Best Machete fro actual use

[twl]

I have a variety of Condor and Imacasa, and a couple of some old cheap Chinese ones. I found that the handles are a big deal, because the handles are usually what breaks first.

If you want them sharp, or reasonably so, out of the box, get a Condor. They do it for you.
If you want to do it yourself, an Imacasa or Tramontina would be good.
These are real machetes.

They are not expensive, but they are real working machetes from where they use real working machetes every day, and people's livelihoods depend on them. You can pay just as much for Chinese junk.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

+1 for the TOPS .230 as a user. It's not too heavy, not too thick/thin (1/8" thick). I'd still prefer a convex grind vs. the hollow grind, but its easy enough to shape it yourself. Its usable on thick bush and even wood targets, though not for anything bigger than saplings. Condor's machetes are thick, great for harder brush and the occasional small tree.

Not all of Condor's machetes are thick--mostly their "ethnic-inspired choppers" are. Their true machetes typically don't go thicker than 1/8" (about 3mm) and they have many thinner ones in the 3/32" and 5/64" (essentially 2mm) range. If you ask me 3/32 is about the sweet spot for a "purebred machete" in the North American environment. Stiff enough to be used for batoning without the blade "buckling" under the baton but still thin enough to bite DEEP and handle light vegetation well thanks to the reduced mass compared to 1/8" assisting in generating high tip velocity. 1/8" is good for the shorter models since it puts some "oomph" back into the blade but if the pattern has sufficient breadth to make a good forward sweet spot then 3/32" does great.

 

[thelastbestplace]

Get a Latin American machete like Tramontina. Truly proven and used everyday by countless people. Cheap too. I don't know all the other brands from Columbia, El Salvador, Equador but I think they are mentioned here and should be GTG.

I like the larger 20" or so Tramontina with a sheath and plastic handle rather than the wood. I also prefer a hole for a lanyard in the handle.

Great for actual use.

 

[Street Samurai1978]

Not all of Condor's machetes are thick--mostly their "ethnic-inspired choppers" are. Their true machetes typically don't go thicker than 1/8" (about 3mm) and they have many thinner ones in the 3/32" and 5/64" (essentially 2mm) range. If you ask me 3/32 is about the sweet spot for a "purebred machete" in the North American environment. Stiff enough to be used for batoning without the blade "buckling" under the baton but still thin enough to bite DEEP and handle light vegetation well thanks to the reduced mass compared to 1/8" assisting in generating high tip velocity. 1/8" is good for the shorter models since it puts some "oomph" back into the blade but if the pattern has sufficient breadth to make a good forward sweet spot then 3/32" does great.

Oops! I was speaking for the goods I got. Keep forgetting there's more to condor than the goloks and parangs...of course, with those, what more do you need!

 

[22-rimfire]

I started on a quest for a good machete a couple years back. My experience had been using the cheaper type machetes that you pickup at Walmart or the hardware store for generally $10 or less. My first attempts at satisfying this need was to go with a shorter machete after much study on what was available and how I was most likely to use it. Essentially for me, the blade would be often carried where I might be chopping limbs, small trees, vines, and a limited amount of flexible vegetation (things like grass). I bought a 12" Ontario after handling one. Very stiff, essentially a big chopping knife versus a true machete. My issue with this machete is it beats up your hands because the handle is just not comfortable. With limited use, I'd have blisters and so forth which made me not really want to use them. I have a couple of these actually. And the fact that they didn't come with a good sheath was a real negative. The available sheaths were a plastic (but cheap) and they don't last long in real use. The blades cut the sheath and you end up taping up the sheath with duct tape. The good part was they were cheap (<$10). I looked at getting a kydex sheath made, but I was looking at about $50 for this... and the blade cost me $20. Not a good fit, but if I had a great sheath, I could use just buy new machetes after I beat the existing ones up.

