machete vs large knife???

RescueRiley

RescueRiley

Joined
Mar 22, 2006
Messages
5,944
I've been playing around alot lately with large and small blade combinations..I was using a bk-7 and a small necker for a while and it fif it all.. (chopping is a little inefficient with a 7 inch blade)..but I have a hard time wearing anything larger on my belt. however I've split alot of hardwood and have managed to maintain a shaving edge through mere stropping.

On my last trip I used a convexed 12 inch tram and a necker. The tram was awesome, and lighter than my becker.. I wore it on a baldric while hiking and hung it up in camp for most of the time but used it consistently. THe edge shows wear easy in comparison to the tank like becker. It easily out chopped the becker but the becker was a better splitter. If I decide to use a machete more often I might go for a 12 inch ontario and have it convexed. the thicker spine might make it a little more user friendly in regards to a baton

So the question is which do you prefer. a modified machete or a larger chopper style knife? and why?
 
That's a good question. I recently received my modified convex/scandi Ontario from Brian Andrews and it's a great improvement (currently at Fort Bragg, NC and haven't been home long enough to test out:grumpy:). I think it really depends on you location. Just as an axe is a more versatile tool (and necessity) in coniferous zones of the north, the machete is excellent in more "jungle" like environments...not so much just a jungle, but with more vines and softer vegetation. I think with the heavier convexed machete, it will perform better on harder wood, but it's also softer steel and would require a little more edge maintenance. The good thing is that the 12" machetes are pretty light to carry along in a shoulder sheath or pack.

I really think that to understand the versatility of the machete, you almost need to go out for a few days with just a machete. It can do small-knife tasks pretty good and can do more than just cut and chop. I don't always carry one, but I keep on in my truck.

ROCK6
 
Rock weel said, on my last trip out. I used my machete, more than my necker for finer tasks.. Fuzz sticks, shavings, trap triggers, and food prep, It took a little time to get used to the lareger blade and handle, but overall it did quite nicely. I've seen alot of folks claim to use a file to maintain the edge on thier machetes, anyone know if this can be done with a convex edge?
 
RescueRiley said:
I've seen alot of folks claim to use a file to maintain the edge on thier machetes, anyone know if this can be done with a convex edge?
Click to expand...

Of course it can be done. Files have been used for years to do convex edges on axes as well.

What you have to remember is that you are not staying in the same spot, grinding forever, creating a v-grind.

For light touch-ups you are going to have the file at an angle that is only going to touch the very edge, and not change the convex portion before that. If you are doing some serious material removal, you are doing to have to continually change the file angle to create/maintain the convex nature of the edge.

It also depends if you are okay with a file-grade finish. I for one am not a big fan of it. It is not speculation, but fact that a highly polished edge is more durable. I can explain the reasoning behind it if you wish, but don't want to spend all the time on it if you already know why.

Instead, I would rather have my tool setup well before going in the field. For every decent bit of useage, just spend a few minutes maintaining, and you never have ONE BIG CHORE of sharpening.

Have you ever seen videos of Ray Mears in the jungle? For his parang, he uses waterstones, and that it what I prefer for my field kit too. For both machete and axe, I use a small set of waterstones all packaged in a military d-con plastic box. The whole kit is inexpensive too!

Works well for me, everyone has to pick what they like.
 
Yeah, I'm going to make a small Altoids tin convex sharpening kit (similar to siguy's). I have all the stuff...just need some time. I've used something similar for my other convex blades, mostly just stropping, but a little wet-or-dry paper in various grits would be more than enough to keep your machete maintained...about the only thing that would suck would be a big ding. Fortunately, it's pretty soft steel and you could probably repair when you get back home. Brian's modified machete really takes advantage of the first 5-6 inches of blade from the handle with the scandi grind...most of your "blade trauma" happens near the end of the blade with a machete, so you get to keep your razor edge for smaller chores.

ROCK6
 
Brian, Awesome...Seems like you've been posting alot more lately, and I am very happy about it! just another great knowledgable fellow..Good stuff! I have a portable covex sharpener that I use, (Altoids tin with a mousepad on top, and some wetdry inside) but I would like to learn how to maintain a convex edge with a stone or file...Next level I guess. any way. Good stuff so far, Keep it coming. Thanks!
 
My theory on the blade ding/damage in the woods is that I am just going to smooth it as much as possible, and live with it for the remainder of the trip. I know I can fix it in minutes when I get home, and I don't want to waste long periods of "field time" which I never seem to get enough of :D
 
A 12 inch machete and a sak has been my woods rig for a long time now. Just don't find the need for a large heavy knife. A small machete will take down green wood like magic if you have it sharpened up well. If you have to make a shelter, a machete is great, you can clean off alot of leafy limbs fast.

They cost little enough that you can stash one in the car, one in the shed, one in the boat bag...

The 12 inch Ontario does okay on hard wood due to the slightly heavier blade. A convexed Ontario is a pleasure to use.
 
I have also carried a BK-7 and a necker (Livesay NRGS) a lot in the bush and really like the combination. However IMO the seven inch knife will never take the place of a machete. If I am going to carry a long (over 18 inch) machete on my pack I will carry the BK-7 on my belt.

