tramontina machetes

Eazy_tom

Eazy_tom

Joined
Jul 15, 2008
Messages
401
I'm thinking about getting 2 tramontina machetes and I was wondering how they are. I know they are only $10 but still Id rather not waste $20.

So do they come sharp?
How thick are they?
Hows the steel, does it hold an edge okay?
How do they compare to the cold steel machetes?

Thanks in advance guys.
 
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They come usable sharp, but can benifit with a convex reprofiling on a belt sander and polished out to at least 1000 grit.

I think they are 2 mm or vary from one type machete to the other by a hair. They're definetly thinner than an ontario

The steel performs well. The right hardness for a machete. Easy to resharpen . I tested a bolo out on some bone and the edge did well.
 
waddya expect from a $10 machete?
it cuts, it slashes, it takes a beating and then it's time to buy another.
but you know, these Brazilian mashers are well worth every single cent and it truly deserves a second chance.
FYI, there are also burmese style Tramontina dahs called the Bush Machete with a thicker stock; weighs heavier and probably cost twice as much. Now just such a machete could work out better but for having bought one such beast for the price of the original two?!
-http://www.tramontina.com.br/www/product/final_product.aspx?language=1&prod_id=1202&cat2=1&cat3=549&cat4=18
 
I've had a Tram bolo for a few years now. I also had (had being the word) two Martindales. I still have the Tram. I picked mine up for $6 and if you shop around you should be able to find one for less than $10. It came with fairly even grinds and decent wood to metal fit, better than the Martindales which cost five times as much. It's thin but it's a machete, not a khukuri. Even still, it'll go through 2" green avacado branches with one swing. I hit a big chunk of concrete with it once on a pretty hard swing. Mashed a 1/2" by 1/8" section of the blade close to the front but it didn't chip. It sharpens easily with a file and will take a good edge with croc sticks or fine emery boards. Trams are one of the best deals in knifedom.

No experience with Cold Steel or Ontario but Ontario machetes have a very good reputation. Condor aslo has a pretty good rep.

Frank
 
My Tram Bolo is doing fine. A bit of sharpening and handle shaping was needed initially, but it seems to be holding up well. And I beat the snot out of mine (chopping, wood splitting, digging, prying) trying to see what it could take. So far it hasn't broken!
 
Is there a common retailer (e.g. Ace or TruValue Hardware) that carries Tramotinas or Martindales?

I can't afford to spend enough to make it worthwhile buying online and pay shipping. Normally this would be all the excuse I needed to order a 60-90 dollar knife and add a 10-15 dollar machete to the order, but circumstances have changed.

I need something to fight back a lot of overgrowth that has taken over a back yard fence and is advancing. It's a thick wooded area behind the yard with power lines just on the other side of the fence. This treeless strip has been ideal for the creation of a combination of saplings, vines, giant weeds, and briars.
 
They are well worth the money, not the best made but will perform well. Many independent hardware stores and feed stores carry them. The well known chains usually don't.
 
Tramontina machetes are used every day by millions of people for their chores and hard work in the fields, woods and jungles of Central and South America. They are used by people to who $10 is several day's income and who choose their tools carefully because their lives may depend on it. For some of these people, their Tramontina may be the only metal tool that they own. They do everything from cutting, chopping to slicing plants, fibers, foods and animals.

"...compare to the cold steel machetes?" -are you serious? Cold Steel is a marketing company based in Southern California that sells knife products painted black to armchair commandos.
 
CWL said:
"...compare to the cold steel machetes?" -are you serious? Cold Steel is a marketing company based in Southern California that sells knife products painted black to armchair commandos.
Click to expand...

Partly true and all irrelevant.

Cold Steel machetes are comparable. The ones I've seen need more work on the edge than Tramontinas. They are available in slightly thicker blades, depending on the model, and many more blade shapes, at least in the US.
 
I only have one Tramontina but I like it just fine. The steel is good; reasonably tough and flexible. It definitely needed to be touched-up when I got it. The handle is sturdy and solidly fitted to the tang, although not perfectly shaped. From reading reviews and such, I'd say that's all pretty typical for the brand.

In short, they're worth every penny if you just want something you can sharpen easily and beat the snot out of. They're also worth putting a little elbow-grease into to make them really perform well and look nice.
 
I have one, from a garage sale, and it holds an edge and handles a fair amount of abuse around here, and it's still just as solid after a year. I've cut though vines & hit rocks, chopped through nails by accident, and after touching up the blade on a cheap bench stone (for my lawnmower blades) it was back to normal.

To me, Tramontina machetes are like Moras & SAKs - great, inexpensive tools, no frills.

thx - cpr
 
Ok looks like I'll be getting a couple bolos, and a latin to test out.
Maybe I'll get a cold steel or two and compare them.
 
Some of mine came very sharp and some really sucked. However they are more than worth the money and sharpen easy with a belt sander. I have half a dozen of them. 3, 12 inch a 14, 16 and Bolo.
 
I don't own a belt sander, will I have any trouble trying to sharpen one with sandpaper and a strop?
 
Eazy_tom said:
I don't own a belt sander, will I have any trouble trying to sharpen one with sandpaper and a strop?
Click to expand...

Use a file. Or a coarse stone. Convexing is nice, gives an element of increased performance, but for god's sake it's a yard tool. I don't want to be messing around with sandpaper and whatnot. I'm not trying to shave with it or anything. I just whip out my file, and a few seconds later I'm back in business.
 
raindog101 said:
Use a file. Or a coarse stone. Convexing is nice, gives an element of increased performance, but for god's sake it's a yard tool. I don't want to be messing around with sandpaper and whatnot. I'm not trying to shave with it or anything. I just whip out my file, and a few seconds later I'm back in business.
Click to expand...

Sounds like a plan to me, the less work the better.
 
I use Tramontinas for a some 15 years.And those are great once you chose good ones from the pile in store.Forrest is just over the fence and each year I have to clean the dense thicket of blackberry, and it is done by Tramontina.If hit concrete post it doesn't chip, little work with file and it is back, for work intended it holds blade reasonably well (even though I did cut bones, nails, dense wood, just for the test).Good advice above was to reprofile the edge it is wery poor factory made, but it can be easily done with a good file.For hiking and camping I take 12" Ontario, but for serious and prolonged work I do prefer 16" Tram, it is lighter, easier to resharpen, and I don't worry would I damage one or not.How much I like hose ?, 12 Trams, 4 Ontarios and 1 CS are machetes that I own. And that one CS I'm not satisfied about.
 
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CWL said:
Tramontina machetes are used every day by millions of people for their chores and hard work in the fields, woods and jungles of Central and South America. They are used by people to who $10 is several day's income and who choose their tools carefully because their lives may depend on it. For some of these people, their Tramontina may be the only metal tool that they own. They do everything from cutting, chopping to slicing plants, fibers, foods and animals.

"...compare to the cold steel machetes?" -are you serious? Cold Steel is a marketing company based in Southern California that sells knife products painted black to armchair commandos.
Click to expand...
EXACTLY. Thank you.
There are more Tramontinas in Costa Rica than there are cars. LOTS more.
 
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