Looking for a machete...

I've used a Guatemalan Collins machete for about 30 years. It's hit plenty of rocks and steel fence posts but has always held up, and it holds an edge better than others I've tried. As Jeff says, they have a distinctive ring too. I think it would be worth the trouble to try to find one.
 
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The Bark River machete is basically a customized Ontario machete. Don't know if that'll change your mind about it...
 
The Kershaw Outcast seems like the bush knife for you. I think it's a 10 inch blade, maybe shorter than what you had in mind, but D2 steel and a comfy looking handle.

I don't own the Outcast, but i do own a Martindale No. 2 Golok, 13 inch blade, 4mm thick that is likely a better chopper for North American vegetation than just about any machete. Got that one on EvilBay. They do not come with much of an edge, it will need some work, but the carbon steel is relatively easy for sharpening, I convexed the edge on mine with a mousepad and sandpaper.
 
Masteroffajitas said:
Are machetes usually cheap. Because these $5-$40 make me belive they are cheaply made. Are the ones made in South America usually of good quality?
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Yes, machete's should be cheap. Some that are made of premium steel, or thicker stock are not quite the definition of a machete, but often are lumped in the category. For instance, you could easily consider the RTAK II, Ontario SP8, or Kershaw Outcast machete's, however I tend to think of them as large knives.
 
The Tram bolo would be a good deal at $20, for $6 it's downright astounding. I've had two Martindales and wasn't very impressed with either. Horrible grinds, poor wood to metal fit. Hardly usable right out of the box. For something different check out the bolos from Reflections of Asia. Hand forged, village grade users for $30. One of the best deals in knifedom, a real sleeper.

Frank
 
SilverFoxKnows said:
For something different check out the bolos from Reflections of Asia. Hand forged, village grade users for $30. One of the best deals in knifedom, a real sleeper.
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Oh yeah, forgot about ROA's stuff. The folk that own 'em paint a nice picture of their performance per dollar factor. And hand forged!
 
Let us know how it works out. The price is so low that I am afraid that they may have switched to a Chinese source.

There are two distinct categories of machete. The true machete designed for Latin America is light, thin, and rather long. This is designed to go through light brush, vines, and grasses. Since this type of foliage is light and springy you need a fast thin blade to swack through them since they will bend away from a heavy, thick, or short blade. The other variety is heavier and is often characterized by the bolos of the Philippines. These are shorter, heavier, and thicker. They are intended to cut through thicker hard wood growth. They have sort of a convex axe-like cross section. This contour is easier to pull back out of a thick branch if your stroke does not go all the way through. A thin and flat bolo will cut deeply but bind under those circumstances and be harder to remove.
 
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