Gerber 18" Machete

[Scythe13]

Hi Everyone

Just remembered something I think I should post.

The Gerber 18" machete that came on the survival weekend. Granted there was some really heavy duty chopping and sawing in pretty low temperatures, so it might be understandable.

After the weekend, the blade was still nicely sharp. Saw was in great condition, and everything seemed fine. During closer inspection of how sharp the blade was, I found something odd. The blade was bent. Not like a right angle or something like that. There was a small dipped section of the cutting edge itself. Only about 8cm long. But the blade is now crooked.

For normal use it will still be fine. I'll take it with me on some further expeditions and try it out some more. Should be okay for normal, not tree chopping, use though.

Test it to it's limits.

[Skean Dhude]

Interesting. I have one of those and it seems solid enough. I've not cut anything thick with it though. The machetes I have for that are about an eighth thick and made of cheap metal.

[NorthernRaider]

(10 January 2012, 18:09)Skean Dhude Wrote: Interesting. I have one of those and it seems solid enough. I've not cut anything thick with it though. The machetes I have for that are about an eighth thick and made of cheap metal.

Get your local garage guy to make you a panga or bolo machette out of an old piece of leaf spring from something like an old transit van, You wont be disappointed.

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(10 January 2012, 20:20)NorthernRaider Wrote:

(10 January 2012, 18:09)Skean Dhude Wrote: Interesting. I have one of those and it seems solid enough. I've not cut anything thick with it though. The machetes I have for that are about an eighth thick and made of cheap metal.

Get your local garage guy to make you a panga or bolo machette out of an old piece of leaf spring from something like an old transit van, You wont be disappointed.

Forgot to mention the best one I had was made by a REME guy decades ago using a leaf spring off a series 2A landy, used to dress it with a scrag end of a wet stone and it lasted years, It got nicked by one of my former cadets

[Carnebwen]

Was this the £30 ish one called the "gator"?

[Scythe13]

(18 January 2012, 22:38)Carnebwen Wrote: Was this the £30 ish one called the "gator"?

It was this one

http://gearpatrol.com/blog/2010/09/24/ge...r-machete/

[Timelord]

It will be too thin. At 19quid I suspect it is not durable enough. A blade with a thick back edge tapering to the cutting edge is ideal. Normal thin machetes of indigionous type were only used for cutting light brush etc. For heavier cutting needs a heavier blade. Simple physics. NR's advice on getting your own made is a good way to go. A parang is one of the most advanced blade forms but forget Bear Ghrylls which is no more than a butchers cleaver and thin to boot.