My current machete finally gave up its ghost. (broke) I am in the market to replace it. I have been doing research on a suitable replacement and now I have more questions than answers. My old machete was a cheap no-brand that I bought approximately 10 years ago. It was carbon steel and survived my teen-age years and all of the abuse I could heap on it (including tumbleweed attacks, brush clearing, improper storage, breaking pavers (the back edge), being tossed into and around the bed of a truck with other heavy/metal objects, and even saw service on the levy breaking up pallets into stakes.) I have been looking around on the web and have noticed that there are new designs and several companies. I primarily will use a new machete to clear brush and break up branches. I have about an acre of land that I need to clear, so I will be spending a lot of time and effort piloting this tool around. I like the longer varieties (18-24 inches) and do not see using a shorter one (12-14 inches) to great effect in my situation.

Do you have any advice on brand name or styles?

In my experience, Collins makes the best machete, although there are some other good ones around, like the Ontario. As for the length, it depends on how tall you are. Normally people get machetes in a length that when held in their hand with the arm in a relaxed position at their side leave a 1-inch gap between the tip of the machete and the ground.

About 10-15 years ago, I bought two machetes marked "US 1943 SWI" from a local knife/military supply shop. Outstanding. They are still going strong after hard use. I would take them anywhere, with confidence that they would perform well. Somebody told me they were Ontarios, but I have no way of confirming that. I wish I could find a couple more.

On the other hand, I strongly suggest you avoid the Cold Steel machetes. Absolutely awful. You can make something better out of a lawn mower blade.

My two cents'.

I am 6'1". That is one of the reasons I am looking at longer rather than shorter machetes. Thank you for the advise, I will look into Ontario.

I have heard that about the Cold Steel in my research. Thank you

I bought a machete in the open air market in Oaxaca some years ago. A great tool. I believe it was a Collins, perhaps a Tramontina. I just purchase dwhat was working for everyone else.

I have found a lot of glowing reviews of the Tramontina . I thought about just ordering one, but I have never used/owned one. Thank you,

Most any of the utility grade machetes, avoiding the $8 discount store models, are good enough to do anything you need them to do. A lot of them are coming out of South America where they know their machetes. You can find good ones at any feed store, farm supply, or shop catering to landscapers.

The ones you see at the discount stores, and big box hardware stores are inferior if your not paying $20 to $25. I've noticed that the good quality ones don't often come with a sheath. On discount store models the sheath seems to be something of an apology for the overall quality.

I still am hacking away with a $12 in '79' dollars Tramontina (24" LOA - wood handles utility grade made in Brazil) and a 36" USGI machete I got at a yard sale for $2. I've had both for better than twenty years. Pinged and abused, with a bit of rust, they just keep working.

Both are utility, nothing special, grade tools made of indifferent mild tool-steel, enough carbon to spark well if you hit a rock, but little enough that they tend to blunt their edge after a few minutes heavy use. Anyone with experience knows to carry a file if your going to be using a machete a lot and to smooth the edge frequently to keep it cutting smoothly. A file is a lot faster than a stone.

Cold Steel, a marketer of edged tools made in Asia that steeps itself in macho cache and heavily caters to wannabe types, does market a line of good, and relatively inexpensive, machetes. I have fiends who have bought them and was favorably impressed by their balance and quality. Nothing wrong with Cold Steel as such. They do sell some good products at reasonable prices but you have to dig through the hype and posturing.

http://www.coldsteel.com/latinmachetes.html

Ontario for the North thicker also check Condor, if your Veggies are Greener {soft} lighter weight Blade[faster] also understand that your arms will feel it with a longer heavier blade over prolonged use
http://www.ontarioknife.com/machetes.html
Info on Machetes to help
http://www.machetespecialists.com/
Look here for Mods and Use to help your decisions before you buy.
http://www.youtube.com/user/Colhane

Also look at Asian style Blades Parang's Kukuries..ect.many cover from soft to hardwoods.

I really liked an older True Temper I had that was made for the US Army. I ended up selling it to a collector.

