Machete Question

The Becker Border Patrol (aka BushHog) is very good. But, if 20 inches is a must, I would go with Ontario, and make it a point to have the thing rehandled. Those D-Guards are the poorest excuse for a handle on any knife. Corneta, has some good stuff in that size range, but the blades are very light (maybe 1/16), I would only use them for the green stuff.
 
Tramontina does an excellent job. You can get them at Smokey Mountain Knife Works.

Jeff
 
Jeff, my understanding was that Tramontina has a softer steel compared to the Ontario 1095.
How would you rank the Tramontinas compared to Martindales, Ontarios, Barteouxs (spelling?) or other brands?
Thanks in advance,

HM aka Sir Vivor
 
The Tramontina does have a little more give to the steel than the Ontario, but so far the ones I have used have held up exceptionally well. Another thing I like about the several Tramontinas I have laying around is the edge was profiled good for me from jumpstart. The Ontario is an excellent machete but it seems I have to do a little work on the profile before it's right for my uses. Also take into account that I pretty much use a machete for machete work. Heavier chopping usually goes to a heavier blade....but not always :)

Jeff
 
Sorry about leaving off the rest of your question.

Martindale's Jungle Knife is superb in my opinion. The Distal taper is worth it.

I like the L6 steel in the Barteaux but the handle sucks. I also re-profiled the edge to make it more machete friendly.

The problem with most production machetes I see is edge profile. I'm beginning to wonder if some of the designers ever used a machete for what it's designed for.

Most people will reply..."well it's only a cheap machete and what can you expect for such a small amount." My reply is if Company "A" is making a 5 dollar machete that has a decent profile from the factory then why can't Company "B" do the same thing?

Jeff
 
Jeff, thank you very much for your insight.
Frankly, I was a bit surprised by the positive remark on the Tramontina. Although I haven't tried it and certainly could not compare with the others, it did not prompt immediate enthusiasm from the person who posted his experience earlier on this forum. I am glad to hear its opposite.

HM aka Sir Vivor
 
Shoot, another double post, sorry. On the good side, it boosts the number of replies on the forum :p
 
I've got a 12 inch Tramontina as well as a 12 inch Ontario sawback cutlass machete. This size is just about perfect for me, as it is easy to attach to a ruck and doesn't get in the way.

As for performance, I can get a sharper edge on the Tramontina, though the Ontario is sharp enough to cut paper; it also holds an edge longer. Since I tend to use a machete as a chopper more than a grass knife, I prefer the thicker Ontario, though the the Tram has chopped some pretty big stuff in its time. I like the handle on the Ontario better, but the Tram is so much cheaper that you could easily buy 3 of them for every one Ontario.

Neither of them came with a sheath, of course, and I've yet to see a truly GOOD machete sheath. I use an old Brigade Quartermaster "Jump" sheath designed for 12 inch machetes. They don't make them anymore, but it's the best factory sheath I've yet seen for a machete. It's made of relatively lightweight Cordura nylon, and has a Visqueen plastic "liner". A decent design, but they should have used better materials. I've been toyng with the idea of a Kydex sheath.
 
Get the Camillus Bush Hog (Patrol Machette) and do not look back - it will do everything that you want and more. I have gotten rid of 3/4th of my collection, as this one blade does everthing I want in the woods. You can not beat the quality and price...
 
Does anyone know about the German company Linder's Machete. I have only seen it in a picture but it looks like a good piece.
 
Jeff, the Barteaux machete you handled was not a light vegetation cutter. It was a model designed for heavier work, thick woody vegetation. They have models with lighter blades that are more neutral balanced and have slightly different handles.

-Cliff
 
The Ontario D-Guards will really hurt your hand, especially your pinky finger, under heavy use. I mean, hurts so bad you have to stop swinging the thing. I ended up with a big bruise.

Ontario does make a 22" machete without the D-guard though... I think all of their sizes, except 12", come without D-guards (they sell 12", 18", 22").

The 22" Ontario is very heavy IMO. The 18" is about right. Both could use more distal taper or a longer flat grind (they are like 2" wide hunks of steel with a short, 0.5" ground edge, not a big long 1.5" flat grind, so there is some weight). I find weight of the 18" acceptable (and weight gets penetration). The 22" is just heavy.

I appreciate the other insights in this thread.

(and yes, the 14" BK&T Patrol Machete is a good one, and I discovered it because of these forums, I think Jeff Randall).
 
rdranger, Ontario makes the 12 inch machete both with and without the "D" guard handle. Brigade Quartermaster sells them without the D guard as does Smoky Mountain Knife Works, where I bought mine from. They make the 12 inch cutlass, both with and without the sawback, as well as a 12 inch bolo and soft beak. The bolo and soft beak seem to be fairly difficult to find. I know they're made, but haven't found a place that sells them yet. I haven't messed with the longer machetes, as they are too big for what I do, chopping up pines and Juniper. We don't have any rain jungle around my house.
 
Originally posted by JeffRandall
Sorry about leaving off the rest of your question.

Martindale's Jungle Knife is superb in my opinion. The Distal taper is worth it.

I like the L6 steel in the Barteaux but the handle sucks. I also re-profiled the edge to make it more machete friendly.

<snippped>

Jeff
Click to expand...

Hi Jeff,
Have you used the Martindale golok? Reviews of these from other members seem mixed.

Also, it seems that Cold Steel now has a line of machetes. Have you had a chance to try any of these?

Regarding the Barteaux machetes, I've had three of these. Two were the economy models (12 and 18") and one was the d-guard (24"). The economy models have a good handle shape for me, but they have raised crosshatching which galls the hand during use. This could be easily fixed with sandpaper, but I couldn't seem to get a decent edge on the 18" model. They also seemed a bit too flexible for my uses (mainly cutting blackberry).

The d-guard model handle is way too big and blocky for my hand. It tends to turn in my grip, smacking my knuckles with the d-guard. I also found the 24" model to be quite heavy. I've recently replaced all of these with an 18" Tramontina, which I think is a great machete, too.

Patrick
 
I have a 22" Colins machete (USN) and I can tell you that it is a very nice machete, however, the BK&T Patrol Machete I have will do what the 22" Collins will do and much more and do it for a lot longer time with out haveing to even touch the edge.

GET THE BK&T PATROL MACHETE and you will never reqret it.:rolleyes:
 
I picked up a 20" Martindale this year and so far I love it. It's a model W702. It has a sort of hump back out at the last 4" or so of the blade. But with the thin distal taper it doesn't add too much weight. I cleared a large brushy weed patch out back and it works very very well.
For river tripping I carry it and a Livesay Wasp. These two will cover all large blade field needs I've ever come across [so far.] :D
 
I've got a 22" Ontario and a 23-24" Legitimus Collins (Mexico). Both cut well but the Ontario with its thicker blade & heavier weight cuts best.
Have used a couple of cheap 18" machetes before and there is a world of difference between them and the first two. I think you'll like the Ontario if you get it. But if there's something better, get it. Never scrimp on hand tools that you're going to be using. Be prepared to file/sand the rough/sharp edges off whatever machete you end up with.
 
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