I spend a lot of days in the woods with a machete in my hand. The Ontario is a great blade, but it does need work. That lanyard hole is easy to open up as the plastic is what restricts the hole, the tang hole in the blade is a decent size. I used a rasp and metal file to shape the plastic into a better fit taking out the gap in the spine and rounding the belly out. Once i did that i Plasti Dipped (in my work Orange is a preferred color) the Plasti fills in some of the gaps and adds a slip resistant texture. Last thing to do was add a 550 lanyard so if your using it it wont slip and go flying. Over all one of the better blades i have used.
I have one I use mostly on bittersweet vines, I have a round sharpening stone called a puck with a course and a medium side that works well. I like this machete because it has a more rigid blade than many others.
Lanyard hole is a very valuable feature on the machete. Unless you've modified the rather slick handle, any bit of moisture could cause it to fly right out of your hands. I've had it happen on hot summer days when my hands were getting sweaty. Since then I've wrapped the handle in hockey tape and added a lanyard to keep it tight on my wrist. Never had an issue after that. Rothcos products I've always found to be poor. I bought the same molle sheath. Didn't last very long through extended use. Single stitching is disappointing and the pouches I felt should have had the snap closures like the molle backing. Plastic insert broke easily, and the thing was frayed and in rough shape after a few months of use. I'd say that's unacceptable considering it cost only a few dollars less than the machete itself. The military issue plastic sheath is a much better choice. Not molle compatible, but if you get creative it could be done.
The Smith's sharpener is trash. I have one and it is wider than 25 degrees. It made my Eastwing axe and my Ontario machete MORE dull than they were when I needed to sharpen them. I recommend learning how to use a file or a sharpening stone and stay away from the carbide V type sharpeners. All those do is aggressively remove a lot of steel off your edge.
katinka All jokes aside, if you need protection from wild animals, you need a firearm. When you get attacked, you WON'T be strong enough or fast enough to kill a bear or mountain lion with a machete.
I have the same machete sheath set up that he is using and I can tell you guys it does not stay secure if you turn the sheath up side down the blade slides out far enough that several inches of blade come in contact with the strap. the solution however is to just have a rope/paracord loop go through the hole in the handle and have that go through the strap as well.
Machete's are traditionally meant for pinch style cuts not slicing. hence chopping tool good for woodland areas that are not lush Jungle regions. So less leafy more wooded and dry hard wood such as dry limbs that can cause folding or rolling of the blade. So Meant to chop like an axe. Or maul. hole for tie off to attach to what ever with a string so it can't be to sharp when dangling of you hiking gear. Peace.
jhon doe In the country I live in, a 18 inch tramontina is about $50 NZ, and a 18 inch Ontario Military machete is $ 69 NZ. I say get a tramontina for better value haha!
That Smith’s sharpener is terrible. I have one. It’ll take whatever edge you have on your tool and make it DULL. 25° on each side makes 50° total which is flatter than 45°. You have to smash your way through everything with that. I use a file and sandpaper and put a 15° each side. I use much less effort to slice through vegetation. That Smith sharpener ruined a good axe edge of mine too. Had it re-sharpen it with a file and sand paper. I recommend everyone throw those Smith’s sharpeners in the trash.
I bought this same exact machete from Amazon. Great quality. I sharpened it up and I use it for home protection in case of an emergency.
Buy a gun. Take a course on it.
I think a machete with the label of "Best" needs to have a demo of some sort.......
Absolutely, this didn't help me decide or justify a purchase. lol.
I got drunk the other night and watched king kong 2005 and i drunk bought this off amazon best regret ever!
I spend a lot of days in the woods with a machete in my hand. The
Ontario is a great blade, but it does need work. That lanyard hole is
easy to open up as the plastic is what restricts the hole, the tang hole
in the blade is a decent size. I used a rasp and metal file to shape
the plastic into a better fit taking out the gap in the spine and
rounding the belly out. Once i did that i Plasti Dipped (in my work
Orange is a preferred color) the Plasti fills in some of the gaps and
adds a slip resistant texture. Last thing to do was add a 550 lanyard so
if your using it it wont slip and go flying. Over all one of the better
blades i have used.
I have one I use mostly on bittersweet vines, I have a round sharpening stone called a puck with a course and a medium side that works well. I like this machete because it has a more rigid blade than many others.