Then Condor came out with the Golok and Parang machetes. They had wood handles that had sort of an Indian look to them. Bought the Golok (14" blade) and immediately loved it. I then got the Parang machete as it was a little longer (more reach), but I found myself preferring the Golok. The handles are very hand friendly!

If I were getting a longer more traditional machete today, I would probably get the Condor viking machete that has a hooked end to it. I have the Pueto Rican and I find the handle not real comfey. The handle is a little slimmer and I feel would work well. It would be a good mate to my Golok. The length would essentially force me to not carry it unless I knew I was going to use it. Hence, my recommendation is the 14" Condor Golok even though it is not your typical machete design but the length allows you to carry it in the field more conveniently. It comes with a great sheath. You can buy it with or without the sheath. The sheath is well worth the $20 for it. I actually own two of these. One with sheath and the other is available to put into the sheath I have when the time comes if I damage the blade significantly.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

I like blades in the 20"+ range personally. Seems like 20"-24" is my personal favorite for a large machete. If I have to go short I don't like to drop below 14" and prefer a 16" if possible.

 

[erhodes]

I am really leaning toward the condor machetes. My grandfather really likes he longer range possibly closer to the 24" range than even the 20". The more I look at them the more I want one for myself as well. I like the ones around the 20" range a little better myself. Does anyone have a preference in this range for a certain style? I think one a little thicker may be appropriate since both my grandfather and I like to be able to chop smaller tress to make kindling and such.

 

[jdk1]

Do yourself a BIG favor: when you order your blades, throw in an extra $8-$9 and pick up a 14" Tramontina Bush/Trail machete. They are the poor man's Junglas. They handle like a light saber, carry like a feather, and cut/chop/slash way better than they should. They're also darned near bullet proof and have a very comfortable wooden handle. Decent sheaths are available. I think you'll really like this blade for all sorts of stuff. Everyone should have one of these for the price. Seriously! Good luck.

 

[gomipile]

I am really leaning toward the condor machetes. My grandfather really likes he longer range possibly closer to the 24" range than even the 20". The more I look at them the more I want one for myself as well. I like the ones around the 20" range a little better myself. Does anyone have a preference in this range for a certain style? I think one a little thicker may be appropriate since both my grandfather and I like to be able to chop smaller tress to make kindling and such.

The Imacasa 18" Pata de Cuche is probably the best all around machete in the mid length category. Exceptionally comfortable handle, lively blade(due to the distal taper,) good steel and heat treatment.


I also highly recommend the Condor Golok for heavier targets and the Tramontina bolo for when you want a lighter shorter blade that can still handle big tasks.

 

[Goosey]

the Tramontina bolo for when you want a lighter shorter blade that can still handle big tasks.

I also like the Marble's bolo in that size range, which is basically a 14 inch slightly-thicker-than-normal Imacasa blade with a pre-convexed edge. It costs about the same as an Imacasa too... only thing that sucks is the bright orange paint job.

 

[Pindanpredator]

For a production machete I'd go with a Martindale golok-cant get much better than that in my opinion, tough, durable, very sharp

however

If you go the custom route I would go with either Fiddleback or Treeman knives, both are excellent for pretty much any use, I myself will be getting a custom made Treeman combat machete within the next month

 

[erhodes]

Wow. That Fiddleback looks nice. Does anyone have any experience with one?

 

[Pindanpredator]

Fiddleback-awesome chopper and brilliant for light scrub and bush as well, only used a mates one once but it left a long lasting impression with me thats for certain, Id place it as highly as my HI chiruwa ang khola for a one blade only scenario and believe me that is high praise from me

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

I am really leaning toward the condor machetes. My grandfather really likes he longer range possibly closer to the 24" range than even the 20". The more I look at them the more I want one for myself as well. I like the ones around the 20" range a little better myself. Does anyone have a preference in this range for a certain style? I think one a little thicker may be appropriate since both my grandfather and I like to be able to chop smaller tress to make kindling and such.

