Review : Machax from Camillus

C

Cliff Stamp

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I was waiting on a couple of other blades to arrive before I posted this up. However I have decided to put the information relating how they compare to the Machax in their respective reviews. Specifically it will be used as a reference in comparison to the PAB from Strider and a Hatchet from Granfors Brux, mostly heavy work, felling, limbing, whittling etc. . However it will see work on cordage, food and other misc. uses as well.

Initial impressions :

http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/002338.html

Review :


http://www.physics.mun.ca/~sstamp/knives/machax.html

-Cliff


[This message has been edited by Cliff Stamp (edited 03-29-2001).]
 
I am also dyin' to see the Bush Hog!(Apparently being renamed the Patrol Machete and delayed due to copyright issues with the Bush Hog tractor mower company!) Any plans to review it or initial impressions of the effect of the better design/geometry may have over the Machax??
 
Based on the edge durability problems I had with the Machax, I don't have a positive opinion about the ability of the Bush Hog to resist damage when limbing out brush especially on dead and/or frozen wood, which is the major thing I would want it to do.

It has a thinner cross section, coupled with the greater length, so I have no doubt that it would chop very well. However the same two factors significantly weaken the edge relative to the Machax. It is now moving faster and thus has a greater impact energy and less material to resist deformation.

I should note however, that Will Fennel has commented that most of the problems I have described are not the expected performance. When I am finished working with the Machax (another month or two), I will contact him and see if he still wants to have a look at it. I will see based on how that goes, if I get another BK&T piece.

But even then, the handle is the same obviously as the Machax as well which means I would have to modify it (probably remove it and do a cord wrap which I plan to do with the Machax). And I really don't have much incentive to buy a knife that I have to significantly modify before they become functional. Not when there are blades that can do it NIB anyway.

But most of my handle problems do stem from the relatively poor chopping/cutting ability. The greater ability of the Bush Hog in this area may make the handle more functional.

-Cliff

[This message has been edited by Cliff Stamp (edited 03-08-2001).]
 
THANKS!! I really enjoy/appreciate reading your reviews and value your opinion/impression. I have been looking for a general purpose machete for use while travelling abroad. (Central America) I am also looking into the AITOR bolo machete. (Oh, by the way . . . check out the Ontario "soft beak" machete! I think you'll like it much better than the Beavertail you reviewed!!)
Jason
 
I finally got around to doing a cord wrap (actually a friend did it) on the Machax :

http://www.physics.mun.ca/~sstamp/images/machax_cord.jpg

I used it for about on hour chopping on scrap and small sticks (3" and under). I found the new handle more comfortable and more secure, however towards the end the wrap started to bunch together and I had to take it off.

I later regound the blade heavily removing a lot of stock from the edge as well as thinning out the primary grind. This took about 45 minutes and wore down two cheap coarse AO belts (3 for $5) :

http://www.physics.mun.ca/~sstamp/images/machax_reground.jpg

The edge is now at about 11-13 degrees, lightly convex. This made a great change in cutting ability. It would now slice and chop at roughly equal levels as the PAB (whereas before it was easily outperformed).

However the edge durability was now shot. After about 100 or so chops the edge had chipped out in over a dozen places, a couple large enough to be visible. Not a huge amount of damage, but this was a small amount of work on relatively soft wood, it was frozen and cover in ince but still just mainly scrap, pine and pressboard, some felled wood, but clear no knots.

-Cliff
 
Good stuff, Cliff! I just posted a review of the Brute, a couple down on the list from here. I didn't have any of the edge problems that you had with the Machax. I'm curious now as to why the difference in performance? Could it be that the particular one you got happens to have a defect in the steel or heat treat? Can happen from production pieces...

Please take a look if you don't mind and let me know your thoughts.

Best,

Brian.

 
There could very well be problems with heat treat and/or materials. It is impossible no matter how tight the QC to make sure that 100% of the pieces are without fault.

It is more critical to look at the responce by the manufacturer to problems with samples rather than the problems themselves, or course the frequency of the problems is important as well.

In this case, for all the problems I have listed, (sheath, handle, edge and coating), Will Fennel has noted that they are not the expected behavior and the warrenty covers it all.

Anyway, I have finished working with the blade now and have learned what I wanted to from it. I have dropped Will and email to ask him if he wishes to look at it.

-Cliff
 
That's good to hear, Cliff. My experience is that Will stands behind Camillus' products.

Peace,

Brian.

------------------
Brian Jones
Co-moderator
Wilderness & Survival Skills Forum
 
It certainly seems so from the conversation that we had last november.

Review has been updated with some high stress work on the sheath and handle.

The blade will be sent out to Ethan Becker this week, probably friday or saturday.


-Cliff
 
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