Great Video!!! I've been telling people for years that a $10 Tramontina machete will out work ANY thousand dollar custom made from unobtanium super duper survival knife for clearing campsites, shelter building, fire prep - all the stuff you actually have to do when you leave the keyboard behind and hit the woods for real... Again, EXCELLENT video!
I got my machetes in Costa Rica for between $5 and $8 and I am very comfortable taking one camping for a long time as a main tool. My sheathes were about $20 down there and they're awesome thick leather. The combo rides on my hip comfortably with a belt. I lived in Costa Rica for 9 years and learned to use a machete and I prefer them for a lot of jobs.
this... this one sparks joy as a Brazilian i love seeing tramontina getting some love. growing up on a farm i always used tramontina machetes, over the years i had 10" 18" 20" 26" machetes and all served me really well, specially cane machetes. made for cutting sugar cane and they sure cut like crazy. wider blade, a hook on the back and the ones with a long handle are the best ones. i use one of those as a survival tool.
A few months ago i restored one of these tramontinas in a video for a friend. I agree customizing a tool gives you a higher respect and appreciation for the tool. Love the project and video. Turned out nice.
Wow! I have that exact model Tramontina machete - bought it back in the Seventies, lol!!! Seems to be made of fairly good steel - I sharpened it for the first time last summer. Now I am encouraged to dress it up a little, and give it more respect. Thanks for the inspiration!!
As a Brazilian I can say that here every man, even the more urban ones have a tramontina machete or/and other tramontina knives af home... it's part of our culture here 🇧🇷🔪
I use a homemade pvc pipe sheath for mine. It lasted me 20 years and is still as good as the day i made it. Machete has lost a few millimetres of girth due to sharpening but still going strong .great mods, brother. God bless you and your family. Lee
@@michaelhill4301 Pvc sheath are pretty easy "homemade able" measure & cut enough material. Heat em up in oven or even above fire 80-100c and press them on to the knife like they do in kydex sheath making.(Warning use oven mits😂)
I just finished my machete out of a piece of sheet steel. I’m a big fan of the 550 cord wrap. I never thought about pulling the cord through while it still hot. Thanks!
My all time favorite knives are machetes, they are the perfect one tool option as I have witnessed first hand in the rainforest of Asia and South America, I ALWAYS modify mine.
I know that some people actually dedicate two or three inches of the blade near the handle to make the blade super fine for detail work. It seems to me that by putting paracord above the handle you essentially have shortened the blade and lengthen the handle. I think even adding a choil and leaving yourself a longer blade Edge would seem more useful
As my Grandpa taught me what seems a million years ago now about wooden handles and BLO. "Oil once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year and then every year"! Grandpa's advice hasn't failed me yet! I have 4 axes and hatchets, wheelbarrow handles and a pile of shovel/rake etc. handles all to do this weekend for their yearly spring oiling lol. Love your channel... Thanks!
You know the beauty to a $10-20 machete? You don't mind using it for everything. Then even better when the woods just decides to claim it. You don't feel like you lost a weeks pay. Mostly with affordable tools is everyone will actually use them. Anyone ever been with the guy that doesn't wanna use his expensive knife? I have the terrachete to try out this summer. Really like it. The price isn't to bad. Still its expensive for a machete but it also comes with a great sheath so $70 isn't crazy in my opinion.
@@dananorth895 think leather is better then pvc? I just remember leather falling apart after some field time. I know people talk about taking care of. But after a week in the swap the leather looks horrible. An in boyscouts I lost a knife because the leather stretched after a few days of bad bad weather. Really my biggest problem with production leather is its hard to find lefthanded sheaths unless you make them.
Might wanna give the peeps watching a tip about the bench grinder; go easy as to not over heat the blade and mess with it's temper. Pretty cool project though.
My most recent acquisition is a 16" Corneta with a beautiful leather shoulder rig, I had a custom knife maker re handle it with blue pvc pipe, I bought it, the shoulder rig and had the handle redone in February in Bonfim Brazil on the Guyanese border
Have a philippine bolo i bought in J.E.S.T. school. For 5 bucks. Love the thing, light and whippy enough for tall grass and vines, tuff enough for bigger stuff and splitting wood with a wood mallet. Carbon steel so it will throw sparks with a piece of flint ran down its spine. And a water buffalo horn handle that can be shaved and used to stop bleeding in cuts.its Bout the size of your matchete. Been using it for over 40 years now, itll outlast me.
