Anybody Here Use a Machete in Gardening?

[NJCher]

17. results of sharpening machete

First, however, regarding grapevines, I have a serrated saw hand tool that works fairly well on them, but you probably know about them. Looks like this:

https://www.vanceoutdoors.com/products2.cfm/ID/246758

Inexpensive, too.

I am working on a way that I can push a tube into the ground around the base of the vine. This is if I can't pull the grapevine root up. Then I will pour vinegar 30% on it inside the tube. I will leave the tube in the ground for a while, to let it thoroughly saturate the root. It prol'ly won't kill it but it will give it a serious setback. I'll just do a few a day but over a period of time, so I might make a dent in them.

On another topic, my more generalized sharpening skills only transferred to the machete in a limited way. Using a sharpening stone (whetstone, I think it's called) I sharpened it enough that I was able to hack down about 10 bamboo in less than 10", including gathering and transporting time. Here they are and I took the photo to show the cut end:



However, when I tried to use the machete again today on mint and weeds, it was ineffective. Just not sharp enough.

I spoke to the hardware store guy about it and he explained that I wouldn't be able to get the machete sharp on the curve with a whetstone, especially a small one, like what I had. Fortunately I learned he does sharpening there, so I'll take it over to him along with a few other tools and let him do it.