Help choosing a machete

Chitrod said:
So just lay sandpaper on a mouse pad and pull the blade back?
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thats basically it! there are plenty of youtube videos out there on sharpening a convex edge. I would recommend the channel virtuovice to show you the way. I convexed my Ontario 18 inch machete using a belt sander and it passes the hanging hair test with ease. I have been happy with this machete but It does require some work to become an proficent cutter.
 
I'll second FortyTwoBlades's recommendation of the Condor Eco Survivor and El Salvador. I didn't used to like the El Salvador style handles, until I handled one of Condor's. They have a very nice palm swell which doesn't show in most pictures of them, and my Eco Survivor is the most comfortable and lively feeling machete I own.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
I'd go with an longer blade, personally. It'll do the job much better both in terms of brush clearing as well as tree felling. My top choice is the Condor 18" El Salvador or, if you want to keep the weight down, the Eco Survivor. The Cold Steel Jungle Machete isn't a bad choice, either, or the Condor 15" Bolo. As far as sharpening goes, don't worry about maintaining a perfect convex. The main advantage is that it has a thinner geometry compared to a "V" edge of equal angle. You want that puppy with an edge around 15 degrees per side and it'll be sailing through targets without any trouble at all. Just sharpen it like you would a regular edge and you'll be fine. I like to use either a DMT Diafold or Jewelstik "Stubby" diamond steel. With a long blade like a machete it's usually easiest to bring the stone to the blade rather than the other way 'round.
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Those look and sound good. I should also say that i also kinda want something that looks different than just a normal machete. I know looks shouldn't matter, but I don't want to conform.
 
My short Cold Steel Lasher latin machete is as close to perfect as anything i have seen
Except maybe the ESEE

Also, their Khukri model is pretty much literally bombproof, i have hammered one against rock just to see if it would break
Lots of dents, still works fine
 
like the other guy said, the best advice is to talk with 42.
all i would do is recommend my favorite machete to you because its my favorite but it might be all wrong for you. (its a 26" imacasa pata de cuche pattern, by the way. lol)
 
I love the long blades! They take some more skill to use but man do they get the job done nicely! :D

If looking for something other than a typical Latin/bush pattern then might I suggest either the Condor Bolo or spring for something like one of my favorites--the Viking! 20" bladed panga with a partial back edge that's great on grasses and thorny bushes. It's a brute, but very manageable as well as versatile.
 
My favorite for woody brush is the panga style from Imacasa. If you use any machete very much you will need to learn to sharpen the machete, they get dull pretty rapidly depending on what you are cutting and a sharp machete cuts more easily than a dull one. Also, within reason, a longer blade means fewer swings to cut the same amount of material.
 
Which panga? They make a few. I like the 20" myself. Beautiful taper on that one, and I love the flare!
 
The 24" Imacasa Panga is my favorite for woody brush. It begins to exhibit some "waggle" but for the extra length it is worth it. The 20" is very solid but makes me stoop a bit more when clearing ground cover. The handle on the 24" has curvature and feels more secure and I've carved it to match my grip. That is the only one I've carved that much since it makes it awkward to switch arms in the middle of a task.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
I love the long blades! They take some more skill to use but man do they get the job done nicely! :D

If looking for something other than a typical Latin/bush pattern then might I suggest either the Condor Bolo or spring for something like one of my favorites--the Viking! 20" bladed panga with a partial back edge that's great on grasses and thorny bushes. It's a brute, but very manageable as well as versatile.
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How does it compare to the Swamp Master. Where would the Viking or Bolo be better than the Kukri and vice versa?
 
:cool: For advice on machetes, you ask the right questions and you can get good advice here.

Two companies have information and a wide selection:

Machete Specialists have many different models of machetes and sheaths. They also have a website with some very informative articles.

Baryonyx Knife Company (owned by FortyTwo Blades) has a wide selection. I understand they offer a premium grade of some basic inexpensive machetes for only a modest increase in price. You could purchase one of the less expensive models and have it properly sharpened by requesting the upgrade.

I have not yet purchased any items from either company but I have had contact with them. These are only two places to get good advice and find the machete you need.

Faiaoga
 
Chitrod said:
How does it compare to the Swamp Master. Where would the Viking or Bolo be better than the Kukri and vice versa?
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To be honest that's a bit of a tricky question to answer descriptively, and easiest answered through experience. However, since that's not an option at the moment (as is often the case!) I'll do my best to tackle it.