I enjoyed watching this project of yours and will likely swipe a couple of your ideas on my next one. I do a couple things differently and the grinding the blade “shorter” and the cord wrap I’m thinking about, but feels weird right now. A few things you may want to try at some point is 1. Mixing turpentine in with your linseed oil (I use 50/50). I’ve been told the oil absorbs into the wood better/deeper with this mix and that appears to be true. I tend to soak my handles overnight and my walking sticks get oiled often for the first few weeks. 2. The second thing is using straight vinegar to force a patina. I wrap paper towels around the blade soaked in vinegar overnight adding extra vinegar a couple times to keep everything wet. It puts va very nice patina on the blade and seems to make it rust resistant compared to an untreated blade and looks cool too. 3. Oh and third thing I just thought of is I generally use a propane torch and flame the handle before I soak it. It’s supposed to harden the wood, but I like the look and do it more for looks rather than function. Thanks for taking the time to put this good vid together!
More of On3 mods will be appreciated. We've made similar mods to our generic womanchetes with additions underneath the paracord & on the sheath. The almost perfect survival tool.There's nothing better than that feeling of natural wood and a crispy spine is a necessity although we much prefer a flat grind. It's mostly use for green bushes & branches. Reckon it will be gold if you can do a more funky mods to the Tramachete making it more visually cool & yet still functional. Love the chat & mods. Cheers Mr. Salyer from Australia.
Bro said, "... concavity" That's legitimately a word! I'm shocked. Anyhow, I was today years old when I finally figured out the ON 3 reference. Love the hand crafted tool mods. My forte is reducing shovels to the Spetzna type Etool shovel.
These machetes are fantastic value, even in countries ten thousand miles from Brazil. Outstanding video, thank you 👍 PS : Metal sharpening debris in oil or water is called "Slurry"... I think if people are buying a machete, they already have the hand skills to do similar modifications themselves. Otherwise they'd be buying the cheapest electric lawn trimmer...
I hrew up on a small island in the pacific in the 50s. Seemed most everyone had a machete. And they did near everything with them. The other knife they had could be called a kitchen knife. Thats it. I have 4 including the one i bought when i was 12.
I have a couple of machetes I bought in Costa Rica (Imacasa brand) with beautiful thick leather sheaths. The blades are from El Salvador and they're not expensive ones, but they're better than most of the machetes I see for sale in the States. I keep an 18" and a 14" sharp enough to go to work. I spent 9 years in Central America and I learned how useful machetes are. They're everyday all day tools down there, I've worn mine into the grocery store lots of times and nobody looked at me weird for it and others did it too. I learned to chop, slice, dig, and do other jobs with them by watching the locals and talking to them (I learned to speak Spanish fluently pretty quickly). You've definitely got me thinking about working on my machete blades to make them look cooler. They're tools but they look cool with the nice sheathes, making the blades nice would be a cool touch. I could be interested in buying one of those machetes after you fix it up, if it's still affordable enough. It would be cool if you could import sheathes like the ones I have from Costa Rica to sell too. They cost about $25 down there at hardware stores. Machetes cost about $6 or maybe $8, depending on the kind if you buy them from the same stores. I don't know how much you have to pay here for the machetes to start with, but adding $30-40 or so to the price sounds fair to me if it takes an hour to do.
I just ran up to Home Depot and picked one up for $20. I did everything you did in the video and it turned out awesome! I did however switch the paracord out for Gorilla tape.
Great Vid. Thank you. I usually only take my 90 degree spine about halfway up (or a bit less) then actually crown the rest so that i can grab it and use it as a draw knife. At about the widest part of the blade i make my "grabbing spot" to manipulate it with two hands
Good stuff! I can't even tell you why, but this is one of my favorite videos yet. Maybe its watching a simple tool get turned into a custom piece. Good job.
Really cool video, thank you. Yeah, Colhane- Dave McIntire did some great vids on machetes about a decade ago well before alone, and he also liked the tramotina machete.
Big fan of your videos here, man. I also have this same machete and gave it a convex edge. That's about all I did to it. But hell yeah!!! I'll buy one if not more from you. Made in Brazil, modified in the USA by a good old American boy....👍
Got an old one that was from my dad, it must be older than me, we called them Tramontina "3 listras" in Brazil because it has 3 stripes on the sides of the blade, and it is a "must have" for the brazilian bushy woods.
