Patrol Machete

[sevenedges]

I haven't posted here in a while but thought I should after today.
I was in a wilderness area today chopping firewood with two of my "choppers" a patrol machete and a MUCH more expensive bowie knife, like eight or ten times more expensive. Well I was a loyal brand "X" user until today. I used the patrol machete to chop about 20 logs ranging from 3" to 6" in diameter. I was very impressed how the knife sailed through the wood with ease. I then used the bowie knife to do some chopping, It did well for the 9" blade length, and I chopped with it for a while. However when I decided to go full force with the knife, I cut myself on the top of the thumb with the spine.(hard impacts) anyway I wound up asking myself why I spend so much money on uncomfortable handles just because the knives are so tough. when I can buy ten replacements incase I break a patrol machete.
Those handles are the most comfortable I have ever used. Thats for sure.

Jeff

 

[Will Fennell]

Sevenedges,
Glad you are happy with your Patrol Machete! We spent quite a bit of time developing it, and we are very pleased with its performance. Unless you decide to use yours as a prybar, I don't think you will be needing replacements [if you need a prybar, get the TACTOOL].

However, don't let me discourage you from buying more Patrol Machetes. You need one to use, one for you car/truck, one for your ATV, one for your BOB [see the WILDERNESS and SURVIVAL forum], and one to lend out to friends. Lastly, I'm sure ALL of your family members need the above also. The family that bushwacks together, stays together!

Thanks for being a customer!

 

[Atrick-Pay]

Originally posted by Will Fennell
The family that bushwacks together, stays together!

LOL!!!!

Will, you guess did a great job on the Beckers!!
I love my BK2, and hope to get some more of the family soon!
Keep up the GREAT work!

 

[hd2k_va]

sevenedges, there is no doubt that the BK&T rocks! Especially at such a reasonable price point. You might want to keep your eye on Cliff's PM thread in the testing forum. He's expecting the recurve to have problems chopping through the thick stuff. Your experiences should be recorded there, as a counterpoint.

Will, thanks for pointing out the BEST feature of the Becker line: At these prices you can put one in every car, truck, ATV, boat, backpack, and golfbag you own, and still afford to give some away for Christmas!

 

[sevenedges]

Yeah, well, I'm not sure I need that many but a spare would be nice.
I took it out again and chopped more wood. Nice knife. It is going with me this weekend for some more campfire duty.
Jeff

 

[Cliff Stamp]

In regards to my comments, it is critical to realize what I am comparing the performance to as otherwise the relative term is meaningless. A recurve will lower performance on wood that is thick enough so that you are chopping with a concave edge face. However if you compare the patrol Machete to a blade with thicker or more obtuse grinds, or is lighter, more neutrally balanced, etc., the effect of the concave nature of the edge impact could easily be swamped out, as its not a huge factor and is only significant when the other more important geometrical properties are very close. I have seen dozens of large blades, and as many hatchets which are readily outchopped by the PM even though they have flat and convex edge faces (not grinds), because the profiles were thicker and/or more obtuse, were too light, too close to neutral, or even had poor handles that were too uncomfortable, or insecure. Glancing is more of a problem than raw penetration, how much of a factor depends on how heavy the impacts, the more energy you apply the more they are a factor. I have on loan a very nice dual convex tapered parang from Andrew Lynch that will outperform the Battle Mistress for example on light brush work, and is very close in raw power in heavy chopping. But because of its concave edge face, I would vastly prefer the BM on harder, larger woods, say 4"+ on something harder than Pine, as Andrew's is more likely to glance.

-Cliff