Would like your recommendations for a good machete. Would like it with good steel that maintains it's cutting edge and is easy to sharpen as well. Price is not a problem.
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Sidearms & Scatterguns Need a good machete!!
- Thread starter ms6852
- Start date
Use?
For actual machete type trail cutting use I use one of the surplus "Woodsman's Pal" USGI tools. They are great. To carry for bone and brush cutting I use a Strider dive knife. Very tough tool and a bit more portable and concealable than a true machete.
For actual machete type trail cutting use I use one of the surplus "Woodsman's Pal" USGI tools. They are great. To carry for bone and brush cutting I use a Strider dive knife. Very tough tool and a bit more portable and concealable than a true machete.
Going to panama with a group jungle there is pretty thick. Need it to cot trails and camp use.
Going to panama with a group jungle there is pretty thick. Need it to cot trails and camp use.
I'd use what the locals use. I'd also practice - while easy as a gross motor skill, finesse in the wrist, grip and swing can make you far more efficient and less tired.
I have a bark river golok price approx $200. from memory it has a 12" blade of a2 tool steel. It is labeled as a do it all tool who's style was copied from jungle type peoples.
I also have a 24" ontario machette. It is 1095 or 1080 some type of run of the mill carbon steel. price approx $35 or some shit.
If i was going to sit around the yard a cut up limbs using a large piece of wood for a chopping block. I would use the golok. A2 steel just isn't hard use, it chipps, its expensive, its for the yard.
As a comparison i was cutting a fire break rather hastily, during a controlled burn that was going out of control, with the cheaper ontario, and split 3 baseball sized pieces of sandstone on acident while eliminating some stobs. They dulled/blunted the blade a little, with no chipping, but it was still sharp enough to chop and sharpened easily. Also the longer blade makes clearing vegitation quicker.
A heavy 12" blade may be able to chop through 1, 2-3" pine sappling while the 24" can cut through 3-4 of the same dia.
Never again will i pay top dollar for a blade used for chopping.
Check out this place. Knives & Tools
I also have a 24" ontario machette. It is 1095 or 1080 some type of run of the mill carbon steel. price approx $35 or some shit.
If i was going to sit around the yard a cut up limbs using a large piece of wood for a chopping block. I would use the golok. A2 steel just isn't hard use, it chipps, its expensive, its for the yard.
As a comparison i was cutting a fire break rather hastily, during a controlled burn that was going out of control, with the cheaper ontario, and split 3 baseball sized pieces of sandstone on acident while eliminating some stobs. They dulled/blunted the blade a little, with no chipping, but it was still sharp enough to chop and sharpened easily. Also the longer blade makes clearing vegitation quicker.
A heavy 12" blade may be able to chop through 1, 2-3" pine sappling while the 24" can cut through 3-4 of the same dia.
Never again will i pay top dollar for a blade used for chopping.
Check out this place. Knives & Tools
Locals will have what works and is cheap. If you are to be in civil contact with locals. If you need to surprise them look at the USGI stuff. Take a file to sharpen, much faster than a stone. New file, oil surface to protect from rust.
Funny enough I have the Ontario sawback, but did not know that was what it was called. I think I am leaning more towards the condor woodsman and what the locals will be using. Did my jungle training way back then when we were involved in Vietnam, and I think this combination will be enough. Fellows thanks for the input and great advice as always.
The cheap carbide draw sharpeners are awesome for this kind of stuff. I would never use one on my $200 blade, but I would totally drag one across a $12 Cold Steel machete. Take three or four and give a couple out as presents and you will be a god in the jungle
Sent from 80ms in the future
Much peace
Jimmy
Sent from 80ms in the future
Much peace
Jimmy
FWIW I have one deployment to a jungle theater (Australia) and have found the 18" Ontario Military model to work okay. I would make sure any machete I bought had some flex and had a plain back that would not hang up on vegetation on the "draw back". Some of the Aussie Soldiers I worked with used the Gurkhas. Gurkhas have an angled forward design that is VERY efficient in the thick stuff. One lesson I learned quick is not to strike the ground with the blade, they do chip easily. Wedging a pocket sharpener in a cut of a fallen log and drawing the blade across the sharpener should serve you well. Most machetes I have seen are plan carbon steel so I would take a little CLP. Good Luck in the jungle and don't forget to look up before you choose a camp site. I was surprised to see large chunks of trees caught in vines hanging right above us waiting for a strong breeze to fall.
Ontario knives kukri. It's shorter but the curved blade requires minimal force for chopping. I paid around $60 for mine. It's sharp enough to shave your arm right out of the box. I've had mine for 2 years and have used it for chopping brush around the house as well as hunting and haven't needed to sharpen it yet. A small bonus it has a "tactical" look and doesn't look like a Taliban weapon.
