For scale:
Durn. Slipped up and put a 22" in the picture instead of a 20".
Is
this Panga style one of the heavier machetes out there? It seems a little long for the weight I assume it has.
It is untapered, and the swell and point toward the tip make if very weight forward (POB is 7.5" or so above the scales on a 20") but the blade stock is 1.5mm thick so even a 22" IMACASA 980 panga it is lighter in the hand than a standard OKC 18"-er.
The 22" OKC is just about the heaviest machete that I can use all day and still be able to brush my teeth that night.
I know this
"sugar cane" two-hander will definitely be for heavier stuff than some others. Looks like it would be a better substitute for a two-handed chopper (and much cheaper) than the Cold Steal Chinese Swords and such.
Cañero is tough stuff so many professionals prefer a heavily weighted blade to hack through the stalks but the blades aren't any thicker than general usage machete. In fact, a thicker blade would be counter productive, requiring more material to be displaced as the blade moves through the stalk and robbing energy from the cut.
The big IMACASA is still only 1.5mm thick.
The long handle is mostly a way to extend the reach of the blade to prevent the user from having to bend over so far.
I can just about touch the ground with mine if I slouch.
Reach comes with a price of course. The long handled chopper is much more work to swing and fails miserably against hardwoods since the thin (and in my case highly ground) blade wants to wedge and has a terrible power robbing shiver if you make an imperfect cut.
I like to use these as adjuncts to blackberry pickin'. The hook is handy for handing briars without cutting them and the long handle keeps your fingers in an unbepoked state.
Mmmmmm... Blackberry cobbler.
Based on your suggestions in the article, would you say something like
this 18" imacasa would be a good beginning machete for must users?
That is pretty close to the ideal general purpose machete.
If the Marble's are made in Central America, I'd guess they were decent?
John
For the most part they are IMACASAs with upgraded factory edges (read as: They come
sharp) and orange paint. They are sort of the midpoint between standard "My machete feeds my family" IMACASA and "Rich Fat American" Condor Tool and Knife/IMACASA.
If you like orange or don't want to spend quality time with a bastard file or belt-grinder before you use your tool they are perfect.