Convince me I need a Machete.

Machetes are perfect for when you are in a situation that makes you think "damn, I wish I had a machete".
 
Ontario is another company that has decent 'chetes.
they do 12" & 18" and an 18" "military" that's got a thicker blade than most if you really want a workout. :)
if you really want to clear vines and brush in/around the yard, get a "ditch bank tool" at Lowe's. not compact or light, but puts ALL the CS 2-handed machete's to shame.
otherwise, a 12-18" model should handle anything you want it to.
I used to buy my Trams at Ampride - which was the farmer's coop stores in the area. Stay away from the china built ones at Wally & HF, S Am or S Africa built ones are generally pretty decent.
also get a 6" double cut mill file so you can sharpen it, because most 'chete's come with a terrible edge.
 
Crud I made the mistake of looking more at the Junglas. I know its not really what most consider a machete but they call it a machete on the site.
 
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kyhunt said:
Crude I made the mistake of looking more at the Junglas. I know its not really what most consider a machete but they call it a machete on the site.
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Tell me about it brother. Exactly what I need, a 10" blade. But it is preeeeety sweet. :D

BTW I have a Lite. At first I pictured myself in the woods with it in the fall and thought “probably won’t use it that much in Missouri.” Well, um…it’s summer here now and the woods are so thick with brush you can’t hardly move through it. Pay for itself in 50 uses. :D
 
What do you guy's find is a good all around length for a machete? looking at Machete Specialist they seem to range from about 10'' to 28''!! that's a big range to chose from. I have a 10'' blade which is a great chopper, but I don't really consider it a machete, to thick and heavy. Anyway I'd be interested to hear what people use the most.
 
bikeknife said:
What do you guy's find is a good all around length for a machete?
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IMO 18" of blade makes for the best all-around machete without being cumbersome to carry. If I had a lot of brush to remove (i.e. doing work, not for fun) then I'd say 22-24" -- but that's not one I'd carry while hiking.
 
I have everything from 12 to 22 inches. I find the 12-15 inch range completely capable and large enough to accomadate survival tasks, I wouldn't feel necessary to pack anything larger than that. For your first blade I'd recommend a traditional Latin/El Salvador/Cutlass style machete, as someone mentioned it's probably the best as far as general tasks or all-arounders are concerned, or the Bolo, which is similar but weighted at the end for more efficient chopping. There's a huge variety in styles, handle materials, blade materials, thicknesses, and lengths that you really just have to pick one and go with it. Smoky Mountain Knife Works has an awesome selection and they are VERY reasonably priced. You could drop 25 dollars on machetes there and have three on your front porch in a week that are fully capable. The biggest gripe about the common brands are the lack of ergonomic handles, though allaround I don't find them too bad. You can re-shape them with a bastard file and clean up with sandpaper to fit your hands better. For 5-20 bucks apiece, having a light large beater blade around... totally worth it.
 
I've got a cheap ($11) 18" machete that I picked up at a surplus store years ago and I love it. It has no brand markings, just a big stamp on the blade that says "El Salvador."

I helped a buddy clear honeysuckle behind his house about a month ago and my machete was by far the best tool we used, easily beating out large axes and hatchets. Of course, once we got a hold of a chainsaw all that changed. Still, living in rural Ohio up until last week, I never had a problem finding a use for a decent machete. I don't know if I could justify ever spending more than $50 on a blade I'm going to constantly slam into rocks and jam into the ground, but I've got an undying love for machetes all the same.

Back home we made a joke of saying there's no problem a machete can't fix. We even regularly used a one to remove pizzas from the oven and cut them into slices.
 
clintzero said:
Back home we made a joke of saying there's no problem a machete can't fix. We even regularly used a one to remove pizzas from the oven and cut them into slices.
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I'm glad I'm not the only one that does this :| As a bachelor that lives alone, doing all my cooking and baking while being caught up in whatever else I'm trying to accomplish, I don't know how many times I burned myself grabbing a hot pan. The closest thing to the oven is the ontario machete sitting on my gear shelf, it's flat and long and does a great job removing things from the oven :D
 
bikeknife said:
What do you guy's find is a good all around length for a machete? looking at Machete Specialist they seem to range from about 10'' to 28''!! that's a big range to chose from. I have a 10'' blade which is a great chopper, but I don't really consider it a machete, to thick and heavy. Anyway I'd be interested to hear what people use the most.
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It really depends on what you're cutting, and your technique.

Every spring my "back 40" is overgrown with weeds, blackberry vines and large grasses, so whenever I am working out there I carry something to clear vegetation. I have been supplementing my pocket knife with a 11" Ka-Bar Black Machete for a few seasons. The handle is comfortable, and it's an aggressive chopper, but it's really too heavy & slow for use on light materials unless it's very sharp. In addition, the big "TAIWAN" on the blade was really starting to bother me.

I tried an Ontario 18" Military machete, and it's a solid tool, but the handle doesn't fit my hand, and at 1/8" thick, it's still a little heavy to get moving fast in tight areas. I understand now why Bark River picked that model for their KSF Machete. I think it would be a good project to do a similar conversion on mine.

I recently bought an ESEE Lite Machete from Marc at Gear2Survive, and so far, it's sweet. The micarta handle feels good in my hand, the handle tang keeps my grip secure, and the 1/16" blade thickness lets me easily swing it fast enough to cut the grasses. I think it's an ideal combination of weight and length, since it chops saplings well too. I really appreciate the extra blade length when I need to cut blackberry vines, because if those thorns catch your hand in mid-swing, the results aren't too pretty.

Bill
Kalifornia
 
kyhunt said:
I like this idea of getting the biggest ESEE knife. That Junglas is pretty impressive looking.
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Got to use a friends on a camping trip.. love the feel of it
in the hand. Makes you think a "lightsaber" is nothing but a
spork that glows. ;)
 
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