Natty Mike

[Moosez45]

Well, I got my FBF 12" Natural Micarta Machete last week, and thanks to the flu, I got to try it out this weekend. I been waiting for so long, and now I finally got it. Here we go.

A little 'chete pron for ya. I was originally looking to get a 14", until I found out that the 12" is thicker. So, after that I was sold. My main role for this guy, is as a basic belt machete, used against greenery and dead hardwood alike, thus my wanting for the thicker blade. First pic.

So, out of the box, sharp, not hair splitting, but pretty sharp for a fresh edge. Covexed with a secondary bevel. Overall, light, fast but with lots of bite in the swing. Don't get me wrong, you have to put some umph behind it, but it will chop well. I didn't have as much time as I wanted, my girls were shooting BB guns, and I had to stay on them, but I did take down a green limb about 3" in diameter and about 16' long, and turn it into a pile of stuff, that will be burned in the fall. Actually, the limb the bladeis stuck in.

Took about 10 good swings to get through it, and the blade was very precise in the hand, for repeitition. Once it was down, I started limbing and seperating it into workable pieces.

Done some fuzzy strips with it, not as good as I wanted, but I think alot had to do with my hand fatigue. I went no lanyard on this trip. No slipping, not even felt like I was losing control, just my hand was tired from gripping it so tightly. Handle is great, great, great.

And you know me, if it don't baton, it don't go out to the woods with me. Now I'm not stupid, contrary to popular belief , so I started working with taking wood off the out sides. The blade is thick, but its still a machete, so I tread with caution. Light baton strikes, and a light baton. No bashing the blade here. Yet.

Red Oak, ladies and gentlemen. And Andy . Still makin' curls, not so great, but I do believe that is me.

Will it bore holes? Yeah, it'll bore holes. Love that tip, another reason why I liked this style blade. Yeah, Mist, yeah, I know, you were right, I was wrong. Kinda.

Overall, damn good sideblade. This will be going with me to all my outings and engagements this year. The ESEE woodland course, Peru in 2012, all my Gatherings and Survival Gatherings and my hiking, camping trips.

Very fine piece of cutlery, very well made. If you have never held one of Andy's blades (I have 2, helle yeah) then its hard to appreciate what he can do.

Moose

 

[squishware]

Thanks for the review. I can't wait for my 14".

 

[tek77]

Nice pics and review. I enjoined it... may wanna check out this one.
How does that handle feels in hand? Compared with a BK-2 knife knife handle let's say. I find the thickness of BK-2 very...satisfying.

Very fine piece of cutlery, very well made. If you have never held one of Andy's blades (I have 2, helle yeah) then its hard to appreciate what he can do.

Moose

I'am affraid Andy doesn't make Helle knives....that would be someone else..

 

[DennisStrickland]

great review & thanks for all the work taking pics. at this time i'm still enamored with my siegle kukri. not much light work in central tex. for a machete.--dennis

 

[Moosez45]

Nice pics and review. I enjoined it... may wanna check out this one.
How does that handle feels in hand? Compared with a BK-2 knife knife handle let's say. I find the thickness of BK-2 very...satisfying.




I'am affraid Andy doesn't make Helle knives....that would be someone else..

The BK2 is thicker. This handle really contours to the foward angled grip you want with this machete. It sits in the hand further back when you're choppin', but feels like a knife handle when you choke up and do finer work. Compared to the BK2, the machete handle feels slimmer and better controure for chopping.

Moose

 

[RedbeAR15]

Great review - How was the handle? Blister potential? Does it NEED a lanyard or not? Hand position?

 

[Moosez45]

Great review - How was the handle? Blister potential? Does it NEED a lanyard or not? Hand position?

Handle was great. With alot of swinging in mind, I'd wear gloves, micarta is not very forgiving. It doesn't need a lanyard, but I will be putting one on it if I have to do alot of chopping. What I did in the photo was on the verge of "alot of chopping".

