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- Mar 8, 2008
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Really? Never had a problem in my neck of the woods--in fact I don't think I've EVER had a run-in with chiggers at all! I guess I'm lucky! 
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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Tramontina !!!!!!
- Thread starter coote
- Start date
- Joined
- Aug 10, 2006
- Messages
- 7,250
+1 on that. Chiggers SUCK. Horrible, nasty little creatures. :thumbdn:
Our old mans beard is a type of Clematis I believe. The beard name is probably related to the long hairy white bits that protrude from the clumps of seed
I sharpened up one of the machetes last night. The portion of the blade near the tip was really quite blunt. I used my coarse bench grinder for a start, then followed up with a coarse emery disk on my 4" disk grinder. A fine file came next.... then my medium/coarse Arkansas stone.... followed by a few wipes on a fine Arkansas stone. Finally I ran it down my sharpening steel. Shaving sharpness was easily achieved.
I was pleased to note that the blade was a tad harder than I might have expected. My old file was reluctant to bite into it (but the newer file had no trouble).
I altered the point slightly to make the blade more effective for my 'knife' duties.... plus to make it less likely to dig into the edge of the sheath as I insert it.
(The jewellery appears in the picture because I took the photos while I was getting some images for a customer. We hand-make glass jewellery for a living. It is always a challenge to capture its true nature on a camera).
I sharpened up one of the machetes last night. The portion of the blade near the tip was really quite blunt. I used my coarse bench grinder for a start, then followed up with a coarse emery disk on my 4" disk grinder. A fine file came next.... then my medium/coarse Arkansas stone.... followed by a few wipes on a fine Arkansas stone. Finally I ran it down my sharpening steel. Shaving sharpness was easily achieved.
I was pleased to note that the blade was a tad harder than I might have expected. My old file was reluctant to bite into it (but the newer file had no trouble).
I altered the point slightly to make the blade more effective for my 'knife' duties.... plus to make it less likely to dig into the edge of the sheath as I insert it.
(The jewellery appears in the picture because I took the photos while I was getting some images for a customer. We hand-make glass jewellery for a living. It is always a challenge to capture its true nature on a camera).
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2004
- Messages
- 199
That's pretty much what i meant coote. I called it a pocket sheath because i didn't put a belt loop or anything on it, i just slip it into my back pocket of my favorite 5.11 tactical pants.
I got mine from here:
http://www.robinexports.co.nz/index.php?manufacturers_id=3
They tell me that they are out of stock in most sizes just now because of some glitch, but they hope to have more stock in January. I'm also told that they are going to make improvements to the website soon. If you email them they should be able to help. If you purchase from them as an overseas customer, chances are you won't have to pay the goods and services tax that I had to pay as a NZ resident. That would make these blades very cheap, although I don't know what shipping would cost to your country. However I cannot guarantee that they will ship to every country..... they could be bound by an agreement protecting other distributors, a special company policy, or something else. Dunno. I do know that lots of USA sellers say they won't ship internationally, so I've had to really shop around at times.
http://www.robinexports.co.nz/index.php?manufacturers_id=3
They tell me that they are out of stock in most sizes just now because of some glitch, but they hope to have more stock in January. I'm also told that they are going to make improvements to the website soon. If you email them they should be able to help. If you purchase from them as an overseas customer, chances are you won't have to pay the goods and services tax that I had to pay as a NZ resident. That would make these blades very cheap, although I don't know what shipping would cost to your country. However I cannot guarantee that they will ship to every country..... they could be bound by an agreement protecting other distributors, a special company policy, or something else. Dunno. I do know that lots of USA sellers say they won't ship internationally, so I've had to really shop around at times.
Like I said earlier, the 10 inchers are practically unobtanium in the USA. 12 inchers are cheap and easily had from SMKW.
A while back, might have been on the other forum, there was some talk about contacting the US distributor about these. Someone did, and the reply was terse, along the lines of, "We don't import those." End of the story.
There was some speculation about someone who knew someone in Latin America privately importing a box full for possible group buy, but AFAIK, nothing ever came of it. This might still be a possibility, but logistics and international shipping hassles are enough of a headache to provide plenty disincentive.
Szabo sells (sold?) them on his site, coupled with a sheath, presumably made by a third party. The price wasn't outrageous, but several times more than the $6 SMKW charges for the 12 incher, sans sheath.
I've ended up making my own 10 incher from a 14" bolo, by cutting the handle end down and remounting the handle to make a 10" blade. The result weighs about as much as the 12", with similar chopping ability, but is more compact. It looks a bit like a stubby old fashioned butcher knife.
A while back, might have been on the other forum, there was some talk about contacting the US distributor about these. Someone did, and the reply was terse, along the lines of, "We don't import those." End of the story.