When I take groups out to the bush I often just carry the BK-7 as there are already four other machetes in the group and I like to have the versatility of the seven inch knife for splitting and demonstration purposes.

For sharpening in the field I use a small mill file and a diamond rod for touching up the edges. The file is used to reduce dings mainly. A well done convex edge is a great thing to take with you into the bush but people the world over use everything from files to local rocks to sharpen machete blades. I find that most people I encounter in Brazil who have been using machetes all their lives have never used one that is truly sharp and they get the job done. I would hazard a guess that the vast majority of machetes used in the third world would have a very crude edge by the standards of this board. My SOP is to go into the bush with a very sharp machete, touch up the edge as needed and rework the edge again when I get home. I find that the diamond rod really sharpens the section of scandi grind very well.

Ironically the machetes I use to do my hardest work, clearing vacant lots, have filed edges. During the course of the job they will make contact with such things as cement blocks and standing pieces of re-bar in the weeds. I don't want to subject a machete that I have spent a lot of time on to that kind of treatment. I have machetes I use for grunt work, or to loan out to crews of volunteers who will do grunt work, and other blades I use for wilderness survival and bush craft stuff that I take better care of.

img3152yq5.jpg

This is the smallest machete I use, a 12 inch Tramontina. I carry this mainly when hiking up into the mountains and it is used for digging out level ground and clearing places to sleep.

img3083yj1.jpg

This is a typical high altitude machete job. I leveled out this natural cave and used the machete to 'delump" the ground.

img3225ul9.jpg

Does such digging dull a machete? Sure but a few minutes of cave time and the diamond rod brought it right back. You can see I hadn't done much with this edge other than take the factory edge down to "sharp" with a file previous to the trip and then run it along my EZ-Lap stone. the question for this post is, would you want to subject your Becker to that kind of a job. I don't, therefore the machete went along. Mac
 
Last edited:
A thicker knife will split wood better, but a thinner machete, sharpened properly, will chop very well. They are also lighter weight. Just have to decide what you plan to do.

Andy
 
At what thickness does a machete cease to be a machete and become a large knife? and conversly when does a knife become too thin to be called a knife?
 
I really like this thread,lots of interesting info and pics.
I have a 12" Tramontina for grunt use,on my third canvas sheath.
I also have a 12" ontario that is carried in a nice heavy fabric sheath.
What I would like to get is a few leather sheathes,
I would really appreciate any help you guys could give me.
Thanks,button
 
If the geometry is right on a large thick spined blade, it will out chop a machete. Problem I've seen with machetes for chopping seasoned hardwood is the edges won't hold up. The will roll because they are softer.
Scott
 
I just took a short walk with the girls (to the mailbox). Took my 12" tramontina, which is really new to me. I had just worked the edge a good bit last night with my new Gatco system.

I was able to chop through a 2 1/2" hardwood tree with 3 easy blows. I was quite impressed. I can absolutely see the value of this paired with a mora or something similar for a bush combo. Lightweight, inexpensive and very effective.

Charlie
 
I know I sound stupid by asking this but I bought a 12 inch Tramontina and to my life I honestly dont know how to sharpen one. I would love to get it sharp like I am always hearing on here. I have used a file but and a rock but it seems never to get any sharper. Can you guys give me some youtube links or info of any fashion? thanks
 
I like to carry both.

The Ranger RD-9 I carry takes some force to swing it because it's heavy. The machete takes no effort at all and smoked right through anything I swing it at. So, for clearing brush, taking limbs, taking down small trees, normal machete work, the machete can't be beat.

For camp chores and crafts involving taking tree bark, slitting wood, any kind of batonning, etc. the machete is just too long and thin. The Ranger is much easier to work with in my opinion.

There are many other pros and cons, but those are the main ones I take into consideration. The truth is, either one can do the other's job, but not as well. So, I carry both. Easy is the name of the game for me, unless I'm making it hard on purpose to practice something.
 
All good stuff, good thread RR ;)

Brian I'd like to get a good little wet-stone kit (and inexpensive sounds good too!).

Mac I also like your thoughts and posts, thanks, and I agree most 3rd world countries don't get their machete's "surgical" sharp but they get the job done.

Personally I don't care for super sharp, just "Sharp" for most of my outdoor tasks. I worked with super-sharp for years and I was careful but for the outdoors I find all I'll do is cut myself a lot, and if somebody else uses my blades! So just sharp for me.

RR with my tram I feel I can "swing" all day, I don't feel that way with my choppers, but like you I have been experimenting with various combos. So far I like a Mora+RD7orScrapyard+Machete somewhere near because we have tons of vines and soft vegetation around here.

My Ontario is great, goes through the bigger stuff easy but that weight inhibits all day use and I've got my RD7 or Scrapper7 or Dogfather.
Field sharping is a very good point here, I need to work on that.
 
Gossman Knives said:
If the geometry is right on a large thick spined blade, it will out chop a machete. Problem I've seen with machetes for chopping seasoned hardwood is the edges won't hold up. The will roll because they are softer.
Scott
Click to expand...

Well one thing is for sure. Green wood and even thicker, but living trees, are not in the same ball park hardness wise as seasoned wood. So I think Scott's post above and Dylside are not inconsistent with all the above favorable reports on machete as chopping tools.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top