Dirty Bob
Member
After looking at some images of cane knives, I started thinking about a compact belt machete for the Bobster's household. I tried the Tramontina 12-inch, cutlass-type machetes and liked them, but they were a bit light for real chopping. Larger machetes gained in chopping ability, but at the cost of more difficult carry. A decent compromise is a 13- to 14-inch bolo or spoonbill machete, however.
I also really like the hook on the back of cane knives. When working in the green belt behind our house, I'm cutting grass, weeds, small trees and bushy plants. I use a weedeater for the light stuff, but a hook is nice for reaching down and clearing out the stuff that's been cut. It also saves some wear-and-tear on the hands and gloves. Some of our S. Texas plants aren't nice. We have some thorny trees that grow back there from time to time.
To be honest, I also like the way a hooked blade looks: kinda like the orc swords in Lord of the Rings.
I figured that the broad blade of a 2mm-thick cane knife would provide enough mass in a short blade to be able to chop, so I decided to use a Cold Steel Heavy Machete as my starting point.
Here's the CS blade, between a Tramontina bolo and an Imacasa 2-handed cane knife:
As purchased, I found the CS machete TOO heavy for its length. Although it gives it chopping power, a machete also needs some speed for lighter materials. I also found the handle too big for my hands, and the shape made it possible for the machete to slip from my hands if it was slick with water, sweat or some other liquid.
I started with a Dremel tool and some heavy-duty cutoff wheels and a bucket of water for frequent cooling. I chopped off the end of the blade, knocked off the corners, and made two more cuts to rough-shape the hook. I used a hacksaw blade and a Mora knife to start reducing the too-large handle. Since this pic was taken, I've begun rounding off the corners and shaping the hook with files.
Edited to add: The blade and hilt reduction had immediate, positive results. The machete is easier to control, thanks to the smaller hilt and the "stop" at the butt that anchors the hand. The blade reduction made it much livelier in my hands. I can do a snap cut with much less effort, and the tool seems to move faster. If I could do only one of the changes, though, it would be the hilt reduction. The interface with your hand is what determines whether or not you're really in control of a machete. - /EDIT
I hope to finish up the shaping of the blade soon. I also want to reduce the handle a bit further and maybe apply a cord wrapping. I'll post more pics as the project progresses.
Regards,
Dirty Bob
I also really like the hook on the back of cane knives. When working in the green belt behind our house, I'm cutting grass, weeds, small trees and bushy plants. I use a weedeater for the light stuff, but a hook is nice for reaching down and clearing out the stuff that's been cut. It also saves some wear-and-tear on the hands and gloves. Some of our S. Texas plants aren't nice. We have some thorny trees that grow back there from time to time.
To be honest, I also like the way a hooked blade looks: kinda like the orc swords in Lord of the Rings.
I figured that the broad blade of a 2mm-thick cane knife would provide enough mass in a short blade to be able to chop, so I decided to use a Cold Steel Heavy Machete as my starting point.
Here's the CS blade, between a Tramontina bolo and an Imacasa 2-handed cane knife:
As purchased, I found the CS machete TOO heavy for its length. Although it gives it chopping power, a machete also needs some speed for lighter materials. I also found the handle too big for my hands, and the shape made it possible for the machete to slip from my hands if it was slick with water, sweat or some other liquid.
I started with a Dremel tool and some heavy-duty cutoff wheels and a bucket of water for frequent cooling. I chopped off the end of the blade, knocked off the corners, and made two more cuts to rough-shape the hook. I used a hacksaw blade and a Mora knife to start reducing the too-large handle. Since this pic was taken, I've begun rounding off the corners and shaping the hook with files.
Edited to add: The blade and hilt reduction had immediate, positive results. The machete is easier to control, thanks to the smaller hilt and the "stop" at the butt that anchors the hand. The blade reduction made it much livelier in my hands. I can do a snap cut with much less effort, and the tool seems to move faster. If I could do only one of the changes, though, it would be the hilt reduction. The interface with your hand is what determines whether or not you're really in control of a machete. - /EDIT
I hope to finish up the shaping of the blade soon. I also want to reduce the handle a bit further and maybe apply a cord wrapping. I'll post more pics as the project progresses.
Regards,
Dirty Bob
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