Designed as a machete alternative, the Talon FMC came about after last year’s jungle symposium in Hawaii. The full tang design is made from 5160 spring steel convex design blade. This design means you get three times the cutting strength over a standard design.
The reverse features an open limb hook like a bolo style knife. Additionally, the 1/4 backstrap incorprates a saw blade with opposite teeth for a square cut. The blade has a Pry point at the tip and Two inch serrated edge near the grip. The butt can be used as a hammer. Cerakote coating overall.
The Talon has a Multi-layer Micarta handle. It also has multiple lash points. The tool weighs 1.4 lbs and the Kydex sheath is .7 lbs. The sheath has a drain hole and can be worn at the belt or attached to PALS webbing.
Tags: Buck Knives, Unifire
Looks like a modernized and mo’ better version of the WW II Woodsman’s Pal survival tool. Good looking sheath too.
I may have to try this out.
TLB
Was just thinking that
Interesting. This led me to review what bladesmith Bill Bagwell wrote on machetes in the November, 1986 “Soldier of Fortune” (as reprinted in “Bowies, big knives, and the best of battle blades”, Paladin Press, 2000).
Testing Brazilian made 20″, 18″, and 13″ machetes, he preferred the 18″ as the best balance and swing weight.
In an earlier writing, Bagwell did not like US made machetes, particularly the WWII GI model produced by Ontario and other companies. He noted that these were procured by the military “by the carload” – these were in ample supply in surplus stores all through the 1980s (I got mine for $12.95, “New Old Stock”) and they still pop up today.
Bagwell noted that North America is not a big machete culture, so we got the details wrong – the GI machete has a crappy fit of the Bakelite handle to the blade, causing blisters, and the blade shape / angle is inefficient compared to a South American machete.
A Third-World guy who makes his living chopping sugar cane would probably be the Subject Matter Expert.
AbnMedOps,
I had not read Mr. Bagwell’s assessment but I would generally concur with him. I routinely file down the handle of the GI machete for a better fit and that helps with the blister issues.
I’m not so sure I can agree about the blade shape. I have a lot of different machetes including the Woodsman’s Pal I mentioned above and the Gerber produced copy of that design. They are decent choppers but a little short IMO. The Talon FMC appears to be a bit longer.
I’ve also got a number of cheap bolos – some from South America. They tend to be lighter and flimsier than the GI machete. However, some spring or flex in the blade can be a good thing. The wooden handles on them are generally poorly shaped but can also be filed down for a better / smoother fit.
Bottom line, I find the thicker GI version deals better with harder woods or heavier jobs and it is my go to machete for here on the homestead. Not that I’m claiming to be a machete expert and YMMV.
TLB
Looks useless. Must buy.
It’s probably too rich for my blood but that is a sweet looking knife/machete and I’d love to get one to wear around camping. Never mind that I have little use for even a regular knife when I go camping, much less a machete like knife, but it would still be nice.
thats cool
With a pry tip, I’d be tempted to pry, which with a typical machete leads to disaster. I want to like it, but I’d also like to not have to carry a prybar if I’m gonna carry a bigass blade like this. May have to stick to Becker.
I’ve had my hands on this, chopped a pallet to bits behind Unifire’s building in Spokane. Pry away. I think they’ve put up to 800lb of force behind it, and are doing some legit destructive testing to find out what the actual limits are. This is a tool, not some cool-looking wall hangar. It’s made for abuse.
Me thinks that some might have been using the wrong tool for the job.
You need that flex in the machete otherwise its a large knife.
Jeez, every time I see someone trying to chop a log in half with a knife I’m there praying that they have some eureka moment, drop it, and pick up a frigging axe.
Does it make sense to use a leatherman instead of a tire iron to change a flat? If yes, then I have a rock that you could use in place of 1000 other tools.
Expect it to be banned in the UK as a “zombie” knife.
Available for preorder at the low introductory price of $400.00 (MIL/LE).