looking for a lightweight machete with good chopping power.

M

MAkives

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May 5, 2015
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Im on the fence about about my 1st machete which is going to be used for some brush clearing and also for chopping logs up to 4 inches in diameter. It has been to be lightweight as im traveling really far in. Ive going between the tramontina bolo,crkt halfachance, and condor eco parang
 
I have the crkt halfachance and it has done a great job for me. The Condor Speed Machete is another one that I really like.
 
I've been using a Tops .170 for more than a year now and it has been the best light Latin machete I've used. The blade is coated so it doesn't rust, the handle is contoured micarta so it doesn't wear on my hand, and the 10" blade and thin stock keep it light so I can swing it for hours. It also comes with an extremely well thought out and constructed plastic lined nylon sheath with built in pouches and all sorts of attachment options.
 
the 18" Ontario I bought for my backpack camping getup has been used on every campout until the most recent one, and it's a good all-around machete with some heft to it for chopping fat stuff (I cut a 10" tree into rounds with it [it sucked, but it was doable]) but if you keep it sharp it can also slice vegetation too. It's not the lightest, but it certainly can do heavy duty stuff. I batonned 12" rounds with it, it twisted and flexed past knots and at times was 20 degrees off of straight both vertically and horizontally (at the same time) and still snapped back to normal after it got through.

And for the price, it's hard to beat.
 
I say get the Tramontina. I have the 18" bush/latin model and makes quick work out of grass and will cut 4" logs pretty easily. The Tram bolo sounds like what you want. Get it (can be founf for under $20) and save the rest of the money and get a Mora to go with it. Just be prepared to have to sharpen your machete yourself (its the same with most machete brands minus Condor).
 
Svord Kiwi machete is worth a look. Its ~$50, 12in, and made of L6. That, or the Mora Machete would be my choices if I wanted a small/lightweight machete. Of those two, I'd choose the svord for the logs the size that you're talking about. Neither one of those is really long enough to do great at clearing brush though, just because they are more compact.

I'd be looking at the Tram Bolo (the extra weight up front helps with the heavier chopping), and the extra length will help with the brush clearing.

Good luck with whatever you do :).
 
Yup--if looking for lightweight above all else then I'd go with the Svord Kiwi Machete. The Mora #333 wouldn't be ideal 4" stuff (it's more of a trimming/vegetation blade) and they're also discontinued so they're next to impossible to find now. The other models mentioned have mostly not been what I consider light machetes, but more of normal or even heavy ones.
 
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