Machete questions...

T

tique

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Oct 28, 2000
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I'm looking to pick up a new machete(actually a couple to stash around), and I would like some recommendations. Firstly I would like to keep the cost reasonable, preferably well below $50 as I'm low on cash and want to pick up more than one. My intended use of this is to clear trails out at work and do some landscaping work around the house and for friends. It will be used to cut grasses, small limbs, and will probably impact the occasional piece of hardwood either on accident or cause I want it out of the way. I'm looking for something pretty lightweight that I can use without quickly getting tired, and that won't be that big of a deal if carried on a pack, but the lightweight crappy walmart machetes either bend in half or loose their handle in addition to being crappy steel.

Basically I want something <$50, tough, good handle, fairly decent edge holding, 12"-16" blade, and reasonable weight to carry in addition to other knives, pretty much desire these traits in that order. Is there something out there that fits this, or am I just asking too much? I think I have seen some native made foreign blades(South American perhaps?) that would fit these criteria on here somewhere, but I'm not sure.

Any info is appreciated.
 
The only machete I have used, and like, is the BK&T Patrol Machete. I don't really like machetes, only Big Knives:D . But I do like the patrol machete, and keep it in my truck. I know it is out of the price range you wanted, but I found them online for $62. Best price I have found. I have worked with it for long periods of time and it holds a great edge. I don't seem to get very tired using it. The handle is great. I don't take care of it as I should. The edge is rusted because I never clean it after use, but it still works as good as the day I got it.
 
tique, either get youself a Smoky Mountain Knife Works catalog, or do a web search, as I'm pretty sure they have a web page. Lots of machetes in our price range. In fact, you can get 5 Tramontina 12 inch machetes for $50.00, or 3 Ontario 12 inchers.

I prefer the Ontarios, and I have both. The Tram is pretty good for a basic bush beater, and has decent steel, and a decent handle. And you sure won't cry if you break or lose it. But the Ontarios (USGI contractor) comes with a sawback that's pretty handy, have much better, thicker, steel (1095 versus the mystery carbon in the Trams), and a great handle. I've used my Ontario quite a bit, and it chops pine and Juniper exceptionally well, while still doing a fine job on lighter vegetation as well. And the sawback is pretty nice, too. The Tramontina would probably be better if you were going to be doing LOTS of grass or vine cutting, and the Ontario wold be better if you want a large knife that also does machete chores. I picked the Ontario because of it's better quality, and we don't have much in the way of jungles here in Oregon. :~}
 
My user name indicates my level of interest, not necessarily my level of expertise.

That said, I will second most of V Shrake's thoughts. To wit: get a Smokey Mountain catalogue or visit the website. I have it bookmarked but I think it's "eKnifeworks.com" or something like that. They will have many models for your perusal, and all of them will be inexpensive. Heck, some of them are virtually disposable.

I would steer you away from the Ontario, however, for your stated purposes. They are too stiff and heavy for lawn mowing. I have handled, but not used the Tramontina. They are lighter and more flexible and are certainly cheap. I have used a Barteaux and hated it. It had a ridiculous knucklebow on the hilt which prevented most useful grip modifications.

I have three machetes of Central American manufacture which try very hard to look like Collinses. Two are marked "Coroneta" from El Salvador and one is from Honduras. I picked them up at a farm-and-fleet type store in the mid-80's. The most expensive one was $5.00 and I have used them to trim grass and brush, chop firewood and split cocoanuts. They rust readily and dull quickly, but sharpen easily and do not crack or chip much along the edge. They are light and flexible (i.e. resilient) the handles are sturdy, well fitted and thoughtfully designed. I have destroyed two G.I. machetes since owning these cheap imports while using them all roughly equally. Some of Smokey Mountain's offerings seem to resemble these three.

I would also suggest you consider a longer blade if your primary use will be grass cutting. If you eschew the "hammer-grip" and, instead, hold the butt of your machete loosely with your first two fingers and thumb, you will find your mowing swaths to be very effective and much less fatiguing.
 
I forgot to mention the cold steel machetes. http://www.coldsteel.com/machetes.html I have not used them. But I did check them out at a knife store. They looked pretty sturdy and had a good handle. And the price is good, $7-$10. In fact, I am now kinda regretting not buying the one I was holding for $7.
Hope this helps,
Logan
 
Thanks for the info:) I think I may just order a small variety(since they seem to be inexpensive) from Smokey Mt. and see what works best, then pick up a few of those at a later date. The smaller size is chosen casue it's easier to fit on a pack, and I don't clear a lot of grass, just what is near the trails at work, any large mowing exercise is completed using a more appropriate tool.
 
