Machete

[csaws]

Thanks Jamie I had heard that same thing about 30 mins ago.

 

[cubby]

the rust is from the STEEL type. not any type of flaw or misque. you look at carbon steel wrong and it rusts. keep it oiled. and hit it with some oil at the rust, it should be gone as quick as it came.

 

[mercop]

Every time I use mine I just rub it down with light oil.- George

 

[grunt soldier]

csaws, grunt soldier is being coy. He does the best kydex around!

/blush ty sir

(ps i tried to find a blushing smilie but i suck at the internet apparently lol) and mercop is right just rub it down with some oil or wax when your done using it and you will be good to go. the only thing to worry about there is if your going to be using it for food prep as well, if so use mineral oil

 

[cubby]

mercop's solution to everything is more lube!

 

[mercop]

Sell one car and nobody calls you a car salesman, su...one and you are a .....for life.

 

[TiminMishawaka]

Rust on a machete isn't necessarily a bad thing. A coating of controlled rust on it is essentially the same thing as browning a gun. Even blueing on a gun is nothing more than controlled rust. With use and exposure to plant resins a good machete will develop that wonderful work patina on your mahete.

 

[jsx1043]

I'm with csaws on the delivery part. Sure, every machete is gonna get beat up in the bush, but I know I would not be happy receiving a $100 blade from a custom maker in anything less than stellar condition. Their job is to make it to standard, it's my job to beat it up. I probably would have had a call in to Fiddleback the moment I saw it.

 

[grunt soldier]

andy is a great guy and would surely take care of it. they aren't his blades though. he buys them from a over seas company and just regrinds them and handles them. same as blind horse and if there is a problem give him a call, I promise he will make it right

 

[csaws]

Yes his blades are Condor blades.

So I am not really sure what I paid $100 for when I could've bought a Condor for about $50, but oh well what is done is done.

I'm not calling anyone about the rust, it really isn't that bad just an observation of how it showed up and annoying.... the rolled edge is more important to me and I am not calling about it either... I will fix it and move on.

So what exactly does Andy do to the blade? is it a blank or presharpened?

 

[grunt soldier]

it's heat treated already. he regrinds it/profiles it and then he puts those amazing handles on them. i believe your using this for sar so if you going to be using it for any amount of time they will make a huge difference. honestly if your not happy with the blade i guarantee he will refund your money and you could buy a condor instead. i'm kinda of a machete junky and when i grab a machete to go out in the woods it's always my fiddleback 12 incher or my koyote bolochete. i have a bunch of others condor golok and parang and they are great little blades too but i always go for the first 2 listed.

 

[cubby]

Csaws,

If you are in anyway not satisfied, I would take to him. Even if you don't expect any recourse. In the age of the Internet, now more than ever, craftsman need feedback. Your opinion and experience can only help him grow as a maker.

One of the biggest negatives for a maker who posts photos on the Internet is that almost 100% of the feedback is "atta boy!"s.... Even when a knife looks like crap. I value people who point out something they view as negative as much as those who provide positive applause.

He can't address things if he doesn't know about things like you address.

 

[csaws]

Grunt and Cubby, I have considered both of your last posts and sent him an email. It reads as follows...

Hi Andy,

I spoke with you on Friday August 26th regarding the purchase of one of your 18" Machetes, I was the one that called to ask about getting one made with 1/2" measuring marks on the spine or if it would be ok if I scribed it myself. After we spoke I ordered one of the 18" blades that Machete Specialists had it shipped on Monday the 29th and it arrived at my house on Wednesday the 31st. I wanted to email you with a couple of problems I see with the machete when it arrived at my house. The first issue I had with it was the amount of surface rust that it had on it and I hope that you speak to the people at Machete specialists regarding the condition it was shipped in the second issue is the fact that the edge of the blade had some rolling on it and it tore through paper instead of slicing. I can understand that once the machete left you and want to Machete Specialists that you have no control over how they store them or the condition that they may arrive I am more just informing you about it as it has cleaned up some through use and I am sure I can get the rest of it out with a litle time. The problem with them shipping it this way is it directly can affect what people perceive as your workmanship. The rolling of the edge though is in my opinion unacceptible for the amount of money I spent on this blade it should cut through paper with no effort and no tearing. I have the ability to clean it up and will not be sending it back for these defects however I felt it was only right that you knew of the condition of the blade when it showed up.

