Nice way to start the weekend. (ESEE Lite Machete)

R.A.T. said:
Yes, this is the first run of 600. They are just about sold out so we are ordering more blanks from Imacasa now.
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My suggestion...bump up to a 2mm blade instead of the 1.65mm (.065")...I would assume less failure and some added strength, chopping should be as good for smaller as the .065" but better in some bigger lengths. It might add 2oz...reasonable IMHO. I personally (my disclaimer...am way new here) think 3mm is too thick for a machete at an 18" length (but for heavier cane and saplings might make a difference...just dont plan on swinging it too long) ...adds far too much weight for a long track in the jungle swinging or in the fields cutting paths and so on. Also put a hole in the tip so you can hand it from the tip not just the handle...just another suggestion. However I do notice Imacasa in the 18" range are around 1.25mm blade thickness. Tramontina are also 1.25mm @ 18" But many of the condors are 3mm or 2.2mm...their most popular El Salvador's.

Oh and thank god you did a razor sharp factory edge (that is what I hear) with a convex grind...nice!! but boy will it be hard to resharpen!!! That is a long blade! Have you considered a 420HC steel (Condor/Imacasa mades a 420HC)? I believe the rockwell is very close to the 1075 (I do really like the choice of 1075 for a machete...softer so it wont chip or crack entirely) but 420HC is very close in edge retention and durability...pretty much everything plus adding better corrosion resistance. Not to mention most Machetes are not cared for well. One rain...ouch!! That is a lot of blade to care for! Considering that most are used in high humidity, moisture...jungle areas a 420HC I think would be a plus. I know you guys have stuck with 10XX steel in all your knives but this one might be different considering its use IMHO. I could be way off but typically 1075 is a great steel for machetes because it is cheap and really designed to be nearly disposable.

I have been studying the living daylights out of Machetes lately. I am looking for a good all around one. I started my quest with a CS Kukri and was turned away by the crap utility edge on it, yes I could have put an edge on it but that curvy blade would have been a long job to do it right. Plus the length was too short and it is more of a chopper than anything vegetation remover. I felt it to be heavy in an odd way causing substantial discomfort in my forearm and wrist compared to a traditional cut machete when I swung it after a prolong period. Also the grip was a hot spotter for me...I have medium/large hands and the CS fits a large hand better. I am glad you guys did your trademark micarta...I now have 2 of your knives RC5, RC4 and absolutely love them!! So impressed!! great warranty and price. I have sold many of my friends...many hear the warranty and simple ask were to order after handling my small and growing collection...which might slow do to the economy but I have to hand it to your guys. I really enjoy your stuff!

Just my $0.02 on the 2mm thickness and the 420HC. I certainly hope most wont baton with it. Even a machete with a 3mm or 4mm equates to a 0.118" thick blade or a 0.1574" heavy on a 18" and nowhere near a reasonable thickness for batonning!!! Let alone IMHO the wrong type of steel for it.
 
soapboxpreacher said:
My suggestion...bump up to a 2mm blade instead of the 1.65mm (.065")...I would assume less failure and some added strength, chopping should be as good for smaller as the .065" but better in some bigger lengths. It might add 2oz...reasonable IMHO. I personally (my disclaimer...am way new here) think 3mm is too thick for a machete at an 18" length (but for heavier cane and saplings might make a difference...just dont plan on swinging it too long) ...adds far too much weight for a long track in the jungle swinging or in the fields cutting paths and so on. Also put a hole in the tip so you can hand it from the tip not just the handle...just another suggestion. However I do notice Imacasa in the 18" range are around 1.25mm blade thickness. Tramontina are also 1.25mm @ 18" But many of the condors are 3mm or 2.2mm...their most popular El Salvador's.

Oh and thank god you did a razor sharp factory edge (that is what I hear) with a convex grind...nice!! but boy will it be hard to resharpen!!! That is a long blade! Have you considered a 420HC steel (Condor/Imacasa mades a 420HC)? I believe the rockwell is very close to the 1075 (I do really like the choice of 1075 for a machete...softer so it wont chip or crack entirely) but 420HC is very close in edge retention and durability...pretty much everything plus adding better corrosion resistance. Not to mention most Machetes are not cared for well. One rain...ouch!! That is a lot of blade to care for! Considering that most are used in high humidity, moisture...jungle areas a 420HC I think would be a plus. I know you guys have stuck with 10XX steel in all your knives but this one might be different considering its use IMHO. I could be way off but typically 1075 is a great steel for machetes because it is cheap and really designed to be nearly disposable.

I have been studying the living daylights out of Machetes lately. I am looking for a good all around one. I started my quest with a CS Kukri and was turned away by the crap utility edge on it, yes I could have put an edge on it but that curvy blade would have been a long job to do it right. Plus the length was too short and it is more of a chopper than anything vegetation remover. I felt it to be heavy in an odd way causing substantial discomfort in my forearm and wrist compared to a traditional cut machete when I swung it after a prolong period. Also the grip was a hot spotter for me...I have medium/large hands and the CS fits a large hand better. I am glad you guys did your trademark micarta...I now have 2 of your knives RC5, RC4 and absolutely love them!! So impressed!! great warranty and price. I have sold many of my friends...many hear the warranty and simple ask were to order after handling my small and growing collection...which might slow do to the economy but I have to hand it to your guys. I really enjoy your stuff!

Just my $0.02 on the 2mm thickness and the 420HC. I certainly hope most wont baton with it. Even a machete with a 3mm or 4mm equates to a 0.118" thick blade or a 0.1574" heavy on a 18" and nowhere near a reasonable thickness for batonning!!! Let alone IMHO the wrong type of steel for it.
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Machetes will baton the dickens out of anything you put them in front of. I used one to baton through a standing log that was taller than me, just to see if I could. It went through no problem.

Also don't EVER let the factory edge on a machete bother you. That rough edge is just to speed up your filing job, and lets you put whatever kind of edge on it you want. It's a design feature. Stock Imacasas and Hansas come with just such an edge, and they're some of the best machetes on the planet. ;)
 
I have seen Bolo style machetes baton, but they are a thicker blades that are also shorter 14". I would be very interested to see how the ESEE Lite Machete would hold up to the task being longer and less than 1/2 the thickness of the bolo such as a marble. Today I put my toughest knives to the test baton some extremely hard wood with my RC5, A1, and SP5. Obviously the SP5 was the best but almost a tied with the A1...but they are thick!!! Also, the blade profile as well as grind pry apart the wood nicely. The A1 once in splits quick. The SP5 was not as wedged shape...subtle so it took a little further down to split. I have a hard time believing even a bolo style can do the same job...but seeing is believing, so I am not ruling out anything. Chopping I am sure the machete can eat in fast and deep with a thinner profile but would get stuck. The SP5 was a chopper!!! Blade length and weight obviously helped but with that said (and I know much of this is not related to machetes) the A1 can do well considering it is less than half the weight. A bolo would probably chop awesome and a sharp kukri would too! Unrelated I was disappointed with my RC5...I thought weight and being the sharpest blade of all was going to be the best...it was last!!! Plus my hand...I put gloves on too, slid around a lot the RC5 is blocky and long...when chopping I had to re-grip. The A1 grip was great! But and this is a Big But...it can get trashed quick so the Micarta is really tough.

I will get a bolo and probably a traditional 18". If you have any video on the ESEE batonning I would really like to see it. I did see these two one of the marble and one of the Lite Machete.

Marble Bolo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fj4jn6WfPlw

ESEE lite Machete:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxDDSm6fh-E&feature=player_embedded
 
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