Hand position, if you grip the handle in a normal grip, the blade almost seems like a kukri. Not so when laying in the work, you can break the wrist for fast snap cuts on small branches, or follow through with force for hard cuts, without the wrist jarring after effects.

Moose

 

[Kismet]

Nice review.

Give careful consideration to a lanyard on a swinging, chopping blade. It doesn't care what it cuts and if it swings back on the lanyard, the pivot would bring back to you.

 

[Moosez45]

Nice review.

Give careful consideration to a lanyard on a swinging, chopping blade. It doesn't care what it cuts and if it swings back on the lanyard, the pivot would bring back to you.

I ususally do. This was a test to see how hard it is to hold on to. Its not very hard to hang onto when you're doing some light work, even heavy chopping. If I was going to do prolonged work, yeah, lanyard is a must.

Moose

 

[chainring]

Lookin' good, Moose!!!

 

[ohski]

Thanks for the pics... I love mine and I'm hoping to get out this weekend with it.

Ski

 

[RedbeAR15]

Hey Moose - Did you have a chance to try it out on the briars, vines, and smaller scrub?

 

[Moosez45]

Hey Moose - Did you have a chance to try it out on the briars, vines, and smaller scrub?

Yes I did, but I didn't get much of that, I was out there by my self and it was kinda tough. Pretty much anything under 2" in diameter fell in one swipe. And we ain't talkin' about heavy swings here either. Just simply moving the blade through media, is about all it amounted to. Any greenery I had was thin, shrubby stuff any ways, and I did lop some vines, I'll see if I can get some more pics this evening, maybe not, my daughters have basketball, so, we'll see. If not, most certainly more will follow this weekend.

Moose

 

[nutnfancyfan]

hey moose, which one chops better, the machete or your beloved bk-9?

 

[RedbeAR15]

Yes I did, but I didn't get much of that, I was out there by my self and it was kinda tough. Pretty much anything under 2" in diameter fell in one swipe. And we ain't talkin' about heavy swings here either. Just simply moving the blade through media, is about all it amounted to. Any greenery I had was thin, shrubby stuff any ways, and I did lop some vines, I'll see if I can get some more pics this evening, maybe not, my daughters have basketball, so, we'll see. If not, most certainly more will follow this weekend.

Moose

Great - thanks. Those green briars and multiflora rose can be real nasty to work, even with a good machete

 

[Moosez45]

hey moose, which one chops better, the machete or your beloved bk-9?

9. It has more weight, and a thinner edge geomtry. Apples to oranges comparison. As a lightweight, green cutter, this thin would leave the 9 in a flash. On wet green wood, 9 wins, just heavier, and thinner edge.

Moose

 

[nutnfancyfan]

hmm im kinda surprised by that, i thought the machete would be faster and a better chopper.

 

[Moosez45]

hmm im kinda surprised by that, i thought the machete would be faster and a better chopper.

Nope, machete's are by nature, made for cutting wet greenery. What they lack in mass, you can make up for in velocity, but a heavier object is going to chop better, look at the axe, lots of weight, small area of impact, made to dislodge dense material. Machete, light, thin, and flexible, whisks right through green vegetation. Doesn't mean the machete won't chop, but you asked which one chopped better, I assumed you meant similar media like I was chopping on, and the 9 will beat it, it is nearly 3 times as thick in the spin, and has a thinner grind profile.

Andy's machete will walk the line of both worlds with ease, but my BK9 would lose in a green vegetation chopping competition, hands down. It would just about break your wrist with everyswing, trying to stop it after a green veggie slice.

12" machete is one tough hombre, and will be accompanying me on several trips.

Moose

 

[nutnfancyfan]

moose- thanks for the info. im looking at getting one of his machetes for a kit im making, and im having trouble deciding what length. thinking either 12 or 16

 

[RedbeAR15]

moose- thanks for the info. im looking at getting one of his machetes for a kit im making, and im having trouble deciding what length. thinking either 12 or 16

16 but I ain't Moose = He's much younger and better lookin'