Tramontina length question

[Big Mike]

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????????

You are right no track there my friend. :thumbup:

I much prefer a thin/light machete if I'm just clearing overgrown vegitation, but always favor a thick bladed machete for real chopping and/or firewood prep.

Also any comments on steel choice for machetes?

I think a simple High Carbon Steel is best, something like 1080 lends itself to a good balance of toughness and edge retention.




Big Mike

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

I like the 3mm for general use where I don't know what I might be facing (light or dense) but the thinner stock is nice when only tackling light stuff. The most important thing in my mind, though, is the profile. When you're dealing with stock that's thin (whether it's "thick" or "thin" for a machete doesn't matter--it's still thin!) I find that the shape of the blade is the most important thing, since that's where most of the mass is. Don't disregard thickness, for sure, but your pattern is going to have the most effect.

Carbon steel is generally the way to go with machetes, either 1075 or 1095. Condor's 420HC does a fantastic job as well, in spite of being stainless--don't knock it 'till you try it!

 

[mtwarden]

thanks gents my first foray into looking at machetes, the help is much appreciated

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

thanks gents my first foray into looking at machetes, the help is much appreciated

And I dare say it won't be your last.

 

[mtwarden]

^

just another note on thickness, found this review of the ESSE Lite machete http://www.woodsmonkey.com/index.ph...knives-lite-machete&catid=34:knives&Itemid=55

it's rather on the thin side 1.5-ish mm, but appeared to handle chopping duties pretty well (surprisingly well actually)- now I'm wondering if a thinner blade may actually be adequate -clearly it would be lighter over a 3mm-ish blade- given the same length/shape ???????

 

[Joezilla]

Quick note guys:
The thin stuff will chop too
USA is the only thick machete country besides England's smaller martindales.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

Quick note guys:
The thin stuff will chop too
USA is the only thick machete country besides England's smaller martindales.

:thumbup::thumbup:

 

[mtwarden]

soooooo... if a bloke was looking for a general purpose machete, that included shelter building and firewood prep, would you chose 1.5 or 3mm? talking softwood, not hardwood, also w/ a chance of the machete making a trip to that continent south of ours

 

[untamed]

Quick note guys:
The thin stuff will chop too
USA is the only thick machete country besides England's smaller martindales.

Joe's words reassureth thee

There is a reason why an axe has invaluable use in the boreal/N. hermisphere environment.

That being said, short of chopping a log though, for everything else, like the South American machete, our traditional SE-Asian designs like the Filipino itak/bolo, the Malay/Indonesia parang, the Thai E-neps, etc. all generally have about 1/8" thickness in the spine.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

soooooo... if a bloke was looking for a general purpose machete, that included shelter building and firewood prep, would you chose 1.5 or 3mm? talking softwood, not hardwood, also w/ a chance of the machete making a trip to that continent south of ours

I'd say that pattern and length would be more important factors.

I'd say go with an 18" with a versatile shape. Maybe something like one of these:

Condor El Salvador

Hansa Peinilla

Imacasa Guapote

 

[mtwarden]

^ I was looking at the Condor you have linked- looks (by my untrained eye) to be a good "all arounder"- the spine is a little thicker than some of the others, but that might not be a bad thing

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

It's a fantastic machete--you can't go wrong. :thumbup: