Bolo Machete: The Philippine Workhorse, Forged in Damascus
The bolo is the machete of the Philippines, and its shape tells you exactly what it was built to do. The blade widens into a heavy belly just behind the tip, pushing the balance point forward so every swing lands with the momentum of a small axe. Farmers used it to clear coconut, split bamboo and harvest crops; soldiers and guerrillas made it famous for harder work. It chops far above its weight, which is why the pattern spread across Southeast Asia and never left.
This bolo renders that forward-weighted profile in hand-forged Damascus steel. The 17" blade concentrates its mass exactly where the cut happens, making it the chopper of our machete line: dense brush, saplings, bamboo and firewood are its natural diet.
Blade Craftsmanship
The blade is pattern-welded Damascus steel, forged from 11 pieces of steel folded five times into 352 layers. High carbon 1095 steel layers hold the edge; the surrounding layers absorb the shock a chopping blade takes all day. Finished hardness is 55-56 HRC on the Rockwell scale, the balance point between edge retention and toughness.
Handle
Full tang under riveted micarta or hardwood scales, flared at the butt so the forward-heavy blade stays anchored in the hand at the end of the swing. Handle finishes are shown in the photos.
Specifications
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Overall Length: 22"
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Blade Length: 17"
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Blade Material: Pattern-welded Damascus steel with 1095 high carbon layers
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Layers: 352 (five-fold forging process)
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Rockwell Hardness: 55-56 HRC
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Tang: Full
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Handle: Riveted micarta or hardwood scales
For anyone who wants one machete that chops like a hatchet and still swings like a blade, the bolo is the answer, and this one is forged from the same Damascus steel as the rest of the Battling Blades line.
