Why a machete for my collection...

I have a broad selection of the Condor line of machetes; short to long. But the Puerto Rican and the wood handled El Salvador models are my favorites. The Pack Golok or Village Parang might be my choice for wacking at larger thicker wood such as I have when big limbs fall down from the trees in my back yard or along a trail. Sometimes the Condor Kumunga is my choice for trails if I want a really large blade that isn't as heavy as the Pack Golok. I seldom carry a really large knife on a trail and the Kumunga comes in handy from time to time.
 
hhmoore said:
My statement was based on my own experience with the brand. But, again, if you think it's a step up, that's all that matters - I'm not trying to change any minds.
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No, I did not figure you were trying to convince me into believing one way or another about them. I just wanted to point out the things I do see that are different between them. I think in real world use, they can both be workhorses in their field. The differences seem mostly cosmetic, and that alone was enough for me to want a representation of one :)
 
I was at the hardware store that sells the blue buckets (L***e’s), and I noticed they carry the Tromantina machetes....I might go back and pick one up since I don’t have a Tromantina yet.
 
Work Truck Man said:
I was at the hardware store that sells the blue buckets (L***e’s), and I noticed they carry the Tromantina machetes....I might go back and pick one up since I don’t have a Tromantina yet.
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I would if the price is right ( say $15 or less ).
I really like my 2 marbles machetes and the orange blade coating, but I do have the urge for an uncoated traditional machete that can patina.
This coating is some pretty tough stuff however and I don't want to refinish the whole thing, so I may have to buy something that's uncoated even though there 2 marbles are really all I actually need.
 
The Tramontina is a great deal there, imo. I mean, the wood handle seems atleast two steps above the Marbles example I have (my marbles has a wood handle that does not seem much better than balsa wood, lol!). And, the sharpening right from the factory on the Tramontina is a bit better than the Marbles. The Tramontina does not have a distal tapered blade as the Marbles/Imacasa have, and some folks like that, some don't. But, in any case, for 20 bucks, (which includes a usable nylon sheath), they are much bang for the buck, imo :)
 
I think I saw it at one dealer online for about $13, but no sheath and shipping would need to be added. That's why I got mine from the same big box tool place you saw it at :)

I mean, heck, even without the sheath being considered, that $13 price may quickly get close to the $20 mark when s&h is added.

Btw, it is absolutely AMAZING how many items the Tramontina company is involved in manufacturing. It is almost mind blowing!
 
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Work Truck Man said:
yeah I noticed they cost 20 dollars at the store I was at , and they are cheaper to order from an online retailer but I might just pick it up anyway instead of waiting for one in the mail.
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Go to a flea market or knife shop in the mall with $20 to spend on a new machete, all you'll be able to get is some Chinese POS excuse for a machete in some kind of mall Ninja / zombie killing design. No way will you have money left over either.
We may know a good South American machete as a dirt cheap working tool, but they've probably always been functionally worth more than they cost.
I personally would prefer if it was only $10, but they're well worth $20 and it'll probably be a lifetime tool if taken care of.
 
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Work Truck Man said:
I was at the hardware store that sells the blue buckets (L***e’s), and I noticed they carry the Tromantina machetes....I might go back and pick one up since I don’t have a Tromantina yet.
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Didn't know that. I will have to take a look. I was expecting Corona like Ace Hardware.
 
Machetes are the main tool of the jibaro, as the puertorrican mountain man is called. Many shapes and sizes, but an essential tool to all of them. I grew up using them, and my grandpa taught me how to sharpen them up, don't know if he ever took somebody's head off but I doubt it. To clear up a steep slope, there is no better tool, aided by the garabato, in places where no mower can go.

I don't have that much use for them in Florida, but have a Collins, a Tram and a cheapo harbor freight whose handle didn't last and is now just wrapped in electrical tape. I do keep them how my people did for many generations before me, accessible at an inside corner of the house, unsheathed.

Back in the day, jibaros were asked to leave their machetes outside before entering their local watering spots, and you can still see signs that say "Prohibido hablar de religion o politica" at the bar's door (religious/political talk is prohibited). Too many country side stories like the OP's great grandpa.
 
zuluninja said:
Machetes are the main tool of the jibaro, as the puertorrican mountain man is called. Many shapes and sizes, but an essential tool to all of them. I grew up using them, and my grandpa taught me how to sharpen them up, don't know if he ever took somebody's head off but I doubt it. To clear up a steep slope, there is no better tool, aided by the garabato, in places where no mower can go.

I don't have that much use for them in Florida, but have a Collins, a Tram and a cheapo harbor freight whose handle didn't last and is now just wrapped in electrical tape. I do keep them how my people did for many generations before me, accessible at an inside corner of the house, unsheathed.

