What About A Machete ?

[Murphy Slaw]

I've had one of these for a few years and had good luck with everything SOG.




I bought my wife a Gerber the other day that's a little smaller, but looks okay.

 

[Robert OB 33/48]

If you need it, its worth it. If it is just for show or once a year to get a little branch out the way.
It all depends what you are going to do.
After a storm in Holland, I go on a trip with my chainsaw. And needed it several times.
For little branches I have a little axe. Or a big one when driving with the Van. I used them several times.
So I can imagine it is a usefull piece of equipement.
Maybe I should get one myself.

 

[TreXTerra]

SOG can be hit and miss, these days I would not waste money on Gerber. When I wanted to add a survival knife to my emergency bag and didn't have a ton of money, I bought a Mora knife. They don't look like much, but they are way better than Gerber. I have a Gerber axe right now and the steel is so soft that I have to break out a file to straighten the blade on every trip. Kershaw is my current every day carry and I like it much more than my SOG, if you want to get into some serious knives, either fixed or folders, then Spyderco or Benchmark would be where I would start. If you need the One Knife To Rule Them All for survival situations then check out this video from 4xOverland:

 

[Mike W]

Just as a side note... If you plan to have gear like this you should also have a well thought out set of medical supplies to tend to a situation that these can create. (small cuts to large gashes) I have had to use my kit a few times recently, luckily not on myself, and have gone back for re-supply and additional items. So I thought I would mention this. Shit gets real in a hurry if you are really remote. Recently it seems I think about safety as much as capability.

Take an extra second and think about that potential for harm when you are using an axe or climbing up on something.

 

[toxicity_27]

SOG can be hit and miss, these days I would not waste money on Gerber. When I wanted to add a survival knife to my emergency bag and didn't have a ton of money, I bought a Mora knife. They don't look like much, but they are way better than Gerber. I have a Gerber axe right now and the steel is so soft that I have to break out a file to straighten the blade on every trip. Kershaw is my current every day carry and I like it much more than my SOG, if you want to get into some serious knives, either fixed or folders, then Spyderco or Benchmark would be where I would start. If you need the One Knife To Rule Them All for survival situations then check out this video from 4xOverland:

I've watched that video before. Pretty interesting how he came up with that.

 

[Steve]

I have a 28" Machete that my grandparents brought back from Mexico in the '80s. It was made from and old automobile spring, and has bakelite scales on both side for the handle and a leather sheath with fringe along the edge. Man, does that sucker hold an edge! I use it every fall for the ornamental grasses we grow. Much easier than shears. It's ugly, but it sure works great!

 

[Murphy Slaw]

If you need it, its worth it. If it is just for show or once a year to get a little branch out the way.
It all depends what you are going to do.

I have 30 acres of woods with a hunting cabin and 4 wheeler / dirt bike trails.

I HAVE to keep a machete just to keep the trails clear. The briars and such would take over in a matter of weeks during the summer !

 

[WUzombies]

You never know when you need one...

http://www.kbtx.com/home/headlines/Man-Loses-Hand-During-Fight-Outside-Bryan-Nightclub--339487572.html?device=tablet&c=y

I have a nearly 20 year old machete that was a hardware store no-name special. I can't kill it, it stays sharp, worth every bit of the $10 I spent on it. SOG knives have taken a dump the last few years, I have a SOG multitool that is 10 years old and awesome, but the newer stuff just suffers from manufacturing cuts (it seems). I wouldn't touch gerber anything with a pole. I don't think they've made a quality product in well over a decade.

 

[toxicity_27]

Now you guys have me looking at knives! I've got a SOG folder that my brother gave me for Christmas a few years ago. Seems decent, is a little wonky (have to tighten the handle all the time), but gets the job done. I also picked up a cheap muti-tool from Gerber to keep in the Jeep. It's a Bear Grylls one, seems to be decent enough for what I use it for.

I need to pick up a new hatchet though, and maybe a better knife. Hmm..

 

[WUzombies]

My EDC knife is an Emerson CQC-B wave, best folder I've ever owned. My straight blades are made by CM Forge.

http://www.cmforgeknives.com/

 

[Murphy Slaw]

That Mora is cool, but I prefer a smaller knife for a knife, and a longer blade machete to clear brush. I have a decades old American made Shrade Sharpfinger / carbon steel that is a great little hunting knife. I've got several SOG multi-tools and knives and have always had good ones. I haven't bought anything lately so had not heard of a decline in quality.

Do they still make the Navy Seal knife?

