Machete Masters
I have been making custom machetes for the past 8 years. I don’t make knives…I make machetes.
My machetes are functional hard use tools with comfortable natural indexing handles. They are the right balance, thickness, and weight to use and carry for days or weeks at a time through tough rugged environments. Each blade and sheath combo takes me 40+ hours to complete.
YES, I use the machetes I make and my friends also use them. If they sucked, I would know it, I wouldn’t use them, and I wouldn’t sell them.
I make 2 types: a “regular” length Latin style machete (13.5 in. blade and 19 in. total length) and a short Latin style machete (7.5 in. blade and 12.5 in. total length). I use 8670 steel that is sourced from BESTAR Germany. All my blades are .120 thickness and are 56-57 HRC. The blades have a forced patina, are stonewashed, and etched with Machete Masters and 8670. I convex grind the blade edge, the spine near the handle is squared off and filed flat (for scraping wood), and I round the spine near the front end (for a handhold). For handle material, I use tropical hardwoods (I hand-pick the boards myself in Bolivia) or I use UltreX Micarta (some with G10 liners). The handles are mechanically secured to the full tang blade with brass Loveless bolts and a flared brass lanyard tube (I also use G/flex epoxy to ensure a waterproof seal). I make custom taco style sheaths for each machete with .093 KYDEX, brass Chicago screws, and a brass Sam Browne stud (to hook the lanyard). The sheath for the long machete has three low profile KYDEX loops in back for attaching to your field pack. The sheath for the shorter machete has a belt clip and one low profile KYDEX loop in back.