Machete by Spyderco?

[SpydieFlicker]

Who wants to see Spyderco make an ethnic series machete? I think it would be really cool for them to make it out of a easy to resharpen steel, but I want to hear your opinions!

The machete I would like to see made by Spyderco is a parang in 1075 with micarta handles.

[JuPaul]

I'd love a spydie machete if it could be made for a reasonable cost. It's pretty hard for me to beat up something that costs $300+! That being said, I'd rather have one in 3v or a steel that'd set theirs apart from others.

[Mushroom]

Although it's not a machete, I feel like the Schempp Rock could work well as an alternative. I would absolutely welcome another sprint run of the Schempp Rock.

[Mike Slayer]

Ask anybody that has known me for years and they will tell you they have never seen me without a machete or have one close to grab quickly. I was given my first machete when I was a boy and quickly I learned to love a machete and what having one in the woods and swamps actually meant. Long before survival and bushcraft was mainstream or popular. I just knew it as practical skills for traveling and staying in the woods. I am 35 and to this day a machete is at the core of the tools I use. If I could only have one it would be a machete beyond anything else. Generally a machete and folder are my only cutting tools I carry. I will carry a 3-4" fixed blade and folding saw if I feel like it.

I have used Kukris, parangs and all different kinds of machetes. My favorite machete is a latin style machete because they are versatile, fast and don't fatigue your hand or arm over longer periods of use. Parangs and kukris will fatigue your hand and arm quicker than some people think when doing certain things. Don't get me wrong I have used a lot of parangs and kukris over the years and I love using them but they have their limits for me. The machete I have used since they first came out is a ESEE lite machete. The blades are made by Imacasa in El Salvador. They are in 1075 and they are heat treated very well. I have to reshape the handle since it was so blocky but after reprofiling the handle and edge It became the one tool I never go into the woods or swamps without.

I am getting set up myself to start making knives but the one thing I want to make the most are custom machetes from higher end steels. The prototypes will be made from 1075 until I get my design perfect then I will try a few in CPM-3v, Z-Tuff or CPM-1v. I am very excited about this so it will be interesting.

If Spyderco did make a machete a latin style machete just makes sense to me because it's generally the most practical and versatile machete style in many different environments. I have used my ESEE lite machete on bamboo, seasoned hickory and oak, gum, pecan, maple and fatwood/lighter knot. A good or better design with proper heat treat and geometry would excel in most types of bush and even in places that aren't so bushy.

My goal is to make a machete with higher end materials and processes that will be useful from the arctic circle to the arid regions of Australia. Would it be the perfect tool for every environment? Of course not but it would be useful in at least a few applications in certain environments while being very useful in most. I hope my passion for machetes comes through in my text and if not my passion will shine through in the machetes I will make.

In the end I hope Spyderco does make a machete in any style because I would buy it to try it out. Just a word of warning I am very critical of machetes but I try my best to make it constructive. I vote yes for Spyderco to make a machete. The machete is my favorite sharp tool and Spyderco's make my favorite folders. This would be a dream combo for me regardless of the style Spyderco would make.

[Fireman]

I have floated the idea of a practical machete that can be used in the kitchen or BBQ, the “Buchete”. A 14” blade butchers knife from LC200N would be dandy.

https://ontarioknife.com/collections/ol ... cher-knife

https://youtu.be/i44slFNoxgg



Imagine the above 14” blade butcher knife but the amazing LC200N steel and a more traditional machete style handle.

[kobold]

I would like a Ben Orford style pocket parang, but not in O1.

[Menipo]

In the price range of $ 20 to $ 25 you can find 3 dozen machetes that do the job more than enough. For that price the only Spyderco you can buy is the Bug Micro-Size. The Schempp Rock (which measures half the length of a standard machete) costs 10 times that amount. And the fixed blade Spyderco with a more approximate length (the Bob Lum Darn Dao Fixed 10.63") costs 30 times the price of a standard machete (about $ 650). So I see little chance that Spyderco will decide to enter that niche ... And I would not miss it because I think that's not a niche for Spyderco (cheap products made to be abused and easily replaced). Same as the utility knives niche.

[JD Spydo]

I voted the "OTHER" selection but let me explain. For a long time now I've grown fond of my 3 Cold Steel Gurkha Kukri models. By definition they really are in the "Knife" category and not really machetes by true definition. However I've had much better results using the Gurkha Kukri models because I've found they are lot more stout with heavier blades and I can even get bigger stuff out of my way when I'm in the timber. But that's just me and what I personally like.

I have a couple of regular machetes as well. For the past 10 years I've been looking for a British made "Martindale" machete. At one time those "Martindale" machetes were considered the "gold standard" for machetes. Not even sure if they are still made. Also there is a company known as Condor that has come to the market with a big selection of machetes and specialty type knives.