Now I like the newer Ontario Knife Blackie Collins designed ones and if I was buying a new one I would likely look for one with the full knuckle guard (D handle). I find the handle design with those more comfortable, which is one of the things I didn't like with the rather square section plastic handles on the Ontario Knife machete.
http://www.ontarioknife.com/machetes.html

I like the lighter but longer style of blade too instead of the heavier versions. I find they swing easier and bite deeper into most wood.

Just wondering what you guys are basing these comments on. Is it first hand experience or just from what you have heard ? I use a cold steel kukri machete and would absolutely swear by its performance. Its not fancy but it sure as hell cuts. Tough as nails too. And for 25 bucks how could you go wrong?

Please explain what a "wannabe type" is. wannabe what ?



Sounds to me like your old one was pretty dammed good. How long would anyone expect to get out of any other brand of machete under the abuse you put yours thru? Heck man, buy a couple more of these and you should be set.

Check out the "Woodsman's Pal". It's a derivation of a machete, a brush hook, and a couple of other things. Pretty much a self contained survival tool. If it grows, this tool can drop it.

A Scout Leader had an army issue one many moons ago. I picked one up after I got out of the service and have been using it for odd jobs the past 10 years.

There are videos of people testing machetes and knives on the web. Just clikc on the 'video' link on google then search.
The Sock

A lot of good info in this thread. A machete is on my list and I will use the info here as part of purchasing decision.

@JBMat

that should probably be Woodman's Pal, no?
http://www.woodmanspal.com/index.html

@ BorkBorkBork

I stand (well sit) corrected. Still a great tool to have tho.

Regrettably, my comments are from first-hand experience. I have a CS Heavy Machete and it is truly awful. It will not hold an edge and it flops around. I don't know, maybe I got one from a bad batch where they blew the heat treat.

I'm glad you like their kukri machete. I like the design but haven't bought one due to my previous bad experience.

Is that the flat nosed one?

If so, I have heard that particular model is indeed a POS. I never had that one, but the other models are well worth the money.

I have never heard anything good about the heavy model.

The Woodsman's Pal is a handy tool. Even a bit more 'all-purpose' survival tool than the already very adaptable average machete. At, OMG they raised the price, used to be >$60, now $85, it is pricey. At that price it better be bloody well outstanding.

Thicker and heavier usually means better cutting on hard wood but tend to be more tiring to use. Thinner and lighter is easier to swing and is handier on light brush and softwoods. That isn't to say a machete can't be used on hardwoods. Some of the toughest wood on the planet come from places where machetes are the most common cutting tool. With patience and the right technique a machete will chop its way through anything softer than the steel.

That said many people who spend their time in hardwood forests, where light brush isn't an issue, or where trees are large find an axe more useful. Then again a machete tip can be filed sharp and fine and used for very delicate work, essentially being able to substitute for a pocketknife. Used to be some remote tribes each family group had a machete as their only metal tool. So it got used for everything from clearing land to preparing diner and delicate art work. Harder to do that with an axe.

I provided a link to the ones I was familiar with. I don't know anything about the CS Heavy Machete. Perhaps they got lazy on the quality of the steel or heat treatment thinking the thicker steel would make up for it. QC isn't always what it should be but, looking at the site, what do you want for $17.

It pays to try gear out and find out if it suits you. I've had people try a tool I got a lot of use out of tell me it was useless. Different strokes. Find what works for you.

akabu = Thanks for posting the link to the Machete Specialist site.

Good prices and they have a nice general information page:
http://www.machetespecialists.com/main.html

Lots of helpful hints and information. I wish I had seen that forty years ago. It would have saved me a lot of school-of-hard-knocks learning.

Thank you all for the information and the links!

