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Machete Advice needed

C

CellerDrummer

Joined
Aug 7, 2011
Messages
564
Hello everyone..
I'm in need of a good machete. I've always used the cheapo 10 dollar jobs found at Harbor Freight but would like to upgrade to a better quality model this year.. I will be traveling with a full size axe, and a hatchet for our wood processing.. The machete will only be used for clearing out high weeds and grass.. I'm looking for the best type or style that does this.. Thanks everyone..
CD

I kayak camp and have a USMC ILBE pack tied down.. The pack has straps and molle everywhere so a nice sturdy sheath is important.. I'm thinking Condor
 
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Good news is you can get a good machete for not much more than the harbor freight kind.

In no particular order...imacasa....condor.....tram. best bang for the buck. Condor being the best finished of the bunch....but by design. The rest quite good as far as steel heat treat etc. Just unfinished edges.

Sheaths will be an issue on the trams and imacasas. Condor no problem. Plenty of after market sheaths available and of course lots of custom sheath makers on this site. So no lack of ability or options just maybe timing and hassle issues.
 
jbmonkey said:
Good news is you can get a good machete for not much more than the harbor freight kind.

In no particular order...imacasa....condor.....tram. best bang for the buck. Condor being the best finished of the bunch....but by design. The rest quite good as far as steel heat treat etc. Just unfinished edges.

Sheaths will be an issue on the trams and imacasas. Condor no problem. Plenty of after market sheaths available and of course lots of custom sheath makers on this site. So no lack of ability or options just maybe timing and hassle issues.
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I would recommend the same. They all make great machetes.
 
Tops .230 is my choice. Comes with a decent sheath, and the steel is tough. There's enough weight behind it to smash through most branches up to 2" thick

 
The Ontario mil spec machete is a class above everything else. 1095 with an excellent heat treat. Much better steel than the other available machetes.
 
glocker199 said:
The Ontario mil spec machete is a class above everything else. 1095 with an excellent heat treat. Much better steel than the other available machetes.
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I have to agree with this statement. Combined with the decent sheath available, but lame old attachment.

Close second to Tramontina, but no decent sheaths. Still well worth the change.

Kershaw Camp 18, little thick for a machete...but working well so far. I was really excited about this....but unfortunately, the promising sheath...straight up sucks. Bad Kershaw, bad.

Ontario, FTW!
 
I've been drooling over the Fiddleback 12" for a long time. One day she will be mine!
 
glocker199 said:
The Ontario mil spec machete is a class above everything else. 1095 with an excellent heat treat. Much better steel than the other available machetes.
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true..but the other makers I mentioned do a fine job with the carbon steel they use and to the end user there will be very little difference in machete tasks. The only reason I didn't mention the Ontario is its costs more and gives back little for the extra.....plus I find it blocky and awkward......but it's a fine enough machete especially if one wants American made over bang for the buck. Ive owned a couple of them over the years. ..still got one that survived.....but I prefer the other 3 big machete value brands. Too each their own.
 
For grass and flexible vegetation (briars, vines, weeds and so forth), go with a thinner steel machete with a longer blade unless you already have one and make do. I like the Condor line and mainly buy them because of the sheaths that they come with. Machetes and sheaths are always a problem. I really like the Condor Golok machete, but would not choose it for this application unless it was secondary to cutting branches and small trees. The Condor Parang has a longer blade, but again I wouldn't choose this one either. (Yes, I have all of these.) The blade needs to promote a fast snappy swing versus a chopping kind of approach.

For mostly chopping which is primarily what I do with a machete in my area. I really like the Condor Pack Golok and Village Parang.

The lighter one I use is the Condor Puerto Rican (16" blade I believe) with the wood handle. It has been discontinued now. But they have a similar one with the sharpened edge at the top at the end (sort of a hooked shape). (Watch out for this sharpened edge. It will bite you if you aren't used to it.) The handles simply sucked when I got it and I tossed it into my pile of never to be used stuff. Then I figured, why not try to fix it as I had nothing to loose. I used a portable sander (coarse and fine grits) and sanded the living crap out of it taking probably 1/4" of wood off along the top to bring it flush with the tang. Did the same on the bottom part of the tang and then sanded as needed the rest of the handles for a good fit. It worked and I like it a lot now. The Condor Viking is one I would consider for flexible vegetation if you think you can handle the blade length.
 
After 4-5 days of leisurely research and reading your comments I pulled the trigger five minutes ago...I was going back and forth with two models.. The Ontario 18' military(1085 carbon) and adding the plastic mil-spec sheath-----or----The Condor El-Salvador 18' (1075 carbon) with the leather sheath.. I went with the Condor. Supposedly the latest models have the blade geometry just right and are sharp. They were both around $40 shipped so price wasn't a factor.. Now I can't wait to get out there this summer,cabin fever is killing me.
CD
 
CD - Wondering how the Condor turned out. I am split between the same two. They both seem like tried and true choices. The Condor comes with a sheath, but I like that the Ontario is USA made. You probably still have snow on the ground like we do here so I doubt you have done anything outdoors, but how's the fit and finish, sharpness etc.? Is the sheath decent quality?
 
DIYordie said:
CD - Wondering how the Condor turned out. I am split between the same two. They both seem like tried and true choices. The Condor comes with a sheath, but I like that the Ontario is USA made. You probably still have snow on the ground like we do here so I doubt you have done anything outdoors, but how's the fit and finish, sharpness etc.? Is the sheath decent quality?
Click to expand...

I don't have that specific model, but I have a ton of Condor stuff and I can say that Condor's sheaths are great quality. They come sharper than nearly any other machete on the market, fit and finish is usually fairly decent, at least on the recent ones.
 
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