Hatchet or Machete

[Any Cal.]

Not that Horn Dog needs my confirmation, but he is exactly 100% correct. My first real experience with machetes happened a bunch of years ago, when we took a new friend canoeing. He asked, "How come you guys don't use machetes?" (I have to mention, that he is from Jamaica). The response was, "Because we don't have sugar cane here."

Well, we were wrong. Subsequently, we all have and take machetes. You'd be surprised how well machetes work on hardwood. I'm talking about the thicker, shorter machetes, usually bolo size.

I have a Machax which does the job well (on hardwoods) for me, but if I didn't it would be a machete or khukuri for sure, and you see where I live. Also an excellent tool for roughing out a bow stave.

OTOH, I've used hatchets in the past, and while they can work well, too dangerous for me if I'm tired, and if you're many miles away from the nearest road..........................

Doc

Ummm, that. The machete is really handy once you've used them for a bit. I prefer the thinner ones, but there are quite a few things that help make that choice for you.

The BK-9 is a good chopper, but is not a machete. If you want, take a look at the comparison between several choppers here:

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[Toucan Oasis]

Ya see all these guys talking about hardwoods and machetes.
The hardest woods in the world are in the tropics where machetes rule.
Get a decent one and learn to sharpen it.14 or 16 inches is plenty.
I generally use a slight bolo style made by Corneta.

Anything over 8 inches and I'm packing my Husqvarna.

 

[alco141]

the wodosmas pal was devloped as a forestry tool, i have carried one on my tractor for quite a few years, they hold an edge fairly well, are aobut as tough a tool as you want will let you use the blade as a draw knife, te hook will help you make a bunch of shelter material pretty quick, it will drag brush over to your fire, chop througha 12 inch log, limb a tree, clear a camp site, dig a hole, and has a combat manual printed by the us army in ww2.

love mine, it is a handy tool.

alex

 

[backwoodsboy]

ontario ct1 machete itj is short enouhg to pack easily and is thick enough to chop hard wood (talking from experience)

watch some of colhane's vidieos on youtube

a machete is more like a knfe and a knife will always be the most useful tool in the woods

machetes are a good handy tool to have and are cheap anyway so go tou and buy you a good hatchet and a machete since they are cheap. go on a couple of outings with thm each see wich one performs your needs the best and if you dont like the machete throw itin the back of teh truck for emergencies

 

[DOC-CANADA]

ontario ct1 machete itj is short enouhg to pack easily and is thick enough to chop hard wood (talking from experience)

watch some of colhane's vidieos on youtube

a machete is more like a knfe and a knife will always be the most useful tool in the woods

machetes are a good handy tool to have and are cheap anyway so go tou and buy you a good hatchet and a machete since they are cheap. go on a couple of outings with thm each see wich one performs your needs the best and if you dont like the machete throw itin the back of teh truck for emergencies

Hey backwoodsboy,

Welcome to the forums. You may already know, but Colhane is a member here and posts as 'Pict'.

Doc

 

[matthewdanger]

I find that the machete is MUCH more versatile than a hatchet. It can be used for many knife tasks as well as chopping. Machetes can also be used as a very usable draw knife. Condor makes great machetes and so does Ontario. The thicker Ontarios might be more suited to hard wood though my Condor El Salvador machete does quite well.

In extremely cold weather the hatchet may be a necessity. Some folks think that a machete may not hold up well in cold weather but I have seen extreme chipping in hatchets/axes in cold weather too. I have several Gerber/Fiskars hatchets and axes that I like. I also have a nice little 19" Wetterlings and a couple of tomahawks from Equinox Coronado that I really like.

Most of the time I would take the machete and a folding saw over a hatchet. But there may be situations where the hatchet really shines. Since machetes don't cost a ton, I would really recommend that you add both to your tool box (along with a folding saw or two). That way you can choose the best tool for the job/situation.

 

[Calebklyne]

i always take an ax or a hawk for splitting wood they work so much better but i also always have my knife with me too

 

[shangchi108]

All you really need is a good machete and a small knife. Machetes work great on hardwood if you know what you're doing.

 

[Chris_Norden]

Look at what the machete users around the world do. They also use axes in the tropics for good reason. Anything larger than 4-5 inches is much easier and faster with an axe. I don't think there is a single people around the world who used the machete to replace the axe.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

All you really need is a good machete and a small knife. Machetes work great on hardwood if you know what you're doing.

