Machets

The Condor Golok is still my best chopper, followed closely by the Bushcraft Parang. The Golok is 6mm thick at the handle, with a dramatic distal taper. Because the bevel is a constant width, the angle of the grind is quite obtuse at the handle, growing more acute as it moves toward the tip. I find it most effective if I draw the blade toward me as I swing it, especially on green wood. On hardwood or dried wood, without the drawing motion, it is almost axelike in the way it throws chips. I like the Mini Duku Parang as well, while I am lukewarm on the Pack Golok, a blade that many others prefer to the full-sized Golok.

The Ontario SP53 is a highly touted chopping blade that so far has failed to impress me. The blade is a full 6mm thick without any distal taper.. in limited use, I have found it heavy and unwieldy and largely ineffective.

In my mind, I characterize machetes as either choppers or slashers. Choppers are heavier, with thicker blades, typically from 3.00-6.00 mm thick, and 10-14” in length.
Slashers are thinner and longer, with blades from 2.5 down to maybe 1.7 mm thick, and from 14” to maybe 20” or even longer.

For me, the one indispensable slasher is the 18” Tramontina field machete. As pointred out, it is heavy enough to take on bigger branches or living trees, although I would hesitate to pit it against hardwood or seasoned wood.
The slashers I use the most around the yard are 14” bolos from Tramontina or Imacasa (Marbles), which are very light and nimble in hand.
 
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I've got a full size Condor Duku parang and I really enjoy it. It has a distal taper as well, I find it has a nice balance.

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Condor was pretty popular for a short stint. I have two Condor machetes and one of their axes.
I don't see much about them anymore. I mean, they are still out there being sold, just no longer the latest rage.
 
I’d like to try a parang eventually also. I also have a junglas but it’s just not the same as a “real” machete. The 14” tramontina is the perfect size but the 18”er is great in prickers to help with distance and your hand.
 
I’m partial to the Panga pattern. I have a Cold Steel Panga I’ve treated pretty rough since about 2003. It had a 16” blade but it’s down to about 15.5” now.

I’m getting ready taylor the blade to my specific needs. I plan to square up the tip, repair some damage, even out the new edge bevel I put on, and sharpen it.

It has a 5 degree per side (dps) primary grind from a file and an edge on top of that at 15 dps. I went too thin on the primary bevel and got some dents so that has to be fixed.

I may also sharpen the back for use as a bill hook. I use the hook as is for picking up branches and other stuff so I’ll have to think about it. If I do this the hook edge will be very thin like the one I damaged. It cut light grass and hedges like a powered trimmer. Then I used it to cut some larger branches and gave it the damage I need to repair. The square tip will be left dull for scraping or digging.
 
me2 said:
I’m partial to the Panga pattern. I have a Cold Steel Panga I’ve treated pretty rough since about 2003. It had a 16” blade but it’s down to about 15.5” now.

I’m getting ready taylor the blade to my specific needs. I plan to square up the tip, repair some damage, even out the new edge bevel I put on, and sharpen it.

It has a 5 degree per side (dps) primary grind from a file and an edge on top of that at 15 dps. I went too thin on the primary bevel and got some dents so that has to be fixed.

I may also sharpen the back for use as a bill hook. I use the hook as is for picking up branches and other stuff so I’ll have to think about it. If I do this the hook edge will be very thin like the one I damaged. It cut light grass and hedges like a powered trimmer. Then I used it to cut some larger branches and gave it the damage I need to repair. The square tip will be left dull for scraping or digging.
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Cold steel panga is pretty great.
 
Another imacasa fan here, tramontina is excellent as well. I keep an 18 inch cuta with me all the time at work. Clearing around trees to be felled, chopping roots so we don't need to chase them as far with the stump grinder, and there's nothing better for clearing chain link fence of vines and light brush. Even if I hit something undesirable it takes less time to work a nick out with a bastard file than to sharpen a chain on a saw.

Edited for some spelling nonsense.
 
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PocketKnifeJimmy said:
Condor was pretty popular for a short stint. I have two Condor machetes and one of their axes.
I don't see much about them anymore. I mean, they are still out there being sold, just no longer the latest rage.
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For me, and I suspect for others, the price increases of the last few years have made the Condors less attractive. It is relatively easy to pull the trigger on an impulse for a blade that costs $30-60, much harder if those prices are in the range of $70-100. I would like to be able to try a variety of blades, and see which ones work best in which conditions.

There is a lot to try to understand. I think I have gained a bit of an understanding of how the various design festures interact to suit a blade for a given purpose, but there is a whole lot more to understand. I do not have to make a living with these blades, or do a lot of serious work. I am essentially a dillettante with a hobby.
 
Does anyone know What size PVC is needed to make a sheath from for the Tramontinas by chance
 
Late to the party; but I've used a number of machetes over the years. With respect to the CS 18" Latin machete, my experience was very different than that of F Floatingby . Mine was utter crap. Even after several sharpenings, the edge would roll on green stalks and thin saplings...as a result, it was a pretty ineffective tool.

I'm a big fan of Tramontina machetes.
The Ontario 22" heavy duty machete is awesome when there's a lot of chopping involved...not so great for lighter work.
 
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