Machete Recommendations

FortyTwoBlades said:
Condor's stainless are the only stainless machetes I trust (as well as the Mora #333--I've put that thing through hell! :D) and the design absolutely murders vines and brambles while keeping your hands free of thorns and the large sweet spot at the end of the blade makes heavy chopping a breeze.
CIMG8360.jpg
Click to expand...
Not because of the stainless thing, 'cos I thought I was one of a tiny faction here that like stainless, but in terms of design - how do you figure that machete would stack up to one of these for a day of clearing mixed thick and thin?
example113912.jpg
 
I own one of those and I enjoy it quite a bit, but if I had to choose between it and the Viking I'd go with the Viking any day. Larger sweet spot, better sweep to the blade for hook usage (I sharpened a partial back edge on my 2HPM) and it's much less tiring to swing all day. I'll be honest--that huge polypropylene handle is actually pretty heavy, which negatively affects both cutting on heavy targets (efficiency of mass distribution) and light ones (slows tip velocity in spite of the long length.) I consider the 2HPM to be more similar to a ditch bank or "kaiser" blade rather than a typical machete if that makes any sense. You actually get LESS reach using two hands than you do one hand, for instance, so even though the Viking isn't as long I can reach almost as far. That being said, the 2HPM is a ton of fun and I'm glad I bought mine. I just don't find myself using it that often.

Also, if you end up with any of their models that use that handle I found the texture to be very blister-inducing. I buffed the whole thing quickly with some 600 grit sandpaper then 1000 grit and it made it a perfect balance of grip and long-term comfort.
 
Aha, that sheds some light. I thought you had something like that but I had it in my head that it was a Fiskars with a sickle type end. Then, having fabricated such a device in my head, wondered why I couldn't see one on the webz that I had in mind..........With you on the mass distribution. I've known axes suffer that as they attempt to address the deficiencies in the old school stuff.
 
I would love to get my hands on a Fiskars vesuri but they aren't available in North America. :o

images
 
I find that those do the best job when trying to completely clear swaths of targets low to the ground, as the heavy design does the work of the back-and-forth swinging. For more targeted or high-line cutting a more typical machete makes much more sense to me. A dunse or Irish slasher would do the work nicely, though, as would a Yorkshire billhook. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top