Im blessed with living in Florida and within a 3 hour drive of Mosquito Lagoon Preserve (NASA) which is a great place for fishing, boating, hiking, canoeing, camping, kayaking (you name it). Being that I go and stay for 3 to 8 day trips space is always at a premium and island camping is the only thing allowed which can be thick with growth. A good machete is a must but very hard to carry and annoying in tight brush. Recently I went with a co worked that had a SP-8 Spec Ops machete made by Ontario Knife (http://www.ontarioknife.com/Internet/specplus_pg1.html) ... after 10 minutes of using this thing I was in envying him and spent the next 3 days of the trip asking to use it... I had to go drop the $50 to get one.

The blade weight is hefty at 10" x 1/4" (sorry I don't know the weight, im guessing 1.5 lbs) but the swing is much easier than an axe or standard machete because of its weight, or lack of it, pending what you compare it to. With the front of the blade being blunt you have two cutting surfaces and can cut brush like mad and it still leaves you a second cutting surface to work with later on for finer stuff. The handle is molded to the shank and very slip resistant, sense I have larger hands I was able to add about 7.5 feet of 550 cord wrapped over the rubber grip which is nice to have at your side. The sheath looks a little odd but is very well designed and built, comfortable to wear, and above all safe secure and easy to access. The only down fall I could find was the backsaw leaves a bit to be desired and the blade angle needs a good hour plus worth of work when new but will sharpen up to shave hair and remain that way with considerable abuse.

Being that this thing is 15 1/8 inches long it would probably be consider massive to most but when compared to a normal machete its much easier for anyone that would need one at their disposal... not to mention it doubling as a hammer, pry bar, or robbery deterrent!!!

Mike

I really like ethic long blades.
I like Khurkris, bolo's and alike myself, for the ability to chop mostly.
For light bush clearing have you considerd a Parang, Golok or
Sirupati?

Take a look here:
http://www.valiantco.com/
http://www.himalayan-imports.com/khuk1.html

I had considered a Sirupati style but the problem with traditional knives like the ones you mentioned is it seems like most things now a days they are nothing more than cheap knock off's as opposed well built edged tools. You can find the real thing but when you do you will most certainly pay for it and the lesser metal qualities couldn't hold an edge while cutting paper much less trees. Another big consideration for me was size and ease of transport, many of these knives don't sheath well or have less than desirable covers and retaining features, when it comes to maneuverability, safety and needed stealth being well secured and rattle proof goes leaps and bounds for me.

I will admit I am a sucker for anything listed as Mil Spec or designed for Special Ops, many items claim this and it pays to investigate before buying. In some cases the civilian market has far surpassed what the military so that has to be weighed also... and of course its all about personal preference. It has just so happened that I found something that I can pound on like a hammer, cut, saw and pry with, and still skin a meal out at the end of the day.

My niece just married a Reserve Navy Seal and I queried him about what Seals actually carry. He said he was issued a Leatherman PST (the original) and a Kabar. He gave all his groomsmen small Kabars....