Machete Advice

oh well, that didn't work out too well. Trying to post images for the first time.

Kailash Blades makes their 11.5" HSI khukuri that has some dramatic distal taper. It is very light for a kukri and I've used it on brush alongside the house as well as on 3" limbs equally well. I was trying to post a photo of the distal from the bolster to the tip. It begins at 6mm, is 4mm midway, then tapers to 3mm to the tip, where it has a very sharp point. It feels as light in the hand as my other machetes. It may well replace a 12 Bolo Cold Steel that was my favorite for light trimming. I have a nice old 18" Martin from Belgium as well as a 24" hardware store machete from Columbia which is what you want for anything with stickers like the wild roses we have here in Central Illinois so they don't swing back and get you like they will with a shorter machete.
kailashblades.com

Historical Service Issue (HSI) – Kailash Blades

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fishface5 said:
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
Click to expand...

In all honesty you probably nailed it as far as the percentages of what I would use it for mainly.
 
one of the main ones I was looking at was the condor k-tac kukri and was looking through reviews and seen one say that there edge rolled and another with a picture of it literally snapped in two pieces at the handle but this could also just be a QC flaw because all companies will have them. What your opinions on this I can get the picture if needed
 
Steely_Gunz said:
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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I second this. I use Tramontina machetes quite often, and after recently aquiring a Bolo version from them, I question why I waited so long.

It is in a sweet spot for size, and the extra weight on the end lends to effective chopping.

It's a great tool, and paired with a Marbles Bolo sheath makes it a very user friendly kit.

I use a large 14 inch Old Hickory Butcher knife as a machete as well, but the handle needs to be attached better.
 
Good call on the 14 inch Old Hickory Butcher knife! It's great 9n the thin stuff, and for camp cooking chores as well. I keep meaning to put a better handle on mine . . . OP get one of those cheap, and something heavier for wood, and you're all set!
. . . .
Like a skrama 240 referenced below!
 
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The Skrama 240 is my absolute favorite big blade, because of its versatility as a camp knife. It chops as well as any of the most popular big knives, better than most. But I like it more for camp chores, not so much for brush cutting, because there are better tools for that.

If you are going to take down 4-5” trees, it would be hard to beat the Condor Golok. It is also excellent for limbing. I have used it on lighter brush and grasses, because that’s what I had with me. Condor Bushcraft Parang is also an excellent chopper.

The Baryonyx machete is effective on perhaps the widest range of of conditions. The 18” blade ghosts through grasses, while at the same time, the broad, heavy blade makes deep cuts in green wood so you can go after the thicker stuff. As pointed out, its weight makes it hard to use for long, but for a project limited to an hour or so, it is a beast. The brush hook on the back side of the blade adds to its effect.

I use my 14” bolos quite a bit for general yard work. I have a Tramontina and a Marbles (Imacasa) bolo. They are quite nimble and easy to carry and swing. Their weighted heads allow them to cut through heavier brush than a more typical blade.

If you can only have one machete, the 18” Tramontina bush machete is a good place to start. It is a bit stouter than most slashers without the thickness and weight of a chopper. It will nevertheless chop some pretty thick stuff. If you buy from Baryonyx and let Benjamin put an edge on it, it will work really well. This holds true for any blade.
 
For me, if I lived in the US, Baryonyx machete all the way. As I live overseas and customs/aduana is a pain to deal with, Condor. I have the Discord, and it’s a great CHOPPER! It really bites deep into the wood, even hard wood like Accacia, not just soft pine. But it’s too heavy (for most people) for machete things. The Makara may be better for vines and green stuff.
 
fishface5 said:
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 TNTView attachment 2255149
Click to expand...
IMO you have the full spectrum of machettes in one picture.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my 1311.
I feel the opposite of the tnt. Have you used it? What are your thoughts, most people aren't fortunate enough to have Both. :D
 
There is always the TOPS Bestia and the TOPS El Chete both are beasts and have a great heat treat and easy to sharpen up, just depends on whether you want more of a machete type or kukri style.
 
Henry Beige said:
Skrama’s blades are made by Laurin Metalli, which provides blades for a lot of Finnish knife makers. Your post is the first I have heard about inconsistent heat treat from them. What’s your source?
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I’ve heard some comments about their quality control in Edgematters forum some years ago: https://edgematters.uk/thread/30334...tID=273194&highlight=Terava+Skrama#post273194. Some gentleman is saying “I like the design but mine chipped badly during work limbing tree branches,”.

More recently, a guy from my country that I follow on Facebook had a Skrama edge failing badly:


Their warranty is good, and he received a new one, but I think he is not really satisfied:


These are enough complaints for me. Their defective products are probably in the same percentage as other companies, but Terava knives are not in my wish list anymore.
 
Crag the Brewer said:
IMO you have the full spectrum of machettes in one picture.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my 1311.
I feel the opposite of the tnt. Have you used it? What are your thoughts, most people aren't fortunate enough to have Both. :D
Click to expand...
The TNT is more of a gimmick than a machete, it's too thick! And the handle is for a fighting style not work. But it has big cool factor. I'm slowly grinding it down to reduce weight for better performance.
 
fishface5 said:
The TNT is more of a gimmick than a machete, it's too thick! And the handle is for a fighting style not work. But it has big cool factor. I'm slowly grinding it down to reduce weight for better performance.
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Agreeed.... The ten year old version of Me bought it.... haha "Cool Looking"

I almost seriously hurt myself with it because it sucks so bad at chopping. Those steep shoulders/ledges caused the blade to glance off the log and almost into me.

I couldn't wait to get rid of it, and posted the warning with my sale.
 
dirc said:
ontario has some great value machetes in 1075, very reasonably priced and built like tanks...
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This.
Alewi said:
In all honesty you probably nailed it as far as the percentages of what I would use it for mainly.
Click to expand...
You've gotten awesome recommendations for heavy chopping knives. Kuks, Skrama, BK21, etc... and those will be awesome at chopping wood. But based on what you just said, only 40% is chopping a branches. The other 60% of your intended use is the combination of light brush and grasses. For those tasks, a lighter, thinner, and faster swinging blade is far preferable.

I really like the Ontario machetes for that. They are heavier than Tram and Imacasa so they chop wood better, but they are still lighter and thinner than dedicated chopping knives, and still work well on grasses. They split the difference nicely.

Now that said, your budget was $200. For that you can get a Skrama 240, my all time favorite chopping knife for under $60 (on sale now), and you an also get a tramonita or imacasa for brushes and grass for about $20-25. All in, even with shipping, it'll cost you about half your budget and you'll have two tools that do exactly what you're looking for without compromise.

But if you do have to compromise, the Ontario machete is the way to do it. They come in three flavors. 22", 18" and 12". All are great. You just have to put an edge on them. In fact, someone correct me if I'm mistaken, but I think that TOPS uses or used to use Ontario machete blanks to mod and turn into their 0.17 and 0.23 machetes which they then sold under the TOPS name.
 
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