Product Spotlight
Vanguard Golok

BMC blades are releasing the BMC Vanguard Golok Autumn 2024

Hello Again! We are BMC

BMC are known for our high-quality, well-engineered, and reliable outdoor tools - and we're back with our most exciting project to date.

Last year, we launched our first successful campaign in the BMC Chopra, a robust, forward-weighted cleaver-parang tool.

This year, we're proud to present the Vanguard Golok, a versatile and elegant all-rounder.

Introducing the Vanguard Golok

The Vanguard is a sleek design that excels in tasks like path clearing and general foliage management. Whether you’re clearing dense brambles, privet or thick underbrush, the Vanguard is the perfect tool for the job.

The Vanguard is lithe in hand and feels ready as soon as you pick it up.

Inspired by traditional British Army Pattern Goloks, the Vanguard features the straight spine from thumb-rise to tip.

The thumb-rise offers greater control and flows seamlessly into the full skeletonised tang. The tang is sandwiched between the incredibly comfortable 3D milled G10 lined Micarta handle.

Traditional Tool • Futuristic Design

Similar large outdoor tools have been used for hundreds of years. Any ancient woodsman, hunter, or subsistence farmer would appreciate the Vanguard's high-quality finish and top-end materials.

In the past, they lacked the advanced stainless steel, precision grinding equipment and durable handle materials we have today.

The Vanguard Golok mass production will use a D2 tool steel. This is a widely used high performing steel for larger edged tools, with a good balance between corrosion resistance, toughness and edge retention.

The handle is made from G10-lined cotton Micarta scales, which are impervious to high temperatures, impact-resistant, and provide a secure grip even when wet—an enormous upgrade over traditional wood.

The Ultimate Survival Tool

In challenging outdoor situations, having a reliable tool is crucial. The Vanguard is designed for various tasks, from site clearing and shelter building to food preparation and more.

If you were to ask any outdoor survival expert what three must-have tools they'd choose for surviving in the tropics, a tool like the Golok would be on the list. Reasons include:

· Lighter and more nimble than an axe or billhook.

· More versatile than a hatchet.

· More durable and multi-functional than a knife.

· Faster than a pair of secateurs.

· Easier to sharpen than a saw.

· Robust and built for heavy duty work

Typical capabilities include: Clearing a site, making shelter, splitting firewood, crafting traps, hunting, food prep, improvised raft oar, improvised mirror for signalling (satin version!), digging, and protection against wild animals plus hundreds more uses... there are so many tasks where a large, reliable tool proves invaluable.

Enter the Vanguard.

Roots in Jungle Operations

The original Jungle Warfare School in Malaya emphasized the importance of using and maintaining a dependable tool. The Vanguard continues this tradition with modern improvements.

Below is an image of a traditional British Army Golok circa 1970. Note the straight spine, rounded belly, and general utilitarian design.

A Civilised Tool for the Outdoors

While survival may not be a daily concern for many, managing the natural environment responsibly is important. For those with land, farms, forests, or decent sized gardens, the Golok is an ideal tool for precise and respectful foliage management.

Unlike chainsaws, which emit considerable noise and harmful pollutants and disturb wildlife, the Vanguard allows for quiet, environmentally friendly work.

Built to Perform

D2 Tool Steel, distal tapered from 5mm at handle down to 2.8mm at the tip with a mid-spine swedge for aesthetic weight saving and pinch elimination on deep chops.
A skeletonised full tang gives you the full strength and longevity without the weight.
The ricasso (area immediately in front of the handle) has been reworked to give a functional index finger grip, unlike all other similar Goloks.
28 degree sabre grind gives the perfect general-purpose edge geometry for slicing and splitting.
3D milled, impact and heat resistant Micarta handle scales with G10 liners, gives security even when wet.

The ergonomic handle has been designed for maximum comfort and traction, offering a generous amount of space for single hand wield whether choked up, mid-grip or choked back grips.
Three chamfered lanyard holes give you multiple safe lanyard attachment options. (All blade rewards come with 500mm of paracord).
The satin version will glimmer for decades, whilst the Darth (black) version is resistant to a great deal of use.
The Vanguard is perfected by its accompanying UK hand-made Kydex sheath. It comes as standard with D-ring dangler attachment and BMC's shoulder sling strap; keeping the blade safe on the belt or back. The sheath is specially designed to prevent the Vanguard from falling out, even when traversing the thickest of foliage.

It is one of the most slimline sheath designs available and also prevents the edge from dulling, unlike most sheath designs offered by other brands.

The sheath also has the rivets spaced evenly at 1in and 1.5in spacing's - compatible with almost all decent aftermarket attachments. It also has an in-built rain-drain to prevent the blade from sitting in water during downpours.

Built to Last

Choose quality, enjoy for life. (with a Limited Lifetime Guarantee)

No need for multiple low-quality replacements of inferior options, no need to lack confidence in the blade, no nagging worry about when it will suddenly fail in the wilderness.

When choosing outdoor tools, quality matters. The Vanguard is built to last thanks to the considered design and the quality materials, with a Limited Lifetime Warranty to back it up. It's designed to last for decades and be easily sharpened, turning maintenance into a rewarding process.

British Design

If you like the design, you can rest assured that the quality is top-notch.

You will be getting an heirloom blade in the BMC Vanguard Golok. A refined tool that your grand kids will enjoy using and sharing stories about how awesome their grand parent is (you)!

Specifications:

Blade Length: 361mm ~ 14.2in
Overall Length: 511mm ~ 20.1in
Material: D2 Tool Steel
Hardness (HRC): 58-62 HRC
Thickness: 5mm ~ 0.19in at handle, 2.8mm ~ 0.11in at tip
Tang: Full (skeletonised)
Coating: Black PVD Coating or Satin (lightly brushed steel)
Sheath: Kydex Dangler
Handle Material: Micarta with G10 liners
Type: Golok, Sabre Grind
Product Weight (g) - 600g ~ 1.32lbs blade only, and 800g~ 1.76lbs including sheath