O facão tres listras que eu conheço é o corneta, não o tramontina... mas ambos são bons e muito parecidos! Eu prefiro o tramontina, mas tenho os dois kkkkk
I kinda like my common ordinary Flex Putty Knife. I can get it shaving sharp. It will slice fruit and summer sausage! It will dig cat holes. It will pry. It will rapidly clear a space for fires. It will scrape. A carbon steel version will spark a ferro rod. The perfect Camp Tool! Unbreakable. $10
Jason, I'm a woodworker and I am impressed with your skills molding the handle down to a satisfying comfort and shape. I also see that you have artistic ability with engraving and the 3 turned out perfectly dark and smoothly round. Nice work! Is the machete blade carbon steel? I watched My Guyanese work friends, who were sugarcane workers once and they would sharpen machetes with a file in the field giving them a terrific edge in minutes. Low carbon steel just doesn't sharpen well or hold up to repeated use.
I used a machete for shearing Christmas trees for an entire summer one year. I got really good at sharpening them. But pretty much every row I'd have to resharpen the blade after shearing a few hundred trees. I have never touched a machete after that summer.
I agree with you bout machetes, I’m a big machete user. I have that very same machete, Lowe’s was selling them a few years ago. 30:04 Would like to modify it . Believe I understand what you mean bout the wooden handle. With the natural sweat and oils from your hands and dirt over time on that handle really gives it character , something you don’t get with synthetic materials. I feel the same way bout the knifes with leather handles. Those are really nice modifications, sounds like a good idea to buy them up and do the modifications. Might be a good sell , be worth a try
Definitely learned some things about machete alterations and how to make them better. I own three el cheapos so this gives me plenty of ideas to work with. Thanks.
I love my Tramontina (pronounced TramonCHina) machete, also. I sanded down the handle just a bit but then I stretched bicycle innertube over it and it makes a perfect grip for my hands.
Fantastic video. A section in the video that stood out to me is the one regarding the tip. Yeah, why sharpen all the way when the very tip will just get smashed.
Consider doing the edge and space for wrap and sell them that way as project machetes people can patina, stain, and wrap themselves. Maybe in future vids show stuff like etching and wood burning designs and stuff.
only thing i would add is a lanyard I'm a bit accident prone so i add them to most of my cutting tools to stop my hand from sliding forward on the blade it also allows me to attach lines and or hang it off the ground. I will admit I'm also forgetful blaze orange paracord pops in most environments and it means I'm less likely to walk off and forget it. I also know that if its not physically attached to my body I'm going to lose it.
I carried one of these in my body armor for years, all over the place, cut with it, dug with it, split wood, cut myself out of 3 different wrecked cars with it, split more engines and transmissions with it than i can count. Fantastic knife, i have beaten the begezus out of it with all kinds of hammers and spanners. Wouldnt give it up for the world.
When I was a kid 40 years ago I worked on a farm and we had two already ancient machetes that we used for everything from cutting corn to clearing brush to sword fights between us young boys. You couldn't destroy them. When I watch couch commandos by 200 dollar knives and talk about "batoning" I just have to roll my eyes. When I hit the trail I have one short machete that I made out of an industrial hacksaw blade and a mora type smaller knife. If I spent 200 dollars on a field knife I'd me afraid to use it.
He made it pretty and sharper. But the stock version serves just fine with an occasional edge touch-up and smoothing with sandpaper. A great value. Just find or make a good sheath for it. But the reality is that there are many inexpensive blades which, when cost is factored into the evaluation, are much better values than more expensive knives. And will serve the user well enough. And as a weapon, will kill just as well (as history has demonstrated countless times).
I really liked the attention to detail on maintenance of the machete. My question is on your wrap. Why not put the tag in all they back through the wrap ? Seems like that brunt end might irritate your hand.
That was just down right awesome ,, what a big difference you made👍 I have 2 Tramontina’ s out in the garage which I paid I think $10 bucks each . Didn’t do all that to mine , but did the resharpening and the 90 degree spine to mine . But now after watching your review on this , I will have a project this weekend,, great video, I just subscribed 👍
Hello. I have got the same machette. I have made modification of the back of the blade. I have shave it to erase the part who is comming up to the sky. Like this the back is all straight and it is now possible to put it in a kydex sheath than i have made. I have shave the handle as you did.And i have made a little hole at the end to put a little rope.
I love machete's myself. I have an old Belgian pre world war two. Handle has rotted off 40 years ago. I have not tried restoring it. I keep the rust of and strop it once in a while. I did get around to making a sheath for it. Maybe before i exit this world i will honor it with a nice handle just out of respect for the old boy. Guys say old girl, i say old boy 🤣 anyway nice video
Nice job! Had one with a 14 inch blade I customized. I cut the tip about 3 in to make a clip point. I'd say your version. Is worth at least $50 to $60.
