Ontario vs marbles machete...

That's totally normal. If you have a belt sander, use that to get the scales flush with the tang. If you only have hand tools use a knife to cut the wood down close to flush, then finish on sandpaper or with a coarse wood file. They do that to keep the cost down, and pretty much any of the "blue or no-collar" machetes with riveted scales (whether wood or polymer) are like that.
 
You sand them while attached to the machete. I used an electric hand sander with coarse grit and finished with a fine grit. Coated with boiled linseed oil.
 
I didn't explain this wright, it's not the extra meat more than the tang... The whole inside of the scale is floating off the tang and only attached to the pins.. I'll try and get a pic with light behind it
 
Pericles said:
The handle of the black one is wood (just checked), covered with a crinkly rubbery paint which I find offensive to my hand and eye.
The cord wrap is more of a shoelace macrame and does no favors. Mine now wears a simple, flat cord wrap. I presume both handles are riveted and glued.
A good machete will "ring" at the sweet spot; this one is tuned to G#4.

All in all, an excellent tool, which I never find tiring in extended use. I might get the 18" as well.
Click to expand...

I have the black one too, and the handle is definitely not wood on mine.
 
Have you considered Cold Steel or Tramontina? I've owned Marbles, Ontarios, Condors, Cold Steels, Bolettos and Trams, and CS/Tramontina are my favorites. I think the longer Ontarios are far too heavy and thick for extensive cutting of brush, so I would go with the Marbles of the two you chose.
 
Honestly, even with the scales gap it'll probably still be fine to use.
 
I agree as long as the handles are tight. I would still sand down the top and bottom of the handles to be flush with the tang. That is one of the reasons I prefer wood handles on machetes. Easier to work with using commonly owned tools.
 
Almost exactly the same size as what was on there, the same pins barely made it through.
 
Well I did have to cut about 1/16 off both pins to get them out of the tang so it's that much thinner
 
I had a gap like that in mine. I dribbled epoxy through that gap before sanding them down.
After sanding them I gave them a few coats of minwax wood hardener, then some type of oil finish. I think BLO.

Good machete.

I like your home made micarta.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top