Machete making

[Ditch Monkey]

A friend of mine has offered to make me a machete to take on a prolonged visit to the jungle and has a bit of stainless steal set aside for the purpose. Now obviously a machete is a vital bit of kit so it's important to get the design right, all I know for sure is that it needs to have a full tang - other than that we don't even know what shape to make it. Does anyone know where I could find a suitable design?

Many thanks


Hugh

 

[Jodie]

Hi Hugh

If a machete is the same thing as a parang then this thread might be of use:
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=22018

Also: http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20047

There are some other threads that mention parang/s or machete/s, and some
of them are quite old - if you find a link to an earlier thread and it doesn't work
remember to change the address from 'community' to 'forum'...

How's it going with your project and funding?

Jo

 

[leon-1]

Nice one Jodie, you got a very good thread there. BOD really knows his stuff when it comes to this and Hugh likewise on the good luck with your venture.

 

[Ditch Monkey]

Thank you for the links Jo, there is certainly a lot of infomation there - I should have realised the answer to the question would not be straight forward.

It might be that we end up buying a machete if one can be find out here in the Spanish mountains, if not the steel is going to the blacksmith for shaping and we will fashion a handle out of olive wood. If it happens I'll post a photo or two here.

The planning and fundraising for the venture are going quite well thanks, I look on line to leave in August / September 2008. I might even get to crew my way to the Caribbean on a yatch and then fly to Guyana for jungle training. It is all very exciting.

Thanks for the good luck Leon, for the first time I can actually really see it all coming together.

H

 

[Templar]

Hi all just came across this thread and thought I could add my two cents here,

Ditch Monkey, the simplest bit of advice I can give is to have your Machete well made, blade no longer than 35cm, weight slightly forward, that the cutting edge impacts before your knuckles do, and have a hooked or ball shaped pommel, aside from that you can read the previous post that Jodie directed you to.

Cheers,

Karl

 

[demographic]

Is "stainless" going to be the best thing to make it from?

What is the stainless from?
If its scrap it could well be that food grade 18/8* stuff that won't hold an edge.
I could well be wrong but it sometimes gets used for the sides of laminated blades cos its tough so isn't brittle.

Have you thought about getting a van leaf spring to make it out of, my Transit van has leaf springs on the back and one leaf spring would get you a fair bit of spring steel which is what Machetes are often made out of anyway.
Can't see a Tranny van spring costing much from a scrappies if you take it out yourself.

*18% chrome and 8% nickel and the rest iron if I remember right.

Someone with a bit more knowledge than me will be along shortly to put me right if thats wrong.

 

[Hedgehog]

The tempering will be of particular importance whatever hardenable steel you decide to use.

 

[Jared]

Also: http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20047

Hmm I presume this is the finished parang from that thread, and looks a bueat.

Taken from http://home.cogeco.ca/~aelias/limited.htm