I am a member of a gun forum and a couple of those guys really helped me come to make the decision to buy from you. I am posting a link to the entire thread so you can see everything that has been discussed thus far, there are two posts that changed my mind about even informing you of the issues they are post numbers 51 and 52 both on page 6 however I encourage you to read the entire thread. I am csaws BTW.

https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/the_cutting_edge/164126-machete.html

Thanks,

Chad (Last name removed)

 

[cubby]

ah, i see! the knife came from a vendor? this could explain part of the rust issue, that i see you addressed in the email. i missed that part.

andy is a good dude. i spoke to him a few years back, long time ago. he is active on a few of the knife forums, and is always a stand up guy.

there was a dude in england who was making fiddleback rip off knives, also. not that i believe your knife is in anyway a fake, but it stand to his reputation if someone is passing for copies for his work. most crappy makers never have that problem! lol!

 

[jsx1043]

That's a good call Cubby, re: the feedback for bladesmiths. Chad, nice e-mail - but what happened to your periods?

 

[Fiddleback]

Hi guys, well it showed up yesterday.

Disappointed that it has some rust on it before it got to me and the edge has a little roll to it... IMO for that kind of money it should be perfect when it hits my doorstep

Very much approve of it's cutting ability thought it will go through 1- 1 1/2" stuff in one chop didn't try it out on anything bigger figured work wouldnt be happy if I hacked up too much

Fits my hand great I am trying to locate a kydex sheath builder and need to make a lanyard for it.

Yes his blades are Condor blades.

So I am not really sure what I paid $100 for when I could've bought a Condor for about $50, but oh well what is done is done.

I'm not calling anyone about the rust, it really isn't that bad just an observation of how it showed up and annoying.... the rolled edge is more important to me and I am not calling about it either... I will fix it and move on.

So what exactly does Andy do to the blade? is it a blank or presharpened?

Grunt and Cubby, I have considered both of your last posts and sent him an email. It reads as follows...

Hi Andy,

I spoke with you on Friday August 26th regarding the purchase of one of your 18" Machetes, I was the one that called to ask about getting one made with 1/2" measuring marks on the spine or if it would be ok if I scribed it myself. After we spoke I ordered one of the 18" blades that Machete Specialists had it shipped on Monday the 29th and it arrived at my house on Wednesday the 31st. I wanted to email you with a couple of problems I see with the machete when it arrived at my house. The first issue I had with it was the amount of surface rust that it had on it and I hope that you speak to the people at Machete specialists regarding the condition it was shipped in the second issue is the fact that the edge of the blade had some rolling on it and it tore through paper instead of slicing. I can understand that once the machete left you and want to Machete Specialists that you have no control over how they store them or the condition that they may arrive I am more just informing you about it as it has cleaned up some through use and I am sure I can get the rest of it out with a litle time. The problem with them shipping it this way is it directly can affect what people perceive as your workmanship. The rolling of the edge though is in my opinion unacceptible for the amount of money I spent on this blade it should cut through paper with no effort and no tearing. I have the ability to clean it up and will not be sending it back for these defects however I felt it was only right that you knew of the condition of the blade when it showed up.

I am a member of a gun forum and a couple of those guys really helped me come to make the decision to buy from you. I am posting a link to the entire thread so you can see everything that has been discussed thus far, there are two posts that changed my mind about even informing you of the issues they are post numbers 51 and 52 both on page 6 however I encourage you to read the entire thread. I am csaws BTW.

https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/the_cutting_edge/164126-machete.html

Thanks,

Chad (Last name removed)

Chad, I replied to you by e-mail, and it is quoted below.

Chad,

I am very concerned that you are unhappy with your machete. Please ship it home to me. I will refund your purchase price, and the shipping back to me as soon as I receive the machete. There is no risk in the purchase of a tool from Fiddleback Forge. Please ship it Priority Mail, and please do not require a signature. I’d rather eat the whole deal than have to spend shop time at the post office.

To address the issues:
1. Rust – these are made from 1075 carbon steel. This is the appropriate steel for a machete. It is a carbon steel and will rust. I don’t ship them rusty, but I would expect some to arrive that way.
2. Edge Rolling – This happened after leaving my shop. I don’t ship them this way. I do expect edge rolls to happen to machetes, and this condition is not a warranty issue. Every machete I’ve ever owned had rolls in the edge at one time or another. They are designed to do this. They roll, rather than chip and break.
3. Sharpness – I ship the machetes sharp. I do not however, cut paper with them, and I believe this expectation to be out of the ordinary for a machete. You bought a machete, not a custom Fiddleback knife. I’ve been up front during the entire machete process about what a person could expect. There is also a separate machete warranty that has been posted publically since the beginning of the process.

