I need a really good machete... Advice? Suggestions?

B

BigJerk

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Jan 26, 2010
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I'm in the market for a good, versatile machete. I will be using it primarily for general camping chores and clearing overgrown 4-wheeler paths of sticker bushes, and saplings. I'm not really concerned with price, as long as it is of good quality and versatile. Thanks in advance for any advice!!
 
depends on how good you want to get

The best machete i've ever owned is the Tops 230 machete. It'll run you about $100 bucks shipped. It's the best you can get without going custom IMHO

You can get some really good ones from condor for around 30

Some folks around here swear by the Tramontina machetes.
 
4 words....Tra Mon Ti Na. :) I like the 14 inch camp or trail or whatever version they call it. Big enough to clear brush, but small enough to take camping (and do other less-machete-like tasks).
 
Condor has a few that I've been eyeing -- the Boomslang and Warlock. My Fiddleback 16" is BY FAR the best machete I have ever used, and head-and-shoulders better than my Collins or Ontario. It might be hard to come by, though.
 
Tramontina is the most used in my country! Esee machete is good option also
 
here's my take. if you want to spend more money than a tram, imacasa, condor....do it. no one needs a good reason to spend more money, for better finishing and prettiness.

if you want the machete to do work and just want one that can get the work done, pretty or not....no reason to spend big bucks on a tops, fiddleback, bark river, or other higher end in finishing machete, imho.

i like the pretty ones, but when i want to do work i grab one of my trams or imacasa's, cause they work, and will get the job done as well as the expensive ones.

i prefer the standard, collins, bush, latin (pick your favorite name)shaped machete for general work......myself.

as always, ymmv.
 
^Very true words!

If money is no object then go with a Fiddleback and a sheath for it. Otherwise there are tons of different options out there for not a whole lot of money. The TOPS is one option for an upper-end model, but most machetes will cost you $70 or less (often MUCH less.) The big question is which task set will it be performing more? Camp chores or trail clearing? Because I find that for trail clearing I like an 18"+ blade but for camp chores most like between 12"-16". You can do camp chores with a long machete and you can clear trails with a short machete, but one definitely has a strong advantage over the other dependent on the circumstance.

I find myself most typically reaching for a long panga myself, but for a short model would probably be just as likely to go with a Latin/bush pattern or bolo depending on what kind of targets and tasks I foresaw myself undertaking.
 
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I just used a brush clearing project as an excuse to buy some machetes and compare them. I like the panga style from Imacasa over the latin or colima styles for light brush removal. If you don't want the hooked tip you could go with a bolo style and get similar chopping action to the panga. I found the hooked tip of the panga useful for moving brush I'd already cut down. My suggestion is to get the longest one that you can stand to haul around with you, up to about 24 inches of blade length, since the performance seems to be significantly better with a longer machete. If you are going to haul the thing around with you consider which styles and brands will supply a sheath, since a couple of feet of sharp steel ought to be covered when it isn't in use.
 
tramontina machetes are certainly good tools but i think i like the imacasa pata de cuche a little better. its a good all purpose machete and is very reasonably priced. it will require a good bit of work to get an edge on it, though.
 
I like colima-type machetes for light brush mixed with lush vegetation or for grubbing work, but love flared pangas like the Imacasa models for mixed medium-to-heavy clearing work and they can be pressed into service on light stuff as well. As far as a sheath goes, cardboard is a great low-cost choice if you don't feel like shelling out the cash for a custom machete sheath and it can be made nicely form-fitting with a little planning. And yeah--definitely go with the longest that will work for your requirements. The performance is magnified with increased length so long as it remains manageable for you.
 
42 what about that mora you love so much. Those are pretty top shelf in the machete world wouldn't ya say?

I reprofiled the edge on my 230 to me mora like, and man does it cut better!
 
I wouldn't call the Mora machete "top shelf" (in terms of pricing at least--its of very nice quality) but it's a great super light machete for the advanced user. :) I usually wear mine in a JRE sheath with a simple paracord baldric run through the lashing eyelets or put it on the side of my pack. It's light and slim enough that it does very nicely for "just in case" carry, though I often use it for lawn/property maintenance work as well. I liken it to a "road bike" of a machete as compared to a "mountain bike" like most machetes would be classed. :p
 
Condor & Ontario would be my choices. If it matters to you, Ontario's are Made in the USA. Both brands are excellent choices.
 
Fancier said:
... I found the hooked tip of the panga useful for moving brush I'd already cut down. ...
Click to expand...

interesting. never tried a panga machete. guess ill have to try one. i have less than ten machetes, thats not too many, right? lol

a lot of the latin guys who work with me will cut themselves a 'gancho', a stick with a crook in it that they use in their off-hand to either move cut brush or lift sagging branches and stuff like that so they can cut them. it works pretty well, though im not as coordinated as they are lol.
 
I had heard of that technique, but I was working on a slope and found that I liked having one hand free. If my next project is on level ground I'll probably try a forked stick.
One of the cool things about machete's is that they are cheap enough to collect a bunch of them without feeling too guilty.
 
The two machetes that get the nod from me are, the ESEE Light machete and the Cold Steel Magnum Kukri machete. They both can handle camp type chores with ease. I think the blade shape on the CS is nicer but I like the ESEE scales better. The ESEE also come with a great edge. The CS will need to be properly sharpened, but once it is, look out. If money is no object, Fiddleback.
 
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