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..