How about a Fiskars machete?

F

Fjell

Joined
Oct 11, 2007
Messages
97
I own 2 Fiskars hatchetss. I'm very pleased with them, they certainly are the best hatches I own.

Besides this I sometimes use a machete. I own several cold steel machetes. They are certainly not superb, but given the price they are just ok. Anyway, since I'm satisfied with the fiskars hatchets I was considering buying a fiskars machete.

machete.jpg


Sure, they are ugly as hell. I can see that. They are also a little more expensive
than the cold steels. But how do they perform? Anyone have first hand experience with this fiskars machete?
 
I use Trams quite a bit. For me, the one pictured wouldn't work too well because of the hook. Machetes have so many different local configurations that I bet that profile does something really really well. Just my .02
 
Hi Guys,

Hook? Who's seen a hook?

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What about a Fiskars bowiechete?
I did this mod a couple years ago now (these pics are quite old sorry) and that blade served me well!

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Not really for belt carry (you could if you want to replay the last samourai though...)
I made a simple poor man PVC sheath to have it packed safely.
I really like this blade: Light, handle matérial is bombproof, great steel (3mm thick), easy field sharpening with a diamond file.

47b8df37b3127cceb3b99203dabb00000035102IYsmzdqxZK


Handle length means real chopping power, and great for batoning applications to...

47b8df37b3127cceb3b992f3da4b00000035102IYsmzdqxZK


Blade thickness makes precision jobs easy...

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Only thing to know is the tang of the blade goes not that deep in the handle (3cm -sorry guys, metric stuff here...)
It is not a pry bar, but now you know it, you won't try to use it as it...

Hope that helps,
Cheers,

Manu the frog.
 
ratfrog186 said:
Only thing to know is the tang of the blade goes not that deep in the handle (3cm -sorry guys, metric stuff here...)
It is not a pry bar, but now you know it, you won't try to use it as it...

Hope that helps,
Cheers,

Manu the frog.
Click to expand...

That certainly helped well, thank you very much for this usefull information. Pictures look great. By the way I guess the hook is for scraping bark or something like that.
 
That tool was designed for forest workers, and its job is to chop light branches.
Next step is chainsaw stuff...
Hook is for... hooking... logs when they're free of branches...


Manu.
 
it looks based on the billhook, which is sortof the european machete. used for trimming hedges and things.

i like the long handle to get some real chopping power in an otherwise fairly short blade.
 
That's actually not a machete, that's a Finnish billhook ("vesuri", in Finnish). Thats really common in here, but it's used by woodcutters , not by hikers, hunters etc.
 
It is a cool design but my experience with them is using them on light vegetation. The flat part of the blade is for the normal machete operation and the hook on the end is for the stuff that hard to chop with a swing(the little crap that flexes with the blade). You would hold the vines taut with one hand and pull the hook through with the other. very efficient. Since Fiskars has a version so does Gerber.

Another neat tool that I would love to have is the Woodman's Pal. I has a machete blade on one side with a safety tip(dont know if I like this or not) and a vine hook on the back side. Versions of this tool have also been used in military applications in jungle enviroments designated LC-14B.
 
The Gerber model is identical except the handle is all black. Its called the Brushthinner.

A few years back one of the regular forumites did a review of this machete come billhook-Jason Burns I think. He took it down to South America and used it in the rainforests. It performed so well the locals took a real shine to it. The fancy custom blades they ignored. For those with search ability I'm sure you could find the original posts.

I used to have one of the Gerber models and gave it to my step father who still uses it around the garden. He managed to cut his hand open with it, which surprised me as I didn't think the factory edge was that sharp. It was a deep cut, requiring several stiches, caused by him laying it down and then brushing his hand against the edge.

I used mine for cutting in and around some thorn bushes. The long handle makes it idea for that sort of work, keeping your hand clear of the thorns. It also works nicely with a two handed grip. The only other machete I've had that I liked more was an old Blackjack Panga.
 
I had one of those for a while, but now it has disappeared. I want another. Out here in N.
TX on our property, we have an infestation of briars and brambles. The hook is great for gathering up large bundles of the briars so they can be grasped with a gloved hand, then the thin edge does a great job of cutting.

I will have another.

Andy
 
Nice mod, I'd do it if they came on sale here; I got the hachets for $10 on sale.

BTW the orange can be scrapped of easily with a knife blade held at 90 degrees to the handle. I then spray painted the scrapped part with OD paint.
 
Nice mod, I am hoping my bowie bushman chops better when I put a 2 foot handle on it.
 
Not to really hijack the thread but does anyone have any ideas of a good way to carry this while in the woods? Also, I found that the Wal-Mart around here carries these for $20.
 
Yeah, billhooks machetes are old stuff, actually it is the only sort of "machete" that is commonly available in gardening shops down here.

The bill hook is supposed to help for chopping branches although not sure how it is actually supposed to work (maybe somewhat like khukris).

Interesting for "precision" pruning since the hook reduces the risks for "collateral damages".

It can also be used as a wood "gaff" to some extend.

One good thing is that the recurved point will hit the ground before the edge, protecting it when working near the ground. The ultimate evolution of the concept is that the point is ultimately replaced by a steel peg, as seen in following image (jap hatchet, in the middle)
http://www.hamonoichiba.com/custom/saji/image/big/saji_186.jpg

The obvious (quite big) disavantages are that the hook makes the blade somewhat awkward to use for certain tasks.
 
Rat frog that is one of the coolest things I've seen in a while, nice work :D.

I would like to see a 18" no hook version, fiskars would make a good machete, I know they make a scandi grind belt knife, Ill look for a pic.
 
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