One of the better ones I have seen are those from Barteaux. I have used a couple of the "heavy duty" models which are for woody brush work, but they offer slimmer models for light vegetation as well. The biggest positive about them is that they spring temper the metal. Ontario for example doesn't, I have broke two of theirs quite easily limbing, if you overstress the Barteaux, which I have done after really thinning the edge, it just dents. As noted in the above, the term machete covers a lot of ground. A 12" long, 1/8" thick machete performs nothing like a 22" long 1/16" one. With just about ever one I have seen, the initial edges are quite poor, be prepared to spend some time with a file.

In regards to edge retention, if you are just cutting vegetation, the edge on even a soft machete will last for quite some time. It depends on your skill level, but you are looking at multiple days at least. The biggest problem with them in regards to sharpening is when clearing brush in urban areas and you whack the blade against something that you wish you had not. That being said, I don't think you should be so aggressive sharpening out every nick or dent, as that will quickly wear out the blade. Then again if you are buying a $5 version, it is not much odds how quickly you wear it out.

Possibly the highest performance ones you can get are the traditional forged ones, however it is difficult to get these imported and I don't know of anyone who sells them over here.

-Cliff
 
Tique,
your criteria for a machete were:
-<$50,
- tough,
- good handle,
- fairly decent edge holding,
- 12"-16" blade,
- reasonable weight
- Suitable for grasses, small limbs, and the occasional piece of hardwood
- and it should be easy to use without getting tired.

These are pretty much the things I look for in a machete. I've gone through about 6 machetes in the last year looking for one I really like. I generally use a machete to clear trails and paths into and out of wetlands. Most of the vegetation I cut is blackberry, salmonberry and ocasionally vine maple, so it's a bit more woody than what you indicated. Most of my work is in suburban to rural areas, so it's not uncommon to hit a piece of rebar or fence post when clearing vegetation. I'd expect you'll run into the same sort of thing doing landscaping.

Bye the way, I agree with Cliff that it's not necessary to sharpen out every little nick and ding. It doesn't seem to make much difference one way or the other, unless the blade is really hacked up.

I have to disagree strongly with Cliff on the Barteaux machetes. I have had three of them in the last year, and found them to be less than perfect. More specifically: The heavy duty type has a large square grip that is difficult to hold for those of us with smaller hands. For those folks, this blocky grip may allow the machete to twist on impact, mashing your knuckles against the knuckle guard. Too bad, because I think that the knuckle guard is a good idea. I like the bright orange color of the grips as well, it's easy to find when you leave it on the ground. The blades on these machetes are indeed heavy duty, so they would be very tiring to us for cutting the grass or light woody vegetation you specified. It does hold an edge well, and is definitely less than $50, but the grip and weight are weaknesses. Available in a variety of sizes.

The lighter weight Barteaux machetes have a very good grip shape (for my hands at least). It has sort of a birdshead shaped end that holds very well. The raised crosshatching is a real blister raiser, but it can could be easily filed or sanded smooth. The big drawback with these blades is ... well, the blades. The steel on the two I had was very soft, but that may not be it. I just couldn't get the things to chop through blackberries effectively. The blade seems to be too flexible. I can't quantify it, but the relative relative lack stiffness seems to be the problem. These are in the $5 range here in the NW. not too tough, but with a decent handle. Poor edge holding ability, but they are

The Ontario machetes also didn't work for me. The blades on these are a bit too hard to work where you may hit a piece of metal or cement. I took a big chip out of my Ontario when I clipped a fence post. Since I hit fence posts with alarming regularity, that put them out of the running for me. I also find the Ontario machetes to be a bit too heavy for lighter vegetation and long work days. Price is about $15-20. Tough but heavy, and the handles have a reputation for failing. Available in 12" and 18", I believe.

I'm sure others will disagree (strongly! :D), but I recommend the Tramontina. Costs about $5 mailorder. The handle is rough, but it's wood so you can sand it to a better shape and drill a hole for a wrist thong. Edge retention is pretty decent. The blade is lightweight(I use mine all day with little fatigue), but stiff enough to cut well. Available in a variety of lengths.

If you decide on one of the Coldsteel machetes, please post a review.

