thumbup:

Looking for name suggestions? I'd dry to incorporate "HM" in the name or model number. ;)
 
dawsonbob said:
I just did a quick, crude drawing of what I think a modern version could be like.

This could be made of a carbon like, say 1080, be about 3/16" thick, have a blade length of 12", be about 3" to 3 1/2" wide at the widest point. I'd keep the shovel-shaped tip of the original WW 2 model (a useful thing, that). Notice that my version has a deeper grind than the original.

I'd put micarta grips on it. I like having the back of the grip as shown to hold my little finger from slipping.

Here's my quick and dirty, no frills version. I would think it would be fairly cheap to make.

25rnr5j.jpg


Any thoughts?
Click to expand...



I think Fiddleback is modding some machetes, and was discussing getting his own stock to make his own. Check his forum. Be neat.
 
dawsonbob said:
Remember that we're talking about WW 2 here. Marines were issued a full length machete, but it was too big for Corpsmen to carry with everything else they had, so they were issued the USMC Corpsman's knife. There was no such thing as the Woodsman's Pal back then.

Come to think about it, I never saw a Woodsman's Pal when I was in, either.
Click to expand...

According to the Woodsman's Pal site:

This new tool did not go unnoticed by the US Military. The Woodman's Pal® or "LC-14-B" in military terms, was standard issue from the early part of World War II through Desert Storm. G.I.'s and the US Army Signal Corp. relied heavily on the Woodman's Pal for land clearing operations. At the time of the Vietnam War, the Woodman's Pal® was designated the "Survival Tool, Type IV" and was issued in air crew survival kits.
Click to expand...

But I'd be interested in an inexpensive reproduction of that bolo myself, if someone does one.
 
The Hospital Corps bolo had been around since 1904, though in a slightly different form.

The M1904 Hospital Corps Bolo:
DSC08472.jpg


The one being discussed IS WW2, though. The Woodsman's Pal would be inappropriate for them, since it takes up so much space and that hook could cause them problems.
 
dawsonbob said:
That thing looks pretty good. I would imagine it would chop pretty well, too.

Did you convex the edge, or is that the stock edge?
Click to expand...

That one isn't mine, just the same type. I haven't touched it. It's fairly original condition, except for where someone used a grinder or something on it to start reprofiling the edge.

Since it's already been altered a bit, I imagine the value is decreased; so, I've been thinking about reprofiling it, rehandling it, and making a new sheath. I haven't done anything with it yet. It's a heafty beast, though...1/4" thick.
 
Raymond1000 said:
According to the Woodsman's Pal site:



But I'd be interested in an inexpensive reproduction of that bolo myself, if someone does one.
Click to expand...

I stand corrected, Raymond, in that they have been around that long.

I don't think they were ever issued to Corpsmen, though, and as I mentioned, I never saw one in nine years in the Marine Corps. Maybe they were an Army only issue item. Just because I never saw one doesn't mean that no Marine had one, just that I never saw one.

I don't know that anyone will ever do an exact reproduction of the USMC Corpsman's Bolo, but I did play with a modernization of one (see below), and we'll see what happens with that.

25rnr5j.jpg
 
C_Kyle said:
That one isn't mine, just the same type. I haven't touched it. It's fairly original condition, except for where someone used a grinder or something on it to start reprofiling the edge.

Since it's already been altered a bit, I imagine the value is decreased; so, I've been thinking about reprofiling it, rehandling it, and making a new sheath. I haven't done anything with it yet. It's a heafty beast, though...1/4" thick.
Click to expand...

I like it, though. If you did re-profile and re-handle, I think it would be pretty sweet. Personally, I like hefty quarter inch choppers.
 
dawsonbob said:
I stand corrected, Raymond, in that they have been around that long.

I don't think they were ever issued to Corpsmen, though, and as I mentioned, I never saw one in nine years in the Marine Corps. Maybe they were an Army only issue item. Just because I never saw one doesn't mean that no Marine had one, just that I never saw one.

I don't know that anyone will ever do an exact reproduction of the USMC Corpsman's Bolo, but I did play with a modernization of one (see below), and we'll see what happens with that.

25rnr5j.jpg
Click to expand...

I'd like to see what Condor could do with that pattern. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top