Show Your Machetes

A question for you guys with the collections! Do the plastic handled tramontinas have a fill tang?

And how do the Ontario machetes compare to tramontinas? Used several trams but never even seen an Ontario in person. I did read they snap more often than bend..? Are they too hard or is this just hot air?
 
When just grabbing them and in use, they are very different animals in my opinion. The Ontarios are typically heavier and somewhat thicker, slower to swing, but pack a nastier hit. The tram swings faster, is lighter, and slices very well. They are both great machetes from what I can tell and both take and keep a great edge. The Tram appears to be much better for typical "jungle-y" green veg/shrub/soft tree/grass cutting, where the Ontario will be better suited for heavier chopping tasks and harder wood. If I'm walking all day in the bushes I'll take the Tram, but if I have some heavier tasks/shorter walks/hardwood cutting needs I would certainly grab the Ontario. Both need work before they're ready to work. The Ontario needs the handle trimmed and shaped unless you have bear claws for hands, and will need a good sharpening. The Tramontina needs some trimming, sanding, and oiling of the handle to get it comfortable and feeling right, and needs a lot of work to the edge to get it where you want it. Both file/sharpen easitly, but still keep the edge well until you bury it in the dirt or a rock.

I have no experience with broken machetes other than one breaking in half while a friend used it...it was a rusty woods find so the blade was in bad shape. And I don't have a plastic handled Tram, so I can't say about the tang. The wood handle version is full tang, but doesn't appear to be full-width (about half or 2/3 the width of the handle from the spine down).
 
Ah! Splendid. :)

I'll be looking to buy a new machete soon, i have the Ontario, tramontina plastic handle and a condor parang on my wish list but I may just buy the plastic tram!
 


Martindale panga!

Cleaned and rehandled this one a week or so ago. Pretty knarly looking tool, right?
 
So here's my Express Machete (thanks again for the identification, Ben) that was found while camping. Naval jelly, sandpaper, and rust resistant paint and here ya go...
6Riw2b3.jpeg
 
Love my Tramontina machetes. The bolo is amazing, I use it to dig up weeds as well. Just bought the smaller one today for $6
7kTnas6.jpg
 
Looking at that bolo and the tinkerer in me also sees a cutlass mod! Cut a really pronounced clip into the lump end and sharpen up the spine lines, all it'll need them is some brass rivets and a new handle with a cord wrap.. I reckon it'd look sweet!
 
10687979_387745138041220_6749719350651734115_o.jpg



Okapi , 24 inch blade I think ... modified a little for messing about with fire :)
not me in the pic , thats my little bro
 
Picked up the Tram bolo after using the standard/modified 18-inch bush machete. No real work done to it yet other than getting a working edge on it, but I'll eventually covex and thin the edge and get the handle up to speed and shaped correctly. And you can tell the bush Tram has seen some field use...looks even worse now! Haha. A friend and co-worker of mine used his Tram bolo he ordered from Baronyx along side mine last week. He seemed to like it very much.

 
My Marble's.(again)
I ground a choil in the blade and brought the edge back.
Next I'm going to cut the useless (for me) tip off and maybe make an Ulu out of it for S&Gs.(I hate to waste the steel, especially since it has an edge already on it.)

DSCN0366.jpg


DSCN0368.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top