Machete

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Originally Posted by Beowulf65

Pict do you use the straight edge or the bolo edge?
Which one do you prefer?

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http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/4521/vayy074lp3.jpg

This is the typical set-up I loan my students for the course. A 14 or 16 inch Tramontina in a really nice leather sheath with a Mora. The knives have a BSA Hotspark on the lanyard and the machete has a Doan Tool on the sheath.

This is my personal machete, a 16 inch Tramontina with my large Zebu folder.

http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/9586/img3275gi4.jpg

I do like the Bolo very much. I carried on in my trunk down here for many years. They are very good on hardwood and bamboo.

http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/1883/img3248gb1.jpg

Me having a very good day. Mac

when I was in the School of the Americas in Panama way back when we carried a straight edge machete like the one in the first pic, how hard would it be for you to pick me one up (like yours, I simply love the sheath with it), gimme the price and I'll send you the money.

I have used several like that, I think they are one of the best machetes you can get. I do use a cut down Martindale too, but it's a lot heavier and thicker. But the tramontina should serve you well for many years. I like to convex the edge on mine so it lasts longer and doesn't stick as much in wood. But I will admit it a bit of work for a machete. I got the time so I went ahead and did it.

I've heard that Tramontina made good stuff just never got to it. i carry an 18 inch ontario.
i had a 12 inch but my mom beat me out of it:D

one thing i feel pict should've mentioned is that machetes are meant to sharpened by the buyer.
@kemp....crocodile brand, ontario, barteaux......look on ebay usuaslly some nice older machetes hanging out in the military section


for parangs go here... a parang is the knife on the right in beowulfs picture
http://www.valiantco.com/

"machetes are meant to sharpened by the buyer"

Yes, this is true. One more way to make them affordable. Mac

Mac - I would imagine you have some problems with rust on your machete's because of the environment you are in. I don't know if you can import it but Oxpho-Blue made by Brownell's is a cold blueing that will prevent it. It might help make the students' machetes last longer. Just a thought.

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/Sto...tle=OXPHO-BLUE

All this time and I never knew what kind of machete's those were, they just hang in my garage now next to my grandpaps old fly rod.

Rick,

They rust during rainy season if I let them stay in wet leather. Really it isn't much of a problem. They rust, yes, but then you just take the sandpaper to them and they turn shiny again. I find that many plant juices will stain carbon steel pretty bad. Car wax gives them a good protective coating too.

I have treated several of my machetes with vinegar to give them a really nice finish that resists rust. It helps and makes the blades look really tacticool.

Beowulf,

You can pick up just about any Tramontina from SMKW for about what I would pay for them here. The sheaths I use here are not the standard "field worker" grade commonly encountered. These are mostly handmade one-of-a-kind sheaths I've found in my travels visiting small shops and farm co-ops. I wish I could get them in bulk but it just doesn't work that way. Mac

Cool, I'll check out Smokey, thanks.

http://img170.imageshack.us/img170/5271/img3334kv7.jpg

One of the perks of living in machete country, I run across sheaths like these in my travels and snap them up. Here are a few of the ones I use on a regular basis. Mac

Pict,
I checked out your channel and its really great the "Building and setting an arapuca live bird trap" was a great video keep up the great work I learned a lot.

Thanks, I have alot of fun doing those videos. I have never seen that trap trigger in any books so I figured I'd put it out there. Its not original to me that is a very common trap here, its just that nobody is writing much about wilderness survival and bushcraft in Brazil so there's lots that hasn't been recorded. The arapuca is a good trap to keep in your head. Mac

Yeah I may try it here.

I own a lot of knives some cheap and even though I like them for the money I feel that all my cheap knives leave something to be desired in handle comfort, so for a heavy use tool like a machete I would make sure you feel the handle first if you can, I think SMKW has a good return policy so it should be OK.

Mac - Those are some nice sheaths. It's nice when art and functionality come together. On the car wax bit. I use it on my handguns rifles and shotguns. I don't have any problems with finger prints causing rust or corrosion either.

I also have a $6 machete and am happy with it other than, like other people, I found the sheath was garbage. I guess that’s why there is so much discussion on sheaths whenever machete is mentioned.

Nice collection Pict.

Hey Pict, how do you get those machetes past airport security? Do you check them in your luggage?

Pict you need to do a series on traps for us explaining some of those cool jungle traps we don't see here, maybe post a few pics for us.

He did before you came back on. He has several vids he's posted. Click on his avatar then on Find All Posts. You'll see them. He has a great little trap made out of sticks on there.