Machete Modifications for the Bush

[kalhlw96]

ich finde es interesant

[eatsleepbike]

You just sold me on the Ontario 12". Seems perfect for me living on the gulf coast of Florida. Thanks for your review!

[Beachcrib]

Here in Florida ... The 12 inch ontario Is The king .. Laplander saw and a Mora , I'm living large.

[shbou1]

@Beachcrib

1. thanks for the video colhane. 2. beachcrib glad you're using real swedish quality ;)

[PomonaPunkRock]

what kind of file do you use. I just want to buy the right one since i know there is different kinds. What do you recommend?

[bourge15]

Can you put a decent edge on a machete using only a grinding wheel and a kitchen knife sharpener?

I know, its a pretty stupid question, but since machetes are relatively low cost I don't want to spend a lot of money on sharpening accessories.

[RnW93]

one of these, and a commando wire saw, and you'll have the most cosy shelter ever.

[dimitrigregorieff]

Where can I buy a machete like the one you have/

[Colhane]

@dimitrigregorieff That is a standard 12 inch Ontario, they shouldn't be hard to find online. I got that one at Smokey Mountain Knife Works.

[TheBloodMoneyy]

@dimitrigregorieff You can get one at downsview flea market if you live in toronto...

[survivalmike]

great upgrades you´ve done there bro´

sweet!

ATB Mike 

[Uriel1816]

Nice review of your machete.

[jwatterson69]

Great mods!! Why would anyone spend $110 on a blind horse knives machete when you could custom make one to fit your own needs for $100 less!!!

[pavsongs]

That was very interesting; I just ordered an Ontario 12" Cutlass and look forward to getting primal in the Maine woods. Keep posting woodcraft type stuff!

[Bandanabandito1]

This is Reallllly off topic, but your from/in Brazil Right? Is it really true all the women are BEAUTIFUL and have the asses of godesses? Thanks! Great mod too!

[felipedlc]

Muito boas as dicas. Quem diria que se pode fazer tanta modificação num facão? :)

[pup9et]

How do you feel about the SOGfari from sog at sportsmans guide for 20.00 ?

[barbarotico]

Ontario machete is one of the best machetes I have tested, they have a good hardness. When the US army use this machete is because is good, they test the products before purchas them.

[Urudrim]

any comments on the kukri style machete? i'm thinking of the cheaper cold steel version.

[Colhane]

@Urudrim I don't really have any experience with them. They seem heavy and short which is what you want in lots of areas but here you need a little more reach. A short heavy blade will get your hand into all sorts of briars and thorns and is not what you want if you get into light vines and thick grasses. In the US they make a lot of sense but not so much here in Brazil.

[Urudrim]

@Colhane thanks for your input! i reside in north america, michigan area so a shorter, thicker blade is probably a good idea. there seems to be a lot of hype around the kukri shape, i'm just not sure about it. my current setup is mora and axe combo, but i want a single reliable multi-purpose blade for when i want to travel light.

[Colhane]

@Urudrim In MI an axe makes sense especially in winter. A machete will never keep up with an axe in creating firewood in a cold climate. In PA I use a 12 inch Ontario in the summer.

[yodigi101]

@Colhane BEST BET IS TO GO WITH A 24 INCH BLADE

[fatlizzard19]

@Urudrim i got a great one from budk.com for about $30

[peckiledorf]

dose your mother know you have that Machete?

[555Nato]

@peckiledorf ,hehehe,Charlie Babbit makes a joke.

[ttcherrick]

What's your feeling on the tradeoff of weight/awkwardness vs. utility in going from 12" to 18" in the Ontario machetes? I plan to use one in southern Baja California where much of the wood is small in diameter but hard as iron (acacia, mesquite) and everything has huge thorns. Ever worked country like that? This is for general land tending, camping, trail blazing, improvement, maitenance and also camping. By the way, superb video. Thanks!!

[Colhane]

@ttcherrick If you are getting into thorns a longer blade keeps your hands out of them. The 18 inch Ontario is a heavy machete but that seems like a good place for it. The Caatinga is a very dry, hard and thorny biome we have here north of us but I haven't had a chance to get up there yet. It is on my list of places to suffer in.

[victorli1974]

Did you say this is a 12-inch machette?

[iAmTheSurvivalist]

i convexed mine and it became to be know as the buddy amongst me and my friends and was everyones favorite =)

[CablloBlanco]

Thanks man. Great video. Sadly Ontario is all out-of-stock :(

[mmm0513]

So how do you put the convex edge on with a file?? what type file?

[Colhane]

@mmm0513 Watch my machete mods tutorial. A single cut mill file. You do the initial removal with a file then clean it up over sandpaper.

