Martindale 15 Inch Bolo Cleaver Machete

Tyrkon Lawson

Tyrkon Lawson

Joined
Oct 31, 2003
Messages
8,583
Hi all. I really don't do much reviewing but I had a few people express interest in this particular machete. So I took some pics and made a quick video. Nothing spectacular or overly detailed but just some basics.

Product Description (from Machete Specialists)


A thick, heavy duty cleaving machete designed for vertical chopping.
Brand: Martindale
Total Length: 20 inch
Blade Length: 15 inch
Blade Thickness: 4mm tapered
Weight of Machete: 1 lb 6 oz
Blade Composition: High Carbon Steel
Blade Detail: Some additional sharpening required.
Style: Bolo
Handle: polypropylene riveted




I will start by saying that I really like this machete. It is one of the thicker ones out there but IMO feels like one of my lighter/thinner ones. Out of the box I knew I had to sharpen it so I spent about 1hr with a mil file and got it shaving sharp. Still needs a little more work at the sweet spot but it is good to go now. Full tang. Slabs are larger than tang so I will need to sand them down but that's easy enough.

One surprise was how thin the handles are but that actually is a plus in my book as some of the machetes out there feel too fat as far as the handles are concerned.

I made a quick sheath out of PVC pipe and will attach some molle clips to the sheath to attach it to my pack.

I'll try to add more as I plan on using this a lot tomorrow for some yard work. Here are some pics and a quick video. (My audio is not working at the moment so I added some music and captions).

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Video: http://s633.photobucket.com/albums/uu55/HAM-SOLO/?action=view&current=BoloCleaverMachete.mp4



Over all I am very pleased with this machete and plan on really putting it through its paces. :thumbup::thumbup:
 
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Wow, that bad boy sure is thick for a machete. Thanks for the information. I might have to get me one of these, they look pretty sweet!
 
Ya it is a thick one. But it works for me as I use my machetes in areas of North America with thicker vegetation. But it doesn't feel bulky or heavy IMO.
 
Here are a few pics of one I modified for bushcraft purposes. You can see how strong the distal taper is! :eek::cool:

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Funny, I was looking at that last night. I ended up pulling the trigger on the golok. They look like they are the same stock thickness. Is that right? I bought the 14" old hichory butcher and it's a thicker stock than the other blades. It seems a little thicker than .125", and it works well, but this one looks killer.
 
Great pics FortyTwoBlades. Really cool mods. I remember that one up for sale and just missed it. :( How did it chop with some of the forward mass removed? Did you use a belt grinder to remove the excess metal?

cody1: I love their golok as well. Lots of power in a compact package. As long as you are not afraid to sharpen it yourself it should serve you well. Both are basically the same thinkness but the bolo tapers more towards the tip.

Almost time to test the bolo machete out on some yard work and then work on some sheath attachments and such. :)
 
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Right on. Sharpening is not an issue. It'll be fun to get it this next week...
 
Tyrkon Lawson said:
Great pics FortyTwoBlades. Really cool mods. I remember that one up for sale and just missed it. :( How did it chop with some of the forward mass removed? Did you use a belt grinder to remove the excess metal?

cody1: I love their golok as well. Lots of power in a compact package. As long as you are not afraid to sharpen it yourself it should serve you well. Both are basically the same thinkness but the bolo tapers more towards the tip.

Almost time to test the bolo machete out on some yard work and then work on some sheath attachments and such. :)
Click to expand...

I used a cutoff wheel and some patience (to prevent overheating) to cut away the extra material. I smoothed it all down with the belt sander and used it to put a nice polished convex edge on it. :cool:

It felt great with a little material removed. Not as heavy-hitting, but MUCH more appropriate for drilling and knife-like usage while still having plenty of chopping ability.

I can always make another, you know. :D
 
My Martindale Golok arrived. Need to touch up the grind and marry the slabs to the tang, but I like it... More to come!
 
cody1 said:
My Martindale Golok arrived. Need to touch up the grind and marry the slabs to the tang, but I like it... More to come!
Click to expand...

I just used a dremel for the handles and the supplied mil file that came with the sheath to sharpen both. Then I made a pvc sheath for both as the stock ones are not too sturdy. Lets us know how it works for you. :thumbup::thumbup:
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
I used a cutoff wheel and some patience (to prevent overheating) to cut away the extra material. I smoothed it all down with the belt sander and used it to put a nice polished convex edge on it. :cool:

It felt great with a little material removed. Not as heavy-hitting, but MUCH more appropriate for drilling and knife-like usage while still having plenty of chopping ability.

I can always make another, you know. :D
Click to expand...

:eek: I just might have to grab another. :D
 
cody1 said:
I bought the 14" old hichory butcher and it's a thicker stock than the other blades. It seems a little thicker than .125", and it works well, but this one looks killer.
Click to expand...

Do you mind if i ask were you got the old hickory from as i have been looking for one but most places wont ship to canada


lee
 
I'll get the handle shaped and sealed proper. I'll adjust the grind on my 2x72". It's going to be a great little chopper.

I got my old Hichories from Knife center, I believe. Can't remember. I would think some Canadian distributor would have them. Someone who carries Ontario products...
 
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