Hope it helps,
Patrick
 
I've cleared brush/weeds/vines/etc in north Louisiana
for years. I prefer the Ontario machetes. Have used
a 21-22" Ontario for years and it is excellent for
what I'm doing now : mainly brush/limbs/vines.
My advice comes from the idea that you'll be clearing
brush for 3-5 hours at a time. If you're just clearing
stuff for 15-20 minutes at a time on a hiking trip, this advice may not hold for you .
Would recommend going with a longer blade rather a
shorter one, personally would use nothing shorter than 18"
and prefer 22-24".
A thinner lighter blade machete about 22-24 " would be the
better choice for cutting grass/weeds. Ontarios are heavier
and would not be the best choice here. Personally, I use a different
hand tool for cutting grass/weeds, mowing in-effect by hand.
For cutting limbs/brush the heavier Ontarios will be the
better choice. I'm 6' and prefer the longer bladed 22" + style. If
you're shorter, you'll probably find the shorter ones more
comfortable.
Not sure by what you intend with "the occassional piece of
hardwood". The machete shines on cutting live wood about 1.25-1.5"
and down. I switch to an axe or hatchet for heavier stuff or stuff
that's dead. But then I'm not hiking with it, I'm clearing limbs/brush from edge of field or road and have a truck or tractor
nearby.
I recommend keeping the machete sharp. It does make a difference
in its cutting ability and the amount of effort it takes to cut.
If you're just cutting for 10-15 minutes you may not be able to tell
the difference. But when you've been cutting for some time, you're
drenched with sweat, and your muscles are about played out, you'll
know the difference. A sharp machete cuts easier than a dull or knicked one. I'm not worried about the machete wearing away near as
much as I am myself. If I'm going to be cutting for some time
I keep a file nearby. But by the same token, if I were on an all-day
hike, and only used it for a few minutes, wouldn't worry about it.
One last recommendation, whatever machete you get, is to go over
the handle and file down anything that may hurt your hand or rub a
blister on it. The handle needs to be smooth. Might even want to
wrap it in soft leather.
Good luck!
 
I'm really liking the info:)

As of right now, I only have a couple Ontario's on order as I wanted to get some various stuff and they had what I was looking for, so I added the Ontario's and left it at that...

I was going to order some of the Tramontina's and a couple Ontario's from Smoky Mountain, but since 1sks had the Ontario line I'll get to the others later.... Do you know where I can get Barteaux's online? Didn't see them at Smoky Mt., but haven't really looked at many others too hard. I'll probably pick up a few Tramontina's next time I go to Gatlinburg, and I'll see what else they have in the store then.

Thanks,
Tique
 
Get a Martindale (made in England) machete w/ a 18" blade and a wood handle. Best $14 you'll ever spend on a machete. Lo Ink is the U.S. distributer.
 
Outdoors :

[Barteaux]

The heavy duty type has a large square grip that is difficult to hold for those of us with smaller hands.
Click to expand...

Jeff Randall also didn't like the grip. Personally, while I did find the checkering to be a bit abrasive, this wasn't critical and was discomfort that would be quickly adapted to anyway. Hand size and structure could be a problem though, as with any knife grip opinions will vary significantly. I have had handles that were perfect for my grip, and had friends who they were terrible for.

The blades on these machetes are indeed heavy duty, so they would be very tiring to us for cutting the grass or light woody vegetation you specified.
Click to expand...

Yes, the heavier ones are woody vegetation only, not for lighter vegetation, you want a much slimmer model for that. Basically you want the inertia of the blade to just carry through the cut. For lighter vegetation this means a lighter blade.

[lighter weight Barteaux]


The big drawback with these blades is ... well, the blades. The steel on the two I had was very soft, but that may not be it. I just couldn't get the things to chop through blackberries effectively. The blade seems to be too flexible. I can't quantify it, but the relative relative lack stiffness seems to be the problem.
Click to expand...

Too bad about the softness, the heavy duty ones I used were fine. Interesting comment on the lack of stiffness, I would expect though it was more of an edge geometry issue, unless the blade was that floppy it was actually flexing during the swing. Do you have either of them left?

I recommend the Tramontina.
Click to expand...

Yes, I forgot about that one. I have used one of the lightweight ones (1/16") and it worked very well on light brush, nice grip for that type of work as well.

-Cliff
 
Hi Cliff,
Re grip:
There are just too many variables that affect grip to quantify it readily. I try to preface my remarks about grips with a disclaimer like "I have small hands, and this one feels good to me", etc.

Re Lightweight Barteaux:
I had a 24" and a 12" and I gave them away about two weeks ago. Had I thought of it, I would have mailed them off to you for destructive testing. With regard to the blade flexibility, I can address it only in totally unobjective terms. If you were to hold the 24" machete parallel to the ground, the tip would drop about 1-2" towards the ground of its own weight. Moving the handle up and down would make the blade bob like a reed in the wind.

These blades are dirt cheap here ($5-10US). I could probally pick one up and mail it to you if your interested in testing one.

Pat
 
I would recommend a Tramontina machete for your job. They are dirt cheap, lightweight, and handle well. Considering that they're $5-10, I think you can get an idea of the quality level of the steel used in them. You're basically just getting iron with some carbon in it, and they won't even be able to tell you how much. However, considering that you want to buy more than one and will just be hacking brush, they should suit your needs perfectly. I've personally handled them before, and they are of a solid construction. Again, the steel will dull eventually, but that is going to be the case with any machete that you buy. You can always simply resharpen it, or just toss it in the trash and use a fresh one. For the price, I don't think you'd regret it much.
 
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