Machete/Hatchet Recommendations

E

Evalute

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May 16, 2020
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I just got a job as a Consultant Utility Forester meaning I hike a lot on peoples property looking for hazard trees that can damage power lines and equipment. The amount of traveling through dense vegetation I've been doing has drastically increased since I started. While growing up I've used axes, mauls, hatchets, & chainsaws on a seasonal basis so they are things I am comfortable using.

I'm currently working in California in the Sierra Nevada range and could really use some advise on what kind of machete or hatchet I should use here. For the most part I've been encountering Manzanita, Live/Blue/Black Oaks, Poison Oak, and Scotch Broom. The blade must be hidden so I don't freak anyone out by having, in their eyes a huge fucking sword coming out my backpack. This would not help negotiations with angry customers. My pack can hold a 19" blade with handle.

I have a beginner Wal-Mart esk machete special from my parents that they don't use often but as you can probably guess its not working well. Yes I do have sharpening skills and yes I did try sharpening it but the damn thing looses its edge when a twig looks at it funny. So something that keeps its edge for my work week of 4 days would be oh so refreshing.

In essence I need a hatchet or machete measuring no more than 19" total, can cut through mostly woody plants ranging from 1/4"-4" in diameter, keep an edge for up to 4 days of heavy use and probably a good field stone to sharpen it(I've got whet stones at home). Can you amazing people help me?

Edit:
Price range is up to $300 preferably below that.
 
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My first suggestion would be the Tramontina 14” bolo machete. It is 19” in overall length, costs well under $20, can do the work and looks like what it is ....a basic tool.

You would need to sharpen it, and get a sheath for it. But, it’s a good starting point.

n2s
 
For $300 I would contact Bill Siegle. He specializes in no nonsense camp knives and is a member of these forums. I have been buying knives from him for over 20 years. His handle and blade work are very comfortable, and his knives come with well fitting and solid kydex sheaths.

n2s
 
not2sharp said:
My first suggestion would be the Tramontina 14” bolo machete. It is 19” in overall length, costs well under $20, can do the work and looks like what it is ....a basic tool. For $300 I would contact Bill Siegle. He specializes in no nonsense camp knives and is a member of these forums. I have been buying knives from him for over 20 years. His handle and blade work are very comfortable, and his knives come with well fitting and solid kydex sheaths.
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Okay cool that helps a lot. Thank you
 
Look into golok style machetes. They are very good at the material you are looking at. Condor has a good option, Bark River has a premium option, and there are other options as well. The MyParang golok is one I've been desiring for a while as the handle looks really comfy and you're going to want a nice handle if you use it a lot.

A bolo style isn't bad either.

Siegle has some heavy choppers but I would go for something a little thinner. I'm not sure if he's doing requests but you could request it.

@David Mary has some pretty nice machetes as well and is worth a look. Or, you could commission one from him.

Lastly, if you can get your hands on a SYKCO 1311, that would be my recommendation as a top choice for what you're dealing with. I love mine and it's easy to wield for many hours or trudging through thick brush and vegetation. They're no longer available for sale so you would need to find one 2nd hand. The condor golok is probably 2nd for ones I've personally tried for a balance of budget and effectiveness, plus it has a very nice sheath.

Edit: Hookbills might be a decent choice too if you can get a decent sheath. @FortyTwoBlades who runs baryonyx has a decent selection is also one of the best resources to answer your question. You can email him and get a response in a reasonable time frame and he offers sharpening services on new items and sharpening tools for you in the field. I like the Mutt puck myself for machetes and axes in the field to take out the bigger dings that may come up during a day of work.

Also consider adding a pair of loppers and a folding saw for when people are around or you need a cleaner cut.

The 1311 is 3rd from the bottom, but here's my tool selection for that type of work (2nd from the bottom was sold as it was very similar to the 1311 in use but would be a good choice too, the Busse BB13).
y6oMHcJl.jpg


I wouldn't underestimate something like the Becker BK9 either. I never got along with the handle the best but many people love them and the blade is good for being a compact chopper. I just tend to go bigger or smaller for either more chopping ability (1311) or slightly more compact (ratweiler).
 
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Bill Siegle would be a good place to start for solid forum makers ... I would like to get a chopper from him myself sometime. Not positive on his pricing but well worth reaching out to him about it.

The Becker BK9 would fit your needs well and stay well below your budget ... and is an old faithful blade for me. Handles very well and is comfortable to use for extended periods. One of the lighter choppers I use.

For the uses you are mentioning I would lean towards a chopper over a hatchet definitely. And the chopper over a machete as the machetes aren't really made for chopping wood more weed whacking or very thin branches but won't hold up to much heavier use.

The Esee Junglas might be another consideration and is offered in two lengths.

As mentioned the SYKCO 1311 would be another good choice IMHO ... I've only used a friends a couple of times but would not hesitate to buy one.

