Question for R.A.T guys

greens said:
Not a lot of folks can justify spending a lot of money on a fancy, well finished machete with micarta when they can get one just as servicable for $15.
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It wasn't a bad deal for what you got if you didn't want to do the mods yourself. That's a nice re-handle job with epoxy and bolts to keep them on. The leather sheath would have been a big part of the total all by itself. Then there's the original machete at $20. Add it all up it's not bad. Esp if you like your collection to have the same handle material. They did a lot of nice alterations to the blade also. Not as silly as it sounds. Here's the whole story on the mods:

http://knifeforums.com/forums/showtopic.php?tid/823588/
 
shunsui said:
It wasn't a bad deal for what you got if you didn't want to do the mods yourself. That's a nice re-handle job with epoxy and bolts to keep them on. The leather sheath would have been a big part of the total all by itself. Then there's the original machete at $20. Add it all up it's not bad. Esp if you like your collection to have the same handle material. They did a lot of nice alterations to the blade also. Not as silly as it sounds. Here's the whole story on the mods:

http://knifeforums.com/forums/showtopic.php?tid/823588/
Click to expand...

I agree. After all the labor it isnt a bad price. I can buy a crappy knife with good steel, and mod it the way I want, and be in it as much as just payin for an well made knife.

Just because their are cheaper options, doesent make it the best option. To me justifying the cost for a custom machete is not practical, I just dont use the Trams I own that often.
 
R.A.T. said:
If we were going to do a machete it would be made of un-coated steel with micarta handles and a convex edge. You can buy the "perfect" machete from Condor, IMO. Not micarta handles or un-coated steel but they're one of the best machetes I have ever used, especially the Latin model. There is no way we could get any better or cheaper than what Condor (Imacasa) is doing.
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It does have a finished convex edge. Steel is German 420HC, handles are polypropylene. Comes with a leather sheath, too. Seems to cut quite well.
Condor18001.jpg

Or if you really, really love machetes, get the Cadillac, the BRKT KSF machete with micarta handles and convex edge.
Goloks033.jpg

But a cheap Tramontina works just fine. :D
 
Horn Dog said:
Or if you really, really love machetes, get the Cadillac, the BRKT KSF machete with micarta handles and convex edge.
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Actually, I think I'd probably have an easier time justifying the cost of the BRKT machete over some oversize bowie style knife that won't do half the job the machete will. Everything is relative.
 
Those BRKT machete handles look awfully sharp at the edges.
 
I started on Condors about two years ago with their Jungle Bowie. They are definitely a higher grade machete than most. I have the bolo, the Puerto Rican (a short Panga style), The 12" Inca and 10" Inca and the 18" El Salvador. What impressed me was the polished hand finished edges. I don't think anyone in the USA could offer one that well finished with a nice leather swivel sheath for any where near their prices. There might be a few of us machete fanatics who would buy a high end RC machete, but it would be hard to compete with Condor.
 
R.A.T. said:
Those BRKT machete handles look awfully sharp at the edges.
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Actually the handle is quite comfortable, but on the small side for a machete handle. I much prefer the handle on their golok. The machete is light and fast. My favorite machete is still the 22" blade Tramontina. But I am not in the Amazon, just clearing trails and cutting back the brush on my property. There's a lot to be said for the extended reach of a longer machete, and the thin light weight blade means I can swing it longer without fatique.
 
This is suppose to be about RAT knives. The closest thing to a machete they make through Ontario is the RTAKII. I bought a RAT-7 in D2 about 2 years ago and thought it to be the perfect wilderness knife. I was wrong! It's like buying an enduro motorcycle - they suck on the road and they suck in the dirt (but if you can only have one, they work). I find in use that the blade is not long enough for heavy chopping, not long enough to spit wood over 5", and not long enough for clearing brush. When I want to use it for detailed work (gutting, food prep., etc.) it is way too damn big. I am now going with an RTAKII paired up with a RAT-3. The only downside is the weight.
 
I always liked my old Yamaha IT-250 enduro bike, but I never was a motorcross guy or a road bike guy. Maybe my problem has been that I've been too much of a compromiser all my life. :D

In all seriousness, 6" and 7" blades are not the best "do-all" blades as you noted in your post, but then again, rarely have I needed to split wood more than 3 inches in diameter when I'm in the woods. A lot of people like larger blades, especially when it comes to downed pilot survival knives, knives to carry in your truck or even strap on to your enduro bike as you make your way through some jungle of a motorscooter course.

For the South American jungles we like an RTAK size blade or longer, coupled with a stout folder or small fixed blade. In all seriousness though, I can live just as good with a 5-dollar Tramontina machete and nothing else. While we may prove out our new designs and use our production knives in the jungle during our survival classes, the fact is there is nothing we can design or build that will even compete with the utility, low price and overall capabilities of a good (cheap) machete. If we said otherwise we would be bullshitting our customer base, then we would move on to such claims as being the only and best survival knife in the business, or saying there is no use for the power curve of an enduro bike compared to a motorcross bike, or might even teach you how to get potable water from elephant shit. :D

My apologies in advance for such a smartass post but I couldn't help myself. ;) Hang around we like to hear everyone's opinions here.
 
R.A.T. said:
In all seriousness, 6" and 7" blades are not the best "do-all" blades as you noted in your post. . .
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I think history has born out that there is no "one, good" anything.
Seems EVERY culture has survived with one large tool and one small tool.

Tropical cultures naturally gravitate to a machete-like knife and a small utility knife.
Northern cultures gravitate to axes and a small utility knife.

Then there's my favorite, the kukri, which basically is a combination of both axe and machete. Which makes since as you can go from near arctic conditions high in the Himalayas to near tropical lowlands in Nepal, so it's natural they'd develop something that was good in both areas.

To work RAt Cutlery into this somehow, seems from reading all the stuff posted about their courses, that you'd do just fine in the jungle with a machete (seem to prefer the long ones over the 12" wannabe machetes), and a RAT-3. Of course if you wanted to go off the RAt reservation, you could go real cheap with a $9 machete and a $10 Mora.

Dude, there's just something wrong with getting all your survival cutlery for $20. . .forget I posted that. :D
 
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