Looking for Good Machetes

If i were to live in the US and in need of a good machete or two i would look to Baryonyx Knife Co.
From what i've read from the man on these forums he's not only passionate about what he does, he also knows what he's talking about.
A rare treat in most knife shops in my part of the world, and definitely of value to me.
 
Wolfeye said:
All good ideas, guys- keep 'em coming!

Leaning toward an Imacasa, surprisingly. Thought it would be a Tram, but I like those Imacasa designs. Seriously. between Tramontina & Imacasa- which is more rugged? Also, which is more comfortable to use? I'm looking for a handle I don't have to do much of anything to so I don't get blisters. I figure that Ontario sheath that Amazon suggests would fit well for both of those?

Luckily, those blades ARE cheap enough in price that I can try out different ones! I'm damn-near never able to do that!
Click to expand...

I use both, and my Imacasas are a bit more durable than my Tramontinas. Also, the Imacasa molded Latin handle is much more comfortable for extended use than the Tramontina bolted handle, for me.
 
Wear gloves if you are going to be chopping more than a few minutes. The gloves also protect your hands from vegetation that might fall or come in contact with your hands.
 
I am an imacasa man, they are cheap but the steel is harder than cold steel. Tramotina is nice too. The one thing I will say is be prepared to re-grind the edges with Imacase, I own 15 different patterns and have had to reprofile every edge. What happens though is that steel holds a great edge for the price and have cut down small tree's with them then cleared brush with still a good edge. My favorite are the ones with the molded handles, the wood handles are blocky and I end up re-shaping them to my liking. Cold steel I find a bit on the soft side for my tastes and I have had some bend, while the imacasa's and tramotina's have not.
 
gadgetgeek said:
A tram is going to cost you 20 minutes with some sandpaper, so if you want out of the box performance, you'll have to go somewhere else. But I think its a fair price given what you get.
Click to expand...

I had never really messed with a machete handle until I purchased the now discontinued Puerto Rican by Condor. It had a very blocky handle. Tossed it in my rubbermaid tub as being uncomfortable to use. Time passes and I decided to do some sanding and fitting for me. Figured it was useless to me in the tub. 20 minutes??? Right, how about an hour of sanding with an electric sander. The end result was I loved the 14" machete. It's similar to the Swamp Master (16") currently being made by Condor. I would be very comfortable with the Swamp Master for clearing brush and small trees. The shape is useful for hooking things and moving them out of the way.
 
great Posts lot of really useful information thank you. Is that machete is pretty much modified from what I could tell from the picture I've never seen a front clip point like that.pretty nice chete. Lots of great advice.
 
kwackster said:
If i were to live in the US and in need of a good machete or two i would look to Baryonyx Knife Co.
From what i've read from the man on these forums he's not only passionate about what he does, he also knows what he's talking about.
A rare treat in most knife shops in my part of the world, and definitely of value to me.
Click to expand...

I second that. I bought both of my Trams from him. For a small extra charge, he'll put an edge on them all the way out to the tip so they'll be ready to go out of the box.
 
After buying a few Condors (Imacasa made) and comparing them to the Ontario's and some cheap hardware or Walmart stuff, I look no further for machetes. No more wrapping the handles with electrician tape or bicycle tape so they don't make blisters quick. The leather sheath and overall quality sells the blades. The sheath is worth the extra money and you can use it later for other machetes that may not have come with a good sheath. The canvas and plastic/canvas sheaths don't last long if you keep the machete sharp. I will have to pick up a Tramontina one of these days to try out as folks always seem to say good things about the brand.

Yeah, consider buying from 42 Blades and get the edge touched up. It is hard for me to really fix a screwed up edge and 42 knows what he's doing.
 
not2sharp: I'm intending to use it for clearing woody brush. Not really as a day-to-day & throughout the day type of thing, but capable of that. I figured I'd go with a khukuri, but more & more the one I was thinking of is looking too heavy for that. Also, I figure that it might not really be AS good for clearing brush (although it might be worth it anyway, since it's a bit easier to use for other stuff & has some natural retention). I still figure I'll get one, but I'm looking around again for something solid that's also under two pounds- that way it's not too tiring if I AM clearing brush with it throughout the day.

Maybe I can get one custom-made with a front guard or blade overhang, thick-spined with a blade that tapers toward the edge, and full tang?
 
Wolfeye said:
not2sharp: I'm intending to use it for clearing woody brush. Not really as a day-to-day & throughout the day type of thing, but capable of that. I figured I'd go with a khukuri, but more & more the one I was thinking of is looking too heavy for that. Also, I figure that it might not really be AS good for clearing brush (although it might be worth it anyway, since it's a bit easier to use for other stuff & has some natural retention). I still figure I'll get one, but I'm looking around again for something solid that's also under two pounds- that way it's not too tiring if I AM clearing brush with it throughout the day.

