What should be the next sword i get

BePrepared said:
Tops 230 machete for clearing bamboo. Your Gerber is trash. (crap) edge angle, (crap) handle design, and just generally (crap)

My tops will easily out cut my katanas with live Bamboo, and it weighs about half as much so your arm won't get as tired
Click to expand...
I guess that confirms my suspicions about Gerber being a mass seller of cheap crap out of China:D. Though I have to ask if the edge angle is really bad enough to make it "crap" as you put it(not sure, but I believe most sections are supposed to be "family friendly"). A blunt edge is easily fixed when you have a 1x42 Kalamazoo. A quarter-inch thick blade takes more effort, probably more effort than I'm willing to commit by wearing out my belts on cheap Chinese steels. But if the blade itself is too thick and gets wedged, then it might explain why the bamboo looks like it was split in half.

I've handled(and sharpened out missing chunks of) bad machetes before. And aside from rusting after a few seconds of exposure to water and generally crappy edge retention, I find that they actually cut pretty well, again because of the blade geometry.
 
TurtleguyFive said:
I did not chop the same piece of bamboo btw. http://www.bladehq.com/item--Gerber-Gator-Machete-Jr-Fixed-Blade--16322 that is type of gator. Also I did get both to paper cutting sharp .I can honestly tell you I think my machete can cut normal bamboo but has i said the bamboo is a pain because its so thick , and since the katana is made to cut bamboo I think its the best tool for the job.
Click to expand...
Technically the katana is a weapon and is made to cut unarmored flesh, it's just that bamboo isn't as harsh as cutting a tree trunk.

As for the Gerber Gator machete, that one is a smaller model and would be better suited for hacking small branches or bush. It's not surprising that it wouldn't cut bamboo that well, as you'd want a longer machete to get more force behind the swing. A kukri is a good workaround because it focuses your momentum towards the tip of the blade, allowing you to have more force with one hand.

But then, it would depend on the amount of flexible income you have. I doubt 1095 would give you better rust protection than the 1060 in the Ronin Katana, unless it's coated(I honestly can't tell from pics if the Tops 230 is coated). Again, I'd recommend the Cold Steel Kukri VG-1 model, but it's pretty pricey at around $400+. It should offer better chopping power and the rust protection of a stainless steel.
 
TurtleguyFive said:
I did not chop the same piece of bamboo btw. http://www.bladehq.com/item--Gerber-Gator-Machete-Jr-Fixed-Blade--16322 that is type of gator. Also I did get both to paper cutting sharp .I can honestly tell you I think my machete can cut normal bamboo but has i said the bamboo is a pain because its so thick , and since the katana is made to cut bamboo I think its the best tool for the job.
Click to expand...

Katanas are not made to cut bamboo. Not sure where you heard that. Katanas are made to cut people... soft tissue. They CAN cut bamboo, and well, but in single standing stalks, not in groups like the picture you shared. ANY sharp blade will hack through bamboo, but i'd bet you my truck against your katana that i can clear a stand of bamboo with my machete faster than you can with a katana. Machetes are designed, from the ground up, for that kind of cutting. Their entire purpose is clearing brush, limbs, and shrubs.

I get the tacticool attraction of using a katana, but it's not the most practical blade for the job.

The machete you have is just trash. I wouldn't own it, and if someone gave me one, i'd regift it (to someone I don't like very much). It's crap.

This is what a real machete looks like

2nrzthy.jpg

DSC_0543.jpg


See my review here
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...in-Tops-230-Machete-review-Now-VERY-pic-heavy
 
Could you share whether the blade is coated or just bead blasted? Looks like it's the latter.
 
Noctis3880 said:
Could you share whether the blade is coated or just bead blasted? Looks like it's the latter.
Click to expand...

Coated, and a pretty thick coating at that.
Cut down a smallish tree and the coating hasn't worn at all.
It's a good machete with a good sheath. :thumbup:
 
yep, it's definitely coated. The coating has survived 4 camping trips and clearing a large area of small and mid-sized trees and still shows very little wear
 
Ah, that would make rust prevention a lot simpler. A good and thorough mirror polish should keep the rust off, in addition to good cleaning. I did the same to my Izula and Junglas and never saw so much as a speck of rust on the blades, in Hawaii, without oiling them:thumbup:.
 
BePrepared said:
Tops 230 machete for clearing bamboo. Your Gerber is trash. Shitty edge angle, shitty handle design, and just generally shitty

My tops will easily out cut my katanas with live Bamboo, and it weighs about half as much so your arm won't get as tired
Click to expand...
What kind of katanas do you have could you link them if possible
 
TurtleguyFive said:
What kind of katanas do you have could you link them if possible
Click to expand...


These are the ones i either have, or had at some point

Tenchi Katana and Ko Katana

tenchikokatana1.jpg

boxtenchi.jpg


Cheness Yamakami

yamakami1.jpg


Musashi Bamboo Katana

japanese-swords-samurai-swords-musashi-bamboo-katana.jpg


Hanwei Tactical Katana

SH2462_l.jpg


There were a few other no-name blades, but again, not a single one of them would be CLOSE to as good for clearing bamboo as a well made machete
 
BePrepared said:
cutting bamboo at waist height is not "clearing" anything... it's just chopping for fun. If your goal is to clear a stand of Boo, that's not how you do it
Click to expand...
Kind of wonder, what's the intended goal when "clearing" bamboo? I recall hearing that bamboo has a weed status in some parts. Kind of wonder if it grows back like a weed if you don't pull the roots out too?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top