Carnivore vs Parang

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Hunter125

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I have been looking at getting a small machete for defensive/emergency purposes, kind of as a tool/weapon to keep in my emergency pack.

I have been looking at the Gerber Parang and almost bought one last night, but saw a Camillus Carnivore there for a few dollars cheaper. They are very different, but I ended up with the Carnivore last night. Seemed a little more suited to an all around tool, if a little less toward the weapon side. I will probably get both eventually, but I wanted to get your opinions on the pros and cons of these two.
 
Right, but only some runs I believe. They had specific model numbers in the recall notice. They wouldn't still be selling them if they were still the batch that had been recalled.
Update: Yep, only specific model numbers were recalled. Gerber told people to send them back and they would send a replacement. New ones are okay.
 
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Right, but only some runs I believe. They had specific model numbers/serial numbers in yhe recall notice. They wouldn't still be selling them if they were still the batch that had been recalled.
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I don't know, maybe I'm just being snobby but I wouldn't have bought one even before the recall. I refuse to pay extra for some celebrities name on a functional tool, especially someone like Bear Gryls. IMO there are better choices out there for the same or less money. I'd check out the offerings from Condor, Tramontina, Martindale, or other companies that make real working machetes.

If you want a parang style machete, Martindale makes a good, basic one w/ full tang for about the same price. IIRC, Martindale makes machetes for the British military. I've got one an I've been happy with it.

yhst-29358752693524_2271_6446698
 
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Previously, I was the "big chopper" guy on THR.

I am, however, rapidly being replaced by Sam Cade. :D

(Which is just fine.)

John
 
mdauben said:
If you want a parang style machete, Martindale makes a good, basic one w/ full tang for about the same price.
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That is a #2 Golok

3/4 tang.

Good tools, rough out of the box, kinda short and heavy for true machete type tasks and could greatly benefit from a serious regrinding.

I'll put up some Martindale related reviews in the next week or so once things dry out around here a bit.

In the meantime, my favorite Martindale is the 18" 702.
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Yikes! I guess I should have done my homework before I dropped $25. I will definitely save my receipt from that one.

As to the gimmicky thing about the Parang, I would usually steer clear of that stuff too, and im by no means a fan of Grylls, I just really liked the style of that particular knife.

Seriously, how hard would it have been to make both of those full tang?

So any other suggestions on other quality blades of similar style?
 
Hunter125 said:
Ca mnemonic you ecplain to me why the tang on those is better than the Gerber Parang?
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Auto-correct/complete strikes!!! :D


The tang on the bidor-built Parang is more than 5/16" thick and has a single 7/32" hole in a non stressed position.

The tang on the Gerber is 3/32" and has a big hole punched right through a heavily stressed area, leaving very little meat connecting the blade to the tang.

Parang_Bear_Grylls_Broken_004.jpg


Who knows how many of these things have blown up in peoples faces.
 
Seriously, how hard would it have been to make both of those full tang?
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People obsess about "full tang" when it is not a critical issue. It has become a marketing gimmick far too often when what's important, as pointed out, is the design of the tang, hardness, relationship of holes to mate the grip to the blade. If you through harden the whole chopper, tang and all, and then place your grip holes at stress points you end up with broken tangs unless they're really thick. The width of the tang doesn't help you much since the crack will start at the hole and propagate out the the edge if width is all a tang has going for it.
 
Sam Cade said:
Auto-correct/complete strikes!!! :D
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Yeah, sorry about that. Fixed it.

Good to know about the tang thickness being more important than the width.

How do you find out or know how the blade has been hardened or how much of the blade has been hardened?

You guys sure are a helpful bunch.
 
Maybe I'm alone here, but I like my Gerber Parang. It's not among those included in the recall and I'll chopped all sorts of things with it. I've used it when it was obvious the task was better suited for an axe or at least a hatchet. It sailed through without incident.

I lost most of my concerns of it breaking on me after I cut down a dead tree with it. It took a while and I don't know how many (hundreds?) of hard chops, but the tree came down.

I've been quite pleased with mine.
 
I've done more chopping with HI kuks than anything else, including chopping down a full-sized, very healthy tree (ouch).

Almost all kukuris have a "rat-tail" tang, which extends most of the way into the handle. The cheapest/easiest way to apply a handle is to heat the tang, and let it burn its way into a block of wood (kuks with this type handle usually need another handle in a couple years). Despite the crudeness of this method, the tang itself rarely breaks. This is the most common type of kuk handle, which is why buying a quality kuk from someone like HI is usually a better investment than a cheaper kuk of unknown quality.

ANYWAY, my main point is the "full tang" alone isn't an indicator of quality or strength. I even know one well-known maker of handmade knives who has knives that look like full tang, if you don't look very carefully! :D (They're still quality knives.)


John
 
Hunter125 said:
What do you all think of Condor Knife & Tool parangs? Are they good quality?
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Condor is the "premium" brand for El Salvadorian hardware manufacturer IMACASA. Sort of the GMC to the IMACASA Chevrolet.
http://www.imacasa.com/index-en.php

Condor tools are generally of quality manufacture but suffer from the occasional lemon and the edges on their heavier blades are often left so thick as to preclude efficient use without a regrind.
I've got a Condor parang, like so:

60940s_725x0.jpg



.... and it is perfect example of a "sharpened pry bar". I've never gotten around to regrinding it. Out of the box it is a tree-beater.




That said, the Condor "Bushcraft Parang" is intriguing provided that the grind goes back as far as it looks like it does.

60953s_725x0.jpg
 
Hunter125 said:
How do you find out or know how the blade has been hardened or how much of the blade has been hardened?
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Outside of listed manufacturers specs and a Rockwell tester you can get a general feel for hardness by swiping the blade with a mill file, or if you are a super dork, by using a set of calibrated hardness testing files.

http://www.amazon.com/industrial-scientific/dp/B001CTI7TE

Hunter125 said:
You guys sure are a helpful bunch.
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We do try. :D
 
Sam, that Bushcraft Parang is the one that piqued my interest. I'm looking for something I can throw in a pack, so the longer ones might not be as handy for my purposes.
 
I guess kind of an all around tool to keep in my pack that I have with me most of the time. Right now there is a tomahawk in there, but I'm looking for something a little more flexible, more multi-purpose.
I'm looking for something that fits the tool and last ditch weapon category.
I'm not really sure if that fits the chopper or machete category better.
Would I be better served by a differemt style?
 
Hunter125 said:
I'm not really sure if that fits the chopper or machete category better.
Would I be better served by a differemt style?
Click to expand...

Well since you are going to be packing it...if you aren't married to the Parang style there are a great many options available for quality, cheap, relatively short (18" blade or less) chopping tools.

Your ideal tool is going to be dependent on your intended usage and the makeup of the vegetation that you will be cutting.

So you are going to have to do a bit of sweating in order to find your ideal.




That said, I recommend the Imacasa 335 Bolo to everyone as a general purpose, middle of the road, woods loafing tool.
http://www.baryonyxknife.com/14spbogrop.html
 
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