Maybe I can get one custom-made with a front guard or blade overhang, thick-spined with a blade that tapers toward the edge, and full tang?
Click to expand...

The bolo machete I suggested for you would work well and will only set you back by around $10. If you are set on a khukuri, then by all means look through the Himalayan Imports subforum. They have a wide variety of shapes and sizes to meet your needs and you would end up with a very nice heavy duty knife for around $100. As far as a custom knife goes, I usually buy my large camp knives from Bill Siegle. He makes very good camp and trail knives that work great, are very comfortable to hold and they usually come with excellent kydex sheaths.

But, really, it depends on what you plan to do with the knife. Toting a 1/2" thick khukuri around while backpacking can be a task and using a $400-500 custom to blindly chop through underbrush, while possibly hitting fence posts and rocks, is a good way to damage a pricey knife. If you want optimum performance you have to pick the right tool for the job and then learn how to use it correctly. Large heavy knives generate a good deal of momentum. You want to know what you are swinging at and you would want to have a safe backstop to stop the follow-though if at all possible. In other words, so if you miss the knife digs into the backstop rather than your leg. There are plenty knife options, just make an honest assessment of the work and buy whatever works best for that.

n2s
 
Last edited:
Regardless of which machete you end up getting, I recommend carrying a stone and a file in your "possibles" bag. Great for touch up as you go and beats the hell out of having to go all the way back to the shop to fix a ding.

I have machetes by Tramontina, Ontario, Legitimus Collins, Kabar and some no brand Japanese versions. They all work. Some are softer and require sharpening more often and will bend more easily, although I have found that the ones that bend can be mostly unbent. With all tools, each has its limitations. I personally don't care to use a machete on tress/brush greater than an 1.5" or so in diameter unless absolutely necessary. Bigger than than and it's ax or chain saw time. Trying to take down trees bigger than that is what has mucked up more of my machetes than rocks.

An exception to that is if I am using my model 1005 Legitimus Collins from 1910. THAT machete is a beast and will take out 3 inch trees in just a couple of chops.
 
I've felled and sectioned trees up to 4" on a fairly regular basis with heavier-duty machetes and never mucked up a machete. The only time I've ever had a machete get chewed up real bad was trying to section up a black locust limb that had gotten knocked down by a fallen pine at my family's camp a couple weeks ago. Notched up my edge real good. That stuff is machetebane.
 
You have gotten good advice. I have used Martindale, Tramontina and Ontario machetes - all are good. The only thing to watch out for is choosing a model that is too heavy an will wear you out after a long session. :cool: Other brands mentioned may be really good, I simply have not used them.
 
When I say "machetes" and not chopping big trees, I'm referring to the "standard" thin (1/8" or so) machetes used for grass, light brush and Georgia cane (bamboo-like plants). That's mainly what I use them for.

Heavier "machetes", or bolos, are another story. The 1005 was a machete/bolo used by the Army before and during WW1. I've never weighed or measured it, but it is probably .25" or .3" thick and weighs close to 3 lbs.
 
glocker199 said:
Ontario milspec. Their 1095 steel and heat treat is worlds better than most machete steel.
Click to expand...

+1.. I have the 22in and it's really awesome for the price.


If i had the extra money I would get a Southern Grind Machete
 
zzyzzogeton said:
When I say "machetes" and not chopping big trees, I'm referring to the "standard" thin (1/8" or so) machetes used for grass, light brush and Georgia cane (bamboo-like plants). That's mainly what I use them for.

Heavier "machetes", or bolos, are another story. The 1005 was a machete/bolo used by the Army before and during WW1. I've never weighed or measured it, but it is probably .25" or .3" thick and weighs close to 3 lbs.
Click to expand...

The machete I use (the one in my signature image) is 2.2mm thick (3/32") and weighs 1lb 10oz. But yes, there are all kinds of machetes, including ones exclusively intended for grass and lush vegetation that are incapable of effectively chopping anything woody thicker than your pinky finger. Matching the pattern to the context of use is important! :) :thumbup:
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
If you're looking for quality on a budget then Imacasa or Tramontina are hard to beat. Cold Steel has softer machetes than those two, but still in the acceptable range, and offers some unusual styles that no one else does.
Click to expand...

FTB,thanks for confirming my suspicions about CS machetes but then again they have some interesting styles.Going to look into getting a Imacasa or Tramontina,maybe even a condor machete.
 
You're very welcome! It's worth noting that while the CS machetes run softer than Imacasa/Condor or Tramontina they're still leagues harder than Wal*Mart garbage machetes that bend like wet noodles the second you look at 'em funny. By contrast, Ontario machetes run excessively hard.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top