Best Value Machete?

J

jooleyen

Joined
Oct 9, 2010
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13
Hey guys. I was recently researching which knife to buy for everyday outdoor stuff and I decided on a Mora Bushcraft for like $20. It was hard to find a post online not mentioning Mora knives being of the best value out there. Turns out I love my new knife and have nothing bad to say of it.

I'm now looking for a machete that is equivalent in value to the Mora.
Could anyone recommend me a good machete that costs.. oh say under $30?

Thanks.
 
To do what? What environment are you using it in, wood are you using it on, and do you intend to use it for backpacking? Do you intend to use it for chopping, drawknifing digging, bushwacking/trial clearing... ? All of these things come into play when deciding a design, size and manufacturer. I wouldn't recommend backpacking a machete longer than 16 inches. At Smokey Mountain and some other sites, you can get both a high quality Condor Bolo, El Salvador, Khukri etc AND a 6 dollar Tramontina 14 inch for less than 30 dollars.
 
for general backpacking I would suggest a 12"tram

they work like a charm and dont cost a fortune
d
 
Just a little side thought, but have you considered a Leuku to go with your Mora? They are bigger, but with the same basic design. The ones I've see range from 8 to 10 inches in blade length, which may be a little short for your uses.
 
The 18" Tramontina is pretty much the archetypal South American machete pattern in 1070 steel, and mine went for all of 8 bucks. If you want more of an all-around pattern in better steel and you like modifying blades, look into an Ontario 12" job.
 
Both of my Trams came with better grind lines and wood to metal fit than my more expensive machetes. For $6 they're amazing.

Frank
 
jooleyen said:
good machete that costs.. oh say under $30?
Click to expand...

Good price, but good quality?

Yeah that's Condor Machetes that you'll be wanting.

Condor Eco-Lite
Condor El Salvador (heavier version of the Eco-Lite)
Condor Kukri (shorter, but a good chopper)
Condor Bolo (Heavy enough to chop bigger stuff)
Condor - whatever you like the look of.

There are plenty of under $30 Condor Machetes that will do a good job and come nice & sharp. The right model depends on the tasks required.
 
Tramontina. £12. Got one of these and a bear Grylls Gerber af £35. The Tramontina outperforms the gerber in all apsects. Easy to sharpen as it is hc steel. Just use a metal file for most things. Then if I want to put a really shart edge, I use an oilstone. Demoted the gerber to a kitchen chopper.
 
A 7 - 10 USD 14" Tramontina is a great value machete and it will do everything you'd need in a camping situation in a tempered zone. A large 18" machete is a bit overkill, but sure it works even better, but it also weighs a lot more and will get you a lot of stares.
 
The $5.99 14" Tramontina is a must have item. Two minutes with sandpaper will make the handle feel like it was custom fit for your hand, and the balance and light weight are perfect. It may need some edge attention, but for the price it's the best value you'll ever find. There is a place online which specializes in machetes and offers a very decent sheath for this machete for $10. Take care.
 
Old thread is old. :p

But yeah--it's impossible to beat Tramontina for their bang-for-the-buck ratio. I generally use Imacasa/Condor pieces myself, as I consider them to be essentially the inheritors of the Collins mantle. They and Martindale are the only two companies putting a good distal taper on their machetes. Hansa is good stuff too, and puts a little taper on their blades, but not very much at all. Cold Steel machetes are made by Lasher Tools of South Africa and are solid users once given a liberal dousing with elbow grease, but they're a little softer than what I typically prefer--perfectly serviceable but with the thin edge I like on my machetes I find the edge stability better with the harder steel of the Imacasa/Condors. It's a moot point for most folks though. I keep my edges a lot thinner than most.
 
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