This is very true. I think a lot of folks also tend to notice premature dulling with machetes due to rolling their wrist during the cut and thus causing torque and lateral impacts to the edge. This isn't a big problem with the thinner stuff or softwood, but if your technique is poor you notice it pretty fast on hardwood/seasoned wood/frozen wood. It's not like your edge totally dies or anything, but as you might imagine, bad edge alignment+high impact=sad :grumpy:

BUT once you're experienced enough to actually keep your edge in line with your swing it's REAL smooth sailing. Even in freezing weather I don't grab my axe unless I need to fell a BIG tree or split wood for the stove. :thumbup:

Look at what the machete users around the world do. They also use axes in the tropics for good reason. Anything larger than 4-5 inches is much easier and faster with an axe. I don't think there is a single people around the world who used the machete to replace the axe.

Exactly. If you're planning on doing some felling/splitting then an axe is the way to go. An axe is an axe and a machete is a machete--you can't replace one with the other for the tasks they were designed for, even if there IS some overlap.

 

[11x11x]

I used my tramonita 18" machete on hardwood. It bites nice and deep, and I used it to slice down Cherry tree's in my yard, as well as oak, cedar, pine, etc.

 

[Tballetta]

I own them all Big and small. Yet the only thing I ever seem to carry and use are a machete and a folder. Why was it I had to buy all that other sharp steel! Oh yeah. Its all 'cause of you bastids.

 

[shangchi108]

Look at what the machete users around the world do. They also use axes in the tropics for good reason. Anything larger than 4-5 inches is much easier and faster with an axe. I don't think there is a single people around the world who used the machete to replace the axe.

The OP asked about a machete vs a hatchet, not an axe. Of course, axes work better for chopping trees. But I don't think there's anything you can do with a hatchet that you can't do with a machete, except maybe drive tent pegs.

 

[koyote]

honestly, both.

get a short 'chete- something in the 11 to 14 inch range. And get a cruiser's axe. You can die without one out there if you catch a killer storm near the Lake or something.

 

[koyote]

I own them all Big and small. Yet the only thing I ever seem to carry and use are a machete and a folder. Why was it I had to buy all that other sharp steel! Oh yeah. Its all 'cause of you bastids.

You also live in florida! I live in CA and have no realistic need to carry an axe for more than convenience. the Op lives in a place where chopping ice and getting rock hard firewood can be survival necessities- within a half mile of a major road....

The OP asked about a machete vs a hatchet, not an axe. Of course, axes work better for chopping trees. But I don't think there's anything you can do with a hatchet that you can't do with a machete, except maybe drive tent pegs.

I call excessive nitpicking. Is my GB hunter's axe not a hatchet? is my fiskar's hatchet not an axe? what about my Johnson french pattern hawk? My scandinavian forest axe is honestly what I'd really recommend for winter outdoors carry when the temps are below the 20s and things get hard.

 

[The Government]

Considering how cold it gets up there I would want a hatchet. In my experience they can process firewood much easier -big pieces of wood, that is.

For limbing smaller branches a machete will be great. A machete might be a good tool for building snow shelters, but I dont have any serious experience with that.

 

[moonwilson]

You guys are all forgetting, The Smatchet!

Condor makes a pretty mean Smatchet. I'm just sayin'......

 

[Chris_Norden]

The OP asked about a machete vs a hatchet, not an axe. Of course, axes work better for chopping trees. But I don't think there's anything you can do with a hatchet that you can't do with a machete, except maybe drive tent pegs.

I include a hatchet as an axe (just a small one). If you're carrying something small and want to fell a tree or chop something big, a hatchet is far better than a machete. When I've gone collecting wood for bowmaking etc, half the time I only take a GB wildlife hatchet instead of the axe. Sometimes this involves cutting down trees 7 inches in diameter of local hardwood that is far denser than anything in North America that I have heard of. This wood sinks in water even when seasoned. Sure there is nothing you can't do, but this is true of a pocket knife too, just takes a lot longer. If the tree/limb is thick enough that an axe (hatchet) blow doesn't reverberate and penetrates using all available energy, an axe (hatchet) is always more efficient per mass. With some of the local hardwoods here, that means anything over 2 inches gets cut with the hatchet.

However, I don't expect everyone to have the same environment as me, and the same needs. There are always exceptions to the rule.

 

[koyote]

I can't get my mind OFF the smatchet. once christmastime is over and I have the dirks made up.... smatchet time.

 

[vector001]

hi, guys.

i really like a machete and a hawk combo.

one can usually get done what the other can't, especially if the hawk is a good one.

i like to pack a folding saw, a chisel, and a mulitplier or SAK with those primary two usually.

vec