Ihave 2 of these. One i made in to a Sax style and the other a Bowie but i havnt done a cross guard yet, im slowly working on it. I want to do a "Pirate" cutlas shape too. Possabilities are endless. you should do some experiments too. would love to see some. just subscribed.
bought one of these in early 1990s used it to fry bacon over open fire , chop wood clear scrub etc ,broke handle of and redid with two nice woods one dark inlaid with lighter wood .problem in uk now as are illegal because of crims
These are highly regarded brand of tool, low cost workhorse. Used a dremmel with sanding drum for shaping handle and tung oil. Brand new bench grinder stolen so can't put a propper edge on it, still it does hold a keen edge. Still have to make a decent leather sheath for it. Untill then it a cardboard and tape sheath. Lol
it is a tool it all depends on your needs and how you use it, if you wanna spend 300 bucks on a dam blade so be it this brand gets you 1070 steel for 25 dollars, so u wont babysit it or worry about losing it.
I'm not sure the price point is going to be where you need for your time and effort to make these worth your while. However, if you offered a class where tuition included that base machete, instruction, and materials to have people DIY their own then I think you could sell these all day long. You could even make the class a twofer; DIY your machete in the morning from 10 to noon and then, as a group, use your machetes to harvest materials, make a quick camp, start up a big fire, and have everyone cook hot dogs and such on skewers over the flames while you get a big pot of tea brewing. Everyone walks away having built out their very own bushcraft s-word, having helped set up a quick camp, with a belly full of flame roasted goodness, and having had plenty of chatting and fellowship. Now THAT would be one heck of a day and a learning experience.
Great Video!!! I've been telling people for years that a $10 Tramontina machete will out work ANY thousand dollar custom made from unobtanium super duper survival knife for clearing campsites, shelter building, fire prep - all the stuff you actually have to do when you leave the keyboard behind and hit the woods for real... Again, EXCELLENT video!
I got my machetes in Costa Rica for between $5 and $8 and I am very comfortable taking one camping for a long time as a main tool. My sheathes were about $20 down there and they're awesome thick leather. The combo rides on my hip comfortably with a belt. I lived in Costa Rica for 9 years and learned to use a machete and I prefer them for a lot of jobs.
Fully agreed I have like 7
So machetes are better at being a machete than survival knives are, got it. You're full of valuable information!!
As long as it is not the Tramontina made in China! The Chinese one is
CRAP! The ones made in Spain are EXCELLENT! I bought several of them.
@@stevenhard3961 mine were made in El Salvador and I have no complaints
Iam from Puerto Rico. An USA territory in the Caribbean. We use machetes for a lot of works . From our grandparents years it is a real survival tool
this... this one sparks joy
as a Brazilian i love seeing tramontina getting some love. growing up on a farm i always used tramontina machetes, over the years i had 10" 18" 20" 26" machetes and all served me really well, specially cane machetes. made for cutting sugar cane and they sure cut like crazy. wider blade, a hook on the back and the ones with a long handle are the best ones. i use one of those as a survival tool.
They are pretty much the best reasonably priced machetes out there
My favorite yard tool ever. For my 5th BD I asked my Grandpa for a machete, he bought me a tramintina. Ever since I been the knife guy I'm 30 now.
A few months ago i restored one of these tramontinas in a video for a friend. I agree customizing a tool gives you a higher respect and appreciation for the tool. Love the project and video. Turned out nice.
Thanks!
I bought 20 at Lowe’s end of garden season for 5 dollars each. I redid a few and give them to my neighbors
Your lowes still sells tramontinas??? Mine stopped afew years ago
Wow! I have that exact model Tramontina machete - bought it back in the Seventies, lol!!! Seems to be made of fairly good steel - I sharpened it for the first time last summer. Now I am encouraged to dress it up a little, and give it more respect.
Thanks for the inspiration!!
Very cool!
Huge fan of the Tramontina machetes. Inexpensive and pretty durable. Good tool.
As a Brazilian I can say that here every man, even the more urban ones have a tramontina machete or/and other tramontina knives af home... it's part of our culture here 🇧🇷🔪
Same here in Hawaii.
My buddy bought an awesome tramontina from Peru that had a wood and copper wire wrapped handle
I use a homemade pvc pipe sheath for mine. It lasted me 20 years and is still as good as the day i made it. Machete has lost a few millimetres of girth due to sharpening but still going strong .great mods, brother. God bless you and your family. Lee
Good stuff! Thanks for watching
will you share a picture of the sheath you made?
