Machete for the wilderness?

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BChou-E29

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Dec 4, 2009
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Does anyone here use a machete as their go to woods tool? Is so, what advantages does it provide as opposed to something like a hatchet or hawk?
 
i started carrying a machete in place of my choppers (becker bk-9 & esee junglas) recently since it out-chops them by a mile. i get a nice pile of fire wood in half the time and less tired too.

i recently bought a gransfors bruks axe so i don't have extensive experience with it yet but one thing that stands out is a machete is safer than an axe/hatchet since it's a lot harder to miss the wood.

chopping anything bigger than a 4" log is a lot of work for me though so i tend to use a folding saw instead and the reason why i decided to try an axe...it's good to be proficient with a lot of tools anyway.
 
For processing green wood a machete is an excellent choice :thumbup:
For hard wood I think a hatchet is a better tool.
 
I think it would be hard to beat a machete in the 14-18" range, a folding saw, and a fixed blade knife in the 4-5 inch range.

Tramontina is a good brand and you can get them for about $8 on amazon. I would suggest you pick up a couple. Then shape the handles, resharpen and beat the snot out of one of them. You will be surprised at what they can do. They'll chop, baton, clear brush, etc really well.
 
I like a machete better than a hatchet because of the longer reach, greater striking area, and overall greater versatility in terms of potential targets. You can handle everything from grasses to trees with a machete. Try clearing light brush or thorn bushes with a hatchet or hawk! :D
 
This is almost as epic as 9mm vs .45 and Chevy vs. Ford debates.

A lot of people have the misconception that a machete will only chop green material or grasses, or wood up to X" diameter. That's not true. I machete will chop everything a large fixed blade will and probably do it faster and with less effort. If I knew I were going to be felling trees, I'd want an axe (or preferably a chainsaw :D) but if we're talking a good universal tool, a machete is up there.

Now, a large fixed blade isn't a wrong choice by any means. It can do everything you want to do with a regular knife, plus chop. Still has the strength to baton large wood if that's your thing also. A lot of us would want to thump our chest that our $X00 chopper would kill a $10 machete in a chopping contest, but if you know how to use it, the machete will pretty much prevail every time.

Axes, choppers, machetes, gotta try them all and see what works best for you. I think everyone should at least have an Imacasa 18".
 
adaman04 said:
I think everyone should at least have an Imacasa 18".
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And with how inexpensive they are, there's no reason not to! Everyone should also have at least a hardware store axe and a cheap folding saw. Then if you find out you like it, you can upgrade it, and if you don't you at least have it in case you need it. :cool::thumbup:
 
Hmmm, I see your point machete lovers, but do you think it would be beneficial for me to pick up a machete with a thicker blade like the Condors since most brush I'll be dealing with will be of the woody variety?
 
Not necessarily a thicker blade, but one with more mass at the end. The 14" Tramontina bolo, for instance, has the same blade thickness as a 14" Tram bush machete, but is a better chopper due to the extra mass. Note that said mass is is in the form of a wider blade, rather than a thicker one.
 
Broad blade = more chopping power

Point of balance further away from handle= more chopping power

This is also why axes chop so well. A thinner blade with equal weight and mass distribution (i.e. thinner and WIDER) will bite deeper too. ;)
 
None of my machetes will come close to my big choppers, especially my khukuris when it comes to hard wood. For grass and soft wood they're fine,but tend to bounce off the harder stuff, or just get stuck.
 
Hmm there seems to be two sides to this story, but seeing as how a FFBM will cost me +$400 and a Tramontina will cost we around $10 shipped, I think I'm going to pick up a machete first. :D

FortyTwo, thanks for the lecture. I'll just try both patterns since they're so inexpensive :) And thanks for the replies guys!
 
sodak said:
None of my machetes will come close to my big choppers, especially my khukuris when it comes to hard wood. For grass and soft wood they're fine,but tend to bounce off the harder stuff, or just get stuck.
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Sounds like you don't have the right make/model for the job. Not all machetes are created equal when it comes to intended targets. My Condor Bush Cutlass sings effortlessly through grass and lush plants, but bounces off anything thicker than an inch. But it was designed for the light stuff. A bolo or panga, on the other hand...;)

BChou-E29 said:
Hmm there seems to be two sides to this story, but seeing as how a FFBM will cost me +$400 and a Tramontina will cost we around $10 shipped, I think I'm going to pick up a machete first. :D

FortyTwo, thanks for the lecture. I'll just try both patterns since they're so inexpensive :) And thanks for the replies guys!
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Oh, I could go on about it all day, given the chance! I'm sure some folks get tired of me talking about machete dynamics all day--my lady included! :foot::D
 
Haha, I'll have to take you up on that one day. But as for now, the Steelers need to beat the Packers...
 
I have really been pleased with my Martindale Bolo Cleaver Machete and Golok. Both are thicker than the average machete but feel great in the hand. I have used both a lot the past 2 months and they are great, once you sharpen them and fix handle area properly. Fit right in my pack.

That being said I can't wait to get another Gransfors Brux. :D
 
I experienced this batoning my 12" CS barong machete through a large chunk of softwood that was somewhat gnarly. The machete does fine at first, as you get deeper, it starts to bend due to its thin blade (mine is 3mm thick). The blade gets lodged in there pretty well, and the wood starts to win. I could have batonned the snot out of the blade, but luckily I had a wedge shaped piece of wood that I used to finish the split. If it had been hardwood, I shudder to think what would have happened to my machete.

I think for machete, 3-4" is the max for splitting, which is fine for survival purposes. Beyond that the flexibility of the blade puts it at a disadvantage. Just my opinion.
 
previously i always use my parang and machete but now I just carry my Ontario Rat 7 and F1 while trekking in the rainforest
 
dogstar said:
I experienced this batoning my 12" CS barong machete through a large chunk of softwood that was somewhat gnarly. The machete does fine at first, as you get deeper, it starts to bend due to its thin blade (mine is 3mm thick). The blade gets lodged in there pretty well, and the wood starts to win. I could have batonned the snot out of the blade, but luckily I had a wedge shaped piece of wood that I used to finish the split. If it had been hardwood, I shudder to think what would have happened to my machete.

I think for machete, 3-4" is the max for splitting, which is fine for survival purposes. Beyond that the flexibility of the blade puts it at a disadvantage. Just my opinion.
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See, thats just the thing!
You COULD have done this all day!!!
The great thing about a machete is that you can twist it like a pretzel if need be, and it will spring right back to its shape. That is one thing you can't do with a chopper. If its not thick, heavy, and properly treated it will just snap/chip on a big knot. The machete on the other hand will keep a slight curve at the worse, if thats the case you're out a whole $15.
I've been using a 12" Ontario machete to baton logs anywhere from 3" to 9" with no problem. Yes it looks like it will never bend back, but it always does. Just like the leaf springs on my old truck they bend and bend, but never snap.
 
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