Best Machete Under $20?

Guyon

Guyon

Biscuit Whisperer
Super Mod
Joined
Mar 15, 2000
Messages
45,835
So far, I'm looking at machetes by Tramontina, Martindale, and Cold Steel.

Any clear winners here? Any other inexpensive machetes I'm missing?
 
Martindale is clearly ahead of Tramontina, but cost signfiicantly more. On a performance/cost ratio Tramontina is probably the winner overall as you can find them for *very* cheap. Barteaux also makes solid machetes, behind Martindale but ahead of Tramontina.

-Cliff
 
No trailblazing expert here, but Martindale gets consistently good reviews and I haven't been disappointed with mine. The heat treat is good, and I reprofiled the edge to my liking. Beats the hell outta the half dozen hardware store types that I've owned (destroyed).
 
stich, In another thread, you said you wouldn't go over 18" on a machete. What's the reasoning?

The reason I ask is that I have my eye on a Martindale that is 22" in length.
 
Imacasa, my man. A Pata de Cuche will run you $10, and blows away Cold Steel and Tramontina. I can't say about Martindale, because I've never handled or owned one. Imacasa makes killer machetes. There is a reason why ESEE, Fiddleback, TOPS and I believe Blind Horse all get their machete blanks from Imacasa.

Edit: My recommendation would for the best machete under $20 would be the Pata de Cuche. The 14" version with injected handle is one of my very favorite machetes, at any price.
 
Last edited:
Yay zombie thread!

To continue the discussion, my vote is Imacasa by far. I especially am fond of their Rozador model.
 
Though not under $20... for $23 you can get an Ontario 22" heavy duty machete with hand guard. Ontario has some that fall under the $20 range too, but I love the heft and reach of the 22" version. The handle feels great and the weight is perfect. This thing just cleaves through everything I throw at it. It came with a decent edge, more obtuse than a typical knife edge, which is desirable. I got one very small nick in the blade from hitting a rock.

Great value.

I bought a somewhat more expensive SOG machete around the same time and it's good, but I like my Ontario machete a lot more.
 
I actually put more of a knife edge on my machetes and they hold up fine.
 
I have been happy with my CS Latin 24". Works good for pruning some bushes I have too with a decent edge.
 
Oh wow. This thread is hella old. I was wondering why Guyon hadn't heard of Imacasa. He's generally so well informed. :D And I passed right by Cliff Stamp posting. I think I'm going senile.
 
Oh good ol' Cliff...he was before my time but I remember his site. Good advice in that post at least. Martindale is good stuff--they and Imacasa/Condor are the only folks that really know how to put a good distal taper on a machete.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top