In Development... [UPDATE: They're here!]

What I'm worried about with it is how the blade will function as a machete, because if it doesn't it's just another sharp piece of cut out steel for play. The grip gives me worry but looks cool so eh. I think the point would bend easily too, looks pokey but fragile.

It can be used for utility tasks but wasn't designed with it specifically in mind. The tip speed if fast enough to handle light targets like tall grasses and other lush vegetation, springy canes and suckers, etc. but it can chop heavier woody targets as well--you just need to use the region roughly corresponding with the start of the partial back edge, as that's where the force is best transferred to a static hard target.

To provide some context for the tip choice, a common combo of fall/winter work wear in New England is a quilt-lined Carhartt (or similar) heavy duck canvas jacket over a thick hoodie. Such a combo would turn a cut pretty spectacularly, and so a point designed to penetrate that kind of layered, heavy, loose fabrics was important to me from a design standpoint. You wouldn't want to stick just the first 1cm of the tip into a log and then pry sideways with it, but in repeated hard thrusts into wood no damage has occurred.
 
What I'm worried about with it is how the blade will function as a machete, because if it doesn't it's just another sharp piece of cut out steel for play. The grip gives me worry but looks cool so eh. I think the point would bend easily too, looks pokey but fragile.

With it being designed as a weapon, I don't expect much in the way of forward mass one might expect in a machete. The grip would bug me at first but even with large hands, I find I can adapt to most grips. The built in subhilt aspect could be ground out if one wants to. I would run away from something similar with a full four finger grip contour. The hilt is way overbuilt for my tastes but hey, it's a look of its own and infinitely modifiable. Props on the distal as well and that underlines it being built with a weapon in mind.

In my own land of plenty, I'm probably not a customer and honestly moving back to the knife sector. Stuff I can turn over to experience the diversities and pass them on. Swords and machetes are a tough sell on the second hand market.

Cheers
GC
 
The subhilt is there for a few reasons--chiefly to facilitate good point control and to act both as a stop for the hand when thrusting and a catch for easing withdrawing the blade. The grip region below the subhilt is full sized to make it easier to grasp in a hurry as well as allowing for more grip options and to afford just a little extra reach if needed. The sweep of the knuckle bow is to firmly deflect blades away for the body, and the rear prong is to ensure that parries across the body reliably catch the blade to prevent disengagement and give a solid means of redirecting a blade without it bouncing or slipping off under pressure. The overall design was meant to be intuitive for people who have maybe never even held a long blade in their life, but have features that people who have trained in sword-related arts would be able to readily make use of to fullest potential. Maximizing functionality and minimizing price were the chief goals of the project.
 
The sweep of the knuckle bow is to firmly deflect blades away for the body, and the rear prong is to ensure that parries across the body reliably catch the blade to prevent disengagement and give a solid means of redirecting a blade without it bouncing or slipping off under pressure.
Once again underlining the prime directives. Not expecting much bouting with these, I suppose one is expecting to encounter others with blades. Not much interest here of a new weapon. So, that leaves the cool factor of new toys one might accumulate. I just don't have many roving bad guys with blades and in current circumstances, would not be greeting intruders with me wielding a blade

Cheers
GC
 
Once again underlining the prime directives. Not expecting much bouting with these, I suppose one is expecting to encounter others with blades. Not much interest here of a new weapon. So, that leaves the cool factor of new toys one might accumulate. I just don't have many roving bad guys with blades and in current circumstances, would not be greeting intruders with me wielding a blade

Cheers
GC

Hahaha--don't think I'm trying to persuade you to get one! I'm just explaining why it's designed the way it is.

Context of use would be in circumstances of civil unrest where a mix of weapons see use, and firearms/ammunition are either in too short of a supply to permit outfitting everyone in your group for their defense or doing so would be a liability due to the unfamiliarity of those persons with safely operating firearms. Two feet of steel makes a better defensive weapon than nothing at all, and is something that even total neophytes instinctively know how to use in some limited degree. It's not intended as a primary weapon in such sorts of conflicts, but a strong supplementary one to be used as part of a comprehensive solution. The most likely weapons it would be pitted against would be other, more commonplace machetes and blunt objects of various sorts. Consider it a "catastrophe preparedness" design. Unlikely you'd ever need to actually use it, but it's fun, and if the need ever did arise it's designed to do its job well.
 
Hahaha--don't think I'm trying to persuade you to get one! I'm just explaining why it's designed the way it is.