[Menipo]

I voted the "OTHER" selection but let me explain. For a long time now I've grown fond of my 3 Cold Steel Gurkha Kukri models. By definition they really are in the "Knife" category and not really machetes by true definition. However I've had much better results using the Gurkha Kukri models because I've found they are lot more stout with heavier blades and I can even get bigger stuff out of my way when I'm in the timber. But that's just me and what I personally like.

I have a couple of regular machetes as well. For the past 10 years I've been looking for a British made "Martindale" machete. At one time those "Martindale" machetes were considered the "gold standard" for machetes. Not even sure if they are still made. Also there is a company known as Condor that has come to the market with a big selection of machetes and specialty type knives.

Yes. They are still in production. And easy to get at many places. Just an example:

https://www.machetespecialists.com/filt ... artindale/

[ladybug93]

i love machetes and i love spyderco, but i can't imagine spyderco ever producing a machete that would be cheap enough to actually use as a machete. cheap, beater fixed blades is not exactly a spyderco strong suit.

[Menipo]

I have used different machetes but my preferred one is one that I bought in Germany in a US military surplus store (near a US base) some 30 years ago. I paid for it the equivalent of 10 $ and I was told that it was the model used by the Marines in Vietnam. It was sharp on one side and had serrations on the back so that it could be used as a real saw. Easy to sharpen and tough as I have seen few blades. I gave it to a friend who was sent to work as an engineer in a hydroelectric plant in the jungle of Costa Rica.

[TkoK83Spy]

i love machetes and i love spyderco, but i can't imagine spyderco ever producing a machete that would be cheap enough to actually use as a machete. cheap, beater fixed blades is not exactly a spyderco strong suit.

My thoughts exactly. I'll stick to my $40 Kershaw Camp 10 and beat the snot out of it without batting an eye.

[JD Spydo]

I voted the "OTHER" selection but let me explain. For a long time now I've grown fond of my 3 Cold Steel Gurkha Kukri models. By definition they really are in the "Knife" category and not really machetes by true definition. However I've had much better results using the Gurkha Kukri models because I've found they are lot more stout with heavier blades and I can even get bigger stuff out of my way when I'm in the timber. But that's just me and what I personally like.

I have a couple of regular machetes as well. For the past 10 years I've been looking for a British made "Martindale" machete. At one time those "Martindale" machetes were considered the "gold standard" for machetes. Not even sure if they are still made. Also there is a company known as Condor that has come to the market with a big selection of machetes and specialty type knives.

Yes. They are still in production. And easy to get at many places. Just an example:

https://www.machetespecialists.com/filt ... artindale/

Hey thanks for the tip!! I didn't even know that these guys were out there. I'm glad to see that they are still being made. I remember many years ago and I think it was "Knives Illustrated" magazine that did a big article on Martindale Machetes and they were really high on them at the time.

I know that in the past 3 to 5 years it seems that the Condor company has kind of stolen the show so to speak. But the two Condor pieces I've checked out I wasn't all that impressed with them. But I'm probably a lot harder to please than most folks. But I'll most definitely check out that list of Martindale Machetes.

The more I think about a Spyderco Machete>> the more I think about it that wouldn't be up their alley so to speak.

[Notsurewhy]

In the price range of $ 20 to $ 25 you can find 3 dozen machetes that do the job more than enough. For that price the only Spyderco you can buy is the Bug Micro-Size. The Schempp Rock (which measures half the length of a standard machete) costs 10 times that amount. And the fixed blade Spyderco with a more approximate length (the Bob Lum Darn Dao Fixed 10.63") costs 30 times the price of a standard machete (about $ 650). So I see little chance that Spyderco will decide to enter that niche ... And I would not miss it because I think that's not a niche for Spyderco (cheap products made to be abused and easily replaced). Same as the utility knives niche.

I don't know that much can be gleaned from comparing knives with complicated grinds like the rock or gorgeous finish work like the darn dao with "sheet metal with an edge" $25 machetes. Machetes, particularly cheap ones, have minimal grinds, cheap carbon steel, plastic handles and no sheath.

For inexpensive Spyderco fixed blades: You can buy a zcut for $20. Bd1n, injection moulded handle, made in USA. For $37 you can get a bow River with a full flat grind, contoured g10 handle and a leather sheath. Dunno how that scales up to a machete, but Spyderco can hit a lower price point when they want to. Is there enough market space for it to be worth their while? I have no idea.

[Notsurewhy]

Oh and my vote was other. Latin style machete. Parangs and khukri are fine, but I tend to use a machete for clearing brush/undergrowth not heavy chopping.

[Michael Janich]

Hey, All:

Thank you all for a cool discussion.

I am a huge fan of machetes and large ethnic blades. When I worked in Vietnam and Laos on the POW/MIA issue, I had the opportunity to do a lot of trail clearing and cutting LZs for helicopters. I started with a GI-issue machete, which cut well, but had the ergonomics of a 2x4. I replaced the handle scales with Hawaiian Koa wood and slimmed them down so it worked better, but it was still not ideal.

