Marbles 14” Scout Machete?

B

bearthedog

Joined
May 17, 2006
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Has anyone here used this machete? I know there is some info on the Bolo and 18” Marbles machete, but not too much on this.
It is said to have a sharp tip and convex edge.

-RB
 
It should be just fine. It's made by Imacasa/Condor, and ranks about in the middle of the two brands fit/finish wise. :thumbup:
 
I have it and I'm in love. Fantastic allarounder, the best 'latin style' profile on any of my blades. Same Condor convex grind, a fantastic working point, super big belly and very natural chopping at the sweet spot. Handles are nicer-finished imacasa scoop style and I like them alot-rather full and give good chopping leverage. Allaround a great size, great design, great steel. I think I paid 11 dollars for it and I'm in love. Oh yeah, the rough stone that comes with it is fantastic for profiling machetes! I've used the heck out of it. The blade finish doesn't stay long-it's not the same nice powder coat. Mine's flaking off, but I really don't care. It was meant to be a user anyway.

PS this one takes the cake over my other favorite midsized allaround machete, the Condor Bolo, and it's about half the price.
 
You might like the 14" Eco Survivor then. The handle used on it and the El Salvador machete is one of the best, hands down, that I've ever used. And it has pretty much the same profile. :)
 
PayetteRucker said:
I have it and I'm in love. Fantastic allarounder, the best 'latin style' profile on any of my blades. Same Condor convex grind, a fantastic working point, super big belly and very natural chopping at the sweet spot. Handles are nicer-finished imacasa scoop style and I like them alot-rather full and give good chopping leverage. Allaround a great size, great design, great steel. I think I paid 11 dollars for it and I'm in love. Oh yeah, the rough stone that comes with it is fantastic for profiling machetes! I've used the heck out of it. The blade finish doesn't stay long-it's not the same nice powder coat. Mine's flaking off, but I really don't care. It was meant to be a user anyway.

PS this one takes the cake over my other favorite midsized allaround machete, the Condor Bolo, and it's about half the price.
Click to expand...

Thanks. Any pics of it being used?
Is there really a useable point for penetrating animal skin or drilling into wood?

-RB
 
Yes Bear the point is pronounced and sharp enough for penetrating animal skin and bolting wood. I have the 14 inch Eco Survivor, it looks great on my black and orange North Face Skareb. It too is one of my favorite allarounders, very fast and lively in the hand and that naked CONDOR logo is super classy. The sheath is nice as well. The blade profile is actually quite different though. I wish I had a working camera (broke my latest in a Sawtooths trip 5 weeks ago and have been amiss ever since) I have a camera phone but for some reason my computer won't read it to upload the pictures. Maybe I can take a comparative shot of the two of them and text it to you or something.

The point on the Eco Survivor is not good enough for penetrating animal skin or drilling.
 
Yeah looking at the profile of the Marbles piece again it looks like it has a virtually straight spine. It would be possible to get the point on an EcoSurvivor to an acute enough degree for that sort of work with a few minutes on a belt sander, though. Often the tips get rounded by the grinding operator at the factory moving the tip of the machete past the centerline of the sharpening belt.
 
It is a virtually straight spine, along with the spine of the eco survivor. It's the shape of the blade, it's identical to that of my El Salvador. It's the design, not the manufacturing. The angle of the curve at the top of the blade profile is too extreme to get a good working point, as it is on my Koyote Leuku. You could drop point the Eco Survivor easy enough.
 
Not to drift, but what's the difference between the Marble's 18-inch Bush Machete and the Marble's 18-inch Machete? The specs show the Bush model with a distal taper but the one without is actually lighter. Different handles as well? Love the machete talk, thanks for the thread.
 
Don't have the larger Marbles yet :( On the list though! I'm going to use the roomates' SLR and do comparison shots of some machetes for you today.
 
PayetteRucker said:
It is a virtually straight spine, along with the spine of the eco survivor. It's the shape of the blade, it's identical to that of my El Salvador. It's the design, not the manufacturing. The angle of the curve at the top of the blade profile is too extreme to get a good working point, as it is on my Koyote Leuku. You could drop point the Eco Survivor easy enough.
Click to expand...

