ESEE Lite Machete

Core Knife Co.

Core Knife Co.

Joined
Apr 8, 2009
Messages
1,367
I love my ESEE knives however between the Izula, 3 and 6 I could never justify buying another one. I'm not real big on having to own the collection and all. However I saw a post earlier with a pic of a ESEE machete and it had me thinking about scouting before hunts. How nice it would be to use for clearing and making trails into some of the pits I like to hunt.

So my questions here are; I've never owned a machete and have no clue about the sharpening required. Is the machete something that I can convex? What kind of grind is recommended?

Also, if anyone has any in hand pictures maybe you could put them up?

Appreciated.
 
I'm sure someone'll give you a good response...

but all I can tell you is that Jeff said he'll prefer the Lite over the Junglas any day.

R.A.T. said:
Cat is doing fine, just a strange looking broke tail. Lite Machete is awesome. I would take it ANY day over the Junglas for this type of work. Yeah, all these companies with their big ass choppers need to take me on in a chopping contest with my machete.
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it comes with a convex grind already. it's perfect for de-limbing branches. heck, it out-chops the junglas hands down and i'd carry it over the junglas if i had another way to split wood (i'm not an axe guy). this is as close as i can get to an in-hand pic at the moment.

jay_esee_knives.jpg


side note: i sold the rc-5 and rc-3 a long time ago.

edit: versatile enough to rival the esee-4 in making feather sticks too.

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I use mine all the time, clearing brush as I stake out a site for excavation/construction, locating property pins. I never thought it would get so much use, I am a believer. works way better on small branches than any belt knife.
 
Don't worry about Convexing the Lite Machete it is already convex. I love my Lite Machete i was a utility lines surveyor and I carried it with me every day to get through thick areas and vine covered trails. Plus I take it hunting to clear shooting lanes this year and it has worked better then any tool that I have every used, including lopers, axes, and pruning saws. This thing is amazing, and more comfortable to use for long periods of time then any other machete. Spend the money you wont be sorry, it is well worth it and an amazing tool.
 
No in hand photos :( I grabbed 2 when they came out. Both my girlfriend and I are slowly moving to machetes over axes on hikes now. It'd just an amazingly useful tool. If you don't have one, just do it. You'll be glad. I touch up the edge with a rod from my sharpmaker. I've been told a beltsander is the way to go with more major sharpenings.
 
Dizwolf said:
No in hand photos :( I grabbed 2 when they came out. Both my girlfriend and I are slowly moving to machetes over axes on hikes now. It'd just an amazingly useful tool. If you don't have one, just do it. You'll be glad. I touch up the edge with a rod from my sharpmaker. I've been told a beltsander is the way to go with more major sharpenings.
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this is a point that I forgot to bring up. I sharpen mine in the field, when I forget or really mess it up on something, with my LM Wave file.
 
stjones said:
I THOUGHT that 3 looked familiar!!!
You can rest assured it gets beaten often!!! :D
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good to hear you're abiding by the terms of the sale and not abusing it/letting it sit in the drawer un-used :D
 
It's like Jeff always says--get yourself an Imacasa machete and a basic slipjoint folder and you've got all the knife you need for the rest of your life! :D

It's amazing how much you can do with that combo--even up here in the north! All the other stuff in my collection is just for fun. :p
 
Get it you won't regret it. If u don't like it then I will buy it from u. At a used price of course. I love my ESEE lite
 
The Lite Machete is already convexed but those El Slavdorans suck at getting a good edge on them all. So, you may have to touch it up with a file when you receive it or you may get one hair popping sharp.
 
Yep. All you need to keep a machete sharp is a file. Convexing would be fine too but I just grab a file and hack a nice edge on 'er. Now I am a guy who strops his knives to shaving sharp but it just isn't necessary on a machete. I have two Collins Legitimus machetes which I inherited from my dad and they've been getting filed edges since about 1968 and they are still great. I would file an edge on them about twice a year and he'd hack away. The action of a machete is more like a lawnmower blade really. Now I will say that his machetes would not have made fuzz sticks but that's what conventional knives are for in my book.

Real machetes are great. I love the Junglas too but it's not a machete. It is more like a big bowie knife or a modern take on the traditional Sammi leuku...a big tough camp knife for rough duty knife tasks...but it isn't a true machete really...IMO. Oh but don't I want one!!!:thumbup:
 
I use a DMT coarse/fine for touch-ups in the field, but rarely have to do so. For sharpening back at home I use a HF 1"x30" belt sander with sharpening belts, and that maintains the convex. I don't pay the convex any attention in the field, though. If I need to sharpen it I just file away like it's a beveled edge. :)
 
My Lite came with a good convex but the sharpness was what I considered "standard machete" sharp. Somewhere between butter knife and gas station folder. But it's a machete, not a knife. I took it out and used it quite a bit, working on my technique, etc. The edge held up well with just a few small rolls here and there that you get with machete use.

After I stopped being afraid to "hurt it" I put a fine grit belt on my Craigslist score 1" belt sander and went to work on it. It takes about 30 seconds to clean up the edge on the whole thing and it's back to perfect.

All Jeff's chatter of machete use got my to try it. It really is a great tool.
 
If I woke up with one of thsoe grasshoppers crawling up my leg you'd see someone doing the Muckerman Stomp!
 
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