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I was working in thick brush removing exotic invasive plants this last summer and winter, and I found that the tools I was using were not holding up well. A Gerber Machete got bent up after three days. The Swedish Brush axes were great for light brush, but the handles were long and cumbersome and they didn't hold up well to heavier work like girdling or felling trees.
So I did some research and bought myself a Condor Parang Machete.
I've used (crappy) machetes for years, and at first, this one didn't feel right. The blade is almost 1/4 inch thick and there is a large bevel on the edge. It took me a while to figure out how to sharpen it effectively. It was heavier and better balanced than other machetes I used, and it took me a while to get the technique down. It's more in the wrist and elbow than other, lighter machetes. Almost like the mass of the machete is spinning around the handle, not being swung by my arms. Although a little muscle thrown in there on top of the swing, and this thing can slice through 3 inches of soft wood (be careful!).
But once I figured it out and got it nice and sharp, it was magical. This is a serious machete. This thing glides through small brush so easily that I almost lost control of it the first time I tried because I was expecting more resistance. In woodier brush, it is as effective as a brush hook or a brush axe but is much lighter and smaller.
I even got pretty good at felling small trees with it. It's not as efficient at chopping wood as an axe, but it does the job admirably.
One thing that really impressed me about it is the size of the "sweet spot". Other machetes I've used have had maybe two inches of the blade that worked well, and the rest of the blade was pretty inefficient. Something about the way this thing is balanced and contoured, it seems like the whole blade is a sweet spot. If I don't have enough room to wind up a good thwack with the end of the blade, I can get in close and use the bottom of the blade almost as effectively.
The thickness of the blade and the high carbon steel make it easy to keep it sharp all day long. Previous machetes I've had would start to go dull after an hour of heavy use. I sharpen my Condor as much as often as my Gerber (once at lunch time, and once at the end of the day), but the Condor stays sharper longer and gets sharper quicker.
I have one warning, and one complaint.
Warning: This is a high carbon steel tool, not stainless. It will rust if you don't clean and oil it between uses.
Complaint: The sheath is super wimpy. I broke one after about a month. I replaced it, and the second one held up, but just because I was aware that it was weak and went easy on it.
Mild annoyance. The first time I used this tool in the rain, the dye from the wooden handle stained the skin on my hand. It took a few rainy days before it stopped.
Overall, this is one of the best tools I have ever owned. I feel unstoppable with this thing on my belt.
Submitted February 09, 2017 at 01:30PM by stoicsmile http://ift.tt/2kwIpBk
