Need machete?

N

newbie_nick

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Dec 2, 2008
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I have a good friend that has signed up for RAT's survival course in Peru this May, and I'm trying to help him spec out some gear to take with him. Let's first start out with saying that my buddy has very little knowledge of knives, survival gear, or even camping! LOL... I love him to death, but I'm not sure that he knows what he is getting into. Anyhow...

Although I've made some decent suggestions for a bushcraft knife (i.e. Fallkniven S1, Barkie Bravo 1, etc), RAT suggests bringing a machete, and I have no real knowledge about machetes. Can somebody help me suggest something? Has anybody done similar survival work and can offer other suggestions and/or reading material for him? I've done a lot of survival nights/weekends in NORTH AMERICA, but certainly none in a jungle environment.

Thanks all...
Nick
 
Actually, I've been looking at Khukri's too. Does that seem like a better chopping implement than a traditional machete? It seems like Himalayan Imports makes some good ones, although pricey. Thoughts here, too?
 
lite machete from esee w/micarta handle run you less than 70.00 highly recommended by most users
 
I'd recommend something like the Imacasa 18 inch Pata de Cuche. The latin-style handle with the backswept pommel is very comfortable for swinging all day and for snap cuts. If he wants something heavier, you could go with an Ontario. He'll probably be happier with a light machete though. If he wands something hefty that can do double duty as a large knife, the Condor Golok is quite nice.

While you're at it, make sure he gets a "canoe file" sharpening stone like the Lansky lawn and garden sharpening tool.

Things to avoid: Sawbacks, fancy non-traditonal handle shapes, machetes which are both heavy and long. (heavy and short like the Golok is fine, but something like a 22" Ontario heavy duty is going to tire you out if you have to swing it all day.)
 
buy the machete when he gets there. (and a 6" fine mill file to sharpen it with)
18-20" blade, traditional latin or bolo pattern. light weight is important, since it'll be in his hand a lot of the time from what i've heard.
he'll want good gloves, too -- there are some nasty thorny type plants down there.
when the trip is over, mail it home - don't mess with trying to pack it.
 
newbie_nick said:
Actually, I've been looking at Khukri's too. Does that seem like a better chopping implement than a traditional machete? It seems like Himalayan Imports makes some good ones, although pricey. Thoughts here, too?
Click to expand...

Yeah, you should TOTALLY get him to bring a Khukri, Jeff LOOOOVES Khukris :sneakiness:
 
Condor 18" EcoSurvivor. It's has the same blade as RAT/ESEE's Lite Machete except it has a polypropylene handle instead of micarta. It costs a lot less and has excellent ergos, edge retention, and impact resistance and it comes sharp from the factory. Basically meets their preferred criteria perfectly.
 
As others have said, something from Condor or an ESEE lite machete would be a good place to start.
 
If your "friend" is going on a tour with RAT in Peru, I agree with the advice of a traditional longer, lighter type of machete. What 42Blades said. The shorter, heavier bladed machetes (like a golok I recently got, or a Khukri), are good for heavy chopping and working with wood, such as in North American forests. But I think in a jungle environment, you'll be using it a LOT--as in, all day--and not just to chop a few pieces of wood for your fire at the end of the day. In that scenario, the 18" lighter machete is the way to go, and that's what most of the South Americans are going to be using as well. Probably because that's the most effective tool for that type of environment.
 
Thanks for the advice, all! I will look at the lighter machete options for him. They seem suprisingly cheap, except for the ESEE machete. I might have to get one, too!!
 
Jeff Randall is also the guy at RAT who advocates the use of a machete over a big knife (he has publicly stated that he prefers their ESEE machete over their large 10" ESEE Junglas knife for his own use, which would include jungle trips to South America). As you can see in the ESEE machete design, Jeff tends to prefer the traditional Latin-style machete for the environments he's in the most, hence the joke above that he'd LOVE it if you brought a Kukri.
 
maximus83 said:
Jeff Randall is also the guy at RAT who advocates the use of a machete over a big knife (he has publicly stated that he prefers their ESEE machete over their large 10" ESEE Junglas knife for his own use, which would include jungle trips to South America). As you can see in the ESEE machete design, Jeff tends to prefer the traditional Latin-style machete for the environments he's in the most, hence the joke above that he'd LOVE it if you brought a Kukri.
Click to expand...

He's also a big fan of Imacasa/Condor. Before they came out with the Lite Machete (which is a collaboration between ESEE and Imacasa/Condor) he's stated that his favorite machete was their El Salvador/Eco Survivor and the only thing he'd change to it was to have a micarta handle. :)

The ergonomics of the polypropylene handle are fantastic. It works well in multiple grips.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
He's also a big fan of Imacasa/Condor. Before they came out with the Lite Machete (which is a collaboration between ESEE and Imacasa/Condor) he's stated that his favorite machete was their El Salvador/Eco Survivor and the only thing he'd change to it was to have a micarta handle. :)

The ergonomics of the polypropylene handle are fantastic. It works well in multiple grips.
Click to expand...

Although, interestingly, the ESEE has a latin style handle (which I prefer) rather than the El Salvador style handle of the Eco Survivor. I tend to like the latin style polypropylene handles, specifically.
 
there's about 10 well developed threads on the topic with great explanations about the purposes of different designs, different uses for machetes, what to look for in a well made machete, and how to maintain it. Use the search function, some of these threads are 15-20 pages long.

PunisherLcr said:
Yeah, you should TOTALLY get him to bring a Khukri, Jeff LOOOOVES Khukris :sneakiness:
Click to expand...
Outside of a cultural Himalayan utility tool, the term khukri is very loosely applied, and there are some great forward-weight swept machete designs for the jungle... whether Jeff likes them or not isn't a determining factor for their usefulness in the context. I'm not saying Jeff doesn't know his stuff, I'm saying that for the most part, machete tastes are largely personal and what may work for one person's using technique may not work for another-or vice versa. True KLO's tend to be thicker, but it's not always the case, and no matter what, drawing that kind of edge length across green vegitation, and packing it in a short compact package, it is going to be effective.

http://www.machetespecialists.com/mabyst.html This is a good resource. Educate yourself, there's alot of pre existing info out there.
 
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Payette is right, we had a recent lengthy discussion on this that I started, and though it started as "large knife or machete" type of discussion, the last few pages of the thread we went much more heavily into discussing the merits and details of machetes: which kind to get, different shapes and blade profiles, which companies make the best machetes, sharpening strategies, etc. There is a ton of good information about machetes from some of our resident machete experts in this thread, I sure learned a lot.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...hete-what-s-the-point-of-having-a-large-knife
 
There's also some information to check out HERE as well as a number of other threads. :):thumbup:
 
Be aware....You may get that thing taken from you for no reason by Policia or such or even stolen if it looks really new or expensive. Go with local gear for your machete and it will even be cheaper.
 
The RAT dealio is out in the middle of nowhere. I've seen lots of photos from trips with guys using Condors and the like. I doubt it'll be a problem. :)
 
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