@@michaelhill4301
Pvc sheath are pretty easy "homemade able" measure & cut enough material. Heat em up in oven or even above fire 80-100c and press them on to the knife like they do in kydex sheath making.(Warning use oven mits😂)
I just finished my machete out of a piece of sheet steel. I’m a big fan of the 550 cord wrap. I never thought about pulling the cord through while it still hot. Thanks!
My all time favorite knives are machetes, they are the perfect one tool option as I have witnessed first hand in the rainforest of Asia and South America, I ALWAYS modify mine.
I know that some people actually dedicate two or three inches of the blade near the handle to make the blade super fine for detail work. It seems to me that by putting paracord above the handle you essentially have shortened the blade and lengthen the handle. I think even adding a choil and leaving yourself a longer blade Edge would seem more useful
I love the idea of the paracord wrap. I used one of these tramontina machetes to make myself a bowie with a 10 inch blade.
As my Grandpa taught me what seems a million years ago now about wooden handles and BLO. "Oil once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year and then every year"! Grandpa's advice hasn't failed me yet! I have 4 axes and hatchets, wheelbarrow handles and a pile of shovel/rake etc. handles all to do this weekend for their yearly spring oiling lol. Love your channel... Thanks!
You know the beauty to a $10-20 machete? You don't mind using it for everything. Then even better when the woods just decides to claim it. You don't feel like you lost a weeks pay.
Mostly with affordable tools is everyone will actually use them.
Anyone ever been with the guy that doesn't wanna use his expensive knife?
I have the terrachete to try out this summer. Really like it. The price isn't to bad. Still its expensive for a machete but it also comes with a great sheath so $70 isn't crazy in my opinion.
Paid 20.00 but it didn't come with a sheath. A 12" by 24" sheet of leather is 25.00 though and have an extensive leatherworking/sewing kit so........
@@dananorth895 think leather is better then pvc? I just remember leather falling apart after some field time. I know people talk about taking care of. But after a week in the swap the leather looks horrible.
An in boyscouts I lost a knife because the leather stretched after a few days of bad bad weather.
Really my biggest problem with production leather is its hard to find lefthanded sheaths unless you make them.
Might wanna give the peeps watching a tip about the bench grinder; go easy as to not over heat the blade and mess with it's temper. Pretty cool project though.
Great point!
That's one thing we totally agree on Jason. I love machetes!❤
My most recent acquisition is a 16" Corneta with a beautiful leather shoulder rig, I had a custom knife maker re handle it with blue pvc pipe, I bought it, the shoulder rig and had the handle redone in February in Bonfim Brazil on the Guyanese border
Those Tramontina machete’s have their own PING!
Love it!
Have a philippine bolo i bought in J.E.S.T. school. For 5 bucks. Love the thing, light and whippy enough for tall grass and vines, tuff enough for bigger stuff and splitting wood with a wood mallet. Carbon steel so it will throw sparks with a piece of flint ran down its spine. And a water buffalo horn handle that can be shaved and used to stop bleeding in cuts.its Bout the size of your matchete. Been using it for over 40 years now, itll outlast me.
I enjoyed watching this project of yours and will likely swipe a couple of your ideas on my next one. I do a couple things differently and the grinding the blade “shorter” and the cord wrap I’m thinking about, but feels weird right now. A few things you may want to try at some point is 1. Mixing turpentine in with your linseed oil (I use 50/50). I’ve been told the oil absorbs into the wood better/deeper with this mix and that appears to be true. I tend to soak my handles overnight and my walking sticks get oiled often for the first few weeks. 2. The second thing is using straight vinegar to force a patina. I wrap paper towels around the blade soaked in vinegar overnight adding extra vinegar a couple times to keep everything wet. It puts va very nice patina on the blade and seems to make it rust resistant compared to an untreated blade and looks cool too. 3. Oh and third thing I just thought of is I generally use a propane torch and flame the handle before I soak it. It’s supposed to harden the wood, but I like the look and do it more for looks rather than function. Thanks for taking the time to put this good vid together!
More of On3 mods will be appreciated. We've made similar mods to our generic womanchetes with additions underneath the paracord & on the sheath. The almost perfect survival tool.There's nothing better than that feeling of natural wood and a crispy spine is a necessity although we much prefer a flat grind. It's mostly use for green bushes & branches. Reckon it will be gold if you can do a more funky mods to the Tramachete making it more visually cool & yet still functional. Love the chat & mods. Cheers Mr. Salyer from Australia.
I've used my Tramatina Bolo to clear Fields and it works great. Best $ 17.00 Machete ever!
