secretagentmann007
Chief wire twister
- Joined
- Oct 6, 2006
- Messages
- 479
hello all, thanks for reading. its 2am i cant sleep and figured i'd write about this parang.
first of all i'd like to say i got out of the gerber product line about 8 years ago and i've stuck to some better edge retention steel ever since. my favorite being spyderco's vg10. or s30v. i currently carry a delica wave and probly wont change brands or model for that matter in an edc- i'm prefacing my review with this info so you all dont think i'm new to the knife scene or (reluctantly said) : i'm a blade steel snob. i like what i like and i am not a fan of aus8 or a lot of similar steel out there. (please create a separate post to blast me on this statement)
on to the review:
also i abhor the BG line gerber put out and typically i wouldnt own one or even tell anyone about it if it did. thats just me, i know a lot of people out there like em- thats cool. this is all my OPINION.
after i got this parang machete out of the package i thought it had a good weight and balanced well also well made.. i did a little research to see what everyone else thought. i wanted it to add to my machete collection made up mostly of ontario and some cold steel. i found previous models of this machete have been recalled for blade breaking at the handle!
i thought: self, you should have read before you bought. the model i got, a 33xxxxx thankfully is not one of the recalled models for the blade issue, however the sheath has been recalled for the sole purpose of the velcro strap that secures the machete comes unstichted. (super glue to the rescue). i wasnt going to let a velcro strap get in the way of this gawdy, but very awesomely weighted chopper!
kudos to gerber on being attentive on thier product and recalling about 3 different versions of this guy. i find that outstanding. no sarcasm intended.
the beef of this writeup is to let everyone know, b/c i havent seen the 33xxxx model spoken about- THIS THING IS AMAZING!
my go to machete is a 12" ontario. sharp as all get out, holds that edge, and tough as nails, good and thick 1095 steel. i keep one in my 4 wheeler for cutting limbs out of my trails and it does a great job. BUT. as i began to get the hang of slinging the parang... (weighted different and i took a chunk out of the fender on accident
) i was taking out 2.5"-3" diameter trees in one swing, great grip on this thing btw. i wasnt tired after using it for about an hour or so... so i know it wasnt me just over exerting myself and thinking there was a difference. the blade does the work for you. it is heavier than my ontario, even my 22" version. which i guess has a lot to do with its capability. i cant get enough of this thing. i believe it is made in china, and have not discovered the blade metal composition but at this point i dont care- in another month or two i'll really get to see the edge retention based on personal experience.
GOOD JOB GERBER!
i could do without the bear grylls stuff all over it, but i'm a functional man. honestly, after using it, i wouldn't care it if was pink and purple with unicorns on it. second thought i'd spray paint it black then. but the point is, this is definitely one of the most effective choppers i have ever used. if you try one, look on the pkging and make sure its NOT a 39xxxx or a 31xxxx model. get the 33xxxx model rev. c. and even though i'm not a bear product fan, (i like the show) i did very much enjoy the survival book/ fold out page that came with the machete. simple things but i thought it was cool. give it a try- lifetime warranty- i dont think you can beat it for the price at 35 from the wally mart. comparable bidor or condor is a little higher and has an old style handle.
thanks again for reading. have a good night!
first of all i'd like to say i got out of the gerber product line about 8 years ago and i've stuck to some better edge retention steel ever since. my favorite being spyderco's vg10. or s30v. i currently carry a delica wave and probly wont change brands or model for that matter in an edc- i'm prefacing my review with this info so you all dont think i'm new to the knife scene or (reluctantly said) : i'm a blade steel snob. i like what i like and i am not a fan of aus8 or a lot of similar steel out there. (please create a separate post to blast me on this statement)
on to the review:
also i abhor the BG line gerber put out and typically i wouldnt own one or even tell anyone about it if it did. thats just me, i know a lot of people out there like em- thats cool. this is all my OPINION.
after i got this parang machete out of the package i thought it had a good weight and balanced well also well made.. i did a little research to see what everyone else thought. i wanted it to add to my machete collection made up mostly of ontario and some cold steel. i found previous models of this machete have been recalled for blade breaking at the handle!
i thought: self, you should have read before you bought. the model i got, a 33xxxxx thankfully is not one of the recalled models for the blade issue, however the sheath has been recalled for the sole purpose of the velcro strap that secures the machete comes unstichted. (super glue to the rescue). i wasnt going to let a velcro strap get in the way of this gawdy, but very awesomely weighted chopper!
kudos to gerber on being attentive on thier product and recalling about 3 different versions of this guy. i find that outstanding. no sarcasm intended.
the beef of this writeup is to let everyone know, b/c i havent seen the 33xxxx model spoken about- THIS THING IS AMAZING!
my go to machete is a 12" ontario. sharp as all get out, holds that edge, and tough as nails, good and thick 1095 steel. i keep one in my 4 wheeler for cutting limbs out of my trails and it does a great job. BUT. as i began to get the hang of slinging the parang... (weighted different and i took a chunk out of the fender on accident
) i was taking out 2.5"-3" diameter trees in one swing, great grip on this thing btw. i wasnt tired after using it for about an hour or so... so i know it wasnt me just over exerting myself and thinking there was a difference. the blade does the work for you. it is heavier than my ontario, even my 22" version. which i guess has a lot to do with its capability. i cant get enough of this thing. i believe it is made in china, and have not discovered the blade metal composition but at this point i dont care- in another month or two i'll really get to see the edge retention based on personal experience. GOOD JOB GERBER!
i could do without the bear grylls stuff all over it, but i'm a functional man. honestly, after using it, i wouldn't care it if was pink and purple with unicorns on it. second thought i'd spray paint it black then. but the point is, this is definitely one of the most effective choppers i have ever used. if you try one, look on the pkging and make sure its NOT a 39xxxx or a 31xxxx model. get the 33xxxx model rev. c. and even though i'm not a bear product fan, (i like the show) i did very much enjoy the survival book/ fold out page that came with the machete. simple things but i thought it was cool. give it a try- lifetime warranty- i dont think you can beat it for the price at 35 from the wally mart. comparable bidor or condor is a little higher and has an old style handle.
thanks again for reading. have a good night!