Now I need a machete...

[1911user]

http://www.machetespecialists.com/

They carry the Tramontina brand that Colhane uses and recommends.
The Colhane youtube machete videos are definitely worth watching.


The cold steel review you found was for one of the 2mm thick (African made) machetes. All of the ones I recommended are 3mm thick (Chinese made and sadly discontinued) with a more comfortable handle material and come with a decent sheath.

 

[ez bake]

Based on the reviews, I think its down to Tramontina, Imacasa (or Condor), and Marbles.

The price is just too good, hell I could buy one of each and still be out only $30 or so.

I hate most of the sheaths that come with them, so a bit of Kydex and some local handiwork might be in order as well.

 

[Roadking Larry]

You could probably find a old army one

This one came out of my grandfathers garage. I don't know much about it but I think its nice.

[Broken External Image]

I've got one of those, it's dated 1942. I don't have the scabbard and mine isn't quite as clean but it is a decent piece of steel and a darned handy tool.

 

[AKguy1985]

i have my moms army one, its rusted to hell but i remember it says US on it

 

[RickN]

I have an old rusty Panga style that I have no idea where it came from. I like the heavier blade on it. Someday I am going to get it cleaned up and try to make a leather sheath for it.

If nothing else it should be great for zombies.

 

[langston302]

+1k for the Tramontina

or maybe even a Martindale Golok or Paratrooper have both of these and they work really well....

 

[ebman]

i have a sog machete. been holding up pretty well. has teeth on the back side so it can be used as a saw as well. think i paid 10 or 15 bucks for it. their website says 33 but i think most places have them listed for 20. they have 2 sizes, a 13" and a 18"

http://sogknives.com/store/MC-02.html

 

[mr ed]

That thing worked pretty well, but by the end of the night, it was obvious that it was a Chinese-made very cheap-steel bent/chipped up junky machete.

I'm going to beat the crap out of this thing, so I don't want to spend too much but a carbon-steel or at least something harder than junk would be nice (and it's going to be in my hunting pack, so weight is somewhat of a concern - I don't want something the size/weight of a Busse Combat Battle Mistress that weighs like 5Lbs either).

ESEE's lightweight machete looks almost flimsy and its RC scale rating looks really soft - are Machete's just normally softer than fixed-blade knives or what?

Several of the machetes I've looked at are sort of wimpy looking when I consider the specs. Maybe machetes just aren't supposed to be as hard as knives or or as thick.

If they made machetes with a hard Rc 55-60 like a knife they would snap the first time you hit something hard.
I like the ones from Ontario knife that have the wrap-around guard for your knuckles. I've got 1 plain and 1 with the sawback.

 

[swampratt]

i have made many knives..and a couple 2 fisters ...The steel i like to use is leaf springs...after forming i heat the steel and quench it in trans fluid...

get it just right and a file wont bite into it..then off to the oven after you clean it well......You could harden and temper your crappy one ,,possibly make it a tad bit tougher if there is enough carbon in the steel..

 

[pills510]

Get an old lawn mower blade and make your own.

"I like the way you talk "