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High-Performance Blades Sharing ideas for getting the most out of our steel.

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  #1  
Old 03-07-2002, 07:28 AM
junglejim308
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What steel for a machete?


It will be used by a Navy SEAL team. Ofcorse the thing is, keep the price down.

One friend told me to just use 440-C, with a Rc of 54-55. I'd like some more ideas.

Machete will be 18" OAL, 13 1/3" blade. Bead-Blasted finish.
2" wide, maybe 5/32 thick.

What would you use?
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  #2  
Old 03-07-2002, 11:04 AM
JHossom
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S30V would be a very good choice, especially if you are going to bead blast it - making it more rust prone. S30V is more corrosion resistant than even 440C. The hardness you mention is fine, but S30V can go to Rc58 without compromising toughness, so why not make it hold an edge longer. I've made machetes from 154CM, using a very convex edge, and it's a very good tool. That's my take anyway.
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  #3  
Old 03-24-2002, 04:00 AM
Tom Mayo
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one thing about 440c.....rockwell must be above 56c for best rust resistance. I have some of that other stuff jerry is talking about..........will try it soon!
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  #4  
Old 08-21-2012, 04:02 PM
nipsip nipsip is offline
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6150 nothing tougher for the price. Holds an edge better than 5160.
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  #5  
Old 08-21-2012, 05:03 PM
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TexasJack TexasJack is offline
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I have a neighbor that's a retired army colonel and he showed me a machete that someone made for him in the Phillipines back in the '60's. He said, "Best machete I ever saw! Can you believe they made it out of an old car spring?" Umm, yeah, that would be 5160.


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  #6  
Old 08-21-2012, 07:39 PM
Doug Lester Doug Lester is offline
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This type of thing has come up before about making knives for Seal/Special Forces. One thing to consider is rust resistance. Even though carbon steel blades have been used in marine environments for millennia, some of the armed forces groups require that their equipment be rust resistant. That pretty much means that knives be of stainless steel plus be coated to eliminate shiny surfaces.

Sharpenability is also a requirement, I would consider it more important that edge retention. Yes, one of the newer wonder steels will hold a edge "forever" but they do get dull and it is important that the knife can be easily sharpened in the field without special equipment. That, to me would put S30V out of consideration. A stainless steel like 440C may not hold an edge like S30V but it can be sharpened on a flat stone.

You've got a tough mix of requirements for that machete. Stainless and toughness usually don't go together well. You may have to compensate with the thickness of the material and applying a convex grind as well as reducing the hardness of the blade.

Check your requirements for the equipment. If you can get around using stainless steel and go with carbon steel I'd do that. If you can't do that then, as I said, you've got a tough mix of requirements.

Doug


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  #7  
Old 08-22-2012, 10:41 PM
Cthulhu Cthulhu is offline
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FWIW, and I'm just a grunt Airdale and Ex MP, playing devil advocate here, why are we being so extravagent about what is effectively an inexpensive tool?

A relatively cheap and easily replaceable tool at that. Machetes are cheap to make, and easy to maintain and sharpen. Thats part of their charm and utility. The people who live where a machete is a tool of daily use don't go in for exotic steels, sharpen as they go (Because no matter what you use, extensive use is going to dull your blade, and easy quick sharpening ability is the most important thing. It's not meant to be a combat weapon, even if it's occaisionally used as one.

I would imagine, being in the field, the last thing you'd want to do is spend a lot of time exposing your position or hide to the "Shing" sound of sharpening your machete.

Also, cost is a factor. Stuff gets lost in the jungle, branches snatch stuff out of sheathes, mud sucks your boots off, what have you. Some team member who drops 2-300 bucks on his fancied up machete isn't likely to want to let it drop into the muck to be lost forever and might be grabbing at that when he should be checking his (and your) six. A 10 dollar machete? Buy another when you get your ass out of the hot zone.

I'm a practical guy, and a near luddite. To me, this is putting lipstick on a pig and calling it Sophia Loren. All this focus on fancy schmancy go fast, look cool, weaponry and design says certain people care more about looking like warriors than actually BEING one. Those aestetics annoy me, no offense meant to anyone.

Things like the 1911, and the machete have been around for a couple centuries, effective the whole time. Why screw around with success?

I got a feeling this will be an unpopular postition to take, but I think your SEAL buddy would have better things to spend his money and time on.
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  #8  
Old 09-15-2012, 02:50 PM
arqueroalpha arqueroalpha is offline
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5160 steel with a differential quenching.

regards
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  #9  
Old 02-08-2013, 10:07 AM
Awelderiam Awelderiam is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cthulhu View Post
FWIW, and I'm just a grunt Airdale and Ex MP, playing devil advocate here, why are we being so extravagent about what is effectively an inexpensive tool?

A relatively cheap and easily replaceable tool at that. Machetes are cheap to make, and easy to maintain and sharpen. Thats part of their charm and utility. The people who live where a machete is a tool of daily use don't go in for exotic steels, sharpen as they go (Because no matter what you use, extensive use is going to dull your blade, and easy quick sharpening ability is the most important thing. It's not meant to be a combat weapon, even if it's occaisionally used as one.