[barkulator]

Thanks for your help. I ordered a 14" Tram bolo. This should be exactly what I can use. I could make one, but for $15 delivered why bother; I'm too busy as it is. Thanks again.

[barkulator]

I'm in MA and need a machete for chopping greens for my compost pile. I was also hoping I could get one that would sharpen well enough to cut grass along my house foundation. Any suggestions?

[Colhane]

@barkulator A 14 or 16 inch Tramontina would do fine for that. Machetes don't come sharp normally so the edge you get depends on how well you can sharpen.

[barkulator]

@Colhane Do you know anything about the Tramontina sugarcane machete? I could grind the top edge into a bill hook, which would be handy, but don't know if the whole blade is 1070 steel or just the edge. What is that hook for, anyway?

[Colhane]

@barkulator The entire blade is 1070. The cane machete has a very thin blade. The hook on the back is to pull the sugar cane stalk out once it has been cut. They are extremely noisy blades, clang, blang, plang. I have one, it drives me nuts. They are optimized for exactly the job they do, cut sugarcane.

[LordNelsonsTrousers]

What's the benefit in creating and using the 5th edge to strike your firesteel, as opposed to just using the planer edge on the back of the blade?

[Colhane]

@LordNelsonsTrousers Because it's there. You're right, the planer blade works fine with a fire steel. It just takes a few passes with the file to square that bottom part of the blade and I mainly did it for aesthetics. The only "advantage" would be that you can take a natural grip on the handle.

[LordNelsonsTrousers]

@Colhane

Have you considered the merits of serration at the base of the scandi edge? I'm trying it out on an 18" Ozark Trail machete ($7 at Wal-Mart) that I bought for experimentation and abuse. I was also contemplating sacrificing some of the back planer edge to create space for saw-like serration.

[Colhane]

@LordNelsonsTrousers I could see it might come in handy for notching wood but no I haven't tried it. That would be a LordNelson original mod. I normally carry a scandi knife and a SAK with a saw and typically use them for making trap parts. Let me know how it turns out.

[KRandMJ]

is it illegal to carry a machete around? Cause here in Miami, a lot of people do it and my friends up north don't believe me lol...

[Colhane]

@KRandMJ Location, location, location. I have never had a legal problem carrying a machete in a wilderness area. Here in Brazil when you buy a machete they usually wrap it in paper and tape over the ends. I have walk all over downtown with one like that. It's a good feeling.

[XeroJaeger]

Col - great vid on machetes, my friend. Excellent explanations and walk throughs of the how and whys. Thumbs up.

[utuubee]

very cool and creative

[VitaminTMan]

Wait... so you can actually use these things for things OTHER than brutally killing teens having pre-marital sex in isolated woodland areas??

Blades don't need re-loading!

[Colhane]

@VitaminTMan Not only that but hockey goalies picked up on that mask thing and have started wearing them to protect their faces. Man creates art creates man.

[VitaminTMan]

@Colhane

lol Well said!

[MrEhud77]

as far as your blade goes, when you say you have a convex edge on the upper portion of the blade, is that a hollow grind? And why did you choose that specific edge?

[Colhane]

@MrEhud77 No, a convex edge is the opposite of a hollow grind which is concave. A convex edge has more steel backing it up behind the cutting edge so it resists chipping or rolling under impacts. A scandi edge, like at the base, will cut at a much lower angle and is better for shaving. The convex is optimized for toughness and impact, the scandi for low angle slicing.

[MrEhud77]

@Colhane Ahh ok so if you were hacking away at small trees the end of your blade would work best with the concave edge and hold up better?

[MrEhud77]

@Colhane any way you might be able to do a video on edges and what there best use is? I'm wanting to get into blade making myself and didn't realizer that there were so many differet edge designs

[spitoncat]

Thanks for putting this one up. I would like to see how you made your sheath and where you bought the materials. I would also be interested in any book titles on survival or related subjects that you have read. Keep them coming.

GRADE A

[fatbob1950]

Thank you for an education.

[seatsniffer100]

u need t omake a vid how t od oa good sharpaning tell me when u do

[possumvideos]

nice job. good suggestions. I have come to appreciate the machete over the last couple of years and prefer it over a hatchet for chopping wood.

[MrEhud77]

@possumvideos The machete is so versitile, My only question is why not have a scandi edge that runs the whole length of the blade

[superguyperson]

that is really inovative. that is how humans survived thousands of years. lol.

[italianchriswilko100]

could you potentially hollow out a small part of the handle base to store your fire metal or flint? because that could be quite useful without making it too brittle..

