Machetes.

King Tut

King Tut

Joined
Jul 20, 2000
Messages
339
I live in Maine and spend quite a bit of time in the great outdoors. For the past two years I have been using an over the shelf but alas it's time has come to an end.(I've been using it despite a broken tip. Seeing how it is Christmas time I figured I could but a machete on my list. Any suggestions?

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Experience: that most brutal of teachers. But you learn my god do you learn.
C.S. Lewis
 
I prefer the USGI machete, which can be purchased at surplus stores, as well as many knife shops. You can order the machete and the issue sheath from www.dicountknives.com for a very reasonable price. For a heavier duty product, I prefer the the knives from Newt Livesay, Wicked Knife Co. Good prices, Good gear, Good service. Best Regards, Clayton
 
Oops, spelled that link wrong. Try www.discountknives.com
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Also, the BK&T Brute is the best knife in the 9"-12" size range that I have used. Not sure if it's what you're looking for though. Regards, Clayton
 
King Tut;
you might want to wait for the BK&T Bush Hog to come out to the dealers (when Will Fennell?). It will be .188" steel and if all of the other BK&T's are any example, then this just might fit your bill to a tee. I know that I have 3 BK&T models and 1 (Machax)on the way. I will be one of the first on my block to have the Bush Hog too!!
rolleyes.gif


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Ron,
Bremerton, Washington
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Tut,

If you're looking for cheap, a lot of people swear by the military surplus machetes. Certainly, they seem sturdier than a lot of the junk from Latin America.

Tactical Knives magazine has an article on a British brand of machete, in their current issue (can't remember the brand).

And I had two "custom" machetes made by Rick Fowler (http://www.homestead.com/customknives/homepage.html). One turned out to be much more of a CHOPPER than machete, with a 14" blade of 1/4" O-1 steel..., but I had him make me another, 16" blade of 1/8" O-1, which has much more of a machete feel to it (though it's still a bit heavy)
 
I'm kinda fond of Barteaux machetes. Great bang for the buck, as they say. If you do a search of this forum and the general forum, you will probably find loads of machete stuff. You may also want to check the archive. There have been a lot of machete threads. Also, one of the best deals for machetes is Tramotina. They make some pretty nifty machetes for not a lot of money.

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Hoodoo

I get some pleasure from finding a relentlessly peaceful use for a combative looking knife.
JKM
 
Look at the Martindale line of machetes, see the March 2001 issue of Tactical Knives for an article on them. I have used them and they work, have great edge geometry.
 
There are two significant varients of machete design. The long thin Mexican style are optimized for cutting light springy brush like bushes and grasses or soft prickly things like agave and cactus. They rely on speed to cut materials that yield easily when pushed. The other style is shorter and thicker for cutting harder, woodier, material. Examples of this are the Phillipino bolos and barongs.

If you are chopping down sapplings that are over 2 inches thick you might want a bolo. If you are clearing light branches off a pine tree you might want something lighter and longer. Thin blades will get stuck in wood that they don't cut through in one swipe. Thick blades are usually easier to back out.
 
I honestly don't see the need for an expensive machete. Last summer I had to help my brother inlaw clear a 1 acre plot. We had two chainsaws and two Tramontina machetes. These machetes were used HARD for 3 weekends without being resharpened and still have a decent edge. We used them to limb trees, soft wood and hard and for taking down saplings. I could consistantly and effortlessly take down saplings around 3" in diameter with one stroke.(good cuting technique is helpful) During breaks we would throw them at stumps and try to get them to stick. They stuck a few times but mostly hit sideway and such and went flying off e few feet. They suffered NO damage from this abuse. The only damage they took was from accidental impacts on rock, and all this did was roll the edge, no chiping at all. Now these machetes would retail for about $10.00 for both!! What could a high priced machete do that my Tramontinas can't, other than make me cringe every time I accidentally chop a rock with my $150.00 knife????

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Louis Buccellato
http://www.themartialway.com
Knives, Weapons and equipment. Best prices anywhere.
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"only the paranoid will survive"

[This message has been edited by TheMartialWay (edited 12-21-2000).]

[This message has been edited by TheMartialWay (edited 12-21-2000).]
 
Get one made by Ontario, either 18" or 12" blade. They're the ones with the smooth black plastic handles attached to the blade tang with metal rivets. You can find them in surplus stores, some hunting/camping stores, and many online knife dealers.

Before you use one, make sure you take some crazy glue and run the glue around all the rivets and along where the handles meet the blade/tang steel. This will keep the handles from loosening or coming off. They are notorious for having loose, weak handles. Mine, a 12" model, had a loose handle brand new.

Besides the crazy glue job, rough up the handle with some medium grit sandpaper. Those plastic slabs are just too slippery to keep a secures grip unless you scuff them up.

Seems like a lot of work to fix up a brand new machete, but the steel and edge geometry are excellent for the intended use of the blade. Also, you'll probably be able to find them for under $20, maybe even under $15 (mine was just under $10 brand new). Once you do the modifications I suggest, you'll have a machete that excels in performance, as far as machetes go, with a lot of "bang for the buck."


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Danny
aka "kuma575"
 
Actually, working with a nice machete has an aesthetic appeal not unlike working with a fine folder as compared to any $20 knock off that would, after all, perform 90% of the cutting chores that most of us are called upon to do in our typical day.

My knives seem to cluster around certain types, and I notice that machete's are an interesting genera in and of themselves. I have two "expensive machetes" in a Livesay RCM and a Ross Aki SBM (see my review at http://www.sonic.net/~quine/sbm_rcm.html). They are on opposite ends of the machete spectrum as regards weight anyway! I'm considering something in between, like Ross's parang (see http://www.macheteman.com), and I'm wondering what other alternatives there might be.
 
I agree with Kuma and the Ontario machetes.
Cheap and reliable, these badies will do all that you need them to do.

FLY GUY

[This message has been edited by FLY GUY (edited 12-27-2000).]
 
Better buy one now while you still can ...
Click <a href="http://theonion.com/onion3646/national_machete_assoc.html">here</a>!

[This message has been edited by mnblade (edited 12-28-2000).]
 
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