Knife buildoff challenge discussion

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Knife handle spa day
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Was in walmart the other day and wandered into the camp section. Saw they had a five dollar machete.
How bad could it be?

Especially after the successful with the ten dollar Menards knife.

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The answer is pretty bad.
It’s basically a sliver if thin sheet metal with a what could be generously called an edge, and a plastic handle that feels like it came off a nerf gun.
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but we persevere.

cut off the handle to reveal, nothing particularly surprising
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Cut up some bamboo floor boards into scales
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Some cutting, rasping, shaping, bending and swearing later, I have this
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A text from my wife made me realize it was 3am, so the rest will have to wait for another day.
 
Well done. it looks like you may have turned it into a useful tool.
I like the possibilities in the new handle shape.
the finger guard might be a bit long and close for me, I often have issues with them. Enough to protect my knuckles is good. So much that my movement is constrained and there is chafing is bad.
hmmm. Fitting a machete handle is almost like fitting a bike seat.
 
t looks like you may have turned it into a useful tool.
Maybe, Mrs. Verrtinski says it doesn’t matter how nice a handle I put on it’s still going to fold in half as soon as I hit anything with it. She might be right.


finger guard might be a bit long and close for me, I often have issues with them.
Right now it would definitely be a knuckle skinner. I still have a long way to go with shaping it, and it might still get scrapped, as I’m not totally sure my ambition hasn’t outpaced my skill on this one.
 
I have a cheap springy flexy machete that has held up for quite a while.
you might get surprised with a nice piece of steel.
the less pleasant outcome is also possible.
If I thought it was too thin, I might cut it down before it bends and make a shorter blade to still get some utility out of it.
 
Mr Swampthing beat me to it.
cut that thing down until it’s not flimsy. I could see getting 3 or 4 knife blades out of it. Use it as you would a sawblade-blade material.
 
I have a cheap springy flexy machete that has held up for quite a while.
you might get surprised with a nice piece of steel.
the less pleasant outcome is also possible.
If I thought it was too thin, I might cut it down before it bends and make a shorter blade to still get some utility out of it.
Mr Swampthing beat me to it.
cut that thing down until it’s not flimsy. I could see getting 3 or 4 knife blades out of it. Use it as you would a sawblade-blade material.
Great sensible suggestions!

But the outrageous $5 machete needs to stay as outrageous as possible.

If I do any cutting to the blade it will be to give it a clip point and make it even more like a pirate sword :bigsmile:

I never got my Condor Bush Cutlass, Lambit!
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