Tramontina length question

B

beef

Joined
Feb 15, 2004
Messages
680
Hi All,
I'm absolutely inexperienced when it comes to machetes. I want to pick up a tramontina to play with and have a 10" and 14" bladed one available locally.

I've chopped with a heavy 8" bladed knife and 7" bladed leuku successfully. The 10" blade will probably be thinner than either of these. Will it still have enough weight/ length to be effective?
 
beef said:
Will it still have enough weight/ length to be effective?
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That all depends on what you plan to chop with it. Machetes are very efficient tools, that tend to do well on everything, except dense heavy hard woods. The 14" Tramontina bolo is very good all around.

n2s
 
I really like the 14" Tramontina machetes, both the standard and Bolo. They feel good in my hand and chop pretty dang good. I've tried the 18" out and yes it's a better chopper then the 14" models but the 14 inchers just feel so good. I also have the 12" and 24" models but have not had the chance to use them yet.

Heber
 
Same as the previous responses:

1. It really depends on your comfort level and personal use.

2. A good 12" - 14" is indeed an all-'rounder and my own preference (had a Tram in the province that I gave to my dad).

3. All things considered, 18" models and longer tend to really make the weight of the blade known. It's the physics of a long blade vs. a short handle. This might not be evident in the first 10 - 15 minutes of hard use, but keep at it for longer and you'll know what I mean.

4. As you mentioned your "inexperience" with machetes, take slow and deliberate swings first. The "technique" to gripping and swinging one takes some getting used too. I could describe my own way but Joezilla already has an excellent Youtube tutorial about this (mine's a bit different because of my FMA practice but the basic mechanics are the same).

5. Again, most importantly, Safety first. Be conscious of the edge. Common hazards: your grip might slip, the blade might bounce off the thing you're cutting/chopping, you could accidentally or unintentionally cut something you weren't supposed to because you're not accustomed to the length, you lay it just about anywhere with no regard, etc.

Forgot to add: they are highly mod-able, which could actually be fun! There are a lot of threads and vids showing how you could make one fit your own preference.
 
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Alot depends on what you are planning to do with the machete and how you are built. I have Latin pattern Tramontinas from 10 to 20 inches. IMO the 18 and 20 inch blades are work tools for clearing tall grass, a task at which they excel. All that extra blade just gets in the way if you are trying to do other tasks.

The 10 and 12 inch blades are great if you don't need the reach and are primarily concerned with such things as shelter and trap construction or food preparation, including butchering.

A true bushcraft machete is intended to handle all of those tasks. That leaves the 14 and 16 inch lengths. From my experience with many people and the machetes they prefer for bushcraft it seems to be a rule of thumb that most people like a blade the same length as their forearm. That would be measured from the middle finger knuckle to the elbow. For me that is exactly 16 inches. I have noticed people a little shorter than me all gravitate to the 14. If you want a 14 inch package that hits like a 16 get the Bolo.

Mac
 
pict said:
. . .From my experience with many people and the machetes they prefer for bushcraft it seems to be a rule of thumb that most people like a blade the same length as their forearm. That would be measured from the middle finger knuckle to the elbow. For me that is exactly 16 inches. I have noticed people a little shorter than me all gravitate to the 14. If you want a 14 inch package that hits like a 16 get the Bolo.

Mac
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Mac put it very well :thumbup:

I actually did think about posting the arm-length measurement in relation to one's preference in my post but didn't do so because I might get sidetracked into something else. Glad you did though.
 
Put a nice convexed edge on that 14" machete and you will be surprised at the thickness of wood it will chop through without any edge damage. All of mine are convexed and they are chopping machines when needed. Easy to maintain that edge in the woods with just sandpaper or a file if heavy and quick sharpening is required.
 
Thanks all for the responses. Very helpful.
Primarily I want to pick one up for clearing scrub (skinny trees about pinkie thick), to try it with a baton for thicker pieces of wood and to gather standing dead wood (nothing thicher than my wrist).

Is my experiment doable with a 10"?
 
14" is good for some heavier chopping but will wear you out faster when clearing
10" will be enough for brush but will now chop very well.
 