“Machete Warranty - Machete's are guaranteed for satisfactiion on arrival same as my knives. I also guarantee that the blade won't break, and the handle won't pop off. Either of those two happen, and you get a new machete. However, edge damage is common to machete's, and to be expected from machetes, and is therefore not covered under my warranty. File it out like any other machete and go on having fun cutting.”

In the thread you sent me you asked what you get for your $ when you buy a Fiddleback Forge machete. I’d like to address this. For your $100, you get a traditionally made machete blade, 1075 steel, made by Imacassa tool company. The blade is tapered from butt to tip unlike most American made machetes. This is extra important when it comes to performance. I get the blades profiled and drilled and stamped with my brand. For your money, an American craftsman (me) puts on the grind and the handle one at a time. The handle is hand shaped with files and sandpaper. This is a time consuming step that no one else in the industry does for machetes! You also get a tool designed by me to be better than the rest of the machetes out there. There is protection for your fingers, and the edge therefore can come right down to the handle. The result is a machete that is hard to beat IMO, and for $100, it’s a lot of value for the $.

Please send the machete back for the refund. I’d rather a happy consumer, even if he has decided to forgo using Fiddleback tools.

Thanks,


Andy Roy
Owner
Fiddleback Forge, LLC
249 Brookcliff Drive
Sugar Hill, GA 30518
404-519-2787
andy@fiddlebackforge.com

don't worry about the rust it's bound to happen as its a high carbon steel blade. just use it and it will come right off, and honestly for 110 dollar shipped you got a great deal on a big well made blade (you definitely won't find a custom handled/regrinded/sharpened 18 inch machete for that amount of money at very many places) either way they are beasts and destroy green stuff like no buddies business. congrats on the blade sir

also as far as the kydex goes try to get one that has a open spine as a 18 inch blade would require a huge draw

Thanks GS. Glad you're liking your tool.

 

[Fiddleback]

For some reason the e-mail bounced back to me and was listed as refused Chad. Sorry. I'm going to re-send it now. E-mail bounced twice. No phone # given. Please contact me at above contact 411 if necessary.

 

[7.62-5.56Plinker]

Tyler has spoken Once brad and Shelia chime in this thread can be closed.

we'll close the thread when Chuck Norris says so, not when Brad, Sheila, or Tyler decide speak.

 

[csaws]

Andy,

I want you to understand my email and comments here are not a slam on you in anyway the email was so you knew my experience (Machete Specialists will be getting a phone call from me regarding this issue tomorrow). As a consumer I can ask questions about things I purchase when I wonder if I got the most for my money. I have used the machete for about 5 minutes so far and I will say it should outlast me and most likely my son I will post a review of it after September 10 and 11 (I am attending a Wilderness search and rescue class this weekend) right here in our review section and a couple of other sites I frequent.

As to your response email, I never received anything from you and have no idea why it would have bounced back.

I simply emailed you as a heads up to what one of your distributors was sending out with your name on it. While I appreciate your response and your offer for the refund, I however will not be taking you up on it (see below in red a direct quote from what I emailed you).

"I have the ability to clean it up and will not be sending it back for these defects however I felt it was only right that you knew of the condition of the blade when it showed up."



I am curious about your comment about the edge rolling though, it sounds to me (and please correct me if I am wrong) that the edge will roll from use. Is that what you are saying, if it is I will tell you that either A. it left your shop rolled or B. Machete Specialist used it and then shipped it, as the edge was rolled when I removed it from the brown paper wrapper in the Condor box it was shipped in.

Also as a suggestion if you know the blade will rust and they aren't that way when you ship it why would you not apply a light coat of oil prior to it leaving you?

 

[Fiddleback]

No problem. Still not getting e-mails through. Glad you are liking how it performs. I believe the edge probably rolled during shipping. I've had much worse than that happen to a blade in a box.

As it is carbon steel, if you use it, it will show. For example if I take one out and chop a limb with it, the sap from the limb being acidic, it usually leaves a patina where that happened. That patina can't be cleaned off. The sap can, but the patina cannot. Even cutting dry pine leaves some darkened spots. So if the machete was used, you would see staining on the edge.

In any case, if you have problems with your new tool, I will help with it. Please feel free to call if necessary.

I wipe the blades down with WD 40 before shipping them. They are shipped in a cardboard sleeve, and this soaks the oil off the blade. I don't know if Machete Specialists re-packs them, uses their own blade slips, etc. Was the knife in a sleeve?