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

My favorites?

18" Tramontina

Several models by Martindale.

ESEE Lite Machete.

If you want something that's half-knife, half-machete, check out the Ka-Bar Grass Machete.
 
I second The TOPS .230 machete. Condor makes some nice stuff, like their golok or parang. I own both and they're great for heavier bush where you're likely to contact trees.
 
HikingIsLife said:
What about a Bark River Golok?
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Also great, but I figured you were looking for under $100. The thing with the barkie is it has an 11 inch blade compared to the others' 14-15 inch blades. You have greater coverage with the others. Don't get me wrong, though. I love the BRKT goloks. I own two of them, one standard and one upswept tip.
 
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18" Tramontina. What more?
 
For larger saplings, you may find the thinner machetes bouncing off.
My recommendation would be to get a Billhook.
 
I'm going to say a Fiddleback with a Wildmanh sheath. Not only is it going to perform, it's going to look really good doing it. It also doesn't hurt that Andy and Heber are two of the nicest guys to work with.

You can get by very well with a $20 machete, but these guys put a lot more into their work. Andy's handles and Heber's leather bending are like shaking hands with old friends.
 
parbajtor said:
For larger saplings, you may find the thinner machetes bouncing off.
My recommendation would be to get a Billhook.
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If the OP is in North America than a proper billhook is VERY difficult to come by. I was fortunate enough to get my hands on an old British single-edged tanged model that needs a handle and a double-edged Falci but those were both serendipitous in their having found me. Personally I find it's not an issue of thinness with machetes that results in bouncing so much as lightness or a lack of sufficient mass up front. This can be easily achieved by increasing the width of the blade without thickening the stock.
 
There is no need to spend $100 to get a "really good" machete. A machete is a very basic thing. Spend a quarter of that and get an Imacasa (which is what the ESEE really is with an ESEE micarta handle) or a Tramontina and you will have everything anybody...I'll use the word...really needs in a machete. I have a Collins Legitimus from the 60's that is still going strong. It is tapered in thickness, bends but doesn't wobble and, for the most part, needs sharpened only a few times a year...with a file.
 
Vintage Collins machetes are good stuff. And indeed, there are MANY excellent machetes out there that cost well below the $100 mark--the extra money typically sunk into extra finishing or more premium handle materials. Personally I absolutely adore injection molded poly handles. As long as the master was designed right from the get-go then you'll have a comfortable and nearly indestructible handle that'll never loosen, rot, warp, or crack. Just keep it away from the camp fire and you'll have it for life.
 
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