The Swamp Master is essentially the same concept but a little shorter and with the mass slightly less concentrated in the nose. Different handle shape as well. However, it offers many of the same advantages (save the compounding effect of the extra length) as the Viking in a smaller package. The kukri has the advantage of the longer impulse during the delivery of a blow due to its forward offset, resulting in slightly higher energy transfer for its weight and distal mass distribution. The angular presentation to the target also increases the virtual sectional density (mass concentrated over a surface area) and "stretches" the edge "thinner" much in the way that you can climb otherwise unscalable hills by zig-zagging up them. The Viking provides magnified tip velocity and has a highly end-concentrated mass that makes for a very potent sweet spot. Most of the work is done with the last 8" of the blade as a result, but the efficiency of the work is increased by this proportional relationship. The partial back edge on both the Viking and Swamp Master provides a sickle-like edge for lightweight and cut-resistant targets because it prevents the target from sliding off of the edge and in fact increases the applied pressure to the target when it attempts to do so. The Bolo has the widest sweet spot of the three which makes a greater proportion of the blade the primary working region. This can be useful for certain applications where using a different portion of the blade is more manageable for one reason or another. The unsharpened false edge on the spine at the tip is useful for grubbing work like chopping roots etc.

None of that was worded nearly as well as I'd like, so let me know if it was confusing!
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
To be honest that's a bit of a tricky question to answer descriptively, and easiest answered through experience. However, since that's not an option at the moment (as is often the case!) I'll do my best to tackle it.

The Swamp Master is essentially the same concept but a little shorter and with the mass slightly less concentrated in the nose. Different handle shape as well. However, it offers many of the same advantages (save the compounding effect of the extra length) as the Viking in a smaller package. The kukri has the advantage of the longer impulse during the delivery of a blow due to its forward offset, resulting in slightly higher energy transfer for its weight and distal mass distribution. The angular presentation to the target also increases the virtual sectional density (mass concentrated over a surface area) and "stretches" the edge "thinner" much in the way that you can climb otherwise unscalable hills by zig-zagging up them. The Viking provides magnified tip velocity and has a highly end-concentrated mass that makes for a very potent sweet spot. Most of the work is done with the last 8" of the blade as a result, but the efficiency of the work is increased by this proportional relationship. The partial back edge on both the Viking and Swamp Master provides a sickle-like edge for lightweight and cut-resistant targets because it prevents the target from sliding off of the edge and in fact increases the applied pressure to the target when it attempts to do so. The Bolo has the widest sweet spot of the three which makes a greater proportion of the blade the primary working region. This can be useful for certain applications where using a different portion of the blade is more manageable for one reason or another. The unsharpened false edge on the spine at the tip is useful for grubbing work like chopping roots etc.

None of that was worded nearly as well as I'd like, so let me know if it was confusing!
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I'm starting to think I need two or three different machetes.
 
Ok you had me leaning toward the Vikiing. Then I noticed it is stainless not carbon steel. I e been reading that Stainless is t as good in long blades like Machetes as carbon steel. This past summer I used a no name machete to clear some 5 inch diameter trees from a trail on hunting property. Granted this was because the chainsaw was down at the moment, but I would like that kind of capability.
 
Do yourself a big favor and get an Imacasa or a Condor. Tramontina too. They are made right and they are very inexpensive. No, they don't come with very good edges...you will need to take a file or a puck to it to get the edge you want but most of the very best of these are $20. I like 22 or 24. If you're gonna go machete, get the real deal. You will want to be able to chop stuff down near the ground too and you need a 20-something for that. That's what so great about a real machete...it is good for everything from grass to small trees. When and if I buy a new one, it'll be Imacasa or Condor.

Carbon steel is the way to go. Imacase and Condor are 1075...tough tough tough steel.
 
Don't worry about Condor's stainless. I beat the tar out of mine and it holds up just fine. They're one of the only stainless machete producers I trust. Remember that "stainless steel" is a class of steel defined only by its corrosion resistance. Thus there are many stainless steels that are also suitable for high-impact usage providing the right heat treatment is used. There are also many stainless steels totally unsuited for the task. 420HC (what Condor uses) is one of the better stainless steels for making a thin long blade subjected to heavy impact. And I find it holds an edge about as well as their standard 1075.
 
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