Martindale machete?

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jeffrefrig

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There was a post earlier today about a machete and it made me go look at one I bought about 40 years ago at an Army surplus store. In marker on the sheath is the price, $3.95. It has gone through heck since I've owned it due to poor care. Sometime during the past 15 years I cleaned the rust off it and filed a fairly decent cutting edge. Anyhow, I decided to look at it today. (I'm sorry; I can't get pics at this time.) It has a faded military colored canvas sheath, rust coming through it from when the blade was improperly cared for by me. I found on it a shallow-stamped name, etc. There is a crocodile, under that says "Reg. U.S. Pat. Off." To the left Martindale, under that the last few letters are...gham. Made in England at bottom. To right of the crocodile logo, written perpendicular to the sharp part of the blade is No. 4?? As I said, very shallow stamping plus I probably ruined what would've been the rest of what was there. 18 1/2" blade, black plastic handles, total length about 23 3/4". When I can get pics I will post them on here. Anybody know anything about Martindale? It was new when I bought it in around '78. Thanks in advance. Jeff Taylor, PGH
 
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What shape is your blade? The Martindale Golok machete was used by the British army in WWII. other makers sell a similar pattern today as either a British or Australian army knife. Svord is one maker who offers the pattern, at a much higher price than Martindale.

Martindale still manufactures machetes, in a number of different patterns. You can find them at Machete Specialists, among other places. Martindale Machetes: On Sale Now - MacheteSpecialists.com
 
Martindale is probably the most famous maker of machetes and similar knives in the UK. The croc is their logo. Remember, Britain used to have colonies where the crocodile was a common sight.

When, Life magazine ran a profile on author Ian Fleming, one photo showed him reaching for a machete stuck in the sand by his home in Jamaica. I think it was probably a Martindale.

Does your blade have two small grooves along it? The faded word is probably Birmingham.
 
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Marshwheeling, many thanks for posting the link for Martindale Machetes. Bought mine at a gun show for $20 and until today could never find out who made it. All I was told it was British Army surplus. Came wrapped in plastic and stuck in a green nylon sheath. Thanks again,Frank
 
jeffrefrig said:
There was a post earlier today about a machete and it made me go look at one I bought about 40 years ago at an Army surplus store. In marker on the sheath is the price, $3.95. It has gone through heck since I've owned it due to poor care. Sometime during the past 15 years I cleaned the rust off it and filed a fairly decent cutting edge. Anyhow, I decided to look at it today. (I'm sorry; I can't get pics at this time.) It has a faded military colored canvas sheath, rust coming through it from when the blade was improperly cared for by me. I found on it a shallow-stamped name, etc. There is a crocodile, under that says "Reg. U.S. Pat. Off." To the left Martindale, under that the last few letters are...gham. Made in England at bottom. To right of the crocodile logo, written perpendicular to the sharp part of the blade is No. 4?? As I said, very shallow stamping plus I probably ruined what would've been the rest of what was there. 18 1/2" blade, black plastic handles, total length about 23 3/4". When I can get pics I will post them on here. Anybody know anything about Martindale? It was new when I bought it in around '78. Thanks in advance. Jeff Taylor, PGH
Click to expand...


HI JEFF, YOUR "CROCODILE" MACHETE IS A PRODUCT OF THE RALPH MARTINGALE & CO. THEY HAVE PRODUCED MACHETES AND QUALITY HAND TOOLS, FOR MANY DECADES IN THE UK. THEIR PRODUCTS ARE USED IN THE AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY.......

THEY ARE STILL BEING PRODUCED......
 
Texas Star said:
Martindale is probably the most famous maker of machetes and similar knives in the UK. The croc is their logo. Remember, Britain used to have colonies where the crocodile was a common sight.

When, Life magazine ran a profile on author Ian Fleming, one photo showed him reaching for a machete stuck in the sand by his home in Jamaica. I think it was probably a Martindale.

Does your blade have two small grooves along it? The faded word is probably Birmingham.
Click to expand...

Texas, No, it doesn't have any grooves in it. It's flat all the way down. The back of the blade, from the tip to the end of the handle is flat and could be used as a straight-edge. I'm going to check the link Mr. One Eye Joe sent. It may be on there if this one is still made.
 
Every-time a thread comes up about surplus military machete's I think about posting about the one I bought when I was young. It's stamped USMC,Chatillon , NY. It's a Bolo machete came with a horsehide case set up with the metal for attaching to a WW2 GI belt. When I got it, it was slathered/dipped in cosmoline.
 
I'm sorry to Mr. One Eye Joe and Mr. Marshwheeling. The link to Machetespecialists was from Marshwheeling, and it helped a lot. The machete is No. 406 Martindale. But it was made in England, not Thailand as they are now. Also the logo stamping is a little different. Mr. One Eye Joe was right: under Martindale it says Birmingham. Knowing the city made it easier to make out. The new one is selling for around $25. In the description it says the handles are made of German Beechwood, but in the specs it says black plastic /polypropylene or something like that, which mine is. The sheath is attached to a military belt with all those riveted holes like my dad's old Navy belt he had in WWII that he brought back from "the islands". I don't know what they are called. I was never military. Turned 18 in '75 and had a 9 year tour in the steel mill, J&L/LTV, By-products, Coke Dept., in Aliquippa, PA. Not quite the Hell people older than me had to endure, but was the a**hole of the mill. I thank you, One Eye Joe, and all the other vets, and I'm glad you came home alive. Many of the guys I worked with did their time in South East Asia. The Army/Navy Surplus stores had tons of clothing and articles used and un used. I got chills going into those places. But also a nice machete. Peace, Jeff Taylor, PGH PA
P.S. What is that style of belts called?
 
jeffrefrig said:
I'm sorry to Mr. One Eye Joe and Mr. Marshwheeling. The link to Machetespecialists was from Marshwheeling, and it helped a lot. The machete is No. 406 Martindale. But it was made in England, not Thailand as they are now. Also the logo stamping is a little different. Mr. One Eye Joe was right: under Martindale it says Birmingham. Knowing the city made it easier to make out. The new one is selling for around $25. In the description it says the handles are made of German Beechwood, but in the specs it says black plastic /polypropylene or something like that, which mine is. The sheath is attached to a military belt with all those riveted holes like my dad's old Navy belt he had in WWII that he brought back from "the islands". I don't know what they are called. I was never military. Turned 18 in '75 and had a 9 year tour in the steel mill, J&L/LTV, By-products, Coke Dept., in Aliquippa, PA. Not quite the Hell people older than me had to endure, but was the a**hole of the mill. I thank you, One Eye Joe, and all the other vets, and I'm glad you came home alive. Many of the guys I worked with did their time in South East Asia. The Army/Navy Surplus stores had tons of clothing and articles used and un used. I got chills going into those places. But also a nice machete. Peace, Jeff Taylor, PGH PA
P.S. What is that style of belts called?
Click to expand...

From the description, it's a webbing pistol belt. But not everyone issued one had a pistol.

If the pistol was issued, it went on the right with a first aid pouch in front, then a spare magazine pouch was on the left, with a canteen behind.
 
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