Pics of Machetes in Hardware Store in Costa Rica

E

Eager

Joined
Oct 9, 2002
Messages
337
Here's a pic I found of my '05 trip to Costa Rica taken in a country Hardware store showing a stand of Corneta Brand (made in Costa Rica) machetes of various sizes, along with some leather sheaths.

I bought one a few days earlier at a different place and had sharpened it up while staying at my in-laws place.

600.jpg
 
corneta? did it say made in costa rica on it? I thought they were made in el salvador
 
they are DAMN FINE machetes by the way.
 
Here's a pic that same day, from the same little town (La Fortuna) nearest to the in-laws, showing the Arenal volcano, and the Montero my wife rented for a month.

I wish we could have gone there again this year.

600.jpg
 
Joezilla said:
corneta? did it say made in costa rica on it? I thought they were made in el salvador
Click to expand...
Well ya know... I'm not really sure where Cornetas are made. They (the Costa Ricans, including my Father In-Law) told me Corneta Brand was "theirs" i.e. made in CR. As opposed to Gavilan, and INCOLMA, which are both made by INCOLMA of Colombia and are plentiful there, likewise IMACAS brand (one of which I have too), which is a big brand made in El Salvador. I didn't bring the Corneta home so I can't look at it now, anyway I recall it didn't have country of origin stamp. Knowing the higher labor prices in Costa Rica, I wouldn't be surprised if they maybe were once made in CR, but no longer were, likely being made by one of the big makers IMACASA or INCOLMA.
 
Last edited:
Some of the Corneta brand is made by Imacasa in El Salvador, for sure. I didn't know if they had any factories in Costa Rica. Corneta is also a rebar and metal company there.
 
Last edited:
Those are also Imacasa's grinding wheels in the picture!
 
Thanks for the pics! Cool thread!

That machete in the front row looks interesting, big belly on that one.
Just out of curiosity what are the prices for machetes down there?
(in U.S dollars) please,lol.
 
In the US, a leather sheath similar to those is like 3 times more than the machete itself.
 
Looks like a great Machete. Congrats. I wish I could find some of these sweet Machetes stateside.
 
I haven't been to Costa Rica in maybe 10 or 15 years but the locally made brand back then was Larrson. The locals told me they prefer the Imacasa machetes over them.
 
The Corneta (about 18") machete shown, with the sheath, which apears to be handmade but fits perfectly, cost less than $20 US when I got them in San Jose in '05.

A few years earlier, I got a short IMACASA machete from the same little vendor who has a stall in the Central Market (probably is overpriced for tourists compared to hardware stores), with the same type of handmade leather, well fittng although appearently aftermarket sheath, for the same less than $20 US. I got that one as a packable coconut opener, after being frustrated by being at resorts with an abundance of good coconuts, but lacking a good tool to open them. I still have that one (the short IMACASA), it has some sort of a lacquer coated blade, and it's good, but I think the Corneta was better, with a bit thicker blade stock, and slightly better handle. Next time I'm in CR I'll get more and some of the weird shaped ones too, if there's sheathes to match. Like mabey one of those short, real fat bladed ones they call "machete del suelo" or ground machetes.

In the hardware store photo above, you can barely see some of those same sheathes in the rack on the right side.

They go through a lot of machetes there because of the fast acting rust. Also, the Cost Ricans envy us, because we have lawnmowers and motor driven weed wackers. They dream of not haveing to use machetes to mow their lawn, stepping up to a lawn mower instead.

Everyone tried to give me Gavilan machetes with hideous bling-bling type handles, when I showed interest in machetes. I was more interested in function and the steel. My Father-In-Law, who really works with machetes, said he prefered the Corneta brand, and that was the only brand at the Hardware store in the pic. My wife and I bought a wheel barrow for her Dad at that store, because his was rusted out.

It was interesting to see their lumber; all hardwood of tropical types, sort of crudely cut with sharp corners, no softwood (pine nor fir) like I'm used to. My brother-in-law has a freind that has a furniture shop and he (the brother-in-law) has some interesting peices made out of exotic hardwoods. His bar stools weigh like solid iron. They understand the rapid increasing value of native exotic hardwoods and have on occasion, illegally removed downed logs from remote govt land. Might have been Cocobolo.
 
Last edited:
Joezilla said:
Corneta is made by Imacasa in El Salvador, for sure. I didn't know if they had any factories in Costa Rica. Corneta is also a rebar and metal company there.
Click to expand...

I now think that this is not entirely correct:

My internet snooping appears to indicate that Corneta brand is owned by the Costa Rican company MASACA SA, which claims to manufucture much of their own hardware and tools, however they also claim to import some (likely contracting out the manufacturing of some things). They appear to sell hammers, sholvels, digging bars, axes, machetes, etc. under their own name.

http://costarica.acambiode.com/proveedor_65514060062869704855565366554556.html

from the MASACA SA site: "We are manufacturers of many of our products, so we maintain prices at your fingertips, as well as to guarantee the quality of each of them."

fabricantes3.jpg





I don't see where IMACASA claims to make Corneta machetes:
http://www.imacasa.com/web/catalogo.php?tid=8&cid=125

That said, perhaps they do, although It looks like the "Ticos" (Costa Ricans) can maintain their pride in calling Corneta "thier own", since they're likely made to their specs, and in my opinion are better than the IMACASAs that I've seen, much like Beckers are made by someone else but designed and spec'd by Becker. :D
 
Last edited:
Well there you go. I can't argue with that.

On the other hand, I'm not going to argue with the Ticos (Costa Ricans) that believe Corneta is made in Costa Rica either! I'll just have to let that slide.


All this gives me a hankerin' to make a machete run to Costa Rica though.
 
I found a very similar scabbard at an estate sale and the guy was asking $50.00 for it with a cheezy, flimsy, no name machete. I passed, though I really like the scabbard.
 
Eager said:
Well there you go. I can't argue with that.

On the other hand, I'm not going to argue with the Ticos (Costa Ricans) that believe Corneta is made in Costa Rica either! I'll just have to let that slide.


All this gives me a hankerin' to make a machete run to Costa Rica though.
Click to expand...
You could set yourself up as an American importer, you'd probably sell a few around this forum for sure!
:D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top