Marchand Parang: My New Yard Knife

Horn Dog

Horn Dog

Joined
Sep 9, 2005
Messages
4,363
I know this forum is for Wilderness & Survival. I'm getting a bit old to do the wilderness thing alone, and my old outdoor cronies are in worse shape. But I still like to get out and walk around and whack things. So I deliberately left my property on the wild side. Wildlife abounds and I enjoy it that way. Recently, after participating in the custom machete review, I fell in love with this strange little parang made by Rick Marchand. I have plenty of choppers, but I wanted this one. It's the one on the bottom in the next photo.
parang002-1.jpg

Here are a few of my other "Yard Knives".
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My favorite for carrying around and trimming up the trails and such has been my Bark River Golok. It is light, sharp, and just works great for trimming up wax myrtles and such. Here you see it next to the Valiant Survival Golok which is below the Condor Golok.
parang004-1.jpg

If I'm in a real slashing mood, I use my Bark River Northwind. It's a hoot to use.
parang005-1.jpg

But today, I'll be playing around with the Marchand mini-parang.
parang007.jpg

Time to patrol my property in the humid heat. More pics to come.
 
It was bad enough that a blight killed all my pretty Red Bay trees. But then my neighbors to the South who built right at my property line cleared more of their property. They are building a little village over there, I swear. I don't want to see it.
parang008-2.jpg

A couple of days ago I planted some bamboo that a friend gave me. It got pretty wilted in the sun before I got it, but maybe it will live and eventually spread into a dense jungle buffer to my South. At least that's the plan.
parang011-2.jpg

Back to my property patrol with the parang.
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parang028.jpg

That palm frond just hangs too low. It's in my way.
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Whack! Problem solved.
parang030.jpg

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I think I have a new favorite Yard Knife. It slashes grasses and vines with ease, trims bushes back, and chops like a little axe. It would make an ideal camp machete or wilderness tool. :D
 
All of Ricks blades are nice looking, and I really liked this one. You scored a great blade with that, I'll bet. Great blades, from a great fellow.

Ok, Rick. I want my loot
 
I didn't show much parang action today, but if you check my review and Joe's in the Custom Machete Challenge, you will be impressed with its cutting power. I was just showing it off today. I love it. :D
 
Thats a great looking lil' chete and I love how Rick put an opposing angle between the handle and blade. Sure looks like it has a chopper balance. Plus Rick's leather padding under the wrap go a long way towards adding shock-absorbency and grip comfort.
 
Horn Dog said:
I didn't show much parang action today, but if you check my review and Joe's in the Custom Machete Challenge, you will be impressed with its cutting power. I was just showing it off today. I love it. :D
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I remember ;)

It is a piece to show off, it looks great, with a great sheath alongside it. :thumbup:
 
Something that was great about the videos was seeing how alive it is in hand. It is soooo fast...just blew me away...hat's off to the maker...

Maybe Dan at Scrap Yard can pop one out with the regulator handle...in sr77...I'd bag that!

Color me green HD!
 
rpn said:
Something that was great about the videos was seeing how alive it is in hand. It is soooo fast...just blew me away...hat's off to the maker...

Maybe Dan at Scrap Yard can pop one out with the regulator handle...in sr77...I'd bag that!

Color me green HD!
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Oh yes, and it would be affordable, too. I only have a few true custom built knives. They tend to be expensive, so I usually go with commercial models. But now and then, some custom knife just stikes my fancy and I go hog wild and buy it. I'd love to have a Farmer "Dangerous Curves" golok and Bill Siegle's Bolo camp machete, too. Maybe one day. We have some fantastic knife makers on this forum. All the custom machetes I used were impressive.
 
Your review helped me decide on having a big Koyote come my way!

That can't get done and here fast enough.

Back to your knife...if I ever get to Blade, hope you bring it so I can oggle it! :)
 
That mini parang looks absolutely awesome. I bet it is a great clearing tool. You could always do some shelter practice with the detritus if you get bored.

I got to check out a couple of Rick's other knives with that handle style at blade and I fell in love with one of them immediately. I really like that handle style a lot. very grippy yet really comfortable.

He took my little Bushlore back to Canada with him for what I thought he said was a couple of weeks....now I'm thinking I must have miss-heard him and he said a couple of months...I sure hope he didn't say a couple of years, hard to say I had been drinking a little.... :p

Oh, and yes that bamboo will most definitely go forth and multiply...hopefully in the direction you want.:)
 
Thanks for sharing. Since I first saw one of Rick's blades I've wanted one. After recieving the fire kit he made and seeing first hand the attention to detail he puts in his work really made me want one.
Now, to decide which one...
 
IA Woodsman said:
That knife looks like a very efficient chopper. Is the handle comfortable?
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It is reasonably comfortable for most tasks, but when chopping hard dry wood, it stings a bit. Bill Siegle's Bolo with the g10 handle was more comfortable for hard chopping. I see that this has been moved to knife reviews and testing, but I have refused to post my reviews here. I have seen so much BS and hostility here in the past, that I have avoided this forum.
 
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This was not really a review or test, but just some pictures. I had already reviewed this knife in the Custom Machete Challenge on W&SS forum. But it has been a long time since I visited the Knife Reviews and Testing forum. Maybe I'll post my next review here where it belongs and see what happens.
 
Great review (it was enough of review for me :)) and pics! Thanks!
 
I guarantee I'll get flamed for my next review of the new Gerber Bear Grylls knife. I have it on pre-order. Oh how that man is hated! I promise to make fun of it as much as possible, but it may just surprise all of us and be a decent knife. :D
 
Horn Dog said:
I guarantee I'll get flamed for my next review of the new Gerber Bear Grylls knife. I have it on pre-order. Oh how that man is hated! I promise to make fun of it as much as possible, but it may just surprise all of us and be a decent knife. :D
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Think of it as a free heat treatment. You'll feel better about it.:)
 
thanks horndog for greatpics of great knives. coupal of years & the bamboo will shield the blast zone from your eyes.
 
DennisStrickland said:
thanks horndog for greatpics of great knives. coupal of years & the bamboo will shield the blast zone from your eyes.
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I sure hope so, Dennis. For only two people, they sure seem to need a lot of buildings. I have never understood why folks move into a wild and natural area and then try to make it look like downtown. I'm getting more bamboo. I hope at least some of the bamboo I planted grows. I like my little jungle. :D
 
I'm glad you like it, Horn Dog. Thanks for showing it off. I have taken your experience to heart and made some handle mods to the parangs. A bit of a thicker tang makes a big difference in shock absorbtion. I drill a few "lightening holes" to compensate for extra stock and retain the same balance.

Rick
 
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