Preview – Go Big – Machetes and Longer-Edge Blades

There are times when your pocket folder just isn’t enough. There are even times when your larger fixed-blade combat knife won’t cut it, either. For those times when you need heavy hacking power, reach for a tool that has a lot more cutting surface. These six blades are some of the options on the market, and in true RECOIL fashion, they are of course shown life-size.

BRAND: Dawson Knives
MODEL: Asian Tanto (Custom)
OAL: 20.2 inches
BLADE LENGTH: 13 inches
WEIGHT: 24 ounces
MSRP: $1,315
URL: www.dawsonknives.com

This Dawson Knives Asian Tanto (Custom) is handmade in Prescott Valley, Arizona for a handful of very select military personnel; it is also available to commercial customers. The Asian Tanto (Custom) features a double-edge blade at the tip, as well as bloodletting indentations at the base. Its Micarta handle is finished with Barry Dawson’s signature Japanese Interlocking Wrap for a positive and controllable grip. A custom-fitted Kydex sheath comes with it.

BRAND: SOG Specialty Knives & Tools
MODEL: SOGfari Machete
OAL: 24 inches
BLADE LENGTH: 18 inches
WEIGHT: 15.7 ounces
MSRP: $33
URL: www.sogknives.com

The SOGfari machete offers three tools in one. The front has the classic straight-edge machete blade for clearing through brush or chopping wood. The back is a saw that extends almost the full length of the blade, and a spiked tang extends from the butt of the rubber handle for pounding and scraping. The SOGfari machete also comes in an 13-inch version, and a nylon sheath is included.

BRAND: Woodman’s Pal
MODEL: Long Reach – Model 145
OAL: 22 inches
BLADE LENGTH: 11 inches
WEIGHT: 15 ounces
MSRP: $70
URL: www.woodmanspal.com

The original Woodman’s Pal machete has been military issue since 1941. The Long Reach – Model 145 is an extended version of the original, but offers the same unique, sickle hook. The goal of the design is to offer a multipurpose machete that also delivers the power of an axe. It’s also available with a nylon  sheath and with the sheath as well as a stone set.

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