which machete??

G

grobe

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Aug 18, 2005
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i'd like to add a machete to my collection of tools. i've always used a knife and hatchet, but some of the places i canoe are pretty brushy. i figure i could carry the machete and a stainless mora. both are cheap, and i would'nt be to burnt if i lost them to the river gods. i have been considering the tramontinas and the ontarios. where would i find a sheath for the tramontina?? it seems that alot of guys like the 12" ontario. aside from being easier to transport does the 12" have any advantages over the 18"?? and is the extra length of the 18" all that useful?? i figure with low cost of both of these i may just have kydex sheath built to suit. any other ideas??

thanks
 
i find the 12 inch easier to swing in overhung brushy areas, the 18 and 22 inch seem a lot longer when you try to swing them and have to go under trees and bushes. i like the 12 inch ontario as a good blade, with a easily sharpened edge, and if i lose it well it is easily replaced. there are plenty of sheaths made for the different machetes, i have not tried the cold steel machetes but they have had some favorable reviews.

alex
 
I also vote for the 12 inch ontario. Compact, easy to swing and work with, can do the job of a big knife, small hatchet, and is cheap enough you can have a couple of them stashed in different places. Behind truck seat, canoe bag, etc. The Ontario is a bit thicker than the Tramontina and others, and seems able to stand up to some pretty heavy use.

I've come to rely on the 12 inch machete so much that I no longer see the need for a knife other than my Frosts Mora and sak. In fact the Ontario is so inexpencive you can one in a nice kydex sheath and another in a regular sheath in your duffle as a standby. :thumbup:

They make a pretty good defencive weapon too!
 
+1 for the ontario 12 incher. I have it and the cheap nylon sheath. The cold steel heavy machete is good but has a very small sweet spot for chopping.

For work I prefer something in the 18-20" range. But for carrying and hacking the occasional brush out of the way the little ontario is just right.
 
I gotta put a vote in for the Tramontina bolo. I really am impressed with it. It didn't come with much of an edge but evenso, the performance on sub-1" softwoods is fantastic. It has this weird sweet spot at the base of the buldged section that just flicks through smaller branches and saplings in one swing, that may just be the grind on my perticular blade, but its a real plus.
It chops OK, not great but acceptable. Often, while chopping, I hit on a slight angle and get some diflection and it feels like I would have bent the blade, but its just as straight as ever.

I have a 20" ontario that I've had for at least 10 years, gone to some great places with that thing, It's held up really well considering the lack of skills of the owner. I wouldn't mind having one in 12" as an all purpose cheap blade.
 
how about the 18 inch US Army GI machete? I've been wanting to get one, but I don't know much about the quality.
 
Martindale makes a variety of them. I believe you can get a sheath and they come with a file for sharpening.
 
thanks fo the replies. i think i'll pick up the 12" ontario, and maybe the tramontina bolo too. they are both pretty inexpensive after all.
 
ranger88 said:
how about the 18 inch US Army GI machete? I've been wanting to get one, but I don't know much about the quality.
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I believe they are also made by Ontario, so any comments you read about the 12" quality-wise should apply to the 18". The most recurring issues I've seen is that the handles sometimes loosen up after a while of heavy use and may have some sharp edges you'll want to round off a little to save wear and tear on your hands. They will also need a good sharpening right out of the box.
 
Blue Sky said:
I believe they are also made by Ontario, so any comments you read about the 12" quality-wise should apply to the 18". The most recurring issues I've seen is that the handles sometimes loosen up after a while of heavy use and may have some sharp edges you'll want to round off a little to save wear and tear on your hands. They will also need a good sharpening right out of the box.
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I didn't know that Ontario made those too. :o
Here's a good link that has a 12'' Ontario on it.
http://eknifeworks.com/webapp/eComm...achete&Mode=Text&Brand=&PriceStart=&SKU=ONCT2
 
Nuther vote for a 12inch Ontario. Properly sharpened, you'd be hard pressed to beat em with :)
 
grobe said:
aside from being easier to transport does the 12" have any advantages over the 18"
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The shorter one is more efficient in thick woods, the longer one can bind so heavily it has to be chopped out and doesn't have the stiffness due to its length, it is however much more efficient at limbing and other work where you cut through the vegetation in on pass. Both of the ones I had, 12/18 were very brittle and shattered on hardwoods. Martindale was much more consistent as is Barteaux.

-Cliff
 
I heard that the 12" Machete by Ontario does not fare that well in terms of heavy chopping. I settled for a Becker "Brute".
 
acwire_2125 said:
I heard that the 12" Machete by Ontario does not fare that well in terms of heavy chopping. I settled for a Becker "Brute".
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I've been beating the heck out of one for a dozen years. Only problem I had was I had to tap the handle rivits a little tighter a couple years back. With the newer molded on handles that problem goes away.
 
Something to remember is that Ontario has two versions, the regular with a blade .125" thick and the "economy" with a blade about .07" thick. Not every retailer is as clear as they should be about which one they're selling. I would expect the thicker blade to hold up better to abuse.
 
Yeah, most of the time, the thicker blade does a pretty good job!

I thought the moulded type of Ontario Machete would come off easily?
 
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