Los machetes y machetillos son unas herramientas muy buenas y baratas acá son muy comunes. Saludos desde Paraguay
Bro said, "... concavity"
That's legitimately a word! I'm shocked.
Anyhow, I was today years old when I finally figured out the ON 3 reference.
Love the hand crafted tool mods. My forte is reducing shovels to the Spetzna type Etool shovel.
I just bought a cheap machete and turned it into a Sax. I like what you did to the handle, looks much more usable now.
"It needs some love before you can turn it into something nice that you can really enjoy using." Where have I heard that before?
🤔
These machetes are fantastic value, even in countries ten thousand miles from Brazil.
Outstanding video, thank you 👍
PS : Metal sharpening debris in oil or water is called "Slurry"...
I think if people are buying a machete, they already have the hand skills to do similar modifications themselves.
Otherwise they'd be buying the cheapest electric lawn trimmer...
The machete is the universal survival cutting tool.
Yes it is!
Gloves are usually not worn when working on rotating machines. Why - ask the professionals. Thank you for the video.
Quickest was to loose fingers, especially drill presses!
This
Was gonna say the same but didn't want to be a safety Sally 😅
Feeling every vibration with your bare hands are more accurate & safer than thick cut proof gloves if you've had a little experience with the tools.
Jason, brother, I don’t know how you find the time to make daily videos, Lead your family, and take care of your farm! My hat is off to you! 👏👏👊🏻🇺🇸
I appreciate that!
Beautiful. I really like when someone takes care of their tools & even creative improvements. Great job!
Tramontina is the workhorse of Brazil.
I hrew up on a small island in the pacific in the 50s. Seemed most everyone had a machete. And they did near everything with them. The other knife they had could be called a kitchen knife. Thats it. I have 4 including the one i bought when i was 12.
Most important tool of half the world
Nothing wrong with Tramontina ✌️🇺🇸
I have a couple of machetes I bought in Costa Rica (Imacasa brand) with beautiful thick leather sheaths. The blades are from El Salvador and they're not expensive ones, but they're better than most of the machetes I see for sale in the States. I keep an 18" and a 14" sharp enough to go to work. I spent 9 years in Central America and I learned how useful machetes are. They're everyday all day tools down there, I've worn mine into the grocery store lots of times and nobody looked at me weird for it and others did it too. I learned to chop, slice, dig, and do other jobs with them by watching the locals and talking to them (I learned to speak Spanish fluently pretty quickly).
You've definitely got me thinking about working on my machete blades to make them look cooler. They're tools but they look cool with the nice sheathes, making the blades nice would be a cool touch.
I could be interested in buying one of those machetes after you fix it up, if it's still affordable enough. It would be cool if you could import sheathes like the ones I have from Costa Rica to sell too. They cost about $25 down there at hardware stores. Machetes cost about $6 or maybe $8, depending on the kind if you buy them from the same stores.
I don't know how much you have to pay here for the machetes to start with, but adding $30-40 or so to the price sounds fair to me if it takes an hour to do.
Thanks so much for the feedback!
I just ran up to Home Depot and picked one up for $20. I did everything you did in the video and it turned out awesome! I did however switch the paracord out for Gorilla tape.
That is awesome!!! You can’t have too much duct tape.
I love my machete. I always find a use for it.
Great Vid. Thank you. I usually only take my 90 degree spine about halfway up (or a bit less) then actually crown the rest so that i can grab it and use it as a draw knife. At about the widest part of the blade i make my "grabbing spot" to manipulate it with two hands
Good stuff! I can't even tell you why, but this is one of my favorite videos yet. Maybe its watching a simple tool get turned into a custom piece. Good job.
Wow, thanks!
Outstanding! I have made a few mods on my Tramontina Machete. Thanks for the paracord tip.
Really cool video, thank you. Yeah, Colhane- Dave McIntire did some great vids on machetes about a decade ago well before alone, and he also liked the tramotina machete.
Very cool! Thanks for watching
Big fan of your videos here, man. I also have this same machete and gave it a convex edge. That's about all I did to it. But hell yeah!!! I'll buy one if not more from you. Made in Brazil, modified in the USA by a good old American boy....👍
Thanks so much!
I just bought a 14” tramontina because of this video. This with an Old Hickory Butcher knife should scratch the itch.
Got an old one that was from my dad, it must be older than me, we called them Tramontina "3 listras" in Brazil because it has 3 stripes on the sides of the blade, and it is a "must have" for the brazilian bushy woods.
O facão tres listras que eu conheço é o corneta, não o tramontina... mas ambos são bons e muito parecidos! Eu prefiro o tramontina, mas tenho os dois kkkkk
I kinda like my common ordinary Flex Putty Knife.
