martindale golok

[warthog1981]

I was just wondering how many people have one ? ive had mine for years and didnt like they way it cut with its heavy edge. So decided to be brave and totally reprofile the edge and did so with an angle grinder with a flapper disc. I took my time and kept dipping the blade into a bucket of cold water as not to destroy its temper. Im so glad I did it now bites like a deamon cuts excellent on wood and brush clearing. Now it will get used all the time well worth the effort and time.
Just an idea if anyone has one that they dont like try reprofiling it and im sure youll love it

 

[scanker]

Funnily enough I just took the nasty handle off mine the other night, with a view to re-handling it in the near future. The only thing is I wish I'd taken a "before" photo - any chance of you posting a photo of yours?

 

[warthog1981]

I,ll see what i can do

 

[scanker]

 

[directdrive]

Amen, Brother!! The edge won't cut wet noodles as it comes from the factory. I got a new one some 3 or 4 months back and just hate the way it cuts. Think I'll try reprofiling the edge like you've done and see if it works as well as yours. The grips need reshaping as well......
Best to You, Bruce

 

[OldJimbo]

I have to admit that I was pretty sceptical about reprofiling machetes despite having a lot of faith in the people giving me the advice. I'd already moved to goloks and parangs to get harder and tougher steel, as the brush here wrecked a regular machete edge in minutes. I simply couldn't see how a more acute convex edge on a machete would hold up if the regular steeper V grind didn't. I'm still not sure how it actually works, but regrinding sure fixed the edge holding problem! In addition using the machete two handed will rapidly convert a block into fuzzies.
I did the main grinding quickly using an angle grinder and abrasive pads followed by a belt grinding. It's well worth going the whole route, though, and finishing properly to a polished convex with a drywall sanding pad and emery paper - and even green buffing compound.

 

[directdrive]

Jimbo: Have you ever given out your website address here? It's great and very enjoyable.

By the way, I mentioned last year that I was planning on purchasing a GB wildlife hatchet but having them make the poll the same way they make the poll on their hunter's axe. Well, they wanted something like $95 for the modified hatchet plus another $90 to ship it to me..... I just can't see paying $185 for a teensie hatchet no matter how it's modified. Anyway, I bought a wildlife hatchet on ebay for $65 and modified the poll myself. Looks and works just like the poll on the hunter's model......If I had the least technical ability, I'd post a pic here but everytime I try to post a photo it fails.

While working on a habitat for humanity house this year that was damaged during hurricane Ivan, I found an ancient hatchet beneath the house. When I picked it up, the handle fell off. I asked the homeowner where she wanted me to put and she told me to toss it in the trash. I brought it home instead and ground all the layers of rust off with an angle grinder. Turned out to be a Vaughn model. I reprofiled the blade as was done at your website and also ground the poll as a flaying poll. Since the steel seemed a bit soft, I heated the head up to 1400 degrees and quenched it in peanut oil. I then polished it up and tempered it until the whole blade was medium brown. After cooling, I took a torch and turned the poll and back of the blade blue. I kept the edge a brown (dark straw?). The edge is now hard but not so hard that it will chip (I hope)....I'll keep fooling around with the pic problem and post some of the them if I can.....

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Bruce

 

[OldJimbo]

If you'll email me the pictures, I'll certainly put them up and link them here. That should encourage a few people to spend their next available loot on a grinder! Years ago when posting pics wasn't easy or even supported on forums, I put together the site mainly for hosting pics.
It sure makes a lot more sense to grind on your own flay polls than pay that sort of money to get one! A bit of experimenting with scraping an old axe handle with a sharp knife, will quickly show that a person can get that smooth ribbing, too - just like on the Hunter's axe. In case a person feels that it's needed.
I've never tried retempering an axe head, so I'll be really interested to know how yours works out! Since it's turning out to be a green Xmas here, I'm still waiting on cold weather so that I can really get to grinding and polishing a couple of dozen axe heads left from last summer!
Whether an old axe head or a machete - it's amazing what a little work will lead to in terms of performance.