Quality machete for cheap.

**Erratus Animus** · 08-08-2015, 10:03 AM

I tend to like the lighter, thinner and light to medium brush machetes. The tram was fine but again too long for my needs. I believe the key to a machetes profile is the environment its used in. I have been in both the Guatemalan and Panamanian jungles in central America where a style like the tram or the more pronounced bolo were the norm for the light to medium vegetation. They may have gotten most of those machetes from the local military bases there but they were a joy to use and did not tire you out in the humidity and heat.

Its thick in a lot of the areas I am in but not as thick as where I was in CA. We have large palmetto flats amongst the hardwood bottoms much like Florida so a shorter machete with the same general profile works better, weighs less and is more versatile for me and the fullsize.

**randyt** · 08-08-2015, 09:43 PM

I came across a blog the other day about machetes and such. Found it very interesting and for sake of information exchange I'll share it here.

http://woodsroamer.blogspot.com/

**hunter63** · 08-08-2015, 09:50 PM

That made my head hurt.....soooo many versions....soooo little time.

**randyt** · 08-08-2015, 10:00 PM

one day, one machete lol a month goes by and just imagine lol

**hunter63** · 08-08-2015, 10:16 PM

Actually the last time I "used a machete".....was for shearing Christmas trees for a couple of weeks....then we switched to hedge clippers.

Was like the GI version and if kept sharp.....did a good job.
Christmas trees don't come looking like one, too much....most are sheared to shape.

**randyt** · 08-08-2015, 10:45 PM

kids use to shear christmas trees around here. They used a machete and wore stove pipe chaps on their legs. That method is probably not allowed these days.

**hunter63** · 08-09-2015, 12:36 AM

Originally Posted by randyt

kids use to shear christmas trees around here. They used a machete and wore stove pipe chaps on their legs. That method is probably not allowed these days.

That's the way we did it in the early 60's....then the shears.
Last year we had powered back pack power shears.....Heavy but could really cover a lot of ground.

**Phaedrus** · 08-09-2015, 02:01 AM

Amazing stuff, Crash! Just how a big is the furnace you use to HT?

**Rick** · 08-09-2015, 02:02 AM

Say it ain't so, Irma. I have never heard of such a thing. Shearing a Christmas tree? I guess they aren't as hard to handle as sheep but I thought they grew like that. Seriously, I had to google it. Another childhood belief shattered. Thanks guys.

**crashdive123** · 08-09-2015, 07:07 AM

Originally Posted by Phaedrus

Amazing stuff, Crash! Just how a big is the furnace you use to HT?

Those were made from a large sawmill blade. I did not heat treat them, but was careful to not change the temper. IMO the "factory" heat treat was about perfect for a machete.

**randyt** · 08-09-2015, 08:00 AM

That's awesome Crash, how did you cut the blade out from the saw? I have to admit that I've made a lot of sawblade knives but never a big chopper like that one.

**crashdive123** · 08-09-2015, 11:47 AM

I cut them with a 4" angle grinder, but left quite a bit on the margins to allow for heating. While grinding the big bucket of water was used early and often. I' working on another (blade is done, but have to get motivated to do the sheath) from a 5/32" sawmill blade. It is a wee bit on the beastly side.

**randyt** · 08-09-2015, 11:54 AM

I wondered, that's how I cut mine too. In a book by David Boyle step by step knifemaking, he used a cutting torch. I've never done it that way.

**Phaedrus** · 08-10-2015, 01:03 AM

Originally Posted by crashdive123

Those were made from a large sawmill blade. I did not heat treat them, but was careful to not change the temper. IMO the "factory" heat treat was about perfect for a machete.

Duh! I should have thought of that!

I suppose the HT is about ideal as is. A machete doesn't need to be sharpened to the level of a knife I imagine. The real cheap ones are basically just sheet metal and they do the job.

**crashdive123** · 08-10-2015, 05:58 AM

Originally Posted by Phaedrus

Duh! I should have thought of that!

I suppose the HT is about ideal as is. A machete doesn't need to be sharpened to the level of a knife I imagine. The real cheap ones are basically just sheet metal and they do the job.

You can shave with these. And they seem to hold an edge pretty well.