[casuallytactical]

Very useful stuff.  THX

[punanibuzzed]

where can i buy a cheap machete?

[soarntam]

Awesome video, Love your mods! They seem to have taken off worldwide. Always great to find the source! Thanks for the work and info put out into your vids!

blessings,

Tamar

[PreservingHistory]

joker

[giutoniolo]

@PreservingHistory I´d like to see how YOU do out there in the boonies but you got no videos to show your stuff man! bamboo is REAL wood here! You are the one here whos got no real nothing to prove your knowledge, but empty trollish criticism!

[PreservingHistory]

lol ya right...every time i go into the woods there is bamboo everywhere...haha what a joke ..let see the same technique on some real wood

[Colhane]

I checked out your channel. Impressive knowledge base there, you really know your stuff.

[agglutination]

@Colhane

Indeed. Also, I've found hardwood saplings (Post oak even which is VERY hard wood) to be no match for a strong and sharp machete.

[giutoniolo]

@PreservingHistory What are you calling real wood? The stuff you got in The US and Europe is pretty soft! Ive seen Mac machete´s chopping through Candeia which is as hard as a rock! And it just chew through that wood! Now he´s in the bush all the time! What do you have to prove your points?? You troll!

[SleepyFox79]

machetes are a great tool, my only gripe with a lot of machetes is they are often thin to the point of being slightly floppy, and often are too light, i like a slightly beefier weight forward blade, with a thicker spine and a bit more rigid

[armypenguin]

@SleepyFox79 real kukri?

[Dawgmeatt]

I have to disagree with your mods to your machete, except for the spine mods. Generally(there's exceptions with modern metals, but still happens) the sharper the machete is, the faster it dulls, so you should keep it sharp but farr from razor. Sharps blades are called knives.

[Colhane]

All machetes in hard use go from sharp, to sharp enough, to dull, to blunt. The key is to maintain your blade from sharp enough to sharp every day. The convex edge holds up best under hard use, the scandi at the base is barely touched in normal use and stays sharp.

[Sionnach1601]

Yeah, you're dead right. Simple physics.

Don't mind all the know-it-alls. I think you're right on the ball, well done.

[glockzup]

awesome vid!

[musy19733333]

Great ideas, thanx

[GremlinsVillage]

Very good video - great ideas. Thanks for sharing.

[noisepuppet]

You have skills. Thanks for showing.

[shonuffisthemaster]

I really like your video, excellent ideas! I have made shavings for bowdrill tinder (I hate finding tinder) with the main edge of my knife, but it really destroys the edge, I'm going to square all my knives backs!

[JoGenJG]

RAT cutlery ( RC )

is coming up with 2 machetes soon. Fantastic! Gotta check it out

[JoGenJG]

Wow.. Awesome upgrades to the knife.

5 stars!

Though its definitely worth more than 5 stars.

[Jesses001]

Wow, that is really getting a lot of use out of one blade.  Great ideas for the bush machete.

[EdVidz]

very thorough video, this guy knows his stuff.

[JesseJames2507]

Where in Pennsylvania?

[justintimexe]

so you would say that its better to have a machete then a knife in the bush

[Colhane]

That would depend on the bush. I carry both, a machete and a small fixed blade or a folder.  There's really no reason not to. Forced to choose I would choose my machete but have no illusions that using a machete for small knife tasks is a pain.

[simpleman2423]

very useful video. Thank you very much.

[Underdog762]

The next sheath you make out of leather I think would look pretty with a side pocket. I got an old army machete with the plastic sheath and i just put an old multi tool holder on the side. It is held on very tightly with snare wire. I will try to send a pic

[Underdog762]

very nice, what is your thoughts on a shoulder sling that runs across the chest? as opposed to belt held.

[Colhane]

I use a shoulder sling (baldric) when I carry a long machete, 20 inches plus. It is a real pain to carry more than 16 inches on the belt. A baldric will keep the machete from fouling with your legs.

[ilikecoffee100]

that is a really fantastic piece of leather work with that sheath

[Colhane]

I like the design and plan to make a new one in the same way but from better material. That one works but if you saw it up close it ain't pretty. The grommets are there to protect the stitching but also give tie-down options.

[JRNY1605]

Great video man, really well done. BTW, what grit file do you use for sharpening?

[Colhane]

The finer the better, just make sure the file is a single cut.

[pollobionico]

O.k this guy is on my team...

[MartyNoir]

Good video, I've been putting a flat edge now on the spines some of my knives--great for scraping tender.

[AliasMachete]

buen machete

[connordeclanw7445]

what do you use 2 sharpen it?

