What are your top three machetes?

Don Rearic

Don Rearic

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Oct 8, 1998
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Again, simplicity! The title says it all!

What are your top three machetes, where can you get them, sheaths available, etc., etc., etc.

TIA, CIAO. :D
 
I got mine from the Sportsmans warehouse I worked at a few years ago. It was a cold steel 24" latin machete. $7 for the machete, $11 for the sheath. Its worked well on vines in the back yard. crappy handle that gets real slippery in the hand though.

I want to get one of those 1095 condors when they come out.
 
$9.95 at CheaperThanDirt.

Used it all day to clear small trees, brush and blackberry vines on the shooting range. It's made in Brazil, where the Amazon jungle is .... so :cool:
 
Don't mean to hijack but what are the opinions of blade shape like latin vs. bolo and so on? The only one I have is the cheaper cold steel kukri $18 and I really like it. It's compact, sharp, and durable as hell. I like having something small and hefty enough to swing in tight vine infested spaces and this works great, and it batons very well. I still want a good full size one so I am interested to see pics and opinions.
 
I have the small Cold Steel Kukri and like it, but for the vines and brush here in East Texas it just isn't long enough. I think it would be better for camping because it is very tough. I also have a $7 Tramontina with a much longer blade and love it. It is great for brush and vines.

I would like to try condor some day.
 
Although I am not answering the question completely, my top choice for a cheap machete with good quality would be an 18" Tramontina. You won't go wrong with an Imacasa either. Lower on the list is a Gavilan. If you want to spend a bit more and get a machete that's already sharpened well from the factory, and is just plain excellent, go with a Condor (also made by Imacasa). STAY AWAY from the real cheap WalMart machetes. They will bend and don't seem to have any heat treat on them. If you go with a Condor, then the Latin Machete is my favorite, although any of them are great. Not sure on all the prices.
 
I have to use a machete nearly everyday at my work (surveyor). I have tried a lot of different machetes but I have come to find that the Condor machetes are the best. They come from the factory with a sharpened convex edge and their handles are easy on the hand. I prefer their "Outback" model, which is a wicked chopper. The blade steel is 420HC, which I was leary of at first but has worked very well for the machete. It's light, strong and holds its edge well.

My second choice would be the Ontario OKC model. It is made of 1095 steel and is very tough. However, there are two downsides to this machete. First, the handle has a hand guard on it, which is nothing more than a knuckle buster. I always cut off the handle guard. The second is the weight. This machete is quite heavy compared to most and can wear you down after a day of chopping. Ontario also makes a CT5 model. The CT5 model has one major flaw in that the rivots in the handle will begin to come loose after a few months of use.

My third choice is the Cold Steel Latin model. This is a fairly good machete for the price. However, you will definitely have to sharpen it when you first buy it. Also, it doesn't seem to edge it's edge as well as the Condor.

I usually buy the Condor machetes from AmbientWeather.com. The Condor machetes come with a leather sheath.

Hope this helps.

_______Rat Pack #106_______
 
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Let me tell you, if a surveyor suggests a machete, buy it! Seriously.
 
I've been curious about the Condors, gonna have to try one out. :D
 
My favorite for a machete that gets used as a machete is either a 18" or bolo from Tramontina. Thin, flexable, comfortable handles and CHEAP!

For a woodworking machete/camp knife, a 12" Ontario.

Any of the three will need the edges reworked so prepare for some sore wrists if you don't own a grinder or dremel.
 
My Dad had one from WW2 and it always reminded me of a barracuda - that thing must have had a 26 inch long blade! It had black Bakelite handles and it was always a thing of wonder for me as a child. I just couldn't WAIT to tempt the gods and try to get a leg sewn back on or something! :D

(never had an accident with it)
 
Wow - two resounding endorsements for the Condor's....I was sort of holding out for the carbon condors to come out, but it seems folks really like the SS versions!
 
i've got a tramontiona, which was an 18" latin style, until i chopped the end off and modified it into about a 15" golock style. the handles on tramontinas are pretty rough on the hands, so i smoothed it out a bit too. they don't come with sheaths, so i made one out of thin plywood, and threw a bit of cord on to use as a baldric. it's working out pretty good now. they're cheap enough, and it's a pretty good chopper.
 
The only machete I have real experience with right now, is a Tramontina, which are excellent once sharpened well. However, I plan to be getting a Condor within a couple of weeks, and I hear all kinds of good things about them :)
 
Tramontina machetes are solid once they're sharpened up, and they take a beating. Brazilian natives use them for EVERYTHING. Imagine replacing every tool (landscaping, construction, masonry, etc.) with one tool--a machete. For the price, it's hard to argue.
 
kgd said:
Wow - two resounding endorsements for the Condor's....I was sort of holding out for the carbon condors to come out, but it seems folks really like the SS versions!
Click to expand...

I haven't tried the carbon steel version yet but I am interested in it too. My main concern will be the weight.

I've had good performance out of the Tramontinas, once sharpened, too. My only problem with them is they can be hard on the hands, especially after ten hours of chopping out traverse line. Work on the handles and they will be easier to deal with.
 
I've heard some really good things about Tramontiona and Condor. Don't actually own one, but if I did it would most likely be a Condor.
 
Why stop at three?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuJ2DDVnn4w

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuJ2DDVnn4w[/youtube]

In all seriousness, I've found my top three to be a condor 18" outback, an Imacasa 14", or the Condor carbon, but only one of the tapered versions. They are really light yet still have some heft. Just don't chop hemlock (ever with anything!)
 
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I knew it wouldn't take long for you Joe to respond to this thread:D
I know you like those Condor's.
 
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