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Post by justadude on Oct 16, 2023 1:17:55 GMT
Which metal and metal which sword would be ideal for cutting brush and small trees?
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Post by justadude on Oct 16, 2023 1:19:34 GMT
Which metal and which sword would be ideal for cutting brush and small trees?
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Post by alientude on Oct 16, 2023 1:22:16 GMT
The right tool for the job would be something like this.
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Post by crazyjons on Oct 16, 2023 1:24:56 GMT
Any machete.
Cheap, easy to sharpen, thin!
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Post by crazyjons on Oct 16, 2023 1:27:16 GMT
Kyle beat me to it.
In my experience most swords are sort of mediocre for those type of targets, if they are thin enough to get the kind of tip speed you need then they're likely to bend and if they're thick enough to hold up and be sturdy they won't cut very well. I know that's quite an oversimplification but seems generally to be true.
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Post by justadude on Oct 16, 2023 1:38:58 GMT
In alien’s reply. I dont see a pic.
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Post by alientude on Oct 16, 2023 1:47:13 GMT
In alien’s reply. I dont see a pic.
There's a link, not a picture.
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Post by justadude on Oct 16, 2023 1:49:08 GMT
In alien’s reply. I dont see a pic.
There's a link, not a picture.
I will try. But last time I bought a machete I felt disappointed I saw a man on YouTube cutting a small tree with a Samurai sword one handed.
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Post by justadude on Oct 16, 2023 1:51:25 GMT
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Post by AndiTheBarvarian on Oct 16, 2023 5:59:11 GMT
If you don't want a classic machete look at the Cold Steel machete offerings, some are halfway swords, there's even a katana machete. Katana at least don't have the problem of the thin tip section Euros have. A spring steel through hardened waki might do the job.
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Post by curiomansion on Oct 16, 2023 6:06:37 GMT
I've cleared a substantial amount of my backyard brush and small trees with a variety of sword. I typically collect more robust war swords, but anything will should handle basic backyard brush clearing if your technique is good and edge decently honed. I've typically used katanas for the job (Ronin Dojo Pro, Cheness O Katana) not because of any preference for the design, but because they tended to be my cheaper beaters.
My main advice would be to mind your allergies. I've had major allergic breakouts after brush clearing and have more than once failed to notice how much poison ivy there was!
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pgandy
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Post by pgandy on Oct 16, 2023 8:02:55 GMT
Justadude click on the red ‘this’ in alientude’s post. In my country a machete is king and I love them. There are good ones and there are a bunch of crappy ones out there. Tramontina has a good reputation. Some come sharpened some don’t, either way be prepared to sharpen to get the best results. Perhaps you need more than one for best results as no one will do everything in the best fashion. The video below will give an idea of what one will do. Sorry if you don’t understand Spanish. If you don’t just watch. The fellow is Mexican and has a banana farm.
I am being remiss, welcome to the forum.
The samurai sword in video looks impressive, but it is not what you want, at least for the reasons you want to use it for.
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Post by mrstabby on Oct 16, 2023 9:43:01 GMT
I mean there is a reason machetes still exist, else they would just use swords. You want something light enough for you to be able to swing all day, with a thin blade that slices well. Also some plants can induce oxidation on blades almost immediately, keep that in mind. As for steel: Do not buy stainless, you will regret it when it breaks. low-end 10series (1045, 1055) are very tough but don't keep sharp as long as the higher carbon content ones, though sharpness matters less when weeding branches, it does matter. medium 10series (1065, 1075) will not be as tough but keep an edge longer. The Tramontina need to be bent at at least 60° to get a set, so still very tough high end 10series (1084, 1095) are more prone to chipping than the others but keep sharp longer. Spring steels are tougher than 10series, keep an edge like the medium 10series but most spring steel blades cost more. Go for the cheapest blade you like, because it will get damaged one way or the other when weeding. For me the sweet spot is around 300-400g/0,7-0,9# and 45cm/18". The longer machetes feel cumbersome to me, but would be desirable when going after thicker stuff (Most stuff I cut is under 2,5cm/1"). Cold Steel has some non-machete looking machetes. Some people seem to love them, others hate them. I personally would not go for a Gladius. It looks great in theory, but it just can't compete with a machtete for cutting brush. And the needle tip on them are a weak spot. Their Katana/tanto machete seems to have a grip, which is either hate or love. The Jungle machete is too heavy for me (not strength wise, but it really stresses my tendons) The Cutlass is just too big for garden work. If you need to clear a whole area probably nice. There are some Windlass swords, that also could be used as machetes. Those will be much stiffer and thicker than purpose built machetes, but would work fine for small stuff, but the swords just aren't built to take many hard impacts on wood.
