I Went Big

"Go Big or Go Home" is a phrase I've heard and/or said from time to time.

Well, yesterday I went big with regard to machetes and I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to go back.

For years I've been telling people that the ideal machete for my use is a cut down Ontario 18" Military Machete trimmed to about 16" and convexed with a squared spine.

I got a 22" Ontario from Machete Specialists and the extra reach and weight may push me from a shortener to a full-length-er.

As with any Ontario of recent production, it's going to need lots of TLC to bring it up to a useable state. This one has about 4" of unsharpened steel in front of the handle so I will round the spine, square the edge-side, and then square up the rest of the spine.

Actually, the first thing I'll do this morning is strip off the black coating with Bar Keeper's Friend. Then I'll probably tweak the handle to take away the gap between the scales. Once that's all done I can start on the steel modifications.

I'll try and take some measurements and weights before I start this project so I can give you a good comparison before and after.

Thanks for reading,


B