Context of use would be in circumstances of civil unrest where a mix of weapons see use, and firearms/ammunition are either in too short of a supply to permit outfitting everyone in your group for their defense or doing so would be a liability due to the unfamiliarity of those persons with safely operating firearms. Two feet of steel makes a better defensive weapon than nothing at all, and is something that even total neophytes instinctively know how to use in some limited degree. It's not intended as a primary weapon in such sorts of conflicts, but a strong supplementary one to be used as part of a comprehensive solution. The most likely weapons it would be pitted against would be other, more commonplace machetes and blunt objects of various sorts. Consider it a "catastrophe preparedness" design. Unlikely you'd ever need to actually use it, but it's fun, and if the need ever did arise it's designed to do its job well.
If I may ask a question, it it's primary focus is as a weapon why have it start out so thin at the base?
 
If I may ask a question, it it's primary focus is as a weapon why have it start out so thin at the base?

I don't know what you mean by that. Care to rephrase/elaborate? The blade and guard are both quite stiff at the current thickness. They actually made samples that started around 5mm thick tapering to 3mm for some reason (I never specified for them to make them that thick) and they're still under 3lb, but weren't nearly as nimble as the properly thin ones.
 
I don't know what you mean by that. Care to rephrase/elaborate? The blade and guard are both quite stiff at the current thickness. They actually made samples that started around 5mm thick tapering to 3mm for some reason (I never specified for them to make them that thick) and they're still under 3lb, but weren't nearly as nimble as the properly thin ones.
That's basically what I mean. Usually when something is made as a weapon it is not around 3mm thick at the forte.

Actually, from 5 to 3 with a spear tip section at the tip past the fullers I'd pay quite a bit more for on this design.

In any case, please don't take my posts as deriding your product. I really like the design and will probably really like the thing as well when I get it. Just throwing my thoughts out to the fodder.
 
For reference, the current version weighs 1lb 12oz while the initial overly-thick samples weigh 2lbs 6oz, so shifting to the correct specification shaved off a whopping 10oz. The lighter version still cuts effectively and possesses the necessary rigidity for effective thrusting while being MUCH faster in the hand. I appreciate that you'd be willing to pay more for a thicker/slower version, but the goal was to make something you could pay less for. :D If designing with thicker stock in mind the design would be different, in any case.
 
Ah I see. I usually train with sabres weighing at 2 pounds 8 ounces so I may not be the best judge of weight. Interestingly though, that's 2 ounces heavier than my CS cutlass machete. I'm sure due to the profile taper it will be more lively though.
 
Ah I see. I usually train with sabres weighing at 2 pounds 8 ounces so I may not be the best judge of weight. Interestingly though, that's 2 ounces heavier than my CS cutlass machete. I'm sure due to the profile taper it will be more lively though.

It's about the mass distribution. The CS Cutlass Machete balances about 7" from the grip, which is precisely double that of the Kingfisher. :)
 
It's about the mass distribution. The CS Cutlass Machete balances about 7" from the grip, which is precisely double that of the Kingfisher. :)
The cutlass is also a cutting blade with less thought given to the thrust though. More machete-y too.

Looking forward to my kingfisher. Hope it stands well to my usage.
 
Hahaha--don't think I'm trying to persuade you to get one! I'm just explaining why it's designed the way it is.

Context of use would be in circumstances of civil unrest where a mix of weapons see use, and firearms/ammunition are either in too short of a supply to permit outfitting everyone in your group for their defense or doing so would be a liability due to the unfamiliarity of those persons with safely operating firearms. Two feet of steel makes a better defensive weapon than nothing at all, and is something that even total neophytes instinctively know how to use in some limited degree. It's not intended as a primary weapon in such sorts of conflicts, but a strong supplementary one to be used as part of a comprehensive solution. The most likely weapons it would be pitted against would be other, more commonplace machetes and blunt objects of various sorts. Consider it a "catastrophe preparedness" design. Unlikely you'd ever need to actually use it, but it's fun, and if the need ever did arise it's designed to do its job well.

All the above are " NOT " Doomsday Hypothetical Scenarios.

East Coast : Hurricane Katrina ; Looting & incidents of Civil Unrest.

Puerto Rico : Yearly Hurricanes; My wife's brother has lived on the Island all his life .. He wasn't as prepared, as " HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ", & doesn't own any firearms o_O

West Coast : EARTHQUAKES & CIVIL UNREST; I lived thru (front Line Eyewitness Accounts) Two major Southern CA Earthquakes & Two Major Civil Unrest incidents :eek:

Todays L.A Times Headlines.

The Big One could leave 250,000-400,000 quake refugees in California. Where will they go?

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-california-earthquake-refugee-arizona-20180603-story.html
 
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No offense taken, in case you were wondering.
I wasn't as I didn't think any actual machete would be that expensive.

60 bucks would be alright imo for this item because it's (as discussed) not only a tool.

For 60 I can get like 3 very good tramontina or 2 or 4 CS machetes, all of which I've either owned or worked with with no problems. So from my viewpoint, looking at it as (now mistakenly) as a tool, I saw a 60 dollar price tag as a bit pricey and attached because of the sword-ness of the object.
 
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