I would imagine, being in the field, the last thing you'd want to do is spend a lot of time exposing your position or hide to the "Shing" sound of sharpening your machete.

Also, cost is a factor. Stuff gets lost in the jungle, branches snatch stuff out of sheathes, mud sucks your boots off, what have you. Some team member who drops 2-300 bucks on his fancied up machete isn't likely to want to let it drop into the muck to be lost forever and might be grabbing at that when he should be checking his (and your) six. A 10 dollar machete? Buy another when you get your ass out of the hot zone.

I'm a practical guy, and a near luddite. To me, this is putting lipstick on a pig and calling it Sophia Loren. All this focus on fancy schmancy go fast, look cool, weaponry and design says certain people care more about looking like warriors than actually BEING one. Those aestetics annoy me, no offense meant to anyone.

Things like the 1911, and the machete have been around for a couple centuries, effective the whole time. Why screw around with success?

I got a feeling this will be an unpopular postition to take, but I think your SEAL buddy would have better things to spend his money and time on.

Well said.......
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  #10  
Old 03-07-2013, 08:03 PM
rachet197 rachet197 is offline
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S30v for a machete?
5160, 1075, 1084, tempered low 1095, S5, S7, and anything in a leaf spring!
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  #11  
Old 03-08-2013, 08:10 AM
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R. Yates R. Yates is offline
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Unhappy

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cthulhu View Post
FWIW, and I'm just a grunt Airdale and Ex MP, playing devil advocate here, why are we being so extravagent about what is effectively an inexpensive tool?

A relatively cheap and easily replaceable tool at that. Machetes are cheap to make, and easy to maintain and sharpen. Thats part of their charm and utility. The people who live where a machete is a tool of daily use don't go in for exotic steels, sharpen as they go (Because no matter what you use, extensive use is going to dull your blade, and easy quick sharpening ability is the most important thing. It's not meant to be a combat weapon, even if it's occaisionally used as one.

I would imagine, being in the field, the last thing you'd want to do is spend a lot of time exposing your position or hide to the "Shing" sound of sharpening your machete.

Also, cost is a factor. Stuff gets lost in the jungle, branches snatch stuff out of sheathes, mud sucks your boots off, what have you. Some team member who drops 2-300 bucks on his fancied up machete isn't likely to want to let it drop into the muck to be lost forever and might be grabbing at that when he should be checking his (and your) six. A 10 dollar machete? Buy another when you get your ass out of the hot zone.

I'm a practical guy, and a near luddite. To me, this is putting lipstick on a pig and calling it Sophia Loren. All this focus on fancy schmancy go fast, look cool, weaponry and design says certain people care more about looking like warriors than actually BEING one. Those aestetics annoy me, no offense meant to anyone.

Things like the 1911, and the machete have been around for a couple centuries, effective the whole time. Why screw around with success?

I got a feeling this will be an unpopular postition to take, but I think your SEAL buddy would have better things to spend his money and time on.
I have to say you hit the Nail on the head . other than a good blade ,size and coated mat black . it really does not matter what steel you use if it fits on my moll gear and it must . you will lose it in the field at some point and a 200 + knife is just that a lose for any team member cheep is better then throwing away money in the field. this knife will be put up for show . IMHO

Sam


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  #12  
Old 12-05-2013, 02:58 PM
GTrenwithKnives GTrenwithKnives is offline
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I would have to say S7 or L6. JAckhammer bits are made of S7 so they got great impact resistance.
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  #13  
Old 12-16-2013, 08:21 AM
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mete mete is offline
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Then you might as well use CPM 3V .
I have a kukri in 440B rather than 440C More appropriate.I'd go there if corrosion were a problem otherwise tried and true 5160 . Differential HT is just for looks , doesn't really make an improvement.
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  #14  
Old 01-13-2014, 03:07 PM
cranky72 cranky72 is offline
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cthulhu makes a lot of sense. lets not forget the marines in the pacific--only carbon steels in a very harsh enviroment. i spent a year on okinawa--the humidity was so thick we had the wipe down our rifles every 2 days & brush our dress shoes or the leather soles mildewed,--cranky72
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  #15  
Old 06-09-2015, 07:05 PM
BigCryBaby BigCryBaby is offline
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I remember dad saying they used leaf springs from trucks for the machete. He mentioned something about the carbon content and since the leaf spring is thick it has the weight to get the job done. This was done when he was in Panama. You can get leaf springs at the junkyard, they are stacked to hold the rear end of the truck when it is loaded. You could possibly make 5-6 machetes with one leaf spring stack. You would just have to take them apart. I don't know if the leaf is flat with the weight off of it, may have to be heated.Some older cars had leaf springs that are not as thick as a truck, because they do not have to hold weigh like the truck. The top leaf is small and perfect for a knife. I think I am going to get my tools and go to the junk yard and make a knife or machete. I am new here, hope I helped a little.
Matt H
Clearwater, Florida
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