WalterDavis
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
- Joined
- Nov 23, 2005
- Messages
- 1,837
Here's a few quick pics and a brief review of some recent aquisitions. No action shots yet:foot:, sorry!
I picked up 2 14" Tramontina machetes, along with both a Marble's and another Tramontina in 18", all from Smoky Mountain knifeworks:thumbup: The Marble's came with a thick cordura sheath with 3 pockets, one of which included a sharpening stone. The Tramontinas all had the same issues, namely:slightly oversize handles (not flush with the tangs), and very poor edges. The Marbles is of slightly thicker stock (and has a slight distal taper), and has a much better edge, but the handle scales are worse fitting than the Tram's. On a side note, the Marbles handle are actual scales, which will be easier to replace than the block with a groove that the Trams have.
I'd say
I also recently snagged HI 16.5" villager WWII Kukri in the pics above. I've been really considering a kukri for a while, but I was severely under-prepared for the beast that is the Kukri
You could use the spine to crack coconuts or concrete without fear on this bad boy! The villager models from HI are rougher in the fit&finish department than their normal operation, but other than smoothing out the edges of the butt-plate where they overlap the handle a hair, I don't see anything that would affect use. I think now that I should have waited for an 18" model that would have more handle for my big mitts, but I'll know for sure this spring after she gets some use. Definitely an impressive piece of work! And this seems like a great tool, it seems like it has the weight and balance of a small axe, while still maintaining a 'large knife' utility. The almost 1/2" spine may be a little overkill for most people, though-I may have to make some KLO's (Kukri-like objects
) in the future out of some lightweight 1/4" steel
Overall, I'm happy with each piece I picked up. I was expressly looking for the best deals I could find as far as value-per-dollar, and I knew I'd have to do some work to the machetes so their state wasn't too much of a surprise. I am glad I have a belt-grinder to fix the edges on the Tramontinas, but I may do one with a file just to see how hard it really is. The scales on the Marbles are going to have to be replaced, though I could cover the handles with a some tape or innertube for an immediate fix. The kukri isn't going to win any beauty contests, but she came ready to work and work hard!
I picked up 2 14" Tramontina machetes, along with both a Marble's and another Tramontina in 18", all from Smoky Mountain knifeworks:thumbup: The Marble's came with a thick cordura sheath with 3 pockets, one of which included a sharpening stone. The Tramontinas all had the same issues, namely:slightly oversize handles (not flush with the tangs), and very poor edges. The Marbles is of slightly thicker stock (and has a slight distal taper), and has a much better edge, but the handle scales are worse fitting than the Tram's. On a side note, the Marbles handle are actual scales, which will be easier to replace than the block with a groove that the Trams have.
I'd say
I also recently snagged HI 16.5" villager WWII Kukri in the pics above. I've been really considering a kukri for a while, but I was severely under-prepared for the beast that is the Kukri
You could use the spine to crack coconuts or concrete without fear on this bad boy! The villager models from HI are rougher in the fit&finish department than their normal operation, but other than smoothing out the edges of the butt-plate where they overlap the handle a hair, I don't see anything that would affect use. I think now that I should have waited for an 18" model that would have more handle for my big mitts, but I'll know for sure this spring after she gets some use. Definitely an impressive piece of work! And this seems like a great tool, it seems like it has the weight and balance of a small axe, while still maintaining a 'large knife' utility. The almost 1/2" spine may be a little overkill for most people, though-I may have to make some KLO's (Kukri-like objects) in the future out of some lightweight 1/4" steelOverall, I'm happy with each piece I picked up. I was expressly looking for the best deals I could find as far as value-per-dollar, and I knew I'd have to do some work to the machetes so their state wasn't too much of a surprise. I am glad I have a belt-grinder to fix the edges on the Tramontinas, but I may do one with a file just to see how hard it really is. The scales on the Marbles are going to have to be replaced, though I could cover the handles with a some tape or innertube for an immediate fix. The kukri isn't going to win any beauty contests, but she came ready to work and work hard!
