new machete

[Kayak Jack]

I was surprised to read in the cite that Seedtick provided, a description like this: "420J2 Steel – An ideal knife blade that will be subject to high temperatures, humidity and corrosives such as salt. Does not require much care or maintenance."

I'm not familiar with this metal, or its cost. But it sounds lie a knife of that materiel would be good?

 

[jdupre']

I found this about 420J2 stainless.

"Overview:
420 J2 is a general purpose stainless steel containing medium quantity of carbon. It has good corrosion resistance qualities in mild atmosphere, domestic and industrial environments. It is resistant to ammonia, blood, carbonic acid, crude oil, detergent solutions, dilute nitric acid, fresh water, food acids, many petroleum products, steam and vinegar etc. It has good strength and reasonable impact resistant properties in both hardened and tempered conditions as compared to 440 grades.

It is also called Surgical Steel, because it is being used in production of surgical instruments on large scale around the world, due to its good corrosion resistant and easily machining qualities. It is also being used in cutting tools like; Knifes, Daggers, Swords, Haircutting Scissors and Domestic scissors. It’s grinding is easy and it produces a fine, vivid and smooth polished surface.

420 steel, due to its excellent harden-ability, it is capable of getting hardened up to 56 HRC Rockwell or higher depending upon carbon contents. Small sections can be air cooled and larger sections should be oil quenched for maximum hardness."

The number 56 HRC Rockwell says a lot. That's really on the low end of the hardness scale. A quality knife blade would have a Rockwell number of 59-60........... too hard and brittle for rough machete work. 56HRC would be softer and easier to sharpen but easier to dull too. BUT, that's IF the manufacturer heat treated it perfectly for the application. Heat treating adds expense and cheap tools probably skimp in that area.

That being said, for $10.00, you would get a machete that would last a long while for the occasional user and not rust in the process. Baldy, you strike me as a man used to quality tools. A $10.00 machete is about equivalent to a $2.00 set of vise grip pliers. Might work .. might not.

My 2 cents.

Joey

 

[Kayak Jack]

Joey, you bring up a good point about heat treating making a large difference in the basic steel. Most of us, I suspect, overlook that part of it. Two knives, made of the same material, heat treated differently would be drastically different tools.

 

[seedtick]

years ago (like 40 years ago), i hunted with Charlie Hardison, who was a charterboat captain taking folks fishing out in the Gulf. He had about three or four boats that he and his captains chartered out with the attendant crews. When they came from a day of fishing, the crews would typically clean the days catch. Their choice of knife, to the man was a Rapala fillet knife. I think back then they were 3 or 4 dollars. They were cheap,easy to sharpen and you didn't cry if you dropped one overboard. They'd clean a few fish, then spend 20 seconds touching up the blade then move on. These guys cut up bait cleaned hundreds and often thousands of pounds of fish a day and their choice of knife was one with a realtively low Rockwell number.

reckon that's why they make chocolate and vanilla ice cream................

 

[Kayak Jack]

I like Rapalla knives too; I have several. Good on softer things like fish, what they are meant for. Their sharp edge and thin blade and sweeping edge slice fish very nicely.

 

[tx river rat]

Knives are like boats , they have to be tailored to the use you have for them. The Rapala knives you speak off and the alloy they are made of would be useless in a Machete blade,
A fine hunting knife that will hold an edge wont be the Ideal alloy for a machete ,its to hard and chips and breaks if used roughly. So your knife needs to be tailored to your usage,how long you want to go between sharpening. There aint no perfect knife steel. They have some that are close for certain applications.
You know I push Ontario machetes and the reason , it is a good blend of weight , hardness, blade shape ,durability and thickness of the blade , for me and my usage It is the best I have found.
The difference between a inferior machete at 10 bucks and a good one at 20 is a no brainier for me.
Ron
PS a piece of cord run around the wrist is a good thing and on the Onterios they have a place for it to be attached to the handle

 

[Kayak Jack]

I'd added a leather wrist thong on mine.

Some comments mentioned swatting dead branches with the back of a blade to break them, rather than cutting with the front edge. A solid edge or a toothed edge would serve, it seems. And, a toothed edge can bite in instead of slip along a slick-smooth dead branch. That could aid breaking it at that point instead of the branch fending off the blow.

I haven't swatted dead branches with either a smooth or toothed back edge of a machete, but that is what I'd expect to see. What does some real world experience look like there?

I'd also expect to turn my head so that pieces of branch won't hit me in the eyes. That could ruin my whole day.

 

[oldsparkey]

Not sure about the rest of the gang but the dead branches I have whacked off with the back of the blade were from about a nickle size diameter and on down. Have done some larger ones , say up to the diameter of a quarter but I made sure they were dead before hitting them. A good look / see does the trick. After all the machete is not an axe or would replace what an axe would do.