[TaterMits]

Great video. Would love to see a follow-up demonstrating your sharpening techniques.

[krs120]

how do u make the different edegs

[Colhane]

I do them by hand with a mill file and sandpaper and the blade clamped to a workbench.

[bobmths]

dude bad fucking ass i wish i could get my gerber machete that sharp could maybe u give me some pointers .plase i cant hear the vid what is a mill file and what kinda grit san paper u need to make one of those vids fuck dude that babey was sharp. bob o

[treetwobears]

Great video - nice job. Thanks for the tips.

[NaturalBushcraft]

Some really good tips there Dave, Thank you. I don't own a machete, but if I did I would be following some of your ideas with the different grinds etc. No doubt I'll have one in the future and use the same ideas. 5/5 thanks for sharing.

[Colhane]

You can't have a proper adventure without a machete, sorry, it can't be done.

[NaturalBushcraft]

In Britain you can!

[gldhntr]

That's the understatement of the day. We never have to wait in line at Disneyworld in this household!

[fishwolfSBK]

I have got to do this to my machete. Thanks for the Mod. ideas!

[locouk]

Woah boy.. those mods would work well in London too!

[gldhntr]

I've had one of these for several years now, the sawback version. We've always called it a "garden machete". Never once thought of it as a bushcraft tool. I do know it's a copperhead's worse nightmare - four so far this year just since April. Maybe I'll take a better look at mine and make it an honest camp tool after seeing this vid. They are pretty neat to carry.

[wazonu]

very cool deterrent, keeps the bad guys away!!

[kaldicuct]

where might i find that machete, did you make it or buy it?

[Colhane]

The machete itself is a standard 12 inch Ontario. I make the modifications myself. If you check the info section of the video you will find a link to where you can buy one from Off the Map Outfitters. I have no connection to OTM, they picked up these mods and are doing a great job with them.

[thechaosofmylife]

Oh, i thought that.. erhm.. wrong Bush.

[enjoistaind]

nice

[maltijien]

Cool tips

but what is a diomond rod and can you sharpen the blade like knifes by using a sharpening stone?

thanks

[GooGobbler113]

A diamond rod is just a coarse metal rod with diamond shaped cuts into it allowing you to get a better edge on it. And you can always use a whetstone for sharpening a blade. Better than a file in my opinion. But works best when you use a coarse metal sharpener, followed by two less coarse ones, then the whetstone. Gets it to a razor.

[Colhane]

I use the diamond rod to touch up the edge. A diamond rod won't fix major damage in the field. There is always a chance you will catch a stone, nail, or piece of wire and put a heavy ding in the edge.  Normally they don't affect overall performance that much but to fix them you need a file.

[boomtao]

Clever! I was doubting whether to get an ax or a machete. You have helped me made the choice! Thanks! I was thinking about perhaps flattening the top, so it can be used as a scoop. I saw a russion knife somewhere that was flat at the top. Anyone knows about this tool?

[allengoodman69]

...Finally,somebody showing a knife/machete as a very versatile tool ! 5*. Thanks. Allen

[axishans]

VERY useful! thanks.

[david000009]

haha, your very good at what you do arn't you? :)

[techraven2]

Best machete I've ever seen!

I will probably be stealing this, if you don't mind.

[Colhane]

Go for it. Glad you found it useful.

[korn2600]

im sorry you props have told us in the video but what kind of Machete is that?

[Colhane]

Its a 12 inch Ontario.

[korn2600]

hey thanks.

[superford500]

very nice vid .. i want one my self. right know i use a Swedish Fallkniven A1, a total different type of tool. but still nice for smaller operations.

[apsert]

This is important for if you put the even more than average man and put him in the bush he would die. Yet it used to be our home craft the way we used to live.

We need to know our past ansestors skills and pass it down to our children. They much rather do this than put a tent up!!!

[darkwolf919]

Our species needs to get back to its roots. Survival nowadays has become too easy, and we've become fat and complacent in our ways. Great Vid.

[survivethis6]

what kind of file, eh???

[tekinak007]

Thanks for posting this, gave me alot of insight on how to use mine more effectively.

[Colhane]

That's the whole idea. The machete is extremely versatile. These mods grew as a slow process of evolution out of the way I sharpen the blade for various tasks. This is the system that works for me doing the things I do most in the bush. I only put thee mods on the blades I use for bushcraft .

[xcoastie]

Great ideas, things I would never think of! Thanks for posting

[spartencamp]

very good job. love the video

[wolfinside]

What we have here is a thinking man. Great video!

[captaincoolness55]

can you show how you make each modification?

[Colhane]

I would have to have my workshop and tools, all that's in South America and I'm not.