Typically speaking you won't find thick blades that long since it makes them unwieldy. You might try the Imacasa 20" panga, though. It's on the thicker side at the base of the blade but features a strong distal taper so it thins nicely as it reaches the point. One heck of a beastly chopper. It'll definitely take out small trees no problem and is rigid enough for kindling processing.

The Imacasa 18" Pata de Cuche is probably the best all around machete in the mid length category. Exceptionally comfortable handle, lively blade(due to the distal taper,) good steel and heat treatment.

I also highly recommend the Condor Golok for heavier targets and the Tramontina bolo for when you want a lighter shorter blade that can still handle big tasks.

I concur that the Imacasa PdC is a great all-'rounder. The Tramontina bolo is a heck of a shorter chopper for sure and pretty much everybody love the Condor Golok. All three are workhorses geared towards different sorts of use.

I also like the Marble's bolo in that size range, which is basically a 14 inch slightly-thicker-than-normal Imacasa blade with a pre-convexed edge. It costs about the same as an Imacasa too... only thing that sucks is the bright orange paint job.

Have you seen the Imacasa "spoonbill" bolo? The Marble's is basically an orange presharpened rebrand of one of those.

Wow. That Fiddleback looks nice. Does anyone have any experience with one?

I own the 16" and 18" models. Very nice machetes. Can't go wrong with 'em if looking for a top-shelf machete. My favorite of the two is the 16"--the sweet spot is a little more clearly defined.

 

[not2sharp]

He tends to chop a lot of vegetation and small branches for starting fires. I think he also chops some heavier things like larger branches (1.5" to 2" tops). He lives in Tennessee and does a lot of camping/hiking in the Appalachian moutains so that is the type of area that he will be using it in mostly. I am not sure how he would like to carry it. I know he old machete was belt carry so I think that is what he is used to.

What did his "machete" look like, do you have a picture of it? There are plenty of choices and it would probably be best to find one that closely resembles his original one.

n2s

 

[erhodes]

Sadly I don't have a picture of it anywhere and I don't think he has one anywhere that I have found. It looks most similar to the Condor El salvador style from what I remember though.

 

[wouldestous]

my favorite is the one in the middle

imacasa pata de cuche, about 24" or 26". its an excellent all around machete. has lots of reach for cutting vines out of trees or cutting blackberry briars or big rose bushes where you dont want to get too close lol.
its good for chopping larger wood (ive cut down 4"-6" trees with it, for example) but if you are cutting a lot of that size wood then i suspect a slightly heavier and/or slightly shorter specimen may suit your needs better.
generally if im needing a machete in my work then im using it pretty regularly and dont need a sheath. if your grandfather wants to carry a machete while hiking/camping then a really good sheath is key. cheap nylon sheaths tend to get cut by the machete they are designed to carry and become useless. most any of the central/south american brands mentioned here will suit your needs fine but you will almost certainly want a durable sheath. i speculate that the sheath may well cost more than the machete lol.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

my favorite is the one in the middle

imacasa pata de cuche, about 24" or 26". its an excellent all around machete. has lots of reach for cutting vines out of trees or cutting blackberry briars or big rose bushes where you dont want to get too close lol.
its good for chopping larger wood (ive cut down 4"-6" trees with it, for example) but if you are cutting a lot of that size wood then i suspect a slightly heavier and/or slightly shorter specimen may suit your needs better.
generally if im needing a machete in my work then im using it pretty regularly and dont need a sheath. if your grandfather wants to carry a machete while hiking/camping then a really good sheath is key. cheap nylon sheaths tend to get cut by the machete they are designed to carry and become useless. most any of the central/south american brands mentioned here will suit your needs fine but you will almost certainly want a durable sheath. i speculate that the sheath may well cost more than the machete lol.

As a total aside comment, I'm chatting with a company that may have a solution for that. We'll see if anything comes of it.

 

[jamaljj]

Hmm I've heard a lot of comments about TOPS. Thanks I'll check it out