Optimizing a Machete

[idaho]

dipbait - What is the knife in the top? Nice, full flat grind.


What do You think about machete as primary adventure/survival knife, accompanied by small knife(rat3, becker necker).
I was playing with ontario military 18 incher, and it was better when chopping hard wood than some 9 inch swamp rat, not even mentioning cutting down small vegetation.
I was thinking about buying ontario 12 inch - I belive it will work almost as good as large chopper, while being lighter and much, much less expensive.

 

[pict]

Keep in mind that machetes are comsumable goods like tires or clothes. They are made inepxensive because they are the very definition of "beater blade". I carry a 16 inch Tramontina most often and when I leave it on my belt it gets used for just about everything I have to do. Make no mistake about it though, having such an appendage hanging off you is inconvenient 24/7. I hardly notice my BK-7 on a good belt.

The danger of only carrying a machete is that you will be temped to store it on your pack. It takes discipline wear it all the time. Mac

 

[idaho]

> The danger of only carrying a machete is that you will be temped to store it on your
> pack. It takes discipline wear it all the time. Mac
pict - thats the point. I belive that a good 5 incher would be enough for most uses, but it is hard to find a nice knife in the price of machete.

 

[dipbait]

" dipbait - What is the knife in the top? Nice, full flat grind."

Its a Cold Steel Bush Ranger that I picked up new at a thrift store. Havent used it yet.