I heard the reviews too, and I decided to buy one after I saw my brother use one to clear briars off a path on his farm. I bought the 14 inch wood-handled Tramontina, and the 21 inch rubber handled Tramontina. They were about $6.75 each from www.Bladematrix.com. (no affiliation). The shorter wood handled one is a nicer looking machete, but I actually use the longer one to chop out light brush, cockleburrs, and briars. I carry it in the Trail Blazer, locked down under the tire tool. At the time I made the purchase, I didn't know how to select the right length machete but now I do, thanks to advice from GauchoViejo on this forum.

As far as I can tell, I have not used, or even handled, every model, Tramontina makes solid and functional machetes and other metal goods. Being inexpensive, while maintaining useful function, doesn't hurt either.

Inexpensive means you can stuff one in each vehicle and scatter them around the garage and barn so you always have one when you need one.

Or, if you plan for your emergency response to be a group thing, you might lay in a stockpile for your people. If your plans run toward the even longer term a dozen good machetes might be both useful and useful as trade goods.

Greased, wrapped and kept dry they should store indefinitely. Maybe gain some product synergy by laying in like number of Handy Files, two-sided flat files with a built in handle that are inexpensive and just the thing for sharpening a machete.

I'm curious about people's expectations for a machete. What do you expect to cut?

Given the geographical range in this forum, that's an important question. Apples and oranges etc. Different tools are suited to different jobs.

For me: I expect to cut woody-stemmed material -- light hardwoods like poplar/willow, or softwoods like pine/spruce. Not a lot of tall grass or vines/canes around here. For my tasks, I need a blade with some real mass and stiffness, and the ability to hold an edge like a good hatchet.

How about you?

I found machetes good for trail clearing and cleaning out sight lines for surveying.
Light brush and cane from thumb thickness up to about wrist thick, maybe up to 8 inches for poplar or willow.
Not for very hard woods or dead wood.
I found the style that they call Latin about the best.
The ones by Ontario Knife are pretty good examples.

I find heavier blades like the Collins Bolo style machete don't bite the same and tend to push the brush out of the way instead of clipping it.

What I don't like about machete is a lot of people will swing them towards themselves. You must be careful not to have a leg or anything in line with the swing, always swing away from yourself. One miss and you could amputate a leg or a hand.

edit: I find the 12" ones too short and the 24" ones just a bit too long for comfort. 18" seems about right for me to use.

I will also say that a machete is not really a general purpose tool for me. I use them almost exclusively for brush clearing on trails or for survey lines.
On trails it is just to remove the small branches that snag you on the way by.

I mostly use mine to clear buck-brush. Thin diameter green springy brush that will grow anywhere not cultivated here. Like wild blackberries and hedge-rose mixed in with spindly sapling-like brush that gets 8 ft tall. And for cleaning up branches that fall/trimmed/became my problem (Thanks illegal dumpers, ya'll just make my day! ) This ranges from hedge, walnut, cedar, maple, elm, catalpa, and so on. So hardwoods to softwoods. 1" to 6" pretty much if its bigger around than about a softball i get an axe.
apparently axe is supposed to be capitalized. Spell-check says so! lol

Thanks for all the information.

I ordered a 28" tramontia last night from BladeMatrix. Review to follow after I receive it.

Imacasa is a Central American standard brand, made in El Salvador and the only machete I carry. There are a few other true brands that arent made for "gringos" but are the equivalent of snap on and craftsman to the working people of Central and South America, Imacasa is the leader of those in my opinion. Truper is OK as well. I am in the process of working out a deal with them, up until now I have simply been buying a few each time I go down south to teach a class (Survival, Remote Medicine, etc). They are very affordable, very durable, and nearly every person in Central America that doesnt live in a city (and probably half of them) have used that brand. The blades come in various profiles and lengths, for true jungle I prefer a traditional or narrow profile in a 22 or 24" blade, for general purpose I prefer a 16-18" blade in traditional or narrow profile.

I found out I can get a good Tramontina at a local Military Surplus for $10 no shipping.. ill check it out too!

Bolo machete? Maybe a little too short for your needs but a good design.

http://www.stakemill.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=464

Ordered late Monday (11 pm). received Thursday.