Lanyard hole is a very valuable feature on the machete. Unless you've modified the rather slick handle, any bit of moisture could cause it to fly right out of your hands. I've had it happen on hot summer days when my hands were getting sweaty. Since then I've wrapped the handle in hockey tape and added a lanyard to keep it tight on my wrist. Never had an issue after that. Rothcos products I've always found to be poor. I bought the same molle sheath. Didn't last very long through extended use. Single stitching is disappointing and the pouches I felt should have had the snap closures like the molle backing. Plastic insert broke easily, and the thing was frayed and in rough shape after a few months of use. I'd say that's unacceptable considering it cost only a few dollars less than the machete itself. The military issue plastic sheath is a much better choice. Not molle compatible, but if you get creative it could be done.
Rothco sheath is garbage!!! They should of spent their money on a sheath tip!
If you sand the handle a little bit it won't be that slippery.
If you use it out in the field for 3-4 hrs, you'll wish you had a lanyard.
I always dug the role you played on CHiPs.
Came for a video about a machete, ended up watching a video about a sharpener and a sheath.
I have 1 as well, it was mostly used in the late 60s to hack through the jungle of vietnam amd maybe a few nva
I came here to watch a video about a machete, not a sheath.
Or sharpener
A 6in flat file works really good for sharpening any machete
Lanyard hold is for a wrist loop, so if you lose your grip the machete doesn't go flying.
I have the same machete/sheath set. Work good for me.
The Smith's sharpener is trash. I have one and it is wider than 25 degrees. It made my Eastwing axe and my Ontario machete MORE dull than they were when I needed to sharpen them. I recommend learning how to use a file or a sharpening stone and stay away from the carbide V type sharpeners. All those do is aggressively remove a lot of steel off your edge.
totallyfrozen I still use an old stone set and files , I refuse to sharpen any other way other than roughing something out again
Bullshit. I spend 1 hour trying to sharpen with a file, didn't do anything. 5 minutes with the Smiths and now it's super sharp.
put a small first aid jitters in the sheath, it will come in handy. love my ontario and my Collins
I need this when I'm hiking in bear and mountain lion country in the High Sierras! My little Gerber pocket knife is too small. lol
katinka All jokes aside, if you need protection from wild animals, you need a firearm. When you get attacked, you WON'T be strong enough or fast enough to kill a bear or mountain lion with a machete.
Or at least bear spray
I have the same machete sheath set up that he is using and I can tell you guys it does not stay secure if you turn the sheath up side down the blade slides out far enough that several inches of blade come in contact with the strap. the solution however is to just have a rope/paracord loop go through the hole in the handle and have that go through the strap as well.
It looks like the one I had as a kid lil cheaper I think my father still has it
good God those eyes look right in to my soul
He’s got the Amazon special!
Looks like a compass pocket.
Forget the 430 smith sharpener and pickup a 8" Nicholson file and use Ranger bands to strap it to the sheath.
A spool of fishing line a compass and a magnifying glass
Ontario is the best I have had 70 of them in 50 years..keep extras in case they are ever discontinued they hold an edge for years.
Yea it really rocks. And with a 25 degree sharpening angle it just breezes through wood like nothing ^_^
cani buy a machete from you
Machete's are traditionally meant for pinch style cuts not slicing. hence chopping tool good for woodland areas that are not lush Jungle regions. So less leafy more wooded and dry hard wood such as dry limbs that can cause folding or rolling of the blade. So Meant to chop like an axe. Or maul. hole for tie off to attach to what ever with a string so it can't be to sharp when dangling of you hiking gear. Peace.
Love the Communist remark at the end of the Video and yes I shall go out and buy one, Just one no more.
I wish he would of focused on the machete, instead of bells and whistles that don't come with it..
Final comment made me subscribe
Tramontina- i have one 35 years old. spent 6 usd for it.
i made steel for ontario in syracuse .
i carry the ontario in costa rica now.
If you want the perfect machete, get a TRAMONTINA!!!
Tramontina looks interesting, I'll have to check it out. Hecho en brasil XD :)
jhon doe In the country I live in, a 18 inch tramontina is about $50 NZ, and a 18 inch Ontario Military machete is $ 69 NZ. I say get a tramontina for better value haha!
That Smith’s sharpener is terrible. I have one. It’ll take whatever edge you have on your tool and make it DULL. 25° on each side makes 50° total which is flatter than 45°. You have to smash your way through everything with that. I use a file and sandpaper and put a 15° each side. I use much less effort to slice through vegetation. That Smith sharpener ruined a good axe edge of mine too. Had it re-sharpen it with a file and sand paper.
I recommend everyone throw those Smith’s sharpeners in the trash.
FOR MOTHER RUSSIA
I'm going to kill myself and make it look like you killed me