1945 WWII USGI True Temper Machete

[charles_the_hammer]

The rain ceased for a bit today so was able to pick this sucker up at a yard sale for a grand total of $5.00. Both the True Temper blade and Midland Fabric Company sheath are dated 1945. These things probably aren't that valuable, as I'm sure they made a blue million of them, but I still thought it was a cool find. Sheath has a couple of small tears in the canvas, and the handle of the machete is cracked with pieces missing. Haven't decided what I am going to do with it yet. I could:

(A) leave it as it sits.

(B) try to replace the handle with wood or a synthetic material.

(C) wrap the handle with gobs of electrical tape (it was like this when I found it).

(D) cut down and reshape the blade, grind the tang down, drill a hole for a pommel pin, and put a stacked leather washer handle on it to make a modern "field expedient knife" out of it.

I am kinda wanting to try option D, as I have restored two stacked leather washer handles already - one on a rusty Ka-Bar from the 80's and one on a Camillus Mark II from the same era. It's not as hard to do as you would think. You just need a bench vise, a length of metal pipe, a hammer, some carpenters glue, a rasp, some sandpaper, a triangle file (to cut grooves), and some paste wax or shoe polish. Machetes cut down into knives were not that uncommon in WWII and even Vietnam. Some cut-down M1942 Machetes (like this one) were supposedly used during the famous "Son Tay Raid".

Anyway, here are the pics:

 

[ACORN]

I’d have bought it for $5. I’d fabricate some wood replacement handles and reshape if needed. IIRC they are a decent blade.

 

[charles_the_hammer]

I’d fabricate some wood replacement handles and reshape if needed. IIRC they are a decent blade.

I wonder if there is any way I can save the brass pins?

 

[DWalt]

I doubt there is a way to save the handle rivets. I'm no knifemaker, but I'd bet similar new rivets are available. Lacking that, I'd think using epoxy adhesive would work.

 

[Stevens]

I had an old machete with cracked handles. I made a set of handles from wood, I was able to find brass rivets to hold it all together at a local "old time" hardware store.
yours is a nice find!
Steve W

 

[tops]

I have had one for almost 60 years. The sheath and plastic handle have been gone for many years. I used plastic that was about 1/2 in. thick for handles and #6 copper wire for rivets.
The holes in the blade are larger than the wire but I braded both sides of the wire and the handles have stayed tight. Larry

 

[Marshwheeling]

My inclination would be to salvage the machete, mostly because I think machetes are cool, and because I have use for them in my yard.

Replacement rivets are easy to find on the net, as are handle slabs of various woods and other materials like G10 or Micarta.

Another route might be to repair the existing handle with either Sugru or an epoxy resin like DevCon or JB Weld. Either route would preserve what is left of the original scales as well as the pins and allow you to salvage a piece of history for use. The pics show a couple of quick and dirty tool repairs I have done with Sugru to fill in missing chumks from wood handles.

 

[merl67]

Use clear epoxy mix in od green paint use tape to make a mold around the handle and repair what is left.

 

[charles_the_hammer]

Normally with a piece like this I would not clean it or otherwise remove patina, but since I am replacing the handle I decided to remove the rust and polish it.

First I soaked it overnight in a vinegar bath, got all the gunk out of the pitting with a brass wire brush, then began using sandpaper to polish it up. Went 2 directions at right angles per # grit. Used 80, 100, 120, 150, 200, 220, 300, 400, 800 wet/dry, and finished with 1500 wet/dry. Haven't used any power tools yet so this polishing was kinda time consuming.

As for the handle, I think I am going to use a nice piece of walnut or hickory and attach them using 1/4" pieces of a brass rod and 5 minute epoxy. Just gonna put them on there square and shape them out using a rasp and a Dremel. After the final sanding I might put one light coat of stain on it and then rub some boiled linseed oil into it over the course of a few weeks.

Probably not going to leave the blade like this, as it looks too pretty to use. Think I will probably hit it with some cold blue and then buff out with #0000 steel wool.

 

[andy52]

The rivets used on the scales are the drive together type and are readily available from many places.

 

[charles_the_hammer]

The rivets used on the scales are the drive together type and are readily available from many places.

I am headed to the local hardware here in a minute to try and find some. If I can't I might be stuck with using just a brass rod.

 

[andy52]

I am headed to the local hardware here in a minute to try and find some. If I can't I might be stuck with using just a brass rod.

If they don't have them at the hardware store they're available on eBay. I would personally recommend using the two piece drive together rivets vs a brass rod they're much easier to install and less likely to damage the scales.

 

[merl67]

Andy is spot on get the two peice ones much easier, and the end result looks much better.