Based on the handle, the third from right (or second from left) looks like a Bark River. Is it? What model? Also, the URL for the pics indicates that they (the pics) are from Bark River's website gallery.
IMO any machete that costs more then $60-$80 shipped is money out the window, I don't care who makes it, what steel it is, what wood the handle is, mosaics, sheaths etc.... a machete is just a field/bush tool and ANY of my $6.00-$25.00 machetes are better then my $150 ones.. lessons learned by trial and error..
I'm sure Payette would agree that his cheaper machetes out performed all of his HI's...
I'll edit with pics later..
Same can be said about knives, for the most part. A knife is essentially just a cutting tool and MOST (not any) $25.00 knives will cut as well as a $225 one. But, like with machetes, blade steel upgrades can improve things like edge holding capabilities or toughness, and handle materials and/or finish can improve comfort or ergonomics... which can affect performance Better sheaths also add to a more positive user experience if they eliminate certain problems with cheaper ones. Quite simply, more expensive machetes and knives are better than cheaper ones if the user says they are. I'm not sure why machetes have to be relegated to ghetto utility tool status while their knife cousins get to enjoy the royal treatment with regards to materials, workmanship and reputation. They are all just tools to some; to others they can be works of art. A $300 knife makes no more sense to me than does a $300 machete. To each their own.
This is my $2.oo swap meet purchase before and after..
Ultraviolet reactive handle, bead blasted then a flat protective coating over the bead blast
I too am a big machete fan, though my collection is small. I have from the Rothco 12" camp through the Cold Steels to the 28" Tram.
Here is the only one I have made so far.
The owner wanted a machete to do the work of an axe, and a machete. Here are some pics of the progress. 1/4" 1080 18" cutting edge, 27" OAL.
Rough ground getting ready for heat treat.
Who neds a batton?!?
Okay, here are the pics of the handle on the blade.
Okay, here are the last pics of this beast. This time wearing leather chaps.
Paul
Has anyone got their hands on the new Condor Tapanga machete?
I've got a couple on the way. I can't wait to see them in-person! It's next to impossible to track down a reliable source for that pattern--Martindale makes a few, but no one ever seems to have them. Other than that the ones I've been able to find have all been Chinese in manufacture. Yours is a Diamond brand, isn't it?
I too am a big machete fan, though my collection is small. I have from the Rothco 12" camp through the Cold Steels to the 28" Tram.
Here is the only one I have made so far.
The owner wanted a machete to do the work of an axe, and a machete. Here are some pics of the progress. 1/4" 1080 18" cutting edge, 27" OAL.
Rough ground getting ready for heat treat.
Who neds a batton?!?
Okay, here are the pics of the handle on the blade.
Okay, here are the last pics of this beast. This time wearing leather chaps.
Paul