{"product_id":"parang-machete-stacked-leather","title":"Parang Machete, Hand Forged with Stacked Leather Handle","description":"\u003cp\u003eGreen stems, wet vine, and the springy growth that bends away from a straight edge. That is the work this shape was cut for. The blade is 16 inches of 1095 high carbon that leans forward, so the edge arrives on the slant. The handle is stacked leather washers, an old answer that still works when your hands are damp.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eSpecification\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e16 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOverall length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e21.5 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHandle length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e5.5 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade steel\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e1095 high carbon\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade finish\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDark forged flat, bright bevel following the curve\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade shape\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eParang, forward curving with the width two thirds along\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTang\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHidden tang\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHandle\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eStacked leather washers, brass guard and brass butt cap\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSheath\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eStamped leather belt sheath with a snap strap\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eEngraving\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e20 dollars per blade\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMade in\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eForged and finished by hand in High Point, North Carolina.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWarranty\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLifetime warranty against defects, free sharpening for life.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe blade\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe steel is 1095 high carbon. The flat is left dark from the forge and the bevel is brought up bright, following the curve the whole way. The profile is a parang, curving forward with the width sitting about two thirds along. That puts a little mass out past your hand. A machete cuts by speed rather than heft, and this one lands the fast part of the swing at an angle instead of square on. Carbon steel darkens to a grey patina with use, and it spots if left wet.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe handle\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe handle is stacked leather washers, pressed on a hidden tang between a brass guard and a brass butt cap. Leather takes the heat of a hand quickly and does not go slick the way polished wood can when wet. Over a season it takes the shape of the hand holding it. There is no lanyard hole here, so a cord goes round the wrist. At 5.5 inches there is room to slide back to the cap for more reach on a low sweep.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe leather sheath\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe sheath is vegetable tanned leather, hand stitched, with a welt between the layers so the thread sits in a channel where the edge cannot reach it. The face is stamped. It is cut to this blade's own outline, so the parang seats the way it should. A belt loop holds it on the hip and a snap strap goes over the guard, which counts on a blade this long.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWho it suits\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor anyone who has swung a straight blade at green growth and watched it skip.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnyone clearing wet vine, cane and springy green stems\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePeople who want a slicing cut, not a square chop\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBuyers who prefer leather in the hand to wood or horn\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnyone working in damp heat who wants grip\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhat comes in the box\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe parang machete\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe stamped leather belt sheath\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA care card\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEngraving details\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eEvery piece is different\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo two are the same. Each blade is forged, ground, heat treated and sharpened by hand, and the runs are small. The dark forge finish falls where it falls. Stacked leather sands to its own set of lines. The sheath takes the stamp differently each time. Yours will not match the photograph.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eLooking after it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eDry the blade when you stop and never put it away wet in the sheath. Oil it lightly before it goes away for the season. Wipe the leather handle down and let it dry slowly, away from heat. The grey patina is fine. Out in the field a file is the right tool for the edge. Sharpening is free for life here. More on our \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/knife-care-sharpening\"\u003eknife care and sharpening page\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003ePut a name on it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eLaser engraving is 20 dollars per blade, added at checkout. Around 30 characters fits, a name and a date or one short line. We send a proof image to approve before the laser runs, which puts another 3 to 5 business days on the order. Ten blades or more in one order and it is free. Details sit on the \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/engraving\"\u003eengraving page\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eQuestions buyers ask\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat does the forward curve actually do?\u003c\/strong\u003e It meets a stem at an angle. A square edge bounces off springy green growth, while an angled one slides as it bites.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhere does the weight sit?\u003c\/strong\u003e The blade is widest about two thirds along, so a little mass rides ahead of your hand. Enough to carry the edge through a stem without tiring you.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy stacked leather instead of wood?\u003c\/strong\u003e It grips back when your hands are wet. It also settles into a hand over time rather than staying as it was cut.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill it rust?\u003c\/strong\u003e It can. This is plain carbon steel. Dry it after use, keep a light coat of oil on it, and let the patina come up.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow do I sharpen a blade this long?\u003c\/strong\u003e With a file, the way it has always been done. The edge is thick and slightly convex on purpose, because a fine one chips on a hidden stone.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow long does shipping take?\u003c\/strong\u003e Most US orders arrive in 5 to 7 business days.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor mass further forward there is the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/kukri-machete-walnut-handle\"\u003ekukri machete in walnut\u003c\/a\u003e, and for a heavy belly the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/bolo-machete-buffalo-horn\"\u003ebolo with a buffalo horn handle\u003c\/a\u003e. The long blades sit in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/machetes\"\u003emachetes\u003c\/a\u003e, the plain carbon work under \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/high-carbon-1095\"\u003e1095 high carbon steel\u003c\/a\u003e, and the woods blades in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/bushcraft-survival\"\u003ebushcraft knives\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Viper Edge USA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44144696459382,"sku":"VEF-MAC-HC-1204","price":149.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0710\/2427\/9670\/files\/machete-08-carbon-stacked-leather_5777eb92-f5ee-4cab-8668-1b898c0497f3.jpg?v=1788842114","url":"https:\/\/viperedgeforge.com\/products\/parang-machete-stacked-leather","provider":"Viper Edge USA","version":"1.0","type":"link"}