Looking for a Machete

Slider817

Slider817

Joined
Mar 26, 2010
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I am in the market for a machete, I don't have much experience using machetes, I have a bunch of the Cold Steel ones, but they all came pretty dull. I'm going to be using it for camp tasks like shelter building, battoning, chopping all sorts of stuff. I was looking at the ESEE machete, it looks pretty interesting.
I mainly use medium to large size fixed blades for these tasks, but I want to see how a machete will hold up.
I would like to spend less than $100, but I want a nice handle, and a good sheath would be a plus, that is the only downside to the ESEE that I can see.

Any help and recomendations would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance
 
My pick right now would be the Condor 15.5" Bolo with micarta handles.

http://www.condortk.com/productsdetail.php?prodid=60919

Tell me that's not a sexy machete? Including the leather sheath, it's still well within your price range. I've got an ESEE Lite, BRKT Custom, 18" Fiddleback... and that bolo is next on my list.

ETA: That's the MSRP listed on their site. If you go to MacheteSpecialist.com you can find them for much cheaper.
 
Yeah, as much as I like the Lite Machete, if you plan on batoning you'll want something thicker--not because it won't withstand it, but because it's too flexible to be efficient at it. The carbon El Salvador, the Bolo, the Golok, Kumunga, etc. will all be better suited to that kind of work. It doesn't have to be massively thick to baton well--just thick enough to have some rigidity so you don't lose all of your striking force through vibration.
 
Interesting, I never thought about thickness in batoning efficiency, I always thought if thickness to give heft, strength, and better splitting.
My current setup for long hikes and camping is a Sawvivor of some light camp saw and a medium to large fixed blade, the knife weighs about 11-20 OZ depending on the knife I take plus about another 10 for the saw so the thicker Condor machetes don't weigh much less than a knife + a saw, I was originally attracted to the machete because of the light weight. But the thicker Condor ones weigh almost as much as a knife and a saw together, is it as good as both?

Obviously it depends on use, I live in the North east and I don't plan on clearing brush, just shelter and fire building.
 
Bark River has more custom Ontario machetes right now at KSF. The Fiddlebacks are $100 each, and at Machete Specialists. The ESEE LM is a great 18" machete, sharp and light, fast tip speed, great handle.
At least look at the Ontario from BRK @KSF. They are expensive, but that sheath has got to be worth $45, and their handle looks great. Of course, this is a thicker machete, 1/8" thick, the 12" doesn't flex much, the 18" flexes quite a bit. So, at 14", the custom is likely a good compromise.
 
Slider817 said:
Interesting, I never thought about thickness in batoning efficiency, I always thought if thickness to give heft, strength, and better splitting.
My current setup for long hikes and camping is a Sawvivor of some light camp saw and a medium to large fixed blade, the knife weighs about 11-20 OZ depending on the knife I take plus about another 10 for the saw so the thicker Condor machetes don't weigh much less than a knife + a saw, I was originally attracted to the machete because of the light weight. But the thicker Condor ones weigh almost as much as a knife and a saw together, is it as good as both?

Obviously it depends on use, I live in the North east and I don't plan on clearing brush, just shelter and fire building.
Click to expand...

I say it's worth it for sure. If there's a particular weight/length want to keep it under just let me know and I can try to give you a more precise suggestion. Being from the North East myself I know what you're up against, and balancing weight/length/power/versatility ideally can be tricky. Right now I'm leaning toward EMT_Lee's suggestion of the micarta-handled bolo, but that might change depending on your desired specs.

As a whole I think the versatility of the machete more than compensates for the weight, and since there are so many ultra-light saws out there there's no reason to kick one out of your kit. :)
 
I like the Condor line allot. I like the look of the Bolo, but I'm not sure if I like the sharpened back. The El Salvador seems a bit more practical, unless I am missing something the sharpened back of the Bolo is for defensive purposes, and I want this for taking in the backcountry.
Are these Condor Machetes sharp out of the box?
Thanks so much for all the advice.
 
I don't have experience with the Condor Bolo, but love my Condor Golok and it is slightly lighter than the Bolo.
 
Condor and Imacasa have good edges, maybe not perfect, but sharp and ready to cut.
 
Like many machetes made in South America, Condor machetes are unevenly sharpened. Some are sharp out of the box, some are not. My Golok was not very sharp out of the box, but that was easily fixed passes with a few of a chakmak.
 
I know you're looking to buy new blades, but it really doesn't take much to sharpen a CS machete.
 
Slider817 said:
I like the Condor line allot. I like the look of the Bolo, but I'm not sure if I like the sharpened back. The El Salvador seems a bit more practical, unless I am missing something the sharpened back of the Bolo is for defensive purposes, and I want this for taking in the backcountry.
Are these Condor Machetes sharp out of the box?
Thanks so much for all the advice.
Click to expand...

I only have one condor (golok) and it definitely came sharp out of the box.. the sharpened spine allows you to chop near or in the ground for say roots etc and not worry about dulling the front of the knife..
 
On the Condor Bolo, it's actually NOT sharpened on the spine in spite of appearances. It's just a swedge to help with penetration when used as an improvised digging tool. Condor's stainless machetes are the only stainless machetes I'll trust. :)
 
Cold steel machetes can be sharpened pretty good, but not nice like the condor line.IMO.
 
trailbum said:
Cold steel machetes can be sharpened pretty good, but not nice like the condor line.IMO.
Click to expand...

Yeah the CS machetes are run at a lower RC than Condor/Imacasa. They're more similar to Tramontinas like that.
 
trailbum said:
Cold steel machetes can be sharpened pretty good, but not nice like the condor line.IMO.
Click to expand...

All I have in terms of sharpening equipment is a Sharpmaker and I strop with assorted compounds, the CS machetes that I have need allot of metal removal for them to be sharp.
 
There are many good machetes. And many of these have been mentioned here.

Of them all, and I have most, I treasure my two Fiddlebacks most of all.
 
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