I can get it shaving sharp.
It will slice fruit and summer sausage! It will dig cat holes. It will pry. It will rapidly clear a space for fires. It will scrape. A carbon steel version will spark a ferro rod.
The perfect Camp Tool! Unbreakable.
$10
Jason, I'm a woodworker and I am impressed with your skills molding the handle down to a satisfying comfort and shape. I also see that you have artistic ability with engraving and the 3 turned out perfectly dark and smoothly round. Nice work! Is the machete blade carbon steel? I watched My Guyanese work friends, who were sugarcane workers once and they would sharpen machetes with a file in the field giving them a terrific edge in minutes. Low carbon steel just doesn't sharpen well or hold up to repeated use.
Thanks!! Yes, the blades are a high carbon steel.
Great video! I'm very impressed of your mods especially wrapping paracord at the end of the blade!
Excellent work. I was contemplating cutting 6 " or so off my cheap machete. But this looks a much better project. To the workshop!
I used a machete for shearing Christmas trees for an entire summer one year. I got really good at sharpening them. But pretty much every row I'd have to resharpen the blade after shearing a few hundred trees. I have never touched a machete after that summer.
I agree with you bout machetes, I’m a big machete user. I have that very same machete, Lowe’s was selling them a few years ago. 30:04 Would like to modify it . Believe I understand what you mean bout the wooden handle. With the natural sweat and oils from your hands and dirt over time on that handle really gives it character , something you don’t get with synthetic materials. I feel the same way bout the knifes with leather handles. Those are really nice modifications, sounds like a good idea to buy them up and do the modifications. Might be a good sell , be worth a try
Definitely learned some things about machete alterations and how to make them better. I own three el cheapos so this gives me plenty of ideas to work with. Thanks.
Did I just watch my buddy Jason refinish a machete for 30 minutes while I ate my lunch? You better believe I did!
Tool work like this is so therapeutic to me too
I love my Tramontina (pronounced TramonCHina) machete, also. I sanded down the handle just a bit but then I stretched bicycle innertube over it and it makes a perfect grip for my hands.
I have an eighteen inch blade Tramontina machete and was thinking of polishing then cold bluing it. I want it to be a pirate cutlass looking thing.
Fantastic video. A section in the video that stood out to me is the one regarding the tip. Yeah, why sharpen all the way when the very tip will just get smashed.
Consider doing the edge and space for wrap and sell them that way as project machetes people can patina, stain, and wrap themselves. Maybe in future vids show stuff like etching and wood burning designs and stuff.
only thing i would add is a lanyard I'm a bit accident prone so i add them to most of my cutting tools to stop my hand from sliding forward on the blade it also allows me to attach lines and or hang it off the ground. I will admit I'm also forgetful blaze orange paracord pops in most environments and it means I'm less likely to walk off and forget it. I also know that if its not physically attached to my body I'm going to lose it.
I carried one of these in my body armor for years, all over the place, cut with it, dug with it, split wood, cut myself out of 3 different wrecked cars with it, split more engines and transmissions with it than i can count. Fantastic knife, i have beaten the begezus out of it with all kinds of hammers and spanners. Wouldnt give it up for the world.
I'd would love to buy one, however the satifaction of customizing my own would be greatly satisfying.
Agreed! Do it!!
When I was a kid 40 years ago I worked on a farm and we had two already ancient machetes that we used for everything from cutting corn to clearing brush to sword fights between us young boys. You couldn't destroy them. When I watch couch commandos by 200 dollar knives and talk about "batoning" I just have to roll my eyes. When I hit the trail I have one short machete that I made out of an industrial hacksaw blade and a mora type smaller knife. If I spent 200 dollars on a field knife I'd me afraid to use it.
Love it!!
Was inspired! have a bunch of machete's in the barn just ran out and started working on one in the shop Thanks!
Awesome!!
He made it pretty and sharper. But the stock version serves just fine with an occasional edge touch-up and smoothing with sandpaper.
A great value. Just find or make a good sheath for it.
But the reality is that there are many inexpensive blades which, when cost is factored into the evaluation, are much better values than more expensive knives. And will serve the user well enough.
And as a weapon, will kill just as well (as history has demonstrated countless times).
I really liked the attention to detail on maintenance of the machete. My question is on your wrap. Why not put the tag in all they back through the wrap ? Seems like that brunt end might irritate your hand.