 

[toxicity_27]

My EDC knife is an Emerson CQC-B wave, best folder I've ever owned. My straight blades are made by CM Forge.

http://www.cmforgeknives.com/

I love their disclaimer;
Disclaimer

I am sure that most of our customers would agree that our planet is seemingly overrun with idiots. While we are sensitive to those with below average intelligence quotients, idiots are not part of this group thus undeserving of empathy, sympathy, or anything else except for utter disdain and contempt. Idiots, well, are just plain stupid. They are the perpetrators of stupid acts. These stupid acts come in many forms, such as: using a lawnmower to trim hedges, looking down the business end of a loaded firearm, sticking an arm in a running washing machine, using a microwave as a pet dryer, and the list goes on and on. But, no matter how stupid an idiot’s actions are, even when entirely void of all common sense to the point of vacuous, there is an endless cadre of civil advocates who clamor at the opportunity to represent the idiot, thus exacerbating the original stupid act to the point of ludicrousness. That being said, the following legal disclaimer is intended for members of the idiot sub-species and their attorney friends. Those individuals who are endowed with common sense need not read further.
Warning
This is a knife. A knife is essentially a tool designed for cutting, puncturing, stabbing, slicing, and other potentially dangerous operations. A knife can and will cause injury to the operator if used incorrectly. If you are indeed an idiot, please notify the proprietor that you are not authorized to hold, operate, or even peruse sharp instruments (knives being included). I apologize for the digression but we must keep all of the shyster lawyers happy.

 

[Steve]

^^ That's great! :)


@WUzombies I was fortunate enough to acquire one of the Benchmade licensed Emerson CQC7 folders back in the '80s. What a magnificent knife! This was when Ernest was overwhelmed with military orders, and couldn't begin to supply public demand, so Benchmade stepped in and built essentially the same knife as coming from Ernest's shop, but on a production scale rather than handmade.

That, my Case Swayback Jack, or Kershaw's Ken Onion Chive are my EDC, along with a Fenix LD01 light and a Dead Bunny Scooter Club bottle opener. (plus another persuasion tool...)

 

[Overland-Indiana]

I have a Gerber machete...I'll say this, for what I payed for it I am happy. It dulls rather quickly is my only real complaint.

 

[WUzombies]

I love their disclaimer;
Disclaimer

I am sure that most of our customers would agree that our planet is seemingly overrun with idiots. While we are sensitive to those with below average intelligence quotients, idiots are not part of this group thus undeserving of empathy, sympathy, or anything else except for utter disdain and contempt. Idiots, well, are just plain stupid. They are the perpetrators of stupid acts. These stupid acts come in many forms, such as: using a lawnmower to trim hedges, looking down the business end of a loaded firearm, sticking an arm in a running washing machine, using a microwave as a pet dryer, and the list goes on and on. But, no matter how stupid an idiot’s actions are, even when entirely void of all common sense to the point of vacuous, there is an endless cadre of civil advocates who clamor at the opportunity to represent the idiot, thus exacerbating the original stupid act to the point of ludicrousness. That being said, the following legal disclaimer is intended for members of the idiot sub-species and their attorney friends. Those individuals who are endowed with common sense need not read further.
Warning
This is a knife. A knife is essentially a tool designed for cutting, puncturing, stabbing, slicing, and other potentially dangerous operations. A knife can and will cause injury to the operator if used incorrectly. If you are indeed an idiot, please notify the proprietor that you are not authorized to hold, operate, or even peruse sharp instruments (knives being included). I apologize for the digression but we must keep all of the shyster lawyers happy.

Curtis is a character, I've known him for a long time and have purchased a number of his knives because they are simply an incredible quality, completely hand made and surprisingly inexpensive for a handmade top quality knife.

 

[deeker]

I have a couple of West African machetes around the house and in the Jeep. The locals called the machete a 'koop-koop'. I'm not sure of the translation, but they are a nice, useful souvenir. They grind a curve into the blade for cutting grasses and sugar cane. The steel isn't great, they rust easily, and the handles needed to be sanded down. Despite all that going for them they have great memories attached to them. I put the one in the Jeep to good use when we were trying to run a trail the day after a heavy rain and wind storm. We spent more time cutting limbs and clearing the trail than we did driving!

I carry a Camillus Les Stroud model in my hunting pack. It's smaller with a thicker blade, but just right for clearing brush around a hunting spot.

The top machete is the Camillus, the bottom is one of the West African ones.

 

[Overland-Indiana]

I have a couple of West African machetes around the house and in the Jeep. The locals called the machete a 'koop-koop'. I'm not sure of the translation, but they are a nice, useful souvenir. They grind a curve into the blade for cutting grasses and sugar cane. The steel isn't great, they rust easily, and the handles needed to be sanded down. Despite all that going for them they have great memories attached to them. I put the one in the Jeep to good use when we were trying to run a trail the day after a heavy rain and wind storm. We spent more time cutting limbs and clearing the trail than we did driving!

I carry a Camillus Les Stroud model in my hunting pack. It's smaller with a thicker blade, but just right for clearing brush around a hunting spot.

The top machete is the Camillus, the bottom is one of the West African ones.

Nice! I really like the one on top.