machete work

mikieg · Feb 2, 2011

i have an ontario machete that has been with me for quite a while. like any good piece of equipment, you become attached.
i have never appreciated the massive handle scales they put on it nor the finish. so i was wordering who can refinish it with a desert colored finish as is used on the esee knives? and who can rescale with micarta type scales to match?

adaman04 · Feb 2, 2011

That sounds like an expensive project. I'd get a lite machete and some khaki krylon.

Honestly, doesn't seem to be a lot of people that do one-of custom scales.

Jforbush here on the forum does refinishing with duracoat and cerakote.

1066vik · Feb 2, 2011

if you have a cheap HF belt sander, you can shape your own scales in about 30 minutes.
paint the chete with krylon flat (in any color you like) then bake it for 30-45 minutes at 350 to hard cure the paint.
otherwise, you're looking at $100 to pay someone to recoat and rehandle it -- your call.

Mike Slayer · Feb 2, 2011

Leave the coating off is what I would do. Coatings cause friction in what you are cutting. Plus they wear off with use and look like crap. I know Justin at Ranger knives can do it cause he did a 12" for me. Also Scott Gossman at Gossman Knives can do it.

DOC-CANADA · Feb 2, 2011

As far as the finish goes, paint it with any old rust-proof paint you can find. You don't need to bake it. When you use it, the paint comes off of the areas that gets the use and not, where it doesn't.

In the areas, that gets the use, that, alone, prevents rust build up. When you're finished using it (for the day, weekend, week, whatever), give it another quick coat.

That's what I've done for many years - works like a charm. It's a machete, after all.

Doc

mikieg · Feb 3, 2011

i shoot duracoat on guns. i am thinking of the powdercoat like esee uses.

jumpmonkey · Feb 3, 2011

adaman04 said:
That sounds like an expensive project. I'd get a lite machete and some khaki krylon.

Honestly, doesn't seem to be a lot of people that do one-of custom scales.

Jforbush here on the forum does refinishing with duracoat and cerakote.

+1 To Jforbush, does great work. As far as scales, make your own. It's work, for sure, but it is a FUN project. Be ware though, if you are working with micarta, G10, or Carbon-Fiber, you don't want to breathe that stuff. Also, you can tune the snot out of the scales. I love my little Izy one, its like the scales were made for me... oh, wait, they were!

God bless,
Adam

foxx · Feb 3, 2011

I've been on the fence about doing a re-handle on my Ontario 12".
I e-mailed Justin, of Ranger Knives, and he said..
I ship him the Ontario, + $28 and return shipping. That's just for micarta handle slabs.
That sound's pretty good, but I'd rather get the materials and try it myself.
I don't have a belt sander, so I'd be doing it all by hand. So, I haven't tried it yet.
Scott Grossman said it would be about $100, I'm sure he'd do an awesome job.
Brand new 18" ESEE Lite Machete with a sheath and micarta handle delivered for $70.