Machete Steels

[Hansa Quito]

As a machete manufacturer I just would like to give everybody who is interested a small insight into non-stainless tool steels:
It makes a HUGE difference what steel you use for a machete.
Generally anything below SAE1070 is not suitable for a daily work machete as the edge will not hold and will become blunt very fast and the machete will be worn very quickly. Those grades are ideal for shovels or other not cutting tools.
SAE1070 to SAE1075 are OK but there is a catch in how the manufacturer handles the steel. If these blades are quenched to the optimal hardness for edge retention and overall lifespan the tensile strength is not ideal and a good whack into a rock or even a solid tree truck might break the machete (This is sadly done to increase sales). On the other hand if you temper the blade a little softer the edge will not hold as well and the durability will suffer too.
It is with the higher steel grades that the optimal combination of edge retention, durability and tensile strength is obtained.

Now the steel grade is just a first indication. Depending on steel manufacturer other elements like chromium, manganese, sulfur or phosphorus in the material will help greatly or be deterring to the steels quality. It's the right recipe that counts - just as much as the quality of the manufacturing process of the steel. A quality steel of a high grade is really important to a good blade.

As someone told me: A good field worker spends more time and effort choosing a machete than a wife.

 

[AF]

What steel do you use for your machetes?

 

[knarfeng]

As someone told me: A good field worker spends more time and effort choosing a machete than a wife.

Aptly put.

Thanks for your post. I found all of it informative.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

With all edged tools a balance between hardness and toughness is critical, but even more so with machetes due to their thinness and high-impact usage.

 

[DennisStrickland]

hansa thanks for the info, while we hear a lot about the big knives , manufac. do'nt specify very often.

 

[Hansa Quito]

Yeah, we are all a bit secretive about our materials. We use a high grade micro alloyed material that has great size and gauge tolerance. Besides one very important feature is the tight tolerance for the "skin" of the material. Usually the outer layer will have a lower carbon content as the carbon is burned/disipates when the material is heated in the steel mill. This layer can be substantial with lower quality material (or even worse with "reprocessed/railway" steel used in many Chinese products) and we get material with only minimal decarburation on the outside.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

As something of an aside comment, what is the intended use of the Tuxe on your website? Love the look of the Paracaidista by the way.

 

[Hansa Quito]

The Tuxe is a very specific tool for harvesting the fibre of the Abacá, which is very tough.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abacá

The Paracaidista (parchute jumper) was developed with the Ecuadorian commandos and it is the longest machete they can carry on their jumping deployments without hurting themselves or their other equipment. It has been replaced at the Ecuadorian armed forces by the RAMBO machete.

 

[JD Miller]

Old Post refresh

I have the Hansa 21 inch Lampon Gallo Machete, and the 18" Peinilla

I like Hansa a lot, and the thinner blades, as I have several Imacasa and a couple Tamontinas to compare to.

My 21" Lampon Is light weight but hits hard and cuts easy with less effort than my 20" and 26" Imacasa Ive been using to clear trails of high thick mustard weed and other vegetation. The mustard weed can be harder to cut through

Good to see Hansa Quito post here a few years ago.

I wish we could get some more Hansa machetes imported in U.S.
Id like to buy some other Hansa Machetes
http://www.hansa.com.ec/HANSACAT.pdf

P.S. what is the "Tuxe" tool, above ?

 

[JD Miller]

Hansa Quito, if you see this

What is the difference of the Hansa machetes- super premium, premium, economicos, and super economicos ?.......aguila, gallo ?...... Just handle color or is there different quality of the steel or blade ?

Thanks Rick

 

[dirc]

we should see importing of these by FortyTwoBlades - I would expect since it's one of his specialties

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

My specialty isn't import work. Others handle the logistics end for me, and it's a matter of volumes, to boot. I barely have enough shelf space for the stuff I've got at the moment. Machete Specialists carries some Hansa models, though, and could probably get others, seeing as how they're their sheath contractor.

 

[Cobalt]

very secretive about steel used in cheap stamped blades. 13 posts since 2010 And you all fell for it.

 

[BlackKnight86]

very secretive about steel used in cheap stamped blades. 13 posts since 2010 And you all fell for it.

Are you saying they are not good machetes?

 

[Twindog]

Quite often, I use a 16" Fiddleback Forge machete in 1075 steel. It works well in salmonberry and such -- hard woody shrubs -- even though it doesn't test well against wire and oak dowels. The edge is a nice balance between strength and toughness. So 1075 can make a very good machete blade, especially if wielded correctly.

 

[The Mastiff]

Necro thread. oops.

 

[Cobalt]

Are you saying they are not good machetes?

Are you saying they are? Compared to what? when? where?

I assume you know they are. If so, lets see where, how and why.

 

[BlackKnight86]

Are you saying they are? Compared to what? when? where?

I assume you know they are. If so, lets see where, how and why.

I didn’t say anything. I know nothing about them at all. All I did was ask a question to clarify your cryptic comment.

You SEEMED to be saying they’re not good. But you didn’t actually articulate it. So instead of assuming, I asked.

 

[Cobalt]

I didn’t say anything. I know nothing about them at all. All I did was ask a question to clarify your cryptic comment.

You SEEMED to be saying they’re not good. But you didn’t actually articulate it. So instead of assuming, I asked.

I did no such thing. You assumed that someone with just a few posts who stated he had a machete company making some mysterious steel machete was making something good. Instead of questioning me, you should be questioning WTF this whole thread was about, lol. In other words, I do not need to prove anything, the person who started this thread needs to show what the heck they are doing, which they have not. Get it?

 

[BlackKnight86]

I did no such thing. You assumed that someone with just a few posts who stated he had a machete company making some mysterious steel machete was making something good. Instead of questioning me, you should be questioning WTF this whole thread was about, lol. In other words, I do not need to prove anything, the person who started this thread needs to show what the heck they are doing, which they have not. Get it?

WHAT?!?

You’re crazy. I didn’t say anything about them, pro or con. I’ve never heard of them. I saw people whose opinions I trust - like FortyTwoBlades - in this thread; and I wanted to know if people liked them. Unfortunately, I picked someone from an alternate reality to ask.

No one is asking you to “prove” anything. If you want to live in your silly little Whine & Cheese world of nitwits who can’t speak without using one of their stupid memes and who think their sole purpose here is to “check post counts” and sit in judgment on their little mouse thrones mounted on the tallest pile of dog crap in the exercise yard, knock yourself out. But you can take your false accusations of what I “said” and stuff them with the rest of your delusions.