If you already have a 7" and a 8" knife I recommend you get the 14" as your first machete so you will really notice the difference compared to your knives. If you are thinking of pinkie sized shrubs a 14"properly sharpened machete will breeze through that easily. Wrist size wood might take two or three cuts to chop out a wedge if dry but also easily accomplished by the 14". Be careful trying to power through on the final cut to where the blade swings through. A hard swing with a sharp machete will sever a body limb. Be especially careful with any bystanders admiring your work too closely, especially kids. I usually will just break the wood by bending it after cutting a wedge out of it. Much safer that way.
 
I would go with a 14 or 16 for what you describe. I have 10's and find them very short. They lack reach so you wind up bending down or stretching up which is bad body mechanics. That's why I like the 20's for clearing grass, I don't have to work hunched over.
 
I really like the 16 inch style machete. A machete of 14" to 16" is called the working man's machete in Latin America, and for good reasons. Most of the tasks that would entail bush living can be done with a much smaller machete or golok, be it coconut carving, making a swamp bed or camp furniture, cracking and breaking up firewood, gathering tinder or smacking the back of a critter or nuts. You can do grass clearing, but you will of course be better off with a thin tapered 22". One of my favorite machetes is a Imacasa 16", and I bought a bunch of 14" machetes that were just handy.

In fact, the 14" was handy enough to make:

http://www.machetespecialists.com/14-el-salvador-machete.html


and next year, Condor may come out with a 16" just to round the bunch out.
 
Joezilla said:
I really like the 16 inch style machete. A machete of 14" to 16" is called the working man's machete in Latin America, and for good reasons. Most of the tasks that would entail bush living can be done with a much smaller machete or golok, be it coconut carving, making a swamp bed or camp furniture, cracking and breaking up firewood, gathering tinder or smacking the back of a critter or nuts. You can do grass clearing, but you will of course be better off with a thin tapered 22". One of my favorite machetes is a Imacasa 16", and I bought a bunch of 14" machetes that were just handy.

In fact, the 14" was handy enough to make:

http://www.machetespecialists.com/14-el-salvador-machete.html

and next year, Condor may come out with a 16" just to round the bunch out.
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Oh wow--I hadn't noticed that 14" one! I love my 14.5" Imacasa Colin.
 
not2sharp said:
That all depends on what you plan to chop with it. Machetes are very efficient tools, that tend to do well on everything, except dense heavy hard woods. The 14" Tramontina bolo is very good all around.

n2s
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You mean I wasn't supposed to chop dense heavy hard woods with machetes? Oh, well. :D
 
I'm a fairly big guy at just over six foot tall and find a 14" to 16" machete just right for all around field/camping use.

But when I'm out clearing the local hiking trails of ground level vegitation I prefer longer tool (22" +/-), the ability of reaching the ground without a lot of stooping and bending makes a huge differance.




Big Mike
 
udtjim said:
Where can one find a 10 inch tram ????????????? Someone please tell me.
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Toss a cutoff wheel in a Dremel and make one however long you want it.
I just buy what's in the store that day and my guys grab a 4 inch grinder and do whatever they want with it.
 
There is a 12" and 15" Condor Bolo as well. You can use a dremel cut off wheel to modify the length of a machete, just put a little bit of water after every pass and you won't have to worry about the heat treat as much. I used a sharpie, and would keep tracing it with the dremel wheel so that the line would get deeper and deeper on the metal. You can also do a score and snap with the dremel wheel as well.
 
hope I'm not hijacking this thread too much, but a lot of knowledgeable folks posting up, after reading this- looks like 14-16" would be a very useful length, question is when looking at machetes in this range I see the blade thickness varies quite a bit 1.25mm (0.05") (Imacasa Pata de Cuche) to 3mm (0.125 or 1/8") (Condor "El Salvador")

I'm thinking thinner/lighter for grass and the like, but would think 1/8" might be a little more suitable for gathering firewood/shelter building and the like, but maybe not????????

Also any comments on steel choice for machetes?

tia
 
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