Survival Quality Machete

I'm quite partial to ESEE's Lite Machete. 1075 blade steel, micarta handles, has more than enough length and heft to it, and as previously mentioned, it has a skull on the blade. Goes for about $50-$70 with sheath.

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i got my 12" ontario from feebay, and its been great for me...its 1/8th inch carbon steel and cost me around $25.00 and it has handled anything i could throw its way. Shes split wood, dug holes, chopped ice, cut down a bananna tree and flipped a lot of venison burgers on the grill :D
 
white avenger said:
I've used machetes for clearing brush, pruning trees, cutting cane and corn stalks, and more than a few things like prying, scraping, and digging for more than 5o years. When I go camping, I almost always carry a machete to cut fire wood rather than an axe. My point is, I've done a LOT of machete work in my time, and I've never spent more than $25 for any of them. Are these super expensive ones really that much better, or is it just snob appeal? (No offense intended to you folks that own the $300 blades. Just curious)
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You certainly reach to point of diminishing returns quickly, in all honesty. I'd say that anything above $40 isn't a budget buy and anything over $70 isn't a bargain buy. Anything above that line is a premium purchase and becomes "picky-choosey" territory.
 
Surprised nobody has mentioned khukuri yet--Himalayan Imports... best choppers out there. Kinda depends on what exactly you're looking for out of the machete though.
 
Machetes... it has been a long, educational and sometimes frustrating search for a "good" machete in my case. I didn't want to spend $150 for a machete. I settled on Ontario machetes because I liked the 12" and liked a stiffer blade for chopping. But....

I can't be so different from many people, so I would suggest you pay attention to the handle design. It would be best to actually pick one up and get a feel for it before you buy. The traditional shape illustrated above in post #21 with a plastic handle generally eats my lunch after some use (blisters, etc.). However, the micarta above is probably quite comfortable. Skip the ones you see in the hardware stores. I recommended the Condor Golok earlier in the thread and it is one of the most comfortable machetes to actually use that I have ever tried. But I keep experimenting. I am considering adding something with a longer blade in the near future such as the Condor Viking Machete at 42's suggestion in a different thread for more rigorous tasks where a longer reach is important. The Golok is great however.

42's pricing range above (Post #23) is about right and consistant with my experience to date.
 
Yessssssssss the Viking totally rocks and I love it to death. Overall light weight, but with a long blade and all the mass on the end. It's a demon!

For a shorter thicker machete, 22, you might check out the Condor 14" carbon El Salvador. The handle on them is super comfy and great in a variety of grips. 1/8" stock like your Ontario, and the overall shape of the blade/handle very much mimics a lot of the old Collins pieces of legend. That perfect amount of sweep and belly to the blade while keeping an acute point. It's a thing of beauty. :D
 
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