Short survival machete ****Large pics****

Hi guys,

Sorry i hadn't responded all day i was super busy with work.

Rick Marchand
It kinda reminds me of this.... though not as large... lol....... I hope.
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i make a 6' tall wooden toy version back in middle school. I cant seem to find a pic though.

Frank,

I've been chewing over your answer and I'm now curious about something. Are you intending to make one of these for yourself, or are you thinking about making them for sale to others?

I ask because if it's a one-off, the limitations of the mill should be relevant only to the initial blank that is produced. After that, the hand and machine work used to finish the piece would allow you to overcome the limitations of the software and the mill.

I suppose at the root of the question, are you planning on doing any hand finishing?

- Greg
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At this point i am thinking of just making a one off but i am of the opinion that efficiency is king so i would like to design this blade in a way that would be conducive to (quasi) mass production. And i would be willing to sell it if there is demand but i think its still to early to judge that.

How do you feel about further complicating things through the inclusion of additional parts? Or is the goal to keep it as simple as possible?
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How do you mean, i have added scales (i think that is what they called) and additional pieces to the pommel? Also NICE ninja sword thing.

Don in SC
First let me say I think the idea is neat. But isn't it really just a woodman's pal tool just beef'd up some. We had these in the aircraft survival kits when I was a crewchief on UH-1 helicopters in the army. The orignal is more than heavy enough I thought to do it's job. here's a link to the tool I'm thinking of. The one in the survival kit had a hand guard but made by the same people. donald

http://www.woodmanspal.com/
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this tool was part of the original inspiration for all this.


I will put up pics of the latest iteration as soon I can i will also fix the hunter CAD.

-Frank the Tank
 
Hi,

So is thinking about a comment someone made about needing a point or tip on the blade and i think they are right so made some changes accordingly. i also realized the wide blade was not really helping with anything so i changed that too.

machete%203.bmp


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-Frank the Tank
 
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Frank Lima said:
At this point i am thinking of just making a one off...
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I suspect you'll be unpleasantly surprised when you get quotes from machine-shops on actually milling your design. If you can make it yourself, please share a work-in-progress.
 
I will be making it my self (my school's shop), machine shops do get really expensive really fast.

-Frank the Tank
 
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I was not sure if the gut hook is a good idea. I like the concept of the gut hook but i cant say i have ever used one.

-Frank the Tank
 
Frank Lima said:
I like the concept ... but i cant say i have ever used one.
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Again, with all due respect, that's the whole of the issue right there. Email me your address and I will send you an excellent machete that will do all your concept requires without beating the living snot out of your hands, weighing a ton or costing an arm and a leg. You pay shipping.
 
One major concern that Rick Marchand voiced was if it's for survival, then you'll likely be fatigued, cold, hungry. Even if you're just camping, or hunting, fatigue will come into play.
NOTE...I don't know all the details, but Rick trains in wilderness survival and such, he has real world experience that he's speaking from....
On that line I have a major concern about using saw with teeth that cut both directions. If(when) the saw binds up on a push your hand might(will) slip forward onto the blade due to the short guard slicing you to the bone....I work 10-12 and more hours at a time doing service work, and it's always when I'm tired that the problems start....:yawn:

Either add a larger guard, or, use it more as a chopper, with a flat back for batoning through wood.
If you want to keep the saw teeth, maybe think about changing their geometry so they only cut on a pull stroke... Which, incidentally might allow them to be sharpened easier if it's ever needed....

Not my style of knife, but it's fun watching it develop and seeing you receive input in a good spirit. :D

Brian
 
Fluid steel, you made a good point on the safety isues of the saw back. Along with the other coments on saw backs limited utility i have decided to ditch the saw. I present the razor back variation for yalls consideration.
machete%20razr%20back.bmp

machete%20razr%20back%20close%20up.bmp

I am still not sure as exactly how to impenitent the serrated blade. Comment away.

-Frank the Tank
 
Frank Lima said:
Fluid steel, you made a good point on the safety isues of the saw back. Along with the other coments on saw backs limited utility i have decided to ditch the saw. I present the razor back variation for yalls consideration.
machete%20razr%20back.bmp

machete%20razr%20back%20close%20up.bmp

I am still not sure as exactly how to impenitent the serrated blade. Comment away.

-Frank the Tank
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By the end we're going to see either a machete or a short tanto sword. You could keep the gut hook if ya really want it just put it at the tip on the spine. Check out this chopper made by BF'er Daniel Fairly it looks amazing :






http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/861433-New-Chopper-for-Sale-5160-amp-MCAM
 
I am from Austin Texas (only the best city in the best state in the best country in the world ) and here is my latest CAD the chisel is back!

machete%204.jpg


I also looked on mcmaster to get an idea of the cost and its looking like $30ish for the steel and about the same for the g-10. If yall know of a good and cheap g-10 supplier please let me know.

-Frank the Tank
 
Oh i almost forgot i have been playing with ergonomic, i took to block of wood with my Dremel, and i was hoping yall could give me a few tips or point me in the direction of comfortable and solid grip designs. What i have figured out so far is grip needs to bulge around 1.75" to 2" from the top of ones hand. The grip should also be wider than it is thick.

-Frank the Tank
 
Frank, I am going to join in with the "With all due respect" crowd.

You are a young student and your designing and CAD skills are excellent. I also commend you on your ability to evolve the design as you get feedback from others with more experience.
However, your process has two major errors.
1) You are trying to re-invent the wheel.
2) You don't fully understand the principles of use involved in survival, or the full manufacturing process of your design. Virtual designing is great, but real world use is what survival is all about.

Stop thinking whistles and bells, and start thinking use and abuse.

What does a survival knife need to do to help you survive?
CUT, and possibly DIG.
Does it need a gut hook to skin a rabbit? Or a saw to cut a branch?
NO - those can be done with the blade.
What is the most important attribute of a survival knife?
RELIABILITY


Take a look at the USMC 1945 Bolo knife. It will cut, chop, dig, slash, etc. There is no weak spot, thin place, or extra doo-dads to get in the way of the users survival. The handle is rugged and simple.
How can you modernize this tool/weapon ?
Well, you can probably improve a bit on the materials, but the design is just as good as it was 70 years ago.

http://www.simpsonltd.com/product_info.php?products_id=19630

I would start with that shape and make only minor changes.
Sure it won't be sexy.....but it will help keep you alive when in dire need.
Sexy is for fooling around, reliability is for when it counts.
 
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