Machete
 

I've been wanting a good Machete or brush knife for a long time. I found a piece of stainless steel big enough for two blades, I don't now exactly what kind of stainless it is, it seems harder than 440 but is still springy.

My question is about the shape. I have two machetes and both are not an ideal shape and not really enough weight for chopping down small trees or thick brush stems. The piece of stainless I have is maybe 3/16 inches thick so a Machete made from it will have a good heft. I can also make the grip larger to fit my hand better and maybe incorporate a guard into the tang/grip.

Any ideas for a good shape? Any examples I can maybe make a pattern of so I can get my Machete waterjet cut to shape?

Found this old thread and your still around so I thought you might still be interested.

I reshape old or even new carbon steel tramotina blades. I have a few but only have 2 here at the house right now. Anyway here are the shapes I went with on these 2.

I use this one around camp a lot


This one I use for about anything....Just cleared about a mile of brush around the perimeter of a property with it a couple weeks ago.


Tramotina is hard to beat and you can buy them in bulk(6) for about $7 per. These are the blades a lot of people in countries where they make a living with a machete use.

You'll want them to be tip heavy(tip wider than the handle)

I prefer the kurkuri style.

Bolo is actually my favorite but I don't have mine here at the house right now.

I use this crazy thing about every day around the fire when I'm camping. It makes a great spatula that also has a cutting edge. I can sit down and split up some kindling to get the fire going then use it as a spatula. Its a "sugar cane knife" It used to have a hook on the end I ground off.

That there is MY kinda spatula!!! Someone complains about the cooking,,,OF WITH THEIR HEAD!!! :D

Pretty good for fending off the people that like to eat the food faster than you can cook it.

I like the shape pf the second one, one I have now the tip is too curved, if you miss a little and hit to near the tip it jumps back at you. The other I have is a better shape, but pretty much junk, I've bent the blade numerous times.

The shape of the grip on both of mine suck, your hand gets sweaty and the machete is likely to slip. Nothing on the end of the grip to keep it from flying or going through your foot if it slips.

The hardest work for mine is blackberry thickets. I also use if for clearing fishing spots on overgrown creek banks.

I was also thinking of a longer handle to save the old back some.

Tramotina, I'll search some and see if they have what I want. But like many things what actually works is much more important than how it looks.

Tramotinas definitely work.....They are kind of like the mora of machetes. Like I said they are very popular in cultures where peoples lives depend on them.

The 2nd one is an 18" tram with the tip modified a little. Lowes actually carries that one sometimes.

Here is a couple bolos.....one Ive modified and one that is brand new