That was just down right awesome ,, what a big difference you made👍 I have 2 Tramontina’ s out in the garage which I paid I think $10 bucks each . Didn’t do all that to mine , but did the resharpening and the 90 degree spine to mine . But now after watching your review on this , I will have a project this weekend,, great video, I just subscribed 👍
Nice work Jase!
Really enjoyed the video; sounds like a fun project. 👍🏽
I'm certain these machete companies sell them rough made because they know the customer is just gonna modify it anyway.
Love the project videos! Machete looks great 🔥
Thanks 👍
Hello. I have got the same machette. I have made modification of the back of the blade. I have shave it to erase the part who is comming up to the sky. Like this the back is all straight and it is now possible to put it in a kydex sheath than i have made. I have shave the handle as you did.And i have made a little hole at the end to put a little rope.
Yes please. Very sold idea.
I love machete's myself. I have an old Belgian pre world war two. Handle has rotted off 40 years ago. I have not tried restoring it. I keep the rust of and strop it once in a while. I did get around to making a sheath for it. Maybe before i exit this world i will honor it with a nice handle just out of respect for the old boy. Guys say old girl, i say old boy 🤣 anyway nice video
Love it!! Fix her up!
Nice job! Had one with a 14 inch blade I customized. I cut the tip about 3 in to make a clip point. I'd say your version. Is worth at least $50 to $60.
What dumass pays 50-60$ for a machete?
Very nice job, well done. Is that a Tramontina Machete? Well, you answered at the end. Stay Safe.
Machetes are great multi tool weapons.
Nick you are deranged
Ihave 2 of these. One i made in to a Sax style and the other a Bowie but i havnt done a cross guard yet, im slowly working on it. I want to do a "Pirate" cutlas shape too. Possabilities are endless. you should do some experiments too. would love to see some. just subscribed.
perfect timing. I just bought a very inexpensive machete in costa rica
Enjoy!
Because Paracord really finishes its qualification as a Perfect Survival Tool.
Agreed!
A round chain saw file works awesome
Great video brother
We use these in our secret society to practice machete fencing.
I'll take Two..... Take my money 💰
Great Information and yes a purchase would be good!
A very interesting and informative video. If you are thinking of selling them I would buy one. If shipping to England is not too much of a problem!
Done a few. Good tips. -👍
Very nice! I would buy one.
bought one of these in early 1990s used it to fry bacon over open fire , chop wood clear scrub etc ,broke handle of and redid with two nice woods one dark inlaid with lighter wood .problem in uk now as are illegal because of crims
I have the same one and I got some cheap floppy sheath.
These are highly regarded brand of tool, low cost workhorse. Used a dremmel with sanding drum for shaping handle and tung oil. Brand new bench grinder stolen so can't put a propper edge on it, still it does hold a keen edge. Still have to make a decent leather sheath for it. Untill then it a cardboard and tape sheath. Lol
PVC make a solid sheath.
I’d be interested in one for sure
Those Tramontina machetes are my favorite. If you were to sell these, I would purchase one, providing that you could ship to NZ.
Wonder what shipping to Kiwi land would cost?
Great video. A purchase price of $25 dollars would be my limit
Thanks!
I'd like to see this compared to a Ka-bar Kukri or a Woodman's Pal or even a Gerber machete to see what is the "perfect survival tool".
it is a tool it all depends on your needs and how you use it, if you wanna spend 300 bucks on a dam blade so be it this brand gets you 1070 steel for 25 dollars, so u wont babysit it or worry about losing it.
I've had mine for some years, just sanded up the handle and bring it to 320 stone once in a blue moon.
I'm not sure the price point is going to be where you need for your time and effort to make these worth your while. However, if you offered a class where tuition included that base machete, instruction, and materials to have people DIY their own then I think you could sell these all day long. You could even make the class a twofer; DIY your machete in the morning from 10 to noon and then, as a group, use your machetes to harvest materials, make a quick camp, start up a big fire, and have everyone cook hot dogs and such on skewers over the flames while you get a big pot of tea brewing.
Everyone walks away having built out their very own bushcraft s-word, having helped set up a quick camp, with a belly full of flame roasted goodness, and having had plenty of chatting and fellowship.
Now THAT would be one heck of a day and a learning experience.
Love that idea very much!! If I decide to do this, remind me of this conversation and you can join for free.
@@SurvivalDispatch I would love that opportunity. Just let me know when and where to bring the hot dogs.
Yes sir I'm all in Love to have one of your awesome projects and even one of those little handy cutter tool things that you got too❤❤❤
Well done
Finally got what I asked for. Thanks Jason. Now make a video of you actually using it