We regularly rotated in-country for a month at a time and worked in a number of different ethnic areas, so I went to the local markets and bought the knives the locals were using. Over time, I worked my way through a variety of different ethnic designs, but still found them wanting. Ultimately, I bought a Blackjack Knives Parang with Kraton scales (the same as on their Mamba), a pointy, very well tempered blade, and a nice leather sheath. It was light, very fast, and would "ping" every time I cut something--a quality that our Communist counterparts found very disturbing. Since our mission was one of the last vestiges of Cold-War politics, that was just fine with me...

While I find the idea of a Spyderco ethnic big blade intriguing, from an economics standpoint, I don't think it's practical. Conceptually, it's easy to theorize about high-performance steels and Micarta scales on a state-of-the-art machete, but the resulting cost of the finished product would probably not justify the effort.

Stay safe,

Mike

[Menipo]

In the price range of $ 20 to $ 25 you can find 3 dozen machetes that do the job more than enough. For that price the only Spyderco you can buy is the Bug Micro-Size. The Schempp Rock (which measures half the length of a standard machete) costs 10 times that amount. And the fixed blade Spyderco with a more approximate length (the Bob Lum Darn Dao Fixed 10.63") costs 30 times the price of a standard machete (about $ 650). So I see little chance that Spyderco will decide to enter that niche ... And I would not miss it because I think that's not a niche for Spyderco (cheap products made to be abused and easily replaced). Same as the utility knives niche.

I don't know that much can be gleaned from comparing knives with complicated grinds like the rock or gorgeous finish work like the darn dao with "sheet metal with an edge" $25 machetes. Machetes, particularly cheap ones, have minimal grinds, cheap carbon steel, plastic handles and no sheath.

For inexpensive Spyderco fixed blades: You can buy a zcut for $20. Bd1n, injection moulded handle, made in USA. For $37 you can get a bow River with a full flat grind, contoured g10 handle and a leather sheath. Dunno how that scales up to a machete, but Spyderco can hit a lower price point when they want to. Is there enough market space for it to be worth their while? I have no idea.

The sole object of my comparison was to show that I don't see Spyderco producing 12 "-18" machetes for the price of a Bug Micro-Size or, in your example, a Zcut.

And that, for that price, or $ 10 more, one can buy a Ontario, Kershaw, SOG or Cold Steel machete, just to name 4 companies which produce in the US machetes that have been proven effective for decades and sell them at those prices.

[archangel]

I agree. It would be super cool to own a machete, and doubtlessly it would be of great quality - especially if they'd use a real premium steel. But would I be able to afford it? Most likely not (I assume it would be minimum $400, maybe even $500 or more). I'd guess that most of us wouldn't be, not even real Spydie nuts. Too bad though....

[Menipo]

I voted the "OTHER" selection but let me explain. For a long time now I've grown fond of my 3 Cold Steel Gurkha Kukri models. By definition they really are in the "Knife" category and not really machetes by true definition. However I've had much better results using the Gurkha Kukri models because I've found they are lot more stout with heavier blades and I can even get bigger stuff out of my way when I'm in the timber. But that's just me and what I personally like.

I have a couple of regular machetes as well. For the past 10 years I've been looking for a British made "Martindale" machete. At one time those "Martindale" machetes were considered the "gold standard" for machetes. Not even sure if they are still made. Also there is a company known as Condor that has come to the market with a big selection of machetes and specialty type knives.

Yes. They are still in production. And easy to get at many places. Just an example:

https://www.machetespecialists.com/filt ... artindale/

Hey thanks for the tip!! I didn't even know that these guys were out there. I'm glad to see that they are still being made. I remember many years ago and I think it was "Knives Illustrated" magazine that did a big article on Martindale Machetes and they were really high on them at the time.

I know that in the past 3 to 5 years it seems that the Condor company has kind of stolen the show so to speak. But the two Condor pieces I've checked out I wasn't all that impressed with them. But I'm probably a lot harder to please than most folks. But I'll most definitely check out that list of Martindale Machetes.

The more I think about a Spyderco Machete>> the more I think about it that wouldn't be up their alley so to speak.

You're welcome. It is a pleasure to be useful (even a little bit) to someone from whom one learns so much almost daily

[cycleguy]

Latin or bolo or something between is of interest, so I went other.

Have little use for one, but interested in exploring them and having one on hand.

I have a Bark River 3V Golok around here. It occasionally takes on the overgrowth of lilac bushes across the back yard. Beautiful knife but I think it is way to heavy and the handle seems off for a comfortable smooth stroke. So tend to want to chop vs slice. I'm in the camp for something thin and lightweight. Would be willing to pay more than $20 - $50 if the machete offered something more in function and quality than those choices.

I know BR is doing a run of machetes around 17" oal w/ 12" blade in 1V around 1/8". I figure they will be north of $300; and I'm certain they will sell fine.

CG