Cold Steel Bolo Machete
Mar 22, 2011 9:58:58 GMT
Post by GUEST on Mar 22, 2011 9:58:58 GMT
Another machete I got in my order from Smokey Mountian Knife Works for $9.99 plus shipping. This is a Bolo style machete made in South African. It comes without a sheath, I might get a Marbles sheath for it later. The factory which makes these machetes really needs to realine their sharpening machine there was a thin wire edge on the blade, this wire edge wasn't as bad as the one on the Panga machete. I guess you could of use it out of the box. Before I did any cut with it I took my file and diamond hone to it. The blade has a black finish, you can tell the blade hasn't got a real high polish under the coating. But who cares this is a tool made to be used.
The grip is on the large side, I have fairly large hands, but it feels large even to me. At least it didn't have a ridge where the mould break was like the Panga machete did. There is a large ladyard hole at the end of the grip.
Blade Lenght 16in black coating
Thickness 2mm
Steel 1050
Wdith at base 2in flaring to 3 1/4in
Grip Black plastic mould injected onto full tang 6 7/8in
Overall length 22 7/8in
I really wanted this machete to cut well, I like the bolo style machete. Being a machete with most of the weight at the end of the blade it should have cut well in heavy targets. It just dosen't feel right to me. The balance doesn't feel right maybe it just the over size grip.
Now on to cutting The first sapping was a 1 1/2in hardwood sapping, the machete made it through in one cut. I did feel the blade trying to turn in my hand, also I felt a lot of vibration. As to can see it didn't made a clean cut the sapping broke just before the blade got through
The second sapping was 2 1/2in hardwwod sapping it took 2 cuts to made it through agian the blade felt like it was trying to turn and a lot of vibration into my hand and arm
Bottom Maybe If I reduce the grip dia. it would do better for me. Right now with the blade trying to turn and the vibration I wouldn't want to use it for clearing. It would tire me out to fast.
The grip is on the large side, I have fairly large hands, but it feels large even to me. At least it didn't have a ridge where the mould break was like the Panga machete did. There is a large ladyard hole at the end of the grip.
Blade Lenght 16in black coating
Thickness 2mm
Steel 1050
Wdith at base 2in flaring to 3 1/4in
Grip Black plastic mould injected onto full tang 6 7/8in
Overall length 22 7/8in
I really wanted this machete to cut well, I like the bolo style machete. Being a machete with most of the weight at the end of the blade it should have cut well in heavy targets. It just dosen't feel right to me. The balance doesn't feel right maybe it just the over size grip.
Now on to cutting The first sapping was a 1 1/2in hardwood sapping, the machete made it through in one cut. I did feel the blade trying to turn in my hand, also I felt a lot of vibration. As to can see it didn't made a clean cut the sapping broke just before the blade got through
The second sapping was 2 1/2in hardwwod sapping it took 2 cuts to made it through agian the blade felt like it was trying to turn and a lot of vibration into my hand and arm
Bottom Maybe If I reduce the grip dia. it would do better for me. Right now with the blade trying to turn and the vibration I wouldn't want to use it for clearing. It would tire me out to fast.