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Post by pellius on Oct 16, 2023 10:43:01 GMT
Filipino swords work very nicely for clearing brush. I’ve used various TFW models with great success. They are way cooler than a simple machete (to me). Of course, if you are gonna spend all day swinging it, you’ll like a machete more.
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Post by crazyjons on Oct 16, 2023 12:42:23 GMT
I guess one thing about clearing brush and cutting small trees with the katana is you will quickly find out how sturdy the Tsuka is..or isn't! It will give you an opportunity to learn about performing your own handle maintenance or replacement.
Jon
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rschuch
Member
Sharp blades are good to have, if Shire-folk go walking, east, south, far away into dark and danger.
Posts: 806
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Post by rschuch on Oct 16, 2023 14:35:10 GMT
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Post by mrstabby on Oct 16, 2023 14:57:55 GMT
Uff.... Have seen this in videos a few times when swords went up against trees. Exactly what I would be afraid of using a sword for this work. The problem is it might worh 99 times but desintegrate on th 100th. Especially egregious for me since I'd love a Balaur but can't get one in EU for now.
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rschuch
Member
Sharp blades are good to have, if Shire-folk go walking, east, south, far away into dark and danger.
Posts: 806
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Post by rschuch on Oct 16, 2023 17:03:58 GMT
Uff.... Have seen this in videos a few times when swords went up against trees. Exactly what I would be afraid of using a sword for this work. The problem is it might worh 99 times but desintegrate on th 100th. Especially egregious for me since I'd love a Balaur but can't get one in EU for now. Yeah... there are these things called "axes"...
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pgandy
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Posts: 10,296
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Post by pgandy on Oct 16, 2023 18:08:19 GMT
I mean there is a reason machetes still exist, else they would just use swords. You want something light enough for you to be able to swing all day, with a thin blade that slices well. Also some plants can induce oxidation on blades almost immediately, keep that in mind.
Mrstabby’s first paragraph is very true. A machete, like everything else is somewhat subjective and what one person likes another won’t. Some manufacturers strive for the American market with machetes of a higher HRC in order to go longer between sharpenings. A true working man would probably disagree preferring something softer. It is most common in Central America to see a man walking around with a machete and a file for it in order to keep a sharp edge. A moderate HRC is common throughout the third world countries. The Mex in the above video has one. True story. I ordered a pair of CS machetes, 12” and 18” barongs. They were different than what I had been use to so as a test I compared the 12” jobby with my well used 14½” locally made machete to clean out a cement line drainage ditch that routinely needs it. At the end the CS (HRC≈52) had about the same amount of dings as I remembered my old machete having. The difference came when restoring the edge. I could restore the old one in 10-15 minutes. It took 50-60 minutes for the new one. Needless to say, I never used that one again for that ditch. Not to bad mouth CS, I have 3 including the Jungle, and like them all. I dedicate the 14½” machete to ground strikes where it’s subject to hitting rocks, cement, etc. As for a Filipino knife, I love my pinuti and used it on limbs such as hard woods, died coconut and banana limbs that became fibrous, with good results. I'd tust it on bamboo. However, for the price, fatigue, work and time involved in maintaining the edge, especially the fatigue part, I find a machete better. I find weight can be of an advantage when working downwards, but once I start cutting shoulder height and higher the weight becomes another story. I best complete the job quickly.
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rschuch
Member
Sharp blades are good to have, if Shire-folk go walking, east, south, far away into dark and danger.
Posts: 806
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Post by rschuch on Oct 16, 2023 18:23:52 GMT
I was actually recently considering using one of these to trim some palm leaves. Palms have long and very sharp new growth, so you need a long blade to keep from impaling yourself. These are the most machete-like objects I own, but I'm thinking maybe the smarter thing to do would be just to buy a cheap machete to avoid any unnecessary heartache. I don't think either would be in danger of breaking as both are very stout thick steel with tangs that run through the grips, but the oxidation issue does give me pause, as does whacking a rock or something else closer to ground level.
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