Ode to the machete

[19-3Ben]

I just got back from a camping trip to New Hampshire where my new machete was the MOST useful tool of any (other than perhaps, a flashlight) that I brought along. Seriously. Wow.

I week before the trip I bought the Cold Steel Kukri Machete.
All my friends told me I was just looking for an excuse to have a new cheap knife. Figured I'd never use it. Well...guess again.
It was used to hack up wood that went in the fire. It was used to tap tent stakes into the ground. I used it to slice open packages of hotdogs. And best of all, get this. They make one hell of a spatula. My friend Steve brought along burgers to cook over the fire, but forgot a spatula. No problem, use the machete!!! Man that broad flat blade works just about as well as an actual spatula.

The only thing I didn't like about it was the edge that the machete had from the factory. It was so dull i'd be shocked if it could cut water. But about 30 later after using a Norton tool sharpener, and a waterstone, she had a real nice edge. Not shaving sharp, but hey, if I want shaving sharp, i pull out the Benchmade Griptillian.
The only other modification that this knife went through was that the rubber handle was kinda slippery from the factory. some 100grit sandpaper fixed that in about one minute.
This thing went through wood beautifully and kept a decent edge while doing so. The only time it needed to be touched up was when I hacked through a piece of wood and struck a block of concrete with the edge. But not a real shocker there that striking concrete would mess up the edge.

The knife needed a little work when it came out of the box, but once i did the work, I had one hell of a knife on my hands for $20. It's a great value.

 

[Blofeld]

The wife just got me one, looking forward to beating the snot out of it.

 

[Aka Zero]

Those kukris can get really sharp.

I have taken a few pallets apart for fires with mine. the thin edge will get damaged on the nails.... (oops) but 30 mins of filing and it was good as new.

Cold Steel may have some weird marketing. But they make some great cheap machetes.

 

[gripper]

I kind of like th elooks an dfeel of their Bowie,Lansaxe and Kopis machetes as well...little more in the way of a useful tip.The Barong looks promising as well.

 

[Loomis]

I'm confused.

A kukri is not a machette. And a kukri is not thin. A kukri is very thick and very heavy, like a cross between a machette and a hatchet.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Agree with Loomis. A kukri is a specific genre of edged weapon. A machete is tool first that may be used as a weapon.

Now, what you've got is some sort of a crossbred.

 

[Blofeld]

A Cold Steel Khukri machete is a machete shaped like a khukri. Technically not a khukri, but the shape of the traditional khukri lends itself to chopping well, so it's not a stretch to make one with a thinner than traditional blade and have it be a more effective machete. One of the more effective CS designs.

 

[vicdotcom]

And rememer the concave edge is supposed to be finer/sharper than the convex side for detail work and fine cutting.

 

[Carl Levitian]

Now you owe it to yourself to try the Tramontina machete. The 12 inch one is a very good camp knife. The 12 inch Ontario machete has a thicker, heavier blade, and is a great chopper and slicer.

Never underestimate the common machete. Low profile, innocent looking (espcially if you leave the sap and dirt smeared on the blade) if won't get any negative attention. But it is very capable of doing great defence duty.

I've found that with a sak in the pocket and a small machete in the pack, it's all the cutlery I need on a campout.

 

[dagger dog]

I bought a Cold Steel Panga style machete, while at an area gun show, same blunt edge as the author. Used my electric water cooled hone to put an edge on it, it came up to a good working edge but the steel is very low carbon or even perhaps just mild steel as it will not hold the edge even during brush clearing. But I only paid $9.00 for the blade, bought two and my buddy has the other one its in the same catagory.

Would like to find a leaf spring from an automotive rear axle, one with a
3/16 -7/32" thickness and about 30" long. Forge out the shape of the blade, grind the handle profile, hot punch the holes for the scales rivets.
Throw it back in the forge bring it up to an even temperature, and let it air cool. Then grind and hone the edge.
Then you would have some thing with some heft, and once you got the edge on it, it would last.
You might not be able to use it for a pry bar but at least the edge would
hold.

 

[p35]

HI actually uses the springs from Mercedes trucks as raw material for their products- when they run low they send a bladesmith on a buying tour of junkyards in India. They turn them into the best khukris on Earth.

 

[Blofeld]

Yeah, all the good things I've heard about HI on the forums here has moved them up to my next knife purchase.

 

[HoosierQ]

Best machete out there is the Collins Legitimus. Spring steel that doesn't chip yet takes and holds and edge. Tap the thing with your finger nail and it rings like a bell. They were, I think, made in Guatemala by an English firm for local sale. My dad bought two in Army surplus stores 35 years ago and they are still just great.

If you see a Collins Legitimus...get one.

 

[Aka Zero]

I think my dad bought one of those in Guatemala in 1980's

Rings like a bell, came from Guatemala.... sticker is long worn off though. Machetes are mad for using.

 

[dagger dog]

That Collins would be the type of machete all the S.A guys carry at their side, they wear them like we carry a pocket knife. I had a friend that did some missionary service in what was then called British Hondouras. He was given a custom made machete scabbard and a machete which was a real HOSS you could cut down a 3" sapling with one well placed swing. The blade and the scales looked to be factory produced
could have been one of the Collins!

 

[snow]

machete

I now own several machetes most cold steels and I have found that some are better than others. I love the kurki machete while the heavy machete is slightly to big for my hand. A little time with the grinder on the handle and a file and it is now a lot better. Still the balance is not quite right for me. I also have a spear point machete that I love. It seems to be a great outdoor tool, if I combine it with a smaller knife as my seal pup elite or falkniven f1 it would be all i needed for camp chores and food prep. I have martindale golok that sucks, and I have used ontario brand 18 inch models. While these worked well and had no problems except the slab handles coming loose I found that a 12 inch model suited my needs a little better. I am in heat of trying out a tramontina though, I own a few tramotina kitchen knives and love them. They have made me want to try one of the machetes most likely the bolo since it is one of the styles that I do not have.