Lanyard or no Lanyard on a Machete?

S

soapboxpreacher

Joined
Apr 3, 2010
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955
Ok I have a Condor El Salvador in 420HC and a Marble Bolo. Neither have a lanyard. While using the El Sal I launched it a few time (Slipped out of my hands) chopping hard. But my fear is it would be better swinging away from me then back at me because it was attached to my a wrist...pendulum of death so to speak. So my gut feeling is dont use a lanyard...and grip it a little tighter.
 
Use a lanyard that can wrap at least a couple times around your wrist. I've seen a person (6'2", 235lbs+) clearing thick brush with a machete during hunting season and ended up losing his grip and the thing flew out of his hand and cut a another hunter that was a few yards away. It got him in the knee, wasn't bad but it hit the bone.
 
soapboxpreacher said:
While using the El Sal I launched it a few time (Slipped out of my hands) chopping hard.
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I am tempted to buy one of these, but I think I'll get one with Micarta scales - ESEE is making the Lite Machete which is pretty much a Condor El Sal with Micarta scales from what I can tell looking at the specs & pics.

My suggestion is that you alter the scales or replace the scales or buy an ESEE Lite Machete. Using a Machete that keeps slipping from your hands doesn't sound like all that good an idea to me. If the scales are some sort of plastic then they might not be that hard to modify for increased grip - I have seen pics of a BK-7 with the scales dotted with the point of a soldering iron to make them more grippy, it looked pretty good too.
 
If you stretch the lanyard across the back of your hand and loop it around your thumb, it will swing away from you should you lose hold of it.
 
If you stretch the lanyard across the back of your hand and loop it around your thumb, it will swing away from you should you lose hold of it.
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Picture or link to picture plz. Ankerson's video shows a Busse with a front lanyard hole not one in the rear like my 2 machetes have. :)
 
Have the machete hanging by the lanyard off the back of your hand by your thumb. Then rotate your hand to bring the handle into the palm of your hand.

That being said I don't use lanyards. :)
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
Have the machete hanging by the lanyard off the back of your hand by your thumb. Then rotate your hand to bring the handle into the palm of your hand.

That being said I don't use lanyards. :)
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jarost said:
If you stretch the lanyard across the back of your hand and loop it around your thumb, it will swing away from you should you lose hold of it.
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^^ These answers.

Instead of putting your hand through the loop of the lanyard, let the lanyard hang, then grip the machete, then wrap the lanyard around your hand and hook your thumb in it.

Also, in looking at the Condor El Salvador, I'm having a hard time picturing how you launched it. I know that it has plastic scales, which aren't exactly great, but I can't say I've ever lost my grip on a machete--and that one even has a birds-head type of end on it to keep your hand from slipping off. Without seeing you using one, I can't really say, but I would suggest that you be sure you are holding it correctly (pinch grip).
 
Pinch the machete with the base of your forefinger and thumb. The other fingers remain relaxed. The machete should pivot in the crotch of the hand. The swing is a snapping extension and squeeze of the hand.
 
Pinch the machete with the base of your forefinger and thumb. The other fingers remain relaxed. The machete should pivot in the crotch of the hand. The swing is a snapping extension and squeeze of the hand.
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I can do that! :) I am a novice machete-ist. I've held a very firm grip on the whole handle and several times on dead, hardened limbs, have had the machete torque inside my grip or slide down the limb, forcing a quick moment of anxiety about hurting myself or losing the blade.

This must be due to improper grip or improper choice of brush that I expected to be able to clear with them.
 
cziv said:
I can do that! :) I am a novice machete-ist. I've held a very firm grip on the whole handle and several times on dead, hardened limbs, have had the machete torque inside my grip or slide down the limb, forcing a quick moment of anxiety about hurting myself or losing the blade.

This must be due to improper grip or improper choice of brush that I expected to be able to clear with them.
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Watch this video from our very own JeepzillaJoe to learn about the proper way to use your machete.

As for the torquing and sliding, it sounds like you are trying to use force instead of technique to do your cutting. Your machete should be sharp (it doesn't really need to shave, but it should slice paper cleanly in my opinion) and I like to round off the grind line so that the machete can bite deeply without having that shoulder to contend with. When cutting, utilize the pinch grip that you see in the video, and leverage your body mechanics--there is really not much call for bringing the machete way over your head and taking a huge swing at something when you can drop your weight and flick your wrist instead. Most times you will also want to cut at angles, but be sure not to cut at too steep of an angle or your machete will tend to bounce or slide on the surface of what you are attempting to cut--a 45 degree angle to what you are cutting is usually safe, but by no means the only effective cutting angle.
 
NoahL said:

Watch this video from our very own JeepzillaJoe to learn about the proper way to use your machete.

As for the torquing and sliding, it sounds like you are trying to use force instead of technique to do your cutting. Your machete should be sharp (it doesn't really need to shave, but it should slice paper cleanly in my opinion) and I like to round off the grind line so that the machete can bite deeply without having that shoulder to contend with. When cutting, utilize the pinch grip that you see in the video, and leverage your body mechanics--there is really not much call for bringing the machete way over your head and taking a huge swing at something when you can drop your weight and flick your wrist instead. Most times you will also want to cut at angles, but be sure not to cut at too steep of an angle or your machete will tend to bounce or slide on the surface of what you are attempting to cut--a 45 degree angle to what you are cutting is usually safe, but by no means the only effective cutting angle.
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Thanks for the vid and the great link. :thumbup::thumbup:
 
At the end of the swing the pivoting of the machete should have brought the bottom of the handle into the grip of your bottom three fingers, so even at the apex of the swing you should still have a decent grip on it.

If you've ever done saber fencing it's done much the same way--It's combined squeeze of the hand and extension of the arm. The two combine to make a very strong and controlled snap with little effort.
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5Gtbl45pVg

here is a video i did the other day showing the method ankerson is using. The osbourne method, which needs a lanyard hole on the front of the knife.

i also show the wrap around the wrist and thumb. id never use a lanyard over the wrist if not using the osbourne method, which I feel is the best and safest.
 
KyleyHarris said:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5Gtbl45pVg

here is a video i did the other day showing the method ankerson is using. The osbourne method, which needs a lanyard hole on the front of the knife.

i also show the wrap around the wrist and thumb. id never use a lanyard over the wrist if not using the osbourne method, which I feel is the best and safest.
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That osborne method looks pretty safe. Thanks for sharing and the video. :thumbup:
 
i also show the wrap around the wrist and thumb. id never use a lanyard over the wrist if not using the osbourne method, which I feel is the best and safest.
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Nice video KyleyHarris :thumbup: The problem is that my machetes and and knives like the ESEE Junglas would require "modding" to attach the lanyard in front.
 
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