availablity of machetes in peru

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phaserrifle

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Apr 8, 2008
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in the summer of this year (around august time) I'm going on an expedition to peru as part of a contingent of scouts. while I'm there I'm thinking it's a perfect chance to try to pick up machete, as I've wanted something similar for a while, and it'll have the added memories of my six weeks out there.
however, my question is, how available are they in peru?
is it something I'm going to have to go hunting for (in which case I may not be able to), something I can pick up in the average street/tourist shop, or somewhere in between those two levels of availability?
also, while I'm at it, are there companies/styles to look out for or avoid?

any other peruvian travel advice would be much appreciated aswell.
 
I haven't been to Peru but I have been in several of the other Latin American countries. Just find a hardware or general farm supply store and there will be plenty of machetes. But count on them needing a complete edge profiling to be useful. If you don't trust the local supply of files and sharpening stones, take your own. It will probably require a couple of hour serious work with file and stone to really have a sharp blade. After than it gets easier.
 
Pro tip for sharpening them up--start with the tip and work your way back in sections. It makes the work a lot easier than trying to do it all in big strokes.
 
Sidehill Gouger said:
I haven't been to Peru but I have been in several of the other Latin American countries. Just find a hardware or general farm supply store and there will be plenty of machetes. But count on them needing a complete edge profiling to be useful. If you don't trust the local supply of files and sharpening stones, take your own. It will probably require a couple of hour serious work with file and stone to really have a sharp blade. After than it gets easier.
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my own sharpening stone? would a small one do (the kind you'd find in the pouch on the front of a knife sheath) or am I going to need something a bit bigger. also, what kind of file?

revhard05 said:
try the gunea pig!
Click to expand...

plan is that we are all going to try the ginea pig at some point. apparently it tastes like chicken.........
 
You need as large of file and sharpening stone as you can find to profile a new machete relatively quickly. Once you have the edge bevels established something smaller will work for touch ups. Nice to have a small file for the more serious dings too.
I would look around the same hardware store you buy your machete in. I haven't been in one yet that didn't have the stones and files preferred by the locals close by.
 
For putting the initial edge on a machete, a good mill file is your best friend. Just remember that mill files only cut on the "push" stroke- don't pull the file back and forth across the edge- that will just ruin the file. I don't mess around with stones until after I've already established an edge. Stones clog too quickly when you're removing a lot of material.

The machetes available in Peru are probably better quality than the ones you can find here in the United States (or the UK). Imacasa, Hansa and Tramontina are all good brands. You'll almost certainly find better quality in the hardware stores than you will in the touristy places. Find out what the locals use, if possible, and go with that. I recommend Imacasa if you can find them. Stay away from the Chinese and Pakistani stuff. Chances are, if you find something made in Central or South America, it'll work.
 
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