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Post by GUEST on Apr 12, 2011 5:55:28 GMT
I got this machete awhile ago from Theblabeshop.com they have always given me good service. I mainly got this machete because like most americans we have a thing for bowie style blades. This machete has been discontinued but you can still find it at several places. This machete is made in China out of 1050 steel. Out of the box it comes with a fairly good useable egde. The grip is polyropylene 5 1/2in long with checking on the sides for a secure grip. It has a landyard hole near the end of the grip. The hole is to small making getting paracord through it hard to do. The machete comes with a heavy duty nylon sheath. Blade lenght 18in thickness 3mm width 2in steel 1050 Grip polyropylene lenght 5 1/2in Overall lenght 23 1/2in Now on to cutting first a cut a 56oz heavy plastic deregent bottle. The machete made it through with no problem My next target was a 1in pecan sapping. For some reason the Cold Steel machetes in this line want to twist in my hand cutting hardwood sapping. As you can see for the picture the machete made it half way through then turned sharply downwards Made it through on the back cut The second pecan sapping was 2 3/4in dia. It took me multi cuts to get through it I really wanted this machete to do a better job than it has did. Maybe it is just me and the grip that don't get along. Besides truning in cuts the grip puts alot of vibration up my arm. I have other machetes which will do a better job and not tire me out as fast.
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Post by MOK on Apr 12, 2011 9:37:58 GMT
Well, machetes have vibrational nodes just like any other not perfectly stiff object, although most are very generous about it. It looks like this one is more picky than most, for whatever reason.
It might be that the grip node is out of place, in which case you get exactly this kind of behavior (uncomfortable or painful vibration, turning in the hand, disappointing cuts) and there's really no fixing it, aside from actually modifying the blade... or it might be that the striking node (the "sweet spot" or "center of percussion") is placed differently than on most machetes, in which case the effects are the same but can be remedied by finding the right spot and modifying your technique (mostly striking distance) to use it.
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Sébastien
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Post by Sébastien on Apr 12, 2011 14:27:06 GMT
I've got the same machete. I like the mean look of its large bowie blade, but I prefer my 12'' CS barong machete, it works just as great as a backyard cutter and is more fun to handle. Anyway thanks for the review Fallen, have a karma from me !
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pgandy
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Post by pgandy on Apr 14, 2011 0:19:54 GMT
I don’t have the Bowie so I can’t compare. However, I do have a 12” Barong and that one would be hard to beat. I choose well on that one and was lucky as I got it from True Swords for less than $10, I think, and before I received it they removed it from their listing. It’s a keeper, no way will I part with it.
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