[captaincoolness55]

ok, well, hopefully you can post a vid on how to when you're there? if not, that's ok too.

[killerNC17]

now why would you use a 12in machete that is for food, anything 18in-3ft is best for chopping stuff

[PipeBundle]

Question on the flat file.

Do you have rust problems with them? I know they are very sensitive to moisture.

Do you oil the storage slot or the file itself? I haven't brought any of my files into the bush because I don't want to be replacing them because of rust. Which doesn't mean I haven't ever wished I had one with me.

[Colhane]

I oil the file. Central Brazil has a very long dry season in which we get little to no rain. It hasn't been much of a concern for me.

[capreolus4]

man what a great review thanks very much.

[Soberminddisciple]

Colhane, whats your opinion on the Gerber Gator Machete? is it worth looking into? have you heard or used it before? thank you

[Colhane]

I have never used or handled one so I can't give an opinion.

[Curdog]

I am not Colhane, bur I do nor like the gerber compared to the Ontario- hollow grind is a poor choice for this type of tool.

[daransidoo]

I love machete...very usefull, bring with me in the office too. Sharp my pencils , cut paper or just for scratch my back :) very usefull ...really nice tool,everybody have to buy one too.

[bushman11865]

The leather sheath would not last in the humid conditions f a jungle, make a wooden box sheath like the Malayan Parange

[scafool]

I once had a longer Truetemper machete as issued to US army. It was very good.

After I lost that I got an Ontario knife machete with a handle like yours. Yes, the handle was almost square and not comfortable at all.

I have a 12" Ontario now but the handle is different than yours, more comfortable than the square one.

It has the knuckle guard on it which I am not sure if I like yet, but it seems OK.

I have a Collins machete too, but it is an extremely heavy stainless steel blade.

[WeCanAllGetAllong]

Great tips man,thank you!

[TolstoyKafkaEvsky]

Really excellent work with this video. Very entertaining.

[tallswede80]

It's a nice looking machete, but I think 1095 is too brittle for something that long and thin.

[Master293]

If it is tempered right, then brittleness wouldn't be a problem. Some long swords are made out of 1095.

[FriarTuck1961]

Superb!

This is one of the best blade videos I have ever seen.

[garystorey]

Great video , I need a machete for a bush craft expedition and was considering a martindale No 2 Golok type machete.

Do you have any knowledge of this particular machete and would you recommend it?

[Colhane]

All I know about the #2 Golok is from what I've read, but that has put it on my short list of machetes to buy while I'm back in the US. The Martindales aren't sold in Brazil and the golok style hasn't caught on there. I did make a golok out of an 18 inch Tramontina, but didn't have much time to test it before I left.

[garystorey]

Thanks alot for taking the time to reply , I ordered a british army issue golok today but because they had none in stock after debiting my account they said theyed send me the more expensive martindale commercial model with file sharpener for the same price so im chuffed !

[AndreaGanora]

Great video ,usefull mods .

[Taino187]

good stuff 5/5 stars

[Boomrod]

very handy mods A+

[chrissept21]

im planing to forge my own parang (its like a machete) and i im gonna have to take this in to consideration

with the sharp edge what angle did you put that at

[Colhane]

Chris,

I haven`t measured it but it is very steep like a Mora.

[chrissept21]

very very cool i love the fact you have 5 edges on it cuz that would be all u need theres no need to cary a small knife with that thing lol

[IAmSofaKingAwesome]

Im really into scandi knives and I might just get this because the blade resembles a leuku and is much cheaper

[Colhane]

I normally pair my machete up with a scandi of some type. Typicaly a Frost's Triflex Craftsman or my Skookum Bush Tool. When I run the Per Ardua survival course each student gets a Tramontina machete and a Frosts Mora as well.

A Leuku here would be too light and too short for the kind of machete jobs we have to do but a short scandi is just the knife you need when combined with a machete.

[faolbushcraft]

WOW. Great idea. I think, setup like you have it, it would be a great substitute for something like the Tom Brown Tracker. More usable I believe, especially in the south when you encounter kudzu, wisteria and various brambles. Beautiful!!

[IAmSofaKingAwesome]

i used to think machetes were over kill, but they can fell small saplings for shelters easily! (well at least with the trees in my area: alligator juniper, ponderosa pine and silver oaks)

[wall2rockclimber]

great vid mate keep it up!!!

[grandfathers2]

Very nice. Thank you.

[omniviking]

good job pict. omniviking

[bjour0]

i like your lil pack you made for it i think ill buy 1

[northernpike56]

Cool vid...very informative. You the man Dave :-)