Survival Arts

A better machete: the Kris Cutlery Visayan Pinuti

Last night at the dojo, our teacher Dale Seago held an auction of a number of his blades. I picked up a very nice and extremely stout little Linder (Solingen) skinning knife, and this interesting piece, a Kris Cutlery Visayan Pinuti:

I sometimes go places where a machete could be useful. I really hate standard machetes: flimsy, clumsy, and crude. This piece is much better: attractive and servicable, weighted toward the tip (as befits a bolo), and a good enough practical travel short sword. I agree with Jeff Sherwin who commented to me last night that Kris Cutlery does these types of blades best: quality Filipino blades made in the Phillipines. Interestingly, the Kris Cutlery description mentions that the tang is simply glued in place, which is not true: it's also pinned. Oh, and the pommel as you can see in this picture is a nice, oversized knob: great for striking.

I've also owned one of their 26" Japanese-style katana, which was a great little piece for the price. I eventually sold it when I made the leap to a Bugei Samurai Katana last year, for about $800 more.