I am looking for some discussion on your favorite machetes, hatchets, and axes...comments?

Never used a machete. I love a good axe, but it's a bit hard to carry around on my belt.

I have a nice Estwing hatchet that's sturdy, easy to grip and has a nice flat on the back of the head for pounding.

Brazilian Tramontina, inexpensive and the long classic pattern in all those darkest amazon B movies works better than all the rest. Martindale from the U.K. makes nice ones if you insist on spending more money. Forget crummy sheaths and buy a file. A machete's place is strapped to your daypack or in hand. Any quality axe meeting the classic Hudson's Bay cruiser specs; Wetterling, Granfors Bruk or the nice one you steal from a garage sale. Get a hickory handle unless you like every vibration rattling your fillings with those Estwing things. Make sure the grain is lllllll vs == or ///// for durability. Why bother with a hatchet? the savings in wieght, mostly handle is negligable and the danger increased 10 fold. Everything else is telling generations they've been doing it all wrong and not spending enough hard earned money..

"...Forget crummy sheaths..."

Making one from PVC pipe is better than just about anything you can buy anyway...

I carry a tomahawk. Can use it as an axe.

It fits right behind the waistbelt of my pack...cannot even see it but I can whip it out in 1/10th second by reflex. If someone comes at me with a knife or gun at close range on the street or trail they are in for a surprise!

Lately, I've found myself carrying a larger saw (Sawvivor) and either small hatchet (like gerber backpax) and/or fixed blade. The saw is faster and safer than an axe (I've even used it to clear a trail of a fallen tree while snowmobiling). The hatchet or fixed blade is just used for batoning what I've cut with the saw into smaller pieces (often to reach the dryer center of the wood for kindling).

While I feel like I could eliminate the hatchet and just carry the saw/fixed blade combo; I do like carrying the hatchet since it stops me from destroying the edge of my knife (or possibly breaking the blade) and it makes an ok hammer. Plus the saw is a much more specialized tool than the hatchet. The hatchet can cut, chop, slice, and scrape; while the saw is only really good at...well...sawing.

Personally,
I use a woodsman's pal and a Wyoming saw.
If traveling lite, then either a pocket chainsaw or ultimate survival (defunct) pocket saw.
Only in camp to we use a hatchet. Machete is great for the jungle, but in the marsh a woodsman's pal is the right size.
The Wyoming saw (or the Gerber that's about the same) is just fine for the larger size branches that are too big for SAK or Multi tool.

I don't use a machete. Gransfor Bruk Wildlife hatchet - that little thing is sweet! Great steel. Tiny size. (Just got a new Buck hatchet for Christmas - looks more durable with the plastic type handle - we'll see about the steel) Know the limitations of a hatchet. As said here it is to save the knife - not for chopping down trees! I cringe when I see boys swinging one - and quickly set them straight. Limbing, splitting, pointing stakes - those are the proper uses for a hatchet - and it is the best at those tasks. I use a fold up triangular frame Swedish saw. I actually like the triangular style because of inherent strength and it keeps me from cutting down something too big that could kill me! Buy new blades often - they're cheap. BTW, I carry a 3 lb. Swedish-forged axe when weight is not a consideration - the proper tool for chopping. I also still have my Dad's old 5 lb. Michigan pattern axe by Kelly Works. A beautiful tool - but I don't think I'm enough of a man to carry and use that one (then again, my Dad told me that fertilizer used to come in 200 lb. bags, too!)