Yeah that was what I was trying to say. I just find that you can still use a trailing point for that sort of work--it's just not as intuitive as an in-line point like on the Marbles and you can't drop your weight into it. For piercing an animal hide it would still do fine but drilling work would take longer if the profile wasn't modified. :)

On a related note, the El Salvador/Eco Survivor are based on old Collins machetes, both in blade profile and handle shape. Given that Condor recently experimented with making a German-style billhook with a stacked leather handle, it would be cool to see them come out with an El Salvador machete with a stacked leather handle like some of the Collins pieces used to have.
 
In a heartbeat I'd eat one up. I wonder who wound up with the prototype ;) I don't have any old Collins, unfortunately. My only vintage machete is an old school Sheffield. Slick blade. Come to think of it I have used the trailing point of the El Salvador to gut a trout. It's doable, but if you're trying to save a hide I'd probably find another option.
 
This is a photo I got from Condor of that experimental billhook. I saw it on the rack in one of their low-rez photos from IWA and asked what the heck it was. Turns out it was this. :D

European Tool(Condor Prototype).jpg
 
PayetteRucker said:
It is a virtually straight spine, along with the spine of the eco survivor. It's the shape of the blade, it's identical to that of my El Salvador. It's the design, not the manufacturing. The angle of the curve at the top of the blade profile is too extreme to get a good working point, as it is on my Koyote Leuku. You could drop point the Eco Survivor easy enough.
Click to expand...

I was looking at the Condor Eco Survivor, but it didn’t seem to have a useable point or that straight of a spine. It seemed like it was really thin too. I think the Marbles is closer to 3/32, which is ideal for me- for a cutting tool.

I know people have been going on for years without an incising tip on their chopping tool, but after so much time in the Philippines and seeing so many different uses they all have for one Bolo, my wheels started to turn. I actually gave about 3 Bolos away that I brought back from PHIL and now I am looking again for a chopper with a good tip. Back where I started-Life is funny like that sometimes!

FortyTwoBlades said:
Yeah looking at the profile of the Marbles piece again it looks like it has a virtually straight spine. It would be possible to get the point on an EcoSurvivor to an acute enough degree for that sort of work with a few minutes on a belt sander, though. Often the tips get rounded by the grinding operator at the factory moving the tip of the machete past the centerline of the sharpening belt.
Click to expand...

Looks like I won’t have to do much modifying to the Marbles, except the handle to get flush with the steel.

crm3137 said:
Not to drift, but what's the difference between the Marble's 18-inch Bush Machete and the Marble's 18-inch Machete? The specs show the Bush model with a distal taper but the one without is actually lighter. Different handles as well? Love the machete talk, thanks for the thread.
Click to expand...

I’m sure we didn’t need another machete thread or another “If you could only take one blade” thread. However, I didn’t know much about these and I always ask people who have one rather than people who can randomly spout off specs. I love the machete talk to!


PayetteRucker said:
Don't have the larger Marbles yet :( On the list though! I'm going to use the roomates' SLR and do comparison shots of some machetes for you today.
Click to expand...
Please don’t go through any extra trouble, I think you confirmed what I have been seeing in the pictures. I do appreciate it.
 
LOL! Yes sir, I have followed your threads and enjoyed the one form the Phils. Last April I married my lovely wife whos family hails from Bicol Province. I have also been watching that distributor for availability of a couple that I admire there. I particularly want to try one of the rattan wrapped bolos. I just thought from your mention of looking for a short machete with a usable point- the barong would seem a candidate.

I have worked with mine some both griping the blade to use the tip for fine drilling and carving to anchoring my left hand and holding the spine in my left fingers- then manuevering the handle in my right hand for more leveraged carving with the tip. I need more development but I already appreciate the versatility and a good reprofile of the edge should help even more.

But this thread is about the Marbles machete and I have already derailed it enough. :o

Bill
 
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