Machete Advice

A

Alewi

Joined
Jul 17, 2023
Messages
5
Hello, I’m new here and was looking through the threads and didn’t find anything specific really to answer my questions. Also not sure if I’m posting in the right place sorry in advance.

Anyways I was looking to buy a do all machete for my need, this includes chopping trees 1-3 in roughly and or brush. Also for possibly bushcraft and camping etc. from what I’ve learned so far the go to steel is either 1075 or 1095 and top brands are: condor , cold steel, and Tops. I’ve looked at the condors and seen mixed reviews about them some saying there great while others say they had the edge roll on or in one instance the whole machete snap in two(k-tac kukri-1075) and the other option I’m looking at is the Tops El Cheta (1095)- with the el cheta my main concern is that the steel is not as strong as the 1075 but I’ve also heard you dont necessarily want a hard steel in a machete (correct if I’m wrong) My main Questions are is there another machete brand out there that could serve my needs that I’ve not found or has anyone had any experience with the condors breaking or edge rolling. My budget is around $200 max but willing to sway if it’s a quality piece. also is there a certain type of machete like a kukri ,parang , bolo, etc that would be a best fit.

Also if I need to be more specific on my needs and or usage as well I can
 
I met a guy who led a surveyor crew who said he had tried everything and that old Collins Legitimus machetes were the best.

You don't want super hard steel on a machete since it's a high impact tool. And you are likely to hit things you don't intend to. But the heat treat is more important so I would be influenced by reviews not steel type.

Long and light is what you want for grasses and vines, whereas for wood you want thicker and heavier but shorter to control the extra weight.

The Baronyx Machete is supposed to be good, but I think out of stock
 
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If it was vines grass and vegetation I'd say Tramontina, Collins , Martindale or IMACASA. You mentioned chopping trees so I'd get a parang or Kukri. The Condor Bushcraft parang is a excellent chopper. When talking other brands the Kabar Cutlass and the Kabar kukri are both fantastic choppers too.
 
Already good stuff mentioned above, but I'll add in a golok, either from condor or myparang. I like parangs and goloks a lot but for light vegetation, I like length more. Takes many less swings to get the same amount of work done.

IMO, if can carry 2, like if it's a vehicle carry, get a basic latin machete for $20-$30 and then a heavier style to compliment it. But, if you are doing something like walking a long ways and must only carry one, the condor golok would be pretty high on my list.

The baryonyx machete waa mentioned and it's a great tool, but it can suck to carry because of the broad blade. If you have the space for it or don't need to carry it far, it's a great option.

Regarding condor, I have a love/hate with them as I've broken several handles, but that can be repaired and they hands down have the best sheaths with most of their products. Their leather sheaths are very nice.

A heavy machete may not be a bad idea, still thin enough to go through the light vegetation and heavy enough to hit trees hard. Just keep in mind thay heavier, long machetes are harder to slow down than lighter machetes (latin) or shorter machetes (goloks, parangs). The baryonyx machete falls into this "trap" a little as it's long and heavy so it's versatile but it can be tiring to swing for hours.
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In coolbreezy's post That's a cold steel kukri up top, over your budget I think.

Can you describe what tasks you foresee doing? Like "40% chopping wood branches, 40% clearing lighter brush, 20% clearing tall grass" or something? That would help narrow down what's best for your needs. For instance a Tops El Chete is .25" thick so it's not a machete it's for chopping thicker wood

Once you figure out the best size and weight for your needs then start looking at reviews. Steel type is less important than the quality of the heat treat.

This thread needs pics so here's my all-around "machete" - a SYCO 1311 that I rehandled and gave a swedge, with a lightly modded TNTIMG_20210826_205456__01.jpg
 
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I buy mine at the hardware store they got brand new machetes from Martindale for $12.99 this one I paid $9.99. it's called a tres crispas?. It's made in South America I just can't remember what country and it's been through hell and back.IMG_20230717_213116991.jpg
 
Huge fan of the khukuri, as is obvious. However, if I were to pick one do it all where it would have to handle grass to 3" trees, my Tram Bolo Machete would get the nod. I've had one for the better part of 15 years and it handles pretty much everything.
 
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