How to effectively use a machete

I square off the spine of the blade for the first few inches above the handle with a mill file. This leaves the edges at a very sharp right angle. I normally round off the spine above this right angle portion to make it more comfortable to grip the back of the blade.

By shaving down against dry hardwood with the squared blade portion you can make a large handfull of very fine shavings that are great for lighting fires.

Here's a shot of one of my students using the blade spine to make tinder.
psttinder2fr.jpg


Here's a closeup of the blade spine and tinder it made. If you choose the right kind of wood you can light it with only sparks. I teach this as a rainy season technique as in the rainy season it is very hard to find dry tinder. With the machete you can cut, split, and then shave up tinder.
tramontinatinderhotspark9ak.jpg


Mac
 
Oh! OK, now I see the usefulness. Any more ideas?

BTW, for the tinder, do I need to spilt the wood into half first before using the spine to shave the wood and get tinder?
 
Acwire,

Depends. In the photo it was dry season. I teach the technique to every group I take out just so they know it, and so they will set up their own machete the same way. In the shot I posted the wood was not split, that's a full round of seasoned Candeia. We had used that piece for several fires so there is a flat area worn into it.

This particular wood is very waterproof and burns very well. During rainy season the outer surface will be pretty wet to about a half cm, wet enough that the shavings won't light with a spark. If you split the wood you can get to really dry stuff inside and the shavings will catch fire better. In rainy season here there is no readily available tinder. Split and splintered Candeia works year round and I teach my students how to locate it. It has a very odd wet-dog smell, and only grows in the middle elevations. It is hard to chop but easy to split, and shaving it makes good tinder. That way they only really need to find a decent piece of it to get their fire going.

This is the same Candeia split under a rock overhang during rainy season.
bb2bk7withsplitcandeiawood6fq.jpg


There are other wood types here that will be soaked to their core and no amount of splitting will get you to dry wood. We use that wood once the fire has got going as the heat will boil the water out in a few minutes and the wood will burn as normal deadfall. If you try to prepare wet wood like that to start your fire you will remain cold and miserable. Mac
 
I just grip the blade in a vice and file forward away from the handle with the file held perpendicular to the blade. Use a single cut mill file, a double cut file will score the surface and leave the edge with little teeth in it.

tramontinabladespinesquarejob4.jpg


The original finish of the blade spine (on a Tramontina anyway) is a rough stamping with some sort of lacquer on it. The forward part in the above foto is untouched, the rearward part has been filed on. As you file you can see the irregularities start to vanish. Keep filing evenly until they are all gone decreasing in pressure as you go. As long as you don't roll the file right to left (if right handed) you will obtain a sharp 90 degree surface on the spine.

BTW these sharp 90 degree spines strike a ferro rod very well. I ranger band/paracord a Doan tool to my machete sheath. It makes a pretty good kit.

This is the combo I loan to my students, a 14 inch Tramontina set up like I described and a Frost's SWAK. They make a versatile pair.
vayy0748so.jpg


Mac
 
I think I just noticed something that could be relevant.... the Tramontina machete shown in Pict's photo seems to be a lot thicker than any machete I have owned. If this is the case, then it is likely a heap heavier too..... and this would make a significant difference, I think, when it comes to cutting thicker materials and harder wood.

So how thick is your machete blade Pict? Thanks.... Coote.
 
I think his blade is slightly thicker then the 6/18" blade. BTW, does the thickness of the blade affect the strength of the blade.
 
The strength of the blade is quadratic with the thickness so for example a 1/8" blade is 4 times as strong as a 1/16" blade and 8 times as rigid. Most heavy machetes for wood cutting are 1/8" and the ones for grasses and lighter materials are 1/16.

-Cliff
 
Let the weight of the blade do the work, and work easy with it for starters until you get the feel of it. Once you get the blade in motion for a cut, use your hand and wrist and arm to guide it, in nice easy swings. If you get a death grip on it and chop, chop, chop, you'll wear yourself out and get sore muscles.
Those cheap thin-bladed South American machetes work just fine. Let's face it, they use these things every day. If you don't like the length, blade shape or balance, they can easily be reground. A machete is a chopping tool, you can sharpen it with a file and that's all that's needed.
If the handle feels slippery, you can wrap it with that tacky black electricians friction tape, available in any hardware store...or hockey stick tape, available in any sporting goods store. Either will improve your grip and control 100%.
 