Back in the day, jibaros were asked to leave their machetes outside before entering their local watering spots, and you can still see signs that say "Prohibido hablar de religion o politica" at the bar's door (religious/political talk is prohibited). Too many country side stories like the OP's great grandpa.
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Brings back some memories, thanks for sharing! :)

I remember heading out with a couple of my uncles on my first Plantain and Banana harvesting. They grow on huge plants, that from afar, look like small trees. Nope, not trees... just big plants. Anyhow, they warned me about wearing only clothes I cared not about. I figured I could wash whatever out of the clothing, but no way. The sap from those plants causes the nastiest clothing stains on earth... Once stained, it stays that way, lol!
By the way, for those that never heard the Spanish term "Jibaro(s)", it roughly translates in English as Country Folk(s). And, just like there is American "Country" music, there is also such thing as Puerto Rican "Jibaro" music. It was common to see a "Jibaro" music album cover with the singer holding a machete in his hand :)

As for my great grandfather and the incident I shared in my original post, I encountered my own situation one day while living there as a young man. I was out with an Uncle having a few drinks at a local watering hole. A man there was unfriendly to my uncle, and they even had a few unpleasant words, before someone asked the man to leave. After he left, I asked my Uncle what the beef was all about. He then told me that the man and his family did not care for our family. He went on and explained that the man's grandfather had been killed by his grandfather. It was the first time I had heard anything about it, other than the times that my mother had told me. I guess there was still an underlying feud between the two families because of that incident that probably occurred during the late 1930's. Again, history... the good, the bad, and the ugly... it is what it is.
 
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Plantain stains are symbolic of being puertorrican; to say you have "la mancha de platano" is a cultural identifier.

Back to machetes: a common issue with the wood handles is rot and cracking. Grandpa taught me how to wrap some copper wire at the top of the scales secured with 2 small nails. It's something I still have to practice, have done it twice but it comes loose after some use. The Collins is a big panga, and after that failed attempt to secure the slabs I took them off and pinned/epoxied purpleheart scales to it. The Tram is a regular 18" saber with a plastic handle that is still unmolested.

As nice as Condor machetes are, I just don't see myself spending over 30$ for a machete; then again, when I started buying knives I thought it was crazy to spend 100$ on just one knife :D and with 2 good machetes and a crappy but usable one, I'm covered. Gonna google that Puerto Rican machete now.
 
I have the Condor Bushcraft Parang, and the El Salvador, and Golak machetes. The Bushcraft Parang is a must for value machete collectors! I use the traditional, El Salvador machete in the yard, and I like it a lot. I also have the Cold Steel Black Bear, Barong, Bowie, Kukri, Royal Kukri, Tactical Wazikashi machetes. Most of these would be considered "mall Ninja", but I really enjoy them, and all can be found for $15-$27. The Kukri is my user, chopper and is very good for limbs (tree:D).
 
For lighter brush, my 18” Tramontina is the biz. I got mine from Baryonyx and let them put an edge on it. With the extra work, plus shipping, still under twenty bucks. I also have raw 14” Old Hickory Ellstin Limehouse replica. Essentially a really big butcher knife, it too is best in lighter stuff. For heavier brush, delimbing and chopping, I have found the Condor Golok gets a lot of work done without a lot of effort. I am not as hepped on the Pack Golok, except for its relative ease of carry.

The Baryonyx machete, while relatively expensive, is really effective across a wide range of conditions.

I have a third of an acre, with some trees and brush that need maintaining, not a lot but enough to justify a chain saw and a weed whip as well. The machetes are as much for fun as for utility, but they are a lot of fun.
 
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I also haven't decapitated anyone ;).

Really cool stories everyone.

Zuluninja, I had to look up "Garabato", now I have another thing to make because something so simple makes so much sense!
 
zuluninja said:
Machetes are the main tool of the jibaro, as the puertorrican mountain man is called. Many shapes and sizes, but an essential tool to all of them. I grew up using them, and my grandpa taught me how to sharpen them up, don't know if he ever took somebody's head off but I doubt it. To clear up a steep slope, there is no better tool, aided by the garabato, in places where no mower can go.

I don't have that much use for them in Florida, but have a Collins, a Tram and a cheapo harbor freight whose handle didn't last and is now just wrapped in electrical tape. I do keep them how my people did for many generations before me, accessible at an inside corner of the house, unsheathed.

Back in the day, jibaros were asked to leave their machetes outside before entering their local watering spots, and you can still see signs that say "Prohibido hablar de religion o politica" at the bar's door (religious/political talk is prohibited). Too many country side stories like the OP's great grandpa.
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This is an actual thing ?
I'll have to see if I still it, but last summer I made an l stick to pin down the weeds and cut them.
I had no clue this was something commonly done and that there's a name for these things, go figure.
 
I just remembered I made this small light machete a few weeks ago out of an old 1950's Craftsman hand saw blade that could no longer be a saw, it had a quick and dirty temporary tree branch handle on it so I could test it.
Today I just finished it's final handle which is made from a an old broken tool handle .


At 14" overall It's small and ultralight, but it's surprisingly effective on small stuff around the yard.
 
I probably have well over a hundred "machetes" between the hand-forged Thai knives I've accumulated over the past 40 years and a bunch of Central/South American ones that I got at a good price over the last 6 months. Tramontina, Imacasa, Incolma ... All good working knives in high carbon steel. Many shapes and lengths and weights. Typically $5 - $8 each, though I have some with a decent sheath that were around $15. - $18. ( Marble's). The steel is good enough to use and the price is good enough to abuse. Working tools, like my 60 or so hammers, ranging from 25 cent hammer heads at the flea market to $25 blacksmith hammers ready to go.

Oh, I did pay $25 each for some new old stock Collins machetes recently. Big beasts in terms of thickness and weight. So there's interesting stuff out there if you care for this sort of thing.
 
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