Do you think a machete replaces a large "chopping" knife?

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SnowmanBob01

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Do you think that a machete replaces a good-sized chopping blade? Overall, which one do you think provides the most versatality in clearing brush, batoning, fine work, dressing, etc?
 
on vines &green softer vegetation the mac shines. when it comes to hardwoods & dry timber the chopper comes out. chopper is easier to baton due to thinner back of mac blade. however a real good mac man can do nearly all of it .
 
Whacking down vines or briars, I'll take a machete any day. But a machete is pretty much only good for hacking through thin, soft material. A good big bowie knife has a few more uses. Of coarse, if I'm going to be chopping through anything really thick, I just use my axe, or a chain saw. It all amounts to what you are going to use it for in the end. However, a big knife can double as a machete if weight is an issue but a machete can not double as a knife in the same way; at least not easliy.
 
Big knives are typically tougher and of better build quality than a machete. Machetes are also typically much larger than a large chopper. I think you could get by with a machete np. However, I prefer a large blade for its toughness factor, and the simple fact I like knives a lot more.

In all honesty I think big knives are lot of fun, but if I were just using one for work, and didnt care about the personality of the blade, id go with a mac. They are cheap and can be beaten up, and tossed pretty easy. In any case I love my Busse BWM and have tons of fun with it:)
 
SnowmanBob01 said:
Do you think that a machete replaces a good-sized chopping blade? Overall, which one do you think provides the most versatality in clearing brush, batoning, fine work, dressing, etc?
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yes i think !
i used to live in a south pacific tribe and i carried a machete everytime ...
on a daily life, on those situations, the machete is "the "tool.
 
What is left to say. A pile of walnut brush will murder the edge on a machete. A 10" blade knife is going to make a long day of clearing briar vines.

Really its all about your locale, season, and cutting medium. 18-24" machete, 8-10" survival knife, 20+" axe, they all have their place and their strengths and weaknesses in design.
 
you can chop hardwoods with a machete, baton with it, hack vines and briars, dig fire pits, etc. pretty much anything you can do with a chopper, and an 18" machete will do many of those tasks as well as or better than say a 10" chopper. i always take one of each, but i use the machete more.
 
I think a camp axe replaces a chopping knife. I'd rather have a machete over a chopping knife as well
 
An 18" HI khukuri and you don't need an axe or a machete.
Then there is the H.I. Bolo, Bamboo cutter, jungle knife,annapurna moutain bowie.........
 
It depends on what you'd call a machete and what you'd call a large knife. If the RTAK II is a large knife I'd prefer a large knife. If it's a heavy Machete then I'd prefer a machete.
 
I reckon machete could do well in nordic forrest due soft wood here. I guess I have to try.. never had one :/
 
I read a very interesting book about the experiences of a soldier who fought in the Burma campaign in WWII. He spends a good bit of time discussing jungle knives.They needed a large selection of different knives for the different types of vegetation.Kukris for heavy stuff like bamboo, machetes for light brush, even an axe, etc.
 
I tried clearing a path through hardwood saplings ,with a Martindale Crocodile machete . It did not work well. Had tendonitis in the elbow for months afterwards. Use to chop with a USMC Kabar a little. It did not work well either.
 
I always have a mac and axe in my truck for just in case. If I am going camping or backpacking I want a single heavy bowie.
 
SnowmanBob01 said:
Do you think that a machete replaces a good-sized chopping blade? Overall, which one do you think provides the most versatality in clearing brush, batoning, fine work, dressing, etc?
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If you only have one cutting tool, I would probably take the big knife. Its probably a bit more versitile than a machete (although in SA, I understand that the locals get by quite well with nothing but a machete).

If I also have a small knife (fixed or folder), I would probably rather have the machete than a big knife. IMO big knives are a compromise tool, not as good as an axe or machete at chopping, not as good as a smaller knife at cutting and slicing but acceptable in both roles.

Warriorofsteel said:
Machetes are usually good for brush they arnt really meant for hardwoods.. or thicker stuff :]
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It depends, there are lots of different styles of machete and some are better for wood than others. A well made machete with lots of weight towards the end can chop through wood just about as fast as a hatchet or small axe.
 
Not all machetes have thin blades. The golok and parang have thick blades and will out perform a bowie knife or large "Rambo" type knife any day of the week. Also, the machete (anything from a 16" parang to a 26 inch South American style) will have more mercy on the wrist and elbows than any large bowie style knife. The bowie knife was designed for street fights; the machete was designed for working and living off the land. But the machete also makes a potent fighting machine and so for that reason is the optimal choice for anyone looking for the ultimate all-around cutting tool. All cultures (except the Aborigenes in Australia) have developed some sort of machete from the panga in Africa, parang in Southeast Asia, bolo machete in both North and South America and on and on. Give a competent bushcrafter a well-made machete and he can make everything from hunting tools to shelters and all else in between. The same can not be said about a Bowie type knife.
 
I pondered this very question for a while and ended up with a Condor Bolo Machete. It chops, batons, cuts, shaves, etc... superbly. I think the only task a big, beefy knife would clearly pull ahead is in prying. Just my thoughts.
 
There is not a SINGLE thing you can't do with a machete besides perhaps prying.

To dispel a few myths, when properly used they WILL:

1) Take out hardwoods with ease (think--where do all of the hardest woods in the world come from...?)

2) Baton easily (I've literally split an entire tree trunk with one before to see if I could)

3) Be easy on the wrist and elbow (technique is the key!)

I would take a machete over any other woods tool hands down. Getting a quality piece and learning how to use it properly are the two biggest keys to success, however, and I don't think many of us northerners have managed to get the hang of them yet since they're only just starting to get popularized in our neck of the woods (though I've been advocating their use for years!)
 
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