My friend was in korea, the Phillipines, and Vietnam. He said that a Filipino Bolo was the best Machete he ever handled. Does anyone know were you can find a good Bolo at a fair price that is a good length about 20 inches in the blade?
Good Long Machete?
- Thread starter Mider
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There are many bolos out there that are considered high quality, and vary in pricing as well. Finding one with a 20 inch blade, though, is rare indeed. You're more likely to find the ones with a 16-17" blade.
The inexpensive, but solid solution, is the Cold Steel:
http://www.lapolicegear.com/coldsteel-97bm-bolo-machete.html
The inexpensive, but solid solution, is the Cold Steel:
http://www.lapolicegear.com/coldsteel-97bm-bolo-machete.html
Omar B
Senior Master
I have 2 Jamaican Machetes. We call them Bills, of Billies, or Cane Knife. It's a 24 inch blade on both of them. http://westindianshop.com/machetejamaicanstraightblde.aspx
I love machetes myself. Side product of being dragged from one 3rd world country to another as a kid. I really never liked the more popular cut for the machete blade you usually see on Tv and movies here in the US. I personally prefer the Jamaican and Guyanese machetes. http://westindianshop.com/guyanacutlassmachetewoodenhandle_1.aspx
I love machetes myself. Side product of being dragged from one 3rd world country to another as a kid. I really never liked the more popular cut for the machete blade you usually see on Tv and movies here in the US. I personally prefer the Jamaican and Guyanese machetes. http://westindianshop.com/guyanacutlassmachetewoodenhandle_1.aspx
chinto
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Yes I do and they are from the PI I have owned 4 of them so far from these folks. one was the no.1 strait, the second was a no.6 rice leaf and the other was a chopper version no.2. I liked all of them and ended up giving them away to different friends who wanted a good brush knife. just ordered a new one for me again!! http://www.reflectionsofasia.com/bolo.htm
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Ive been to Ron K's site but there VERY expensive Machete's
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I tried a cold steel spanish machete once it got dented when i tried it out and the black came off the blade, BUT it was from a second hand source so perhaps it was not a real cold steel machete.
"Bolo" is a generic term, about the same as "machete" with probably more variations. Alot of this is going to depend on the style of machete that he ordered and the panday (smith) that he got it from. If you are going to use your bolo as a machete, then you probably would be overpaying by going to TFW or Kris Cutlery.
I have several older Filipino bolos that I got by bidding on ebay, and they go relatively inexpensively if you aren't trying to get an antique.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/OLD-COLLECT...216?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f177c0858
This process is pretty hit or miss with regard to quality obviously.
I agree with Grenadier that a 20 blade is long for a working machete. You might try something like the KC Pinute which falls in the specs you are talking about and is a solid cutter (I used it to clear my corn patch last fall). But again pretty expensive for a machete.
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I have several of the CS machete's, and well, they aren't awesome but they are cheap. The black is just a paint, so it will come off.
http://www.machetespecialists.com/
this is their bolo selection http://www.machetespecialists.com/bostma.html
I have ordered 2 machetes from here. (both Tramontina, a 12in and 18in bush machetes)
Good service, I will buy from them if I ever need another machete.
ETA: if you just want to learn about machetes, click on the "machete information" link. Real interesting learning about different styles for different uses from different parts of the world.
this is their bolo selection http://www.machetespecialists.com/bostma.html
I have ordered 2 machetes from here. (both Tramontina, a 12in and 18in bush machetes)
Good service, I will buy from them if I ever need another machete.
ETA: if you just want to learn about machetes, click on the "machete information" link. Real interesting learning about different styles for different uses from different parts of the world.
chinto
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http://www.reflectionsofasia.com these people have some that are a bit different shaped then those in your link. I find they cut better, I do not know if its the blade grind angle or balance, or the hilt angle, but much handier and cut better for me.
Omar B
Senior Master
Thanks for posting that. I just recently had my uncle buy me a new machete in Jamaica to send up to me. But this site is way cool, way more variety than the 3 or so styles they sell down there.
Oh, and I've found a new toy! http://www.machetespecialists.com/ma10juboma.html A Bowie styled machete in carbon steel already painted! And look at that price! Saves me the trouble of buying a can of spray paint for it, and knowing me I would have again ended up with a (now 3rd) black blade.
chinto
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from southern calif, the owner goes to the PI and buys them in bulk. I think he has just a few smiths there that he does business with . all the ones I have had have had very good temper and quality.
Mayhem 1906
White Belt
Ka-bar makes good working machetes. As others have said, the lenght you specified is a bit long for most types of work, you'll get fatigued much quicker with a longer blade. and if you're doing any kind of chopping, kukri's are great. You may want to look into carbon vs. stainless steel, depending on your applications. Also, if you ever travel to the carribean or latin america, you can get much better quality for dirt cheap.
If you are looking for a good camp machete this is one I personally use: GOLOK MACHETE
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