Just got three new machetes to mod!

I can't wait to see what you do to that Burriquito, Ben! Those things are crazy cool, no? :D:thumbup:
 
Umm--HELL YES! :D

Like I said I've got a nice piece of teak for the handle. I'll be putting a convex edge on it of course, and I plan on sharpening the back edge at the tip. Combine that all with some of that nifty Slip-Plate coating and it ought to be a force to be reckoned with. A shame all of these three are destined to be sold, but it ought to raise funds for getting some for myself. :D

The Coa is going to get a sick teak handle also, from another piece of it I had lying around. I got both pieces as scrap from my days at Morris Yachts. :)
 
You'll notice I opened up the hook on the Coa billhook. The reason for this is so that it functions as a more versatile tool. A 90-degree hook is great when you have a hatchet-like back blade on your billhook because you can just switch to the back blade in situations where the hook is an entanglement or does not give suitable clearance for the cut. A heavy more "closed" hook like on the Kellam works great when you have another tool, but not as well on its own.

An open hook, while no quite as excellent on lightweight targets like grasses and such, gives MUCH better clearance for general work while still retaining its specialized strengths. I may attach the Coa to a hatchet handle or some such thing if the teak handle proves to not be to my liking.

Thanks for the kind words! :)
 
Now THAT's nice! It illustrates an excellent principle--that you can increase versatility of a billhook by shortening the hook and giving the primary portion of the blade an extreme belly. This causes the bulk of your cutting edge to be at--or nearly at--the same level as the tip of the hook. The one limitation of a closed hook used in conjunction with a bellied blade is that it's next to impossible to use the tip of the hook as a pick or knife point.

I want one of those red billhooks though. It's massively awesome. :eek::thumbup:
 
Ok--picture time! Here are a few glamor shots of the handle of the cane machete now that it's been sanded and oiled. It's really hard to capture just how gorgeous this thing looks!

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It's coming along nicely! I ought to be able to get some significant work done on it on Saturday.
 
It's finally done! I finished the Tramontina up, including a light convexing and Slip-Plate(tm) treatment. Lemme know what you think! :D





 
Wow! That looks awesome! I never looked at much machetes before, but this one is sure the best looking so far! Is it sharpened on both edges?
 
I got some machete projects goin on, got a 22 inch el salvador condor that's getting Wordanized, a 14 inch bolo that's getting the RAT logo and I have 2 trams I don't know what I'm going to do with.
 
Helios123 said:
Wow! That looks awesome! I never looked at much machetes before, but this one is sure the best looking so far! Is it sharpened on both edges?
Click to expand...

It's sharpened on the entirety of the primary forward edge, and the region of the hook and about 3-4 inches below it are sharpened.

:)
 
Dremel with cutoff wheels, files, hacksaw. And a LOT of elbow grease. :D
 
They look awesome, 42. Making them you're own, must have a very special appeal to them. I'll be getting some trams soon, maybe I will do something like it.. or maybe I will just convex it.. either way, great job :thumbup:
 
Looks awesome. I can't believe how little you are trying to make off these considering the work your putting in. But I guess it's not really work if your having fun doing it. Only question I have is about the the coating on the finished edge? I assume with a blade that big your not really worried about it being super sharp?
 
I sharpen the edge to above working-sharpness, but not to hair-shaving sharpness. The coating on the edge regions is then lightly sanded to remove the bulk of it so it won't clog a file during sharpening. The coating wears off of the edge region quickly enough, though, so it's kind of a moot point. The coating is quite durable on the actual body of the blade, though, as it's not exposed to direct impact as much.

:)
 
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