Above your listed budget but my favorite choppers would be CPK choppers. Nathan Carothers developed a Delta protocol heat treat 3V steel that is phenomenal. And they are designed for work. They above any I've used could fit your request for a few days use without need to sharpen and they come back fairly easily once you do need to sharpen them. There are videos of cinder block destruction with very minimal if any edge deformation. And from personal use I would feel I had enough tool for any job with one of the CPKs.
 
JJ_Colt45 said:
Bill Siegle would be a good place to start for solid forum makers ... I would like to get a chopper from him myself sometime. Not positive on his pricing but well worth reaching out to him about it.

The Becker BK9 would fit your needs well and stay well below your budget ... and is an old faithful blade for me. Handles very well and is comfortable to use for extended periods. One of the lighter choppers I use.

For the uses you are mentioning I would lean towards a chopper over a hatchet definitely. And the chopper over a machete as the machetes aren't really made for chopping wood more weed whacking or very thin branches but won't hold up to much heavier use.

The Esee Junglas might be another consideration and is offered in two lengths.

As mentioned the SYKCO 1311 would be another good choice IMHO ... I've only used a friends a couple of times but would not hesitate to buy one.

Above your listed budget but my favorite choppers would be CPK choppers. Nathan Carothers developed a Delta protocol heat treat 3V steel that is phenomenal. And they are designed for work. They above any I've used could fit your request for a few days use without need to sharpen and they come back fairly easily once you do need to sharpen them. There are videos of cinder block destruction with very minimal if any edge deformation. And from personal use I would feel I had enough tool for any job with one of the CPKs.
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Awesome information I'll be reaching out to all the people everyone has suggested in the next few minutes.
 
Evalute said:
I just got a job as a Consultant Utility Forester meaning I hike a lot on peoples property looking for hazard trees that can damage power lines and equipment. The amount of traveling through dense vegetation I've been doing has drastically increased since I started. While growing up I've used axes, mauls, hatchets, & chainsaws on a seasonal basis so they are things I am comfortable using.

I'm currently working in California in the Sierra Nevada range and could really use some advise on what kind of machete or hatchet I should use here. For the most part I've been encountering Manzanita, Live/Blue/Black Oaks, Poison Oak, and Scotch Broom. The blade must be hidden so I don't freak anyone out by having, in their eyes a huge fucking sword coming out my backpack. This would not help negotiations with angry customers. My pack can hold a 19" blade with handle.

I have a beginner Wal-Mart esk machete special from my parents that they don't use often but as you can probably guess its not working well. Yes I do have sharpening skills and yes I did try sharpening it but the damn thing looses its edge when a twig looks at it funny. So something that keeps its edge for my work week of 4 days would be oh so refreshing.

In essence I need a hatchet or machete measuring no more than 19" total, can cut through mostly woody plants ranging from 1/4"-4" in diameter, keep an edge for up to 4 days of heavy use and probably a good field stone to sharpen it(I've got whet stones at home). Can you amazing people help me?

Edit:
Price range is up to $300 preferably below that.
Click to expand...

I've done much the same work as you do on a forest engineering crew but I think expecting any machete to hold an edge through 4 days of hard use is unrealistic. You are going to need to stone your blade once or twice a day at a minimum.
 
Sidehill Gouger said:
I've done much the same work as you do on a forest engineering crew but I think expecting any machete to hold an edge through 4 days of hard use is unrealistic. You are going to need to stone your blade once or twice a day at a minimum.
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I kind of figured but other than chef knives, axes, and chainsaws I haven't really worked with many other blades. And other than the chainsaw the other ones don't need to be sharpened all that often.
 
If you're doing this for a living I think the answer will be a bit different to someone who just does this kind of thing occasionally. If it was me, doing this as full time work, I would carry a folding saw for the big stuff, and a smaller chopping knife for the light stuff. The tools should all be as light as possible because after doing it all day for four days straight your arm will be ready to fall off. So the knife might be .15" thick at most, and 9 or 10" long at most. I've talked to someone who used to limb trees for a living, and he just laughed when I showed him some of my (smaller) chopping knives - he said "much lighter than that".
 
I personally don't think it makes a lot of sense to spend a ton of money on a machete. I spent extra to get an ESEE machete which came with a micarta handle that I thought would be better at absorbing shock than a standard wooden or plastic handle. I think the blade is Condor. It was maybe $75, but that is the most I would spend on a machete. To me, it's a crude tool and you can get a good one for cheap and spending more money isn't going to give you anything that is that much better.

For hatchets, I didn't go all the way up to Gransfors Bruks; instead I picked up a Wetterlings hunting? hatchet (the version with the longer handle, length in between a hatchet and an axe). I've been really happy with it. I heard that Husqvarna hatchets are made in the same factory and are of the same quality, so if that is cheaper, I'd go with that instead.
 
FYI if you need a 14" blade machete sheath with stone I picked up a decent Marbles version for $12 at the big river site
 
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