I've handled this one and can make it do wicked things.
Professor, While the Barong Machete is a deal for 20 bucks it gets into the grey area of whether it is a Barong trying to be a Machete, or a Machete trying to be a Barong. For sure its a good marketing ploy and most people will never use it in such a way that pushes it beyond its limitations, I will try to get into those limits here but I have for the record never tested one of these products but I am familiar with Machetes and steel.
First things first, The Machete was never imagined as a thrusting weapon but as a very fast slicing or hacking weapon where the Barong was and always has been primarily a thrusting weapon that was good at hacking. Where the Machete has been stamped out as a field tool for years the Barong was a proper sword. The Machete was always lighter and more flexible verses the Barong being heavier and stiffer with a pronounced top line or heavier spine making it capable of powerful thrusts that a light Machete would never be capable of achieving without bending or possibly breaking.
One of the other things that it lacks as a proper thrusting weapon is a decent guard. If you asked police all over the world about knife attacks they will tell you a good many of those who do the attacking cut themselves, many of these cuts are from using kitchen knives and other guardless knives for thrusting attacks which allows the hand to slip onto the edge of the weapon.
But here lies the real issue of making a machete into a thrusting weapon, the steel. The reality is 1055 Carbon Steel at a thickness of 3MM should never be used in a thrusting weapon longer the say 6 inches and considered a functional sword capable of deep penetration, It just goes against every protocol in knife/sword design. In a hacking weapon the strength lay in the length, width, and heavy end thus the clip point Machetes made by many who wish for a point. The most documented case for this would be the collaboration Machete between Worden and Ontario, he wanted some point for thrusting so he kept it short and simple limiting the penetration but left enough width at the end for heavy chopping or hacking. He overcame the missing guard by simply not sharpening the edge beyond the grip and even added a second grip for more power and control. While I don't see myself buying the Worden Ontario Machete for personal use I do applaud him and Ontario for making the weapon/tool and the concept was great, I just believe the Machete has limitations and going beyond those makes it a sword.
I would like one of the Worden Ontario's to keep as a collectible, A Machete collection might be the biggest bang for the buck in the knife world. The Worden being the most expensive at around 69 bucks, thats a heck of a value compared to a 5,000 dollar folding knife.
P.S. Professor, If you want a proper Barong PM me and I will put you in contact with a Bladesmith in the Philippines.