There was some speculation about someone who knew someone in Latin America privately importing a box full for possible group buy, but AFAIK, nothing ever came of it. This might still be a possibility, but logistics and international shipping hassles are enough of a headache to provide plenty disincentive.
Szabo sells (sold?) them on his site, coupled with a sheath, presumably made by a third party. The price wasn't outrageous, but several times more than the $6 SMKW charges for the 12 incher, sans sheath.
I've ended up making my own 10 incher from a 14" bolo, by cutting the handle end down and remounting the handle to make a 10" blade. The result weighs about as much as the 12", with similar chopping ability, but is more compact. It looks a bit like a stubby old fashioned butcher knife.
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2003
- Messages
- 2,373
Coote,
The 10 inch Tramontina responds very well to the sandpaper/mousepad method of convexing the edge. You can do it to the longer blades but you end up running through a lot of sandpaper and it isn't cost effective if you are doing multiple blades. Once I take off the bulk of the steel with a file and give it a general convex shape I finish them off with with 320, 400, 600, and 800. If I want to get persnickety about it I can keep going to 1000 and 1200 but for the type of work you do with a machete it really isn't necessary.
I wouldn't be too worried about keeping your sheath hygenic. If you have a leather sheath just don't put it in there with all kinds of food stuck to it. Rinse well and wipe is all I do. In the field I will often use my cotton treated with vaseline to give them a quick oiling if my sheath is wet. Just make sure you have the fat and blood off the blade before you put it in the sheath. If you are going to cut food give the blade a rinse and wipe beforehand.
Tramontina blades come coated in a protective plastic type lacquer (I have no idea what it actually is) that eventually wears off. You can't put any finish on the blades until it is removed. For this I use acetone, sand the blade, and then use acetone again. I have done many of these blades with a vinegar patina. Some have turned out with a dark grey, almost parkerized appearance.
The finish on the bottom blade was a test run. The top was a full immersion of a warm blade in warm white vinegar. This reminds me I have to rehandle that one.
Mac
ETA - The tiny notch at the base of that blade was a test for a dedicated firesteel striker that worked very well.
The 10 inch Tramontina responds very well to the sandpaper/mousepad method of convexing the edge. You can do it to the longer blades but you end up running through a lot of sandpaper and it isn't cost effective if you are doing multiple blades. Once I take off the bulk of the steel with a file and give it a general convex shape I finish them off with with 320, 400, 600, and 800. If I want to get persnickety about it I can keep going to 1000 and 1200 but for the type of work you do with a machete it really isn't necessary.
I wouldn't be too worried about keeping your sheath hygenic. If you have a leather sheath just don't put it in there with all kinds of food stuck to it. Rinse well and wipe is all I do. In the field I will often use my cotton treated with vaseline to give them a quick oiling if my sheath is wet. Just make sure you have the fat and blood off the blade before you put it in the sheath. If you are going to cut food give the blade a rinse and wipe beforehand.
Tramontina blades come coated in a protective plastic type lacquer (I have no idea what it actually is) that eventually wears off. You can't put any finish on the blades until it is removed. For this I use acetone, sand the blade, and then use acetone again. I have done many of these blades with a vinegar patina. Some have turned out with a dark grey, almost parkerized appearance.
The finish on the bottom blade was a test run. The top was a full immersion of a warm blade in warm white vinegar. This reminds me I have to rehandle that one.
Mac
ETA - The tiny notch at the base of that blade was a test for a dedicated firesteel striker that worked very well.
Last edited:
zombie_killer
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- Jul 29, 2009
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what is a chigger?
- Joined
- Aug 10, 2006
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A chigger is a horrible, tiny little (so tiny that you can't really see them)critter that bores into your skin and vomits digestive juices into the hole, and drinks the resulting fluid. The body responds with an extremely itchy and painful reaction. They attack en masse, and usually in the sensitive areas of the body, particularly the crotch. You get them the same way you get ticks- in long grass etc. If you get into chiggers, it will be almost impossible to sleep for a couple days, as you will be extremely uncomfortable, and itching like mad. They're awful. Luckily I've only gotten them a few times, but it's always a memorable experience. :thumbdn:
I got my 10 incher from the local Ace Hardware- though it was the last one they had (otherwise I would have bought more). I have looked around and been unable to find any more. They're great little machetes- sort of a cross between a machete and a big butcher's knife.
zombie_killer
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- Jul 29, 2009
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bugger that
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- Aug 10, 2006
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Me too. I don't really care which kind of handles they come with- they're both nice. :thumbup:
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- Mar 8, 2008
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I'd be down for one. I don't really care what handle material.
