Hatchet or Machete

I must be one who does not know how to use a machete and properly sharpen one. For hardwood saplings and limbing, I find the hatchet works better.
 
Hard to answer the OP's question because I would choose a bowie and a folding saw. That is what I prefer and they work well for me.

A good quality or hatchet are fine alternatives as well. A couple suggestions might be Cold Steel machetes as well as the Condor and Tramontina the guys mention. I have a Cold Steel Tomahawk or two that earn their keep as well and a Fiskars hatchet that is worth every penny of the $30 it cost. What is good about a machete or hatchet is that the cost is lower which enables you to try out more options. When talking about bowie/chopper knives, the price tags get high fast so options become more limited for most guys.

So, to answer the OP's question of advantage, a hatchet has the advantage in firewood splitting and chopping, while the machete makes grasses and greenery into salad. Both are suitable for limbing and shelter building.
 
vector001 said:
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
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Good to see you in hear Vec!
 
baliodude said:
What is better for hard wood? axe or machete?
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I can only answer from my "limited" experience. I cut a path through locust tree saplings, using an old Martindale machete and an Estwing hatchet. The machete was not getting the job done. I was working my butt off . The hatchett worked much better.
 
baliodude said:
What is better for hard wood? axe or machete?
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Depends. If the tree is solid enough that an axe blow penetrates rather than reverberates, the axe is better. If its too thin, the machete is better. I don't differentiate in terms of hard and soft wood, but rather how thick what I'm cutting will be. Hardwood just means I have to sharpen more often.
 
Chopping a lot of wood Hatchet.

Cutting a lot of soft vegetation Machete

Chopping stuff up to about 6" and cutting small saplings khukuri
 
Chris_Norden said:
Depends. If the tree is solid enough that an axe blow penetrates rather than reverberates, the axe is better. If its too thin, the machete is better. I don't differentiate in terms of hard and soft wood, but rather how thick what I'm cutting will be. Hardwood just means I have to sharpen more often.
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This is the answer. In order for an axe or hatchet to be effective the target must be solid enough not to flex significantly when struck by a heavy object--in this case the head of the axe/hatchet. The lighter and thinner machete will be easier to use for prolonged periods of time and will excel on targets ranging from grass up though trees about 4" thick. At the 2" mark the hatchet will technically be a little faster, but it isn't until the 4" mark that it really pulls ahead as the clear winner.

I personally rarely need to clear anything larger than 4" (though there are plenty around up this way! :D) so I stick with the machete when I venture out in the woods. It may not be able to split wood as fast as a hatchet/axe but I can baton full-blown 6 inchx9 foot trunk sections into boards with one. And that was with my unassuming Cold Steel barong machete, not one of my better ones! :thumbup:
 
This discussion is kind of like which is better nails or screws? Depends, right?

The word "Machete" itself encompasses a wide range of blades kind of like the work "knife". If you pick the wrong machete for the job you want to do it will be a very frustrating experience. Pick the right machete for the job but with crappy edge geometry and you are left wanting as well. The same goes for axes.

In my area of Brazil a hatchet or axe is not very useful compared to the machete which is used for everything and at time pressed into service to do axe-like things because you didn't bring an axe with you. Even here where the machete is king I have to take the machete that is appropriate to the place I am going.

For me the closest I have been able to come to the ideal, one blade for all jobs is the 16 inch Latin pattern Tramontina set up with the modifications I put on all my new machetes (10 to 16 inches). Those mods let me do the tasks I'm used to doing and may not work for everyone. My longer 18 and 20 inch machetes get a full length convex because they are dedicated choppers and grass cutters.

That said, in summer in North American when you don't need massive amounts of firewood and have to deal with tangled undergrowth a machete is a great tool. In winter it will leave you cold, a machete won't generate large volumes of firewood. You should be carrying an axe and saw.

Machete Modifications for the Bush

Mods Tutorial Part One

Mods Tutorial Part two

Mac (Colhane on YT)
 
Indeed. The most versatile style of machete is undoubtedly the classic Latin variety. The REAL fun lies in having a whole arsenal of specialized blades to pick from though! Embrace the sickness! :D
 
For chopping, I like the Cold Steel double edged machete. It's weighted really far fwd like a bolo so it thunks far in excess of what it's length would indicate. You just swing it to hit where the blade is widest and let the KE (not much but enough) do the work. The second edge is a plus too. You can get twice the work out of it before it goes to heck.

Cheap too. Weighs less than any decent hatchet and will chop with anything smaller than a full size axe.

If you go with an axe, make sure you do the edge correctly. My grandfather taught me on his old double bitted job and it'll wipe 4" branches off a tree with one moderate swat per branch. OTOH, it'd also wipe off feet, legs or anything else that gets in its way. If you're out of cell phone range and not in a hurry, stick with the machete and stay safe.

A tired man with a sharp axe is only eclipsed in danger by a tired man with a chainsaw.
 
If you like the CS double-edged machete check out the new Condor Thunderhead. Same principle but a lot more polished! :cool:
CTK352-16HC_H.jpg


I believe the actual production model doesn't have the "eye of the condor" hole you see on the blade. :)
 
I think they are both great but for different things. I think it is best to get both and learn through experience what works best for you. Its good to have both skills anyways. Personally, I think axes are more versitile when you carry a solid fixed blade but that is just me.
 
I think environment is key, I really do. In the upper pen. I'd prefer a stout 12 inch machete paired with a 4-5 inch fixed blade and a BG swedish forest axe. Might go with a slightly lighter 14 inch chete for summer, though.

If there's a specific reason to go knife only, I'd go with one of the heavier shoppers in the 10 inch range- one of scott's, one of my bushbeaters, or something along similar lines.

If you look at some of the traditional saami stuff and other subarctic blades, you'll find a lot of long, broad, and relatively thin blades that are more than machete, less than heavy chopper- Rick's S-curve is a good model, or the 'leukuchete', or a Farmer Golok. Lots of options for thinking outside the box.
 
Why stop at 14"? 16-20" are where the real fun is at. While the shorter machetes sure do chop well, they get blown out of the water by the longer ones--providing that they aren't so long that they go all whippy. :D
 
For someone just starting out, I think a machete would be safer. Axes and hatchets can be dangerous in untrained hands. (As if you can't lope off inportant bits with a machete! :))

A machete has a huge cutting edge, but it's weight is distributed along it. A hatchet or axe has a very small cutting area with itw weight concentrated behind it. Axes and hatchets are much less forgiving to poor aim or technique. If you miss what you are targeting, or hit at a poor angle, the axe hungrily desires to find a home in your flesh. :eek:

Learning proper axe/hatchet techniques are important outdoor skills, albiet somewhat advanced ones.

-- FLIX
 
I say buy what you like they both work. A machete would do me just fine but I don't care to deal with carrying that long hunk of metal. A hatchet fits much better in the day pack. Plus I just plain like hatchets more. Don't turn your nose up at a good pruning saw though. That's my hiking cutter.
 
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