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Post by GUEST on Mar 8, 2011 8:19:47 GMT
Now to my favorite machete the Ontario G.I. 18inch blade machete. Got this one in my order from smokey Mountian Knike Works for $22.95. This replaces one I lost a few years ago. This style of brush machete has been carried by US service men since before WW2. Ontario is one of the few US made machetes and is the heavy weight of brush style machetes. Even though it's a heavy it is still lively in the hand. Specs blade lenght 18in 1095 steel width 1 1/2in base flaring to 2 1/4in at tip finish parkized gray thickness 3.5mm Grip Black plastic held on by 3 rivets has landyard hole. This machete comes with a utility edge out of the box. I put a little sharper edge on it using my diamond stones. It was easy to touch up with no soft spots. It did not come with a sheath I plan on getting a Marbles sheath for it in the future, I really like the Marbles sheaths. You can get a GI plastis sheath for it too. This machete since it is made for US service men is built to take heavy abuse. Us troops can dish out heavy abuse to thier equipment or the enemy. This grip is a little chucky in the handle wish is was a liitle more oval in shape. The parkized finish held up well in cutting hardwood sapping. It is a little hard to clean th sap off it rough finish. The first hardwood sapping I cut was 1 3/4in dia. The machete cut throught fairly easy but not as easy as the Marbles Swamp Master panga style machete. The second sappping was 2 1/2 in dia took 2 cuts to get it down took more force to do than I expected.
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Greg
Senior Forumite
Posts: 1,800
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Post by Greg on Mar 8, 2011 8:43:52 GMT
It is thanks to you that my next machete will no longer come from Cold Steel... probably ever. Keep up the great work!
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Post by GUEST on Mar 8, 2011 8:57:35 GMT
Thanks, I call them as I see them, I do own several Cold Steel machetes too. For some reason except for the old LTC they just don't cut as well in heavier brush than other machetes do.
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Sébastien
Senior Forumite
Retired Moderator
Posts: 2,967
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Post by Sébastien on Mar 9, 2011 2:46:19 GMT
Nice review man, I like that machete !
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Post by howler on Aug 12, 2016 21:48:58 GMT
Now to my favorite machete the Ontario G.I. 18inch blade machete. Got this one in my order from smokey Mountian Knike Works for $22.95. This replaces one I lost a few years ago. This style of brush machete has been carried by US service men since before WW2. Ontario is one of the few US made machetes and is the heavy weight of brush style machetes. Even though it's a heavy it is still lively in the hand. Specs blade lenght 18in 1095 steel width 1 1/2in base flaring to 2 1/4in at tip finish parkized gray thickness 3.5mm Grip Black plastic held on by 3 rivets has landyard hole. This machete comes with a utility edge out of the box. I put a little sharper edge on it using my diamond stones. It was easy to touch up with no soft spots. It did not come with a sheath I plan on getting a Marbles sheath for it in the future, I really like the Marbles sheaths. You can get a GI plastis sheath for it too. This machete since it is made for US service men is built to take heavy abuse. Us troops can dish out heavy abuse to thier equipment or the enemy. This grip is a little chucky in the handle wish is was a liitle more oval in shape. The parkized finish held up well in cutting hardwood sapping. It is a little hard to clean th sap off it rough finish. The first hardwood sapping I cut was 1 3/4in dia. The machete cut throught fairly easy but not as easy as the Marbles Swamp Master panga style machete. The second sappping was 2 1/2 in dia took 2 cuts to get it down took more force to do than I expected. Ontario is the best (especially if you get them on sale) because they use 1095 steel. The 12" (slightly thicker) cutlass may be the best bush crafter buy anywhere, as you can use it as a camp knife, machete, whatever.
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Post by howler on Aug 12, 2016 21:54:22 GMT
It is thanks to you that my next machete will no longer come from Cold Steel... probably ever. Keep up the great work! In the "basic" machete category, I would agree with you, as there are great alternatives out there. But CS makes some VERY interesting and inexpensive designs that are simply not replicated by anybody else. Look at the All Terrain Chopper, or Kukri Plus (thicker blade) among others. They OWN this niche...and when you go up to the next price point zone...you get Condor.
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Post by Adventurer'sBlade on Aug 18, 2016 15:43:58 GMT
You're such a necromancer, howler! 👻
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pgandy
Moderator
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Posts: 10,296
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Post by pgandy on Aug 18, 2016 18:37:50 GMT
I carried an Ontario once, years back. I remember when it was handed to me the first thing I noticed was the name Ontario and thinking damn Ontario has the market sewed up. I found nothing wrong with it, in fact I thought it was rather a good one for a machete, but at the same time I took much of the issue gear as being good. You might say that instead of holding it in any high esteem I just took it for granted. No one taught me how to put a good edge on it nor a how to cut. Like everyone else I just whacked away with it and made sure that it would pass inspection. Now, I could put it to good use and appreciate it. That is if I didn’t have so many others. In fact, thinking on it I miss the sucker.
PS Thinking on it I think somehow I wound up with two. I know that I had two sheaths and I believe a machete for each. The sheaths were different. One had a sharpening device at the throat that could be rolled out of the way when not wanted, that was my favourite.
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Post by howler on Aug 18, 2016 22:01:45 GMT
You're such a necromancer, howler! 👻 Communicating with the dead...I'd like to see a machete on the market help you do THAT (something out of Indiana Jones and the last Crusade...where you go on a quest to find the thing). Then...who to communicate with...Genghis Khan, perhaps? Really though, standard machetes don't get better than Ontario, and that 1095 (the 12" cutlass for bush craft is superior). Cold Steel is GREAT for their unique designs at low price point...almost the Jurassic park of machete experimentation...and WHO DOES NOT LIKE DINOSAURS! Sure you will get some goofy designs that "don't quite work" (though they might for a few), but heck, different strokes for different folks, and a fun and relatively inexpensive way to collect large blades, where grown, middle aged men can feel like a swashbuckler in the back yard...even if the vile villain is a clump of Himalayan blackberries...DAMN THEM.
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Post by howler on Aug 18, 2016 22:09:53 GMT
I carried an Ontario once, years back. I remember when it was handed to me the first thing I noticed was the name Ontario and thinking damn Ontario has the market sewed up. I found nothing wrong with it, in fact I thought it was rather a good one for a machete, but at the same time I took much of the issue gear as being good. You might say that instead of holding it in any high esteem I just took it for granted. No one taught me how to put a good edge on it nor a how to cut. Like everyone else I just whacked away with it and made sure that it would pass inspection. Now, I could put it to good use and appreciate it. That is if I didn’t have so many others. In fact, thinking on it I miss the sucker. PS Thinking on it I think somehow I wound up with two. I know that I had two sheaths and I believe a machete for each. The sheaths were different. One had a sharpening device at the throat that could be rolled out of the way when not wanted, that was my favourite. Pgandy, I ordered SEVERAL from Tactical Intent a few months back (12" cutlass saw backs) for a bit over TEN BUCKS each! Don't know if they still offer them. A fine small machete/camp knife hybrid (and the best price point out there for the breed) if you put the right edge on. Used by the military and made in America.
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