One thing I have found them exceptional at doing and that is splitting fat wood for kindling. Take a chunk of fat wood , place the sharp edge of the blade on it and whack the back of the blade with a stick or something and that fat wood splits straight and true. Made a good stack of fat wood matches for starting a fire , just one will do the trick. I call them matches since they are about 2 1/2 inches long and a 1/4 inch ( or slightly less ) in diameter.

Fat wood is the heart of a rotted away pine stump where all of the sap has settled and soaked into the wood , could call it a stick of turpentine. The normal term is Georgia Fat Wood or Lighter Knot but we have it here in Florida also. :wink:

 

[tx river rat]

Jack
Leather drys out and can crack and break a whole lot faster than para cord.
I have two of the Ontario , one has the saw blade and a closed loop on the handles. the other is just a plain jane smooth back and normal handle, Tried the saw once, it cuts, the closed loop handle bangs the heck out of your knuckles, I figure I will never use the saw and it does snag a lot of stuff, I may grind it smooth and put a new handle on that one.
Ron

 

[Kayak Jack]

I listed to you and avoided the guarded handle. Looked like you ought wear an eye patch, have a parrot on your shoulder, and growl stuff like AARRGGHH!! a lot if you use that guarded handle. :wink: I'm disappointed that the teeth on the back of my blade do not have any offset. They'll cut, but the blade will probably bind if the cut gets much deeper than an inch.

I read that a stick with a hooked branch at the end is handy for gathering grass to be cut. I'll try to avoid the "grass harvesting" mode of use. Sounds too much like work to me! (insert one, startled "AARRGGHH!!" here)

 

[a Bald Cypress]

OK.

Just picked up the Ontario 22". Grand total of @17.45.

Will see how it differs from the wally world chinese pos I have.[which is why I was looking for a new one]

 

[tx river rat]

I think you will be pleasantly surprised Bald.
Ron

 

[Kayak Jack]

I have one of those now, Baldy. I don't think it will ever rival an entrenching tool for digging or tapping in tent stakes, but it will whack better.

 

[tx river rat]

Jack
You are right it isnt the best shovel are hammer . after you get some experience with it you will realize it will do it all with just one tool. Its sort of like the T-V a 90% percent boat.
Ron

 

[oldsparkey]

years ago (like 40 years ago), i hunted with Charlie Hardison, who was a charterboat captain taking folks fishing out in the Gulf. He had about three or four boats that he and his captains chartered out with the attendant crews. When they came from a day of fishing, the crews would typically clean the days catch. Their choice of knife, to the man was a Rapala fillet knife. I think back then they were 3 or 4 dollars. They were cheap,easy to sharpen and you didn't cry if you dropped one overboard. They'd clean a few fish, then spend 20 seconds touching up the blade then move on. These guys cut up bait cleaned hundreds and often thousands of pounds of fish a day and their choice of knife was one with a realtively low Rockwell number.

reckon that's why they make chocolate and vanilla ice cream................

On this last trip the fish we caught and filleted for suppers the weapon of choice was the Rapala Wood Handled fillet knife. I guess some of us old fishermen still have those old fillet knives to use. :lol:

One of Johns had the blade brake at the handle , rusted threw and snapped but there were some back up ones to complete the job at hand. You find something that works and then get a few more for later which he did.

Personally I still have two of them one for pan fish and one ( larger ) for Bass. They have a permanent home in my tackle box.

Chuck.

 

[Kayak Jack]

Well, after a week long trip on the Au Sable, I gave away my machete. It doesn't do anything I need or want done. Nice piece of equipment, just not useful to me.

 

[dawallace45]

Couple of months back I bought a Tramontina machete with a 26" blade and I can recommend it , I've been spending almost 4 hours a day clearing out the scrub down the back paddock and spend most of that time swinging a machete , the 26" blade has enough weight to cut through the lower branches and I can chop through saplings when stacking stuff to burn and it's faster chopping through stuff up to 4 or 5 inches thick rather than going back to the trailer to grab my chainsaw

David

 

[dawallace45]

Didn't mention that I have 6 machetes , a Golok style machete , a 18" Bolo style Martindale , a Chinese Latin style 19" , and three Tramontinas in 10", 18" and the 26" , had a couple of other martindales and a few other Chinese ones that some one seems to have needed more than me but the Tramontinas are as good as any I've ever used

David

 

[tx river rat]

David,
I like the longer blades , at least 22 inches , give us a review on machetes you have.
Thanks
Ron

 

[GoodOlBoy]

I like a good latin, or bolo machete either one. Cold steel has a decent bolo machete, but the handles leave MUCH to be desired. If I ever pick up another one (the last one grew feet and walked off from my truck apparently) then I am going to make a set of wood handles for it.

Richard