The factory edge left a LOT to be desired. Concave edge, not severe. where the edge began to curve upwards there was this defect like the two were done (the straight and the curved edge) at separate times. File and about an hour later, it was straightened out.

WOW! An inch sapling fell down, did not know that I had hit it until it did. So far, with about an hour of use it has been awesome!

It's longer and weighted different than my old one, its going to take getting used to, especially because I am aware of how well it works. I am retraining on using it safely, I had gotten lax with using my old one.

In my experience the majority of injuries with machetes seem to be to hands and feet. I've sliced my own hand pretty good a time or two but I have seen some really serious wounds done to feet. People get carried away and forget where their feet are. The blade deflecting off, or traveling too quickly through, the target are an issue. Tennis shoes offer very little protection. Sandals, none at all.

Cut resistant gloves, leather or kevlar, and sturdy boots are recommended.

I read an artical a long time ago on a safer way to use a machete.You cut a thick stick similar to a walking cane but shorter.This is used to hook and hold what you are cutting.the hand is a safer distance away.the other added advantage is you don't grab nasties(snakes,spiders,scorpions)in the foliage and get bit/stung.This is more in a jungle environment but you get the point....

BOATMAN
John

I am usually wearing heavy steel-toe boots, but I can see where there would be a lot of foot injuries. I have used a heavy stick to hold back stuff so i could get at the base, trying to keep my bits safely out of the way. I have read that a machete is supposed to be used by drawing back on the opposite side that you are holding the machete on. (right hand draw back on left side) and swing across, because you are never in the path of the swing. This is not a comfortable swing for me, my back hand is not very accurate. (seems to be the root movement to me) Another little bit of wisdom I have picked up is to always swing across your body (ie if the blade continues unchecked it is not stopped by your body) basically I am focusing on what i am doing, and maintaining my safety. I have an awesome little scar on my left hand that reminds me everyday, that getting sloppy or relaxed with safety ends badly.

Scar, it was 8 stitches, caused by laxness and that "It won't happen to me" attitude.

I have one in the same spot. It pinged off the metacarpal. Luckily it was a spent blow. Otherwise it would have gone through it, chipped it at the very least. On the other hand the bone kept the blade from biting deeper and the cut from being wider. A bit deeper and it would have hit a significant vein. It bled profusely and this worried me a bit considering the proximity of the vessel. It took three butterflies to hold it closed but it was a clean cut and healed rapidly.

A bit worse, or a location that was stressed more at rest, and stitching would have been the way to go. I hate stitching myself and press the service of steri-strips and butterflies farther than is proper even if I have to splint the hand for a couple of days to keep it from opening.

Superglue can be used to hold butterflies more firmly than their normal adhesive allows. Superglue alone might be used alone but it is easy to seal the wound and allow an infection to fester. The prospect that I may have nicked the bone and the proximity of the vein made the risk seem unwise. Had it been all meat underneath I would have been less careful.

A dull machete is more likely to glance off of what you are cutting and become very hard to control the swing of. So in one way a very sharp machete is safer than a duller one.

On the other hand handling a 2 foot long razor blade is not safe to start with.
So I hope you have a good strong sheath for it.

I got a pretty bad cut by just by brushing my hand against the exposed edge once.

I am working on making a sheath for my machete, right now I am reusing the sheath from the old one to store it. I am thinking of building one out of wood, with a spike on the bottom. So I can stake it in the ground and not have it strapped to my hip. I am using this around the house and do no see a need to carry it on my person, seems to just invite an accident.

My cut/ now scar just missed the metacarpal for my pointer finger and the tendon for my thumb. The doc said that another millimeter more either way and either my pointer or my thumb would be useless. I did score the muscle, but it has healed with no problems.

I have used super-glue with great results for superficial cuts. butterflys are great also. I knew I had to get stitches with my hand, there was no way to externally hold the sides together, it took a couple of months to heal to a scar. the stitches came out after a 12 or 13 days, but i kept butterflys on it until i could see the sides were fused.

btw, the "snuff box" of your hand, when cut, gapes open. (Figured somebody would want to know)