The blades from the jungle survival course

[mckrob]

Some of the main players from the pilot's jungle survival course :

17" Gavilan Colombian made machete with homemade kydex scabbard, RC-6, RC-4

 

[j williams]

That kydex on the chete is dope!!!!!

Who made that? Will they make more?

Great blades. Looks like they got a workout!

 

[mckrob]

That kydex on the chete is dope!!!!!

Who made that? Will they make more?

Great blades. Looks like they got a workout!

Thanks for the compliment, I made it up the night before leaving for Iquitos, I had a scrap of kydex left over (thanks to George Tichbourne for giving me a small sheet to play with). I had the hardware left over from a leather sheath I was working on a while back, and only had screws and no rivets. The scabbard is a bit short as it was all I had left, but it just happened to be long enough to cover the sharp part. The pin lock I made with paracord and a threaded eyelet I found in my tool box, I ground the threads off of it with the dremel. I meant for it to be attached to a pack and not for belt carry, I don't like something that big hanging off of my belt.

 

[R.A.T.]

I don't like something that big hanging off of my belt.

Amen to that! It's not safe sometimes.

 

[j williams]

Thanks for the compliment, I made it up the night before leaving for Iquitos, I had a scrap of kydex left over (thanks to George Tichbourne for giving me a small sheet to play with). I had the hardware left over from a leather sheath I was working on a while back, and only had screws and no rivets. The scabbard is a bit short as it was all I had left, but it just happened to be long enough to cover the sharp part. The pin lock I made with paracord and a threaded eyelet I found in my tool box, I ground the threads off of it with the dremel. I meant for it to be attached to a pack and not for belt carry, I don't like something that big hanging off of my belt.

Well it looks great!

I agree. Only way I dont strap one to a pack is when I use a Baldric type rig.:thumbup:

 

[perksy]

Did you use your Busse BATLE

 

[mckrob]

Did you use your Busse BATLE

I used it on the first day. Here are my comments from the Busse forum:

Don't get me wrong, I love the BATAC-LE. I think I would have liked it better on this particular jungle outing it it was:

- a bit skinnier like the CG model
- I had the foresight to get some kydex for it
- there was more cutting surface (smaller choil)

It being a bit skinnier would just be my personal preference, there is not really a practical reason for me saying this, I should preface this buy stating that the handles would need to stay the same overall thickness. I had a CG model and sold it as I found the standard grips just too narrow for my hand. The LE model is a bit thicker in the handle and fits my hand much better.

Kydex is definitely the way to go if you plan to be in the jungle or anywhere wet, leather stretches when wet for extended periods of time.

I found it a bit awkward for shaving tinder, the machete seemed better suited to this job, but for batoning and light chopping it's great. When drawing upward (or downward) with one hand on the handle and one on the back of the blade, the ideal knife for shaving tinder will have the cutting surface pretty much in the middle. The overall length of the BATAC LE is 11", of that only 4.25" is cutting surface (39%, due to it's long handle and choil), that puts the centre of the knife at the front guard hole, so it's not ideal for this one particular chore, but it certainly is great at just about everything else.

 

[perksy]

Thanks. I take it you liked the RC6 a little better than? I agree I think a lot of the busse knives would be better with thinner blades. Nothing wrong with 3/16".

 

[mckrob]

Thanks. I take it you liked the RC6 a little better than? I agree I think a lot of the busse knives would be better with thinner blades. Nothing wrong with 3/16".

Given the choice of a BATAC-LE and RC-6 (or RC-4) in the jungle I would go for the either of the R.A.T. blades before the BATAC-LE.