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Ontario Survival Machete or Becker Tactool?

Jedi Knife

Jedi Knife

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I am considering something similar in design to these- i.e. suitable for prying/chopping, heavy duty, not overly expensive. I am leaning towards the Ontario, as I like the extra blade length and especially the price. Can anyone offer any helpful first hand experiences with these? Any help/input is much appreciated, as always!

JK
 
My Ontario Military issue Machete broke in two one afternoon when I accidentally tapped it against some concrete at the base of a fence post. It never held an edge right and I had to put grooves in the handle to keep my grip intact on 100 degree plus humidity unknown summer days.

The best machete I have ever used was a $3.99 P.O.S. bolo-shaped import with a 13" or so blade that a friend of mine had. That thing would outcut the Ontario every which way until the cows come home.

If I had the money, I would try Newt Livesay's RCM, otherwise I would not go with anything from Ontario... (disreguarding their "Bagwell" designed bowies of course).
 
The survival machete has tricked me a few times. I keep clicking on it expecting to see something like ontario's survival bowie, but up comes this rectangular prybar that really isn't a machete at all. I haven't handled one, but I do have an ontario kukri and a becker brute. The camillus stuff is much better made. The stock thickness is the same, but the becker's are probably a bit tougher due to the quality of the heat treatment and maybe the steel type. I am not disapointed with my ontario though. It performs very well despite its uneven grinds. Both have lifetime warranties, but I have a feeling I will never have to use it on the Brute. The ontario's day will probably come someday, but it has been worth the price so far.
 
As KillerMan noted, sometimes the performance of the Ontario blades is very low. I have handled to date about a dozen and while some of them have performed very strong, some of them fractured under very low stress.

-Cliff
 
Newt Livesay's Wasp is the one I like. If you are Left-Handed, his Intrusion Team Knife is vastly better than the Becker Tactool as it is bevelled for us.

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Although it does not mindfully keep guard in the small mountain fields, the scarecrow does not stand in vain
Bukkoku
 
As KillerMan noted, sometimes the performance of the Ontario blades is
very low. I have handled to date about a dozen and while some of
them have performed very strong, some of them fractured under very
low stress.

-Cliff
Click to expand...


Cliff, you raise a good question. Suppose that I decide to purchase an Ontario Survival Machete- what would be a good test for it? I'm not too keen on doing something to it that would be destructive to even a good knife.

JK
 
The Bush Hog is ground quite thin.
Probably as thin at the edge as the Magnum Camp, and thats thin.

The added thickness over a standard, but usually fairly unground machete isnt that noticeable.

It would make a neat boarding cutlass if anyone is into that! It blows the old Blackjack Vorpal away.

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"The most effective armor is to keep out of range"-Italian proverb
 
I just picked up a tac-tool this weekend. It seems like a good heavy duty knife and to my suprise was shaving sharp. I haven't got to abuse it yet but it seems like it would hold up with no problem
 
Jedi :

what would be a good test for it?
Click to expand...

There were three main problems that I saw. First was that small diameter hardwoods could cause the edge to break apart. Second when prying one broke suddenly under low strain with little flex. Third the tang on one was very soft and the handle actually bent while prying.

The best test is to simply do a lot of what you intend the blade to be used for when it is not actually necessary to do it. However this can take a lot of time and effort as well as put unnecessary wear on the blade (loss of coating, sharpenings etc.).

Generally you have to think about what you want the blade to be able to do and see if you can find a fast and repeatable way to try and simulate the stress the blade would see in actual use.

-Cliff
 
Jedi
I have used various Ontario machetes for years with outstanding results. I have chopped hundreds of feet of mangrove trees, mangrove roots and several types of nasty tropical bushes while doing survey work for a new public boat dock and marina. The only problem that I had was the plastic handle coming loose. I fixed the handle problem by replacing the hollow plastic with solid micarta slabs. See the attached scan for one example. In my opinion, you can't beat the Ontarios for the money.
Bubba
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=314358&a=4192287&p=19085184
 
You are looking for an extraction tool/prybar type tool right? All these machete responses are a far cry from a 1/4in thick square shank of steel, which is what the becker and ontario are.
 
You are looking for an extraction tool/prybar type tool right?
Click to expand...

You are correct, generallobster. I do presently own an Ontario machete and I like it. What I am looking for was something very thick and bombproof, and portable.


JK
 
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