Machetes, Kukris & Hybrids

Discussion in 'Knives, Gear, Guns And Other Tools' started by Stone, Sep 20, 2018.

  1. Stone

    Stone Member

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    What a great line for this thread. :cool:

    Can you imagine the training ops offered by swimming in an ocean of machetes? :eek:

    I like the name you chose for that blade: Kingfisher. So rich in biology, ecology and history.

    [​IMG]
     
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  2. Andy the Aussie

    Andy the Aussie Administrator of the Century Staff Member

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    ....... the Kookaburra I just caught poaching goldfish out of my yard ponds agrees !!
     
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  3. Stone

    Stone Member

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    Wow. I was quoted by the

    Moderator of the Century
    .

    I am humbled.

    <b:oops:est approx of humbled>

    How much for one of those

    gold fish


    shipped to

    044..

    ?
     
  4. Andy the Aussie

    Andy the Aussie Administrator of the Century Staff Member

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    Do you want the fish the Kookaburra eviscerated or an intact one ? You want it shipped in a water bag or just a box ? These are important questions... ;)
     
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  5. Stone

    Stone Member

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    I'll get back to in no more than a month ab0ut the fish
     
  6. Stone

    Stone Member

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    Always the curious biologist, I searched Kookaburra. I remembered vaguely that it's an Australian bird, and gathered from Andy's post that it must be a kingfisher.

    Indeed. But what I didn't remember is its ... call (?), song ... This bird is a famous vocalist in many jungle movies. I'm pretty sure it had a cameo role with Tarzan.

    It adds to the intrigue of the Kingfisher Machete. Maybe to increase sales in Aussieland, you should call it the Kookaburra Machete. Hey, you could even have some produced with a tiny sound card and itsy bitsy speaker so that pressing a button makes it laugh. ;)

     
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  7. FortyTwoBlades

    FortyTwoBlades Moderator Staff Member

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    Not changing the name. :p Kingfisher is a play on words given its intended context of use anyhow. ;)
     
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  8. anrkst6973

    anrkst6973 Member

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    I watched the reviews by Skallagrim on you tube, He was doing a number on anatomical dummy's with one. :) beyond classical saber techniques, what was your thoughts ( context) on this design? It's not your "standard" machete. What did you envision it being used for?
     
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  9. FortyTwoBlades

    FortyTwoBlades Moderator Staff Member

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    It's literally a poor man's sword. Machetes have been used as such the world over, but none are designed for it. The cheapest functional swords out there are around $150 and you really have to step up to around $300 to get anything decent. In times of crisis like natural disasters where looting or rioting break out, it's not really feasible for most folks to just hand out firearms to friends and family for defense, both due to expense and the liability of folks with nerves and little familiarity with using firearms under stressful circumstances. These are cheap enough that a working-class fellow could get a bunch of 'em, they're better than nothing, intuitive, and purpose built to provide sword-like performance characteristics translated through the manufacturing methods of machetes. And they can legitimately be used as tools for making fortifications or shelter, as well as more traditional machete tasks. Think of it as a modern equivalent of an artillery sword, which were commonly used for a similar range of tasks. A sword first, tool second, but in practice used more as a tool than as a sword. :)
     
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  10. Stone

    Stone Member

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    Of course, I was just kidding anyway. ;)
     
  11. FortyTwoBlades

    FortyTwoBlades Moderator Staff Member

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    Oh I know, I'm just saying the name wouldn't make nearly as much sense, lovely though kookaburras are. :D
     
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  12. Andy the Aussie

    Andy the Aussie Administrator of the Century Staff Member

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    ... it is an iconic sound here and always welcome....OK...NO...not always....when you get six or seven of them lined up on a branch outside you bedroom window at DAWN taking turns to laugh as such...then NO...they are no welcome...!!! Noisy feckers. They do catch and eat snakes....so for that they are redeemed ;)
     
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  13. Stone

    Stone Member

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    10.28.18, Sunday 1730.

    I was a no-show here on Saturday night because our electricity stopped flowing just after 2200 (we were in a nor'easter that produced wet heavy snow, then sleet, then some ice and freezing rain; something was bound to come down :eek: ).

    Came back "on" at 0800 this morning. Worked all day on my modified hammock frame in the "living room" -- what most people who live in this bldg call that room -- then ate dinner 1 (meatballs and cheese in a wheat tortilla with a side of slaw, carrots and pickles).

    After that, I began layer 3 of a forced patina on Bolo 1's "Tramontina" side. (I wasn't happy with layer 2.)

    This time, I'm trying a new technique: lay toilet paper on the blade first (pattern side down), then apply vinegar. Let the pattern emerge on the paper/blade. Finally, gently -- very gently -- lay a layer of Saran Wrap {tm} on top of the vinegar/paper layer to slow evaporation. I started it at 1700. I'll just let it sit for h hours and evaluate. Could be before or after sleep.

    I decided to do this task tonight because USPS tracking tells me that Bolo 2 plus sheaths will arrive tomorrow.

    Color me excited. :)
     
  14. Stone

    Stone Member

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    Monday update. So much for USPS projected delivery of bolo and sheaths today. They didn't arrive.

    FortyTwo and I live only ~85 mi apart, but in its wisdom, USPS chooses to ship everything from anywhere in Maine as far south in the state as you can go -- below Portland -- then back up north from there. In my case, that's about 270 mi for the round trip.

    Add that <joke> mail carriers in this state still travel by horseback </joke>, and things can be slow getting delivered.

    But they'll be here tomorrow. :)

    But the good news of the day is, I really like my patina job on both sides now. I ditched the Saran wrap -- I think it does better, quicker without it, with just toilet paper, then keep the paper wet with vinegar. Total for the third layer on side 2: 4 hours today. It's a deep rich color with pleasing patterns. Pics to come ...
     
  15. FortyTwoBlades

    FortyTwoBlades Moderator Staff Member

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    It has to do with the location of the sorting facilities. :)
     
  16. Stone

    Stone Member

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    Yeah, I know that. And with my knowledge of complexity (aka network) sciences, I can say that their model of delivery is outdated and obsolete. There are WAY better models out there that would save them transportation costs. But it's .gov, so ... we're stuck with the 1950's model. :rolleyes:
     
  17. Stone

    Stone Member

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    Patina.

    Fond I am of this bolo.

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  18. Stone

    Stone Member

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    This post is way OT (off topic), and I will remove it if asked ... respectfully.

    But to me, the video below seems to capture the spirit of machete.

    It's Afro Beat from South America.

    Way far south in S America.

    It's all about the "snap".

     
  19. Stone

    Stone Member

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    Snap.

    Carlos Santana

    had that slap down on guitar .

    I'll remove this one, also, if I must ..

     
  20. FortyTwoBlades

    FortyTwoBlades Moderator Staff Member

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    Part of the issue was that mid-last year they yanked the sorting machine out of the Eastern Maine distribution center and moved it to the Southern Maine center. It's kind of central to the whole operation and there was a whole lot of fuss about it. I'm not sure if the Eastern facility has a new machine yet or not. When they still had the machine they were able to do sorting work with much shorter transit distances, which was kind of why it was such a big deal when it got relocated. They're not small nor inexpensive, though, so it's not as simple as giving the Postmaster some pocket change to hop down to the local sorting machine shop at the corner to pick up a new one.
     

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