true specs on tramontina bolo machete

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mickb

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Jan 21, 2016
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Fellas I see two specs listed for this machete online, one is a 1/8" thick spine and weight of 15oz and the other says 1.25mm and 11oz. Bit of a difference there, is at an older v newer version of the same machete?
 
I got a look at one in a local store, didnt have calipres but appeared to be a bees whisker under 1/16" thick so the smaller measurement above sounds closest. However they weighed it on the store scale at exactly 400 grams or about 14oz... Its possible their scale is out so maybe the 15 oz literature is close. I see on Baryonx site he has them at the 1.25mm and 11oz though..

When I was in the Australian army a very similar machete was available for use. Actually two types , that bolo and one we called a golok, both around the 13-14" blade mark.
 
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I have one, and it's my favorite machete for use around the backyard. I have a bunch of reedy/weedy "trees" that basically a super fast growing flowering shrub that spread and leaf out fast. Great for privacy between the neighbors but makes for some foliage that requires some aggressive trimming.

The bolo has just enough heft to cleave through the "wood" but fast enough to cleanly cut the willow-like switches that hang down away from the main trunk.

Anyway, my guess is that the lighter measurements tend to be more accurate. It's a tad stiffer/thicker than a more common machete shape, but they aren't bruisers. I'm sure there is a lot of variation in the specs, though. These are super cheap, stamped out blades after all.
 
thanks for the info Steely_gunz. I'm replacing a condor barong for lightweight backpacking as it and the shealth are almost 2lbs.

Did you modify the edge on your bolo? I am the worlds worst sharpener so will have to find a way to deal with that.
 
I didn't really worry too much about it. I hit it with a rough file to form some sort of an edge. Then I just took one of those soap bar shaped sharpening pucks and just let it walk around the edge in a circular motion. No real technique. Where I felt resistance, I pushed a bit harder. Where it skated, I just let the stone gloss over. After about 10 or 15 minutes in front of the TV, I was left with a fairly even toothy edge that was more than enough for vegetation.
 
Thanks Steely I just bought one. Unsharpened I trimmed some of my fruit trees right off, some lychee nuts, persimmons and guavas, the latter is a bushy hardwood. Not a bad cutter at all.
 
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