how about one of those i seen in the catalogs with an end you could cook a pancake on??

I really like my 12" Ontario, but I think the handle could stand to be improved, ditto for its 18" brother. I've used a Tramontina, and while I think it might have felt better to use, I didn't like having to stop and sharpen it that often. But avoid the walmart specials- they are made out of recycled cookware I think.

In any case, gloves, eye protection, and if you are like clearwater, at lease one greeve is pretty much a must have. :P

I have one of the longer length Cold Steel kukri style Perang machetes. I took a file to it, and then a couple stones. It'll shave hair and is rugged with a good handle and acceptable sheath. I have used it to cut bamboo poles successfully. It also has a good carving edge close to the handle and a good slicing section near the tip. I like the weight-forward aspect of the kukri design. Helps put power in your stroke, I think. Roger on using gloves when sharpening it with a file....a verrrrrry good idea.

Frankly, if you have to think about investing in Kevlar pants I'd suggest finding someone who is skilled with a machete and ask him to teach you the correct technique.

Remember that a 'machete' is different to a 'big knife' - maybe plenty of cross over, but specific purpose (especially the type of vegetation to be cut) differs. If you want to clear lots of green stuff, go machete. If you are working primarily with hardwood, you might want something else

Comes with a cheap sheath, or sometimes not, bright green, I recall mine had and I ended up having the wife create a more durable (and safer) replacement.

I also got a nice gurkha style from Cutlery Corner.net that had allen screws to removes their cheapy grip and replaced with para cord, good steel, cheap sheath. About 14"? I think it came in one of their over the top 100+ knife packages (I give the cheapies away as gifts and keep the better ones as barter knives).

Probably very true.
Having assisted in the repair of self-inflicted machete wounds, table saw digit amputations, and nail-gun injuries, empirical observation suggests the typical victim is an experienced user of the device involved who was either working when too tired to be careful or was working off the clock on a weekend project at home. I have lots of friends who choose not to wear kevlar while on duty, or gloves while starting IV's, based on the rationale that their skills preclude the need. I hope that they are right. On the other hand, chainsaws are currently sold with so many safety devices installed-tip-guards, kick back guards, etc.-that it is nearly impossible to actually cut wood with them. I

NurseMike-

What were the injuries and mechanism of injury with the
machete's?

I am not a machete expert, I did use one in the double and triple canopy in the tropics though.

My only complaint on machetes, and it is much less critical than the advice above is to find something with wood grips over weak plastic or faux rubber. My hand does not fatigue as fast with a wood handle. The others rattle my hand something fierce.

Perhaps that is just a personal issue rather than technical.

Thigh laceration X2, hand lac X1. Mechanism of injury? BFK versus affected part. Cause of injury? Walking and slashing, blade bounced off the tree and hit the leg, holding the branch while cutting the branch.

Post Script: Were these experienced woodspersons, bushcrafty and seasoned? Nope-they were just guys with new machetes. When your only (or newest) tool is a machete, all of your problems look like shrubs.

Took care of a guy who was using a chainsaw (Machete+technology) to lop limbs from the top of a tree while he was suspended at the top of the tree by a rope- lopping proceeded as follows: limb, limb, limb, rope....so he fell 15 feet to the ground, while holding a running chain saw and landed in the foundation planting. Injuries: bruised his shoulder a little. Better to be lucky than good.