The author’s Gene Baskett Super Bolo boasts a 12 1⁄8-inch blade of CPM-154 stainless with an extremely tough Moly Coat finish, and a horse-stall-mat rubber handle. The Moly Coat is by Richardson Gunsmithing. Overall length: 17 5⁄8 inches. It comes with a Kydex® sheath.
By Steve Watkins
Operating as a Navy SEAL from 1988 to 1993 provided me with countless discussions of knives and guns. As basic tools of the trade, knives served various SEAL functions. One unforgettable experience involving knives happened in the Philippines.
Serving with my first SEAL platoon—Charlie Platoon, SEAL Team Five—I was introduced to the bolo. A veteran SEAL encouraged me to buy one of the inexpensive knives as he said it would serve multiple purposes in the triple-canopy jungle.
The bolo is a thick-blade machete Filipinos have used for a very long time. Made by Negrito natives, the knife is known to be durable and sharp. It has been an essential tool for jungle applications for over a century. Bolo is a general term referring to a heavy, machete-style knife with numerous stylistic nuances. The weight and design of the blade make it perfect for slashing through dense jungle. Philippine bolos were and still are often made from the leaf springs of discarded heavy trucks. Used throughout the Philippines and Indonesia, the bolo is somewhat analogous to the Nepalese kukri and, to some degree, the pha-huatad of Thailand. While the kukri is legendary for its ability to lop heavy vegetation, I have found the bolo an equal match for such tasks.
One of the most impressive displays of the bolo’s versatility took place at a jungle survival course on the old Subic Bay Naval Base, now the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, in Olongapo, Zambales, Philippines. Jungle escape and survival training (JEST) was a weeklong immersion into various jungle survival techniques. The knowledgeable Negritos pointed out edible plants as well as those to avoid. They demonstrated such tasks as making fire using only bamboo, and constructing a rice cooker out of 4-to-6 inch bamboo sections. The common denominator in all the demonstrations was the use of the bolo.
In 1992, my third SEAL platoon traveled to Malaysia to cross train with the Malaysian Special Forces. The dense Malaysian jungle was among the harshest I had ever encountered. The Malaysian soldiers demonstrated many techniques specific to that environment. One such demonstration was the killing and cooking of an enormous monitor lizard. In most all the exhibitions by the Malaysian soldiers, one knife emerged—the bolo. I was especially impressed when one soldier, who had been born and raised in the jungles of Borneo, cut down a palm tree and extracted and cooked the palm heart over an open fire. From start to finish, he used nothing but a bolo. The palm heart was delicious, by the way.
Nearly 20 years later and with my original bolo in disrepair, I thought it time to replace it with an updated and more technologically sophisticated design. My goal was to find a knifemaker from my home state of Kentucky who would be capable and willing to collaborate on the project. It was not long before several members of the Knifemakers’ Guild recommended Gene Baskett (www.baskettknives.com). A Guild member since 1981, Gene has proved to be one of Kentucky’s finest custom knifemakers and has earned the respect of his peers for the quality work he produces.
He and I based the knife’s design on the old bolo I had used when I served in the SEALs. Our decision was to go with CPM-154 stainless steel, and Gene made several blade adjustments. We experimented with a rubber handle made from extremely durable horse matting material—a perfect Bluegrass State touch, and a substance also favored by a number of makers and contestants in the cutting competitions. The resulting grip is firm yet shock absorbing. The handle can also be securely grasped when wet. My concerns were simple: durability and performance. I wanted a knife that would withstand a heavy amount of punishment and still perform well.
Both Gene and I agree that the knife has exceeded our expectations. Its cutting ability is just plain scary. Without honing the original edge applied by Gene, I put the knife to the test. He already had whacked through 1-inch saplings, and still the blade was gliding through blades of grass and straw. My test consisted of saplings, 1-inch tree branches and wild grape vines. All were easily severed with one clean hit.
After 20-to-30 strikes on branches and vines, I moved on to a grass mat wrap 4 inches in diameter. The grass mat was wrapped tightly around a 1-inch piece of dried bamboo. One diagonal strike went completely through. I finished the test with a piece of quarter-inch tanned cowhide. With only slight pressure, the bolo sank through the hide from tip to handle. Drawing the blade out and away left a clean, effortless cut through 8 inches of hide. The blade was still quite sharp afterward.
Our completed knife has an extremely tough Moly Coat finish and is paired with a Kydex sheath. The bolo is both tactical and durable. In the unthinkable scenario of being banished to the wilds and given only one knife to take with me, this would be it. It is capable of building a shelter, hunting and serving as a self-defense weapon. Gene’s expertise and craftsmanship, coupled with the finest materials and technologies for knifemaking, has produced a nearly indestructible product: the Super Bolo.
At least one advantage the Baskett bolo has over the kukri and pha-huatad is its pointed leading edge. You can use the bolo as a spear if necessary. The knife contains rivets, which provide holes through the handle. The holes enable you to lash the knife to a longer staff. This would provide a frontward stabbing potential for the bolo that pha-huatad would be incapable of and awkward for the kukri.
The author somewhere in the Philippines in 1992. Note the handle of his old sheathed bolo just to the left of his right shoulder on his pack. The firearm is a Heckler & Koch MP5 9mm. (photo courtesy of Steve Watkins)