Acwire,

I don't square off the entire edge, just about 4-5 inches of it starting at the handle. The rest of it I like to round off. I start by filing off the irregularities left from the stamping and then start filing off the corners of the squared spine keeping them even on both sides. I work it with the file until it is as round as I can visually see then sand it to even up the finish. If you look at the photo right above the tinder ball you can see where the blade has been rounded. It really does improve the look of the blade and it handles better against bare skin when gripping the back of the blade.

Coote,

As for the thickness of the Tramontina blade, I think this is a case of the camera adding ten pounds. Those photos are shot real close to show the squared edge. I'm sure Cliff has a micrometer handy. I have one but I'd have to read the manual to get it right and it is in Chinese (I think). The Tramontina blade is not as thick as the Ontario. Mac
 
Where can you suggest I get a thick and good machete? Is the Tramontina blade good? Where can I buy it in Singapore?
 
Acwire,

I like the Tramontina's. They aren't the only brand sold in Brazil but they are the most prolific. Also it seems that everyone here who makes leather sheaths for them uses the Tramontina blade as the pattern. I have had good expereinces with my Tramontina machetes. I use them mainly because they are everywhere here at a very low price. They aren't the last word in machete. They are efficient, low cost tools, marketed to the class of people who use them for a living. There are better blades out there, but you'd be hard pressed to find a better one at about $5.

In Singapore I wouldn't begin to know where to pick up a Tramontina. It seems that Martindale has wide distribution in the far east, they certainly haven't made any inroads here though. They make a good machete. If I was in the far east I would be looking at their line.

One tip on buying a machete, ask them which model sells the most in that area. Chances are that it will also be the most effective for whatever there is there to cut. Keep in mind thought that those sales figures might include specific agricultural activity such as sugar cane. Here in central Brazil it is agreed upon that the 14 inch Tramontina is the best general purpose blade. Up in the Amazon they would probably think it to be too short. Mac
 
So it really depends on the area that we are in? Any idea if there is a website for the Tramontina's Blade and the Martindale where I can see and buy it?
 
acwire_2125 said:
So it really depends on the area that we are in? Any idea if there is a website for the Tramontina's Blade and the Martindale where I can see and buy it?
Click to expand...
I'd suggest you get what locals use. It is more likely to be the right tool for the area. They could also provide you with tips for jungle in your area.

Valiant co sells good user south-east asian traditionnal blades. They are quite expensive but keep in mind they are forged steel, handmade, with premium material (horn, engraving, wooden shelf...), which gives then an excellent quality/cost ratio compared to most industrial stuff (note that prices are in australian dollars, which is a bit cheaper then US$, about 0.75). Being indonesian, their goloks are significantly cheaper then anything else.

That company sells local crafted blades mostly for export. As you are on spot, I guess you might even find cheaper ones by a local craftsman.
 
Ok, In Singapore, it is quite rare to find a Machete as there are no more farming agriculture in my country. Even if I have found a Machete, it would be quite expensive or else it would be quite lousy! Any help here?>
 
Expensive is relative ... The Valiant tools run about $75 AU, IIRC. I've gotten them here in the US for less than $75US, Shipping to you would be less as you are closer. Now that's still like 10X what a Tramontina costs, or 5X what a Collins machete costs, but still not all that expensive as knives go. Way less than the cost of some of the knives you hear bandied about here on the BF.

Pat
 
Yes, But is the blade good? I have looked at those blades by MArtindale and they seem pretty decent. Wad do you think?
 
Pict,

I'm very interested in that machete sheath, can you talk about it a bit more?
 
45-70,

That sheath is produced here in Minas Gerais (my state in Brazil) by hand in a small one-man operation saddle and leather shop. I but them at the central market downtown.

That is actually a saddle sheath. The flap of leather on the sheath is for securing it to a saddle. It also has a belt loop, or you can pass your belt through the saddle flap for a higher ride on your belt or to cant the sheath in the direction you want.

Decent leather sheaths here are not mass production items. Mass production sheaths here are low cost, ugly, and designed for rural workers. If a guy wants status he goes out and buys himself a fancy sheath and that sets him apart from the common workers. A good sheath will cost about twice as much as the blade it is designed for.

I am always on the lookout for quality machete sheaths and will actually buy a nice one and then go buy a machete for it if I don't have one already.

Other examples...
vayy0728wt.jpg


The second from the bottom is a sheath I made. The rest I bought here for shamefully low prices. Mac
 
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