Machetes anyone?

[BEN]

The Gerber Gator is what I use.......has a stiffer blade than some.....a good,no-slip, rubberized handle

i like the full-lenghth saw teeth on the top side. I have used mine  for 3 yrs now fror trimming shooting lanes and trails. I like that I can cut through branches/trees with it ( largest log I cut was a about 12" in diameter;making a ground blind and that log just "had to go")

[artifaker1]

I have the army one and it is superior to the other ones I've tried. Balanced and light, does not try to jump out of your hand when you hit some thing. Also it holds an edge for an amazingly long time under very heavy use. All day or more cutting green wood. I can see why the army people chose this design.

[robtattoo]

Just an a brief update to this thread, I've just received a Condor Parang.
It's a little heavier than your usual machete, having a ¼" thick blade, rather than the usual 1/8".
It's great for clearing heavier brush, rath than whispy grasses & blances & swings beautifully. You can really see why the parang is so popular!

That said, out of the box it was as blunt as a spoon. It has a fairly steep, almost Scandi style, grind. Heat treat seems to be excellent though. It's a pig to sharpen with a file & you'll definately need a stone or belt-sander to get an initial edge. However, once sharp, it has maintained it's edge exceptionally well. Between brush clearing, tree trimming & chopping up some fairly well seasoned Post Oak I haven't managed to blunt it yet. There are no chips or rolls aywhere along it's 17½" blade either! I've used it for 3 straight days now, for roughly 4-5 hours a day without feeling like I need to touch up the blade at all.

So, in summary, it's a fantastic tool, if you're prepared & happy to put in a little effort altering the edge geometry & getting the thing sharp.

[Wannabe1]

Just to be a little different. My Cold Steel Katana machete.

 

[Skipmaster1]

Last week I was given a Blind Horse Knives. I love machetes and although this is not a true machete it is great. Part of the back is squared for striking flint, the sheath is open so debris and water drain out and has a lock on it


 

 

 

 

[Pon]

My "Legitumus Collins" can't get better than that but getting hard to find

 
 
 

[Fisher Cat]

I spent three years in the light infantry in Panama and we very seldom used machetes because it was usually alot faster to walk over, under, around or through brush obstacles (besides, they don't tend to promote stealth).  That said, most of the locals we encountered around the jungle carried them and they are very handy around camp.

I had a surplus Ontario machete when I was a kid.  An old man down the street (who used to sharpen scalpels for the navy in WWII) sharpened it for me.  He used a bench grinder and a few buffing wheels to create a 1/4" wide edge on each side of the blade that you could see yourself in.  Man that thing was sharp!  It would cut deep into a sapling with relatively little effort.  Eventually the edge broke off in a tree, because it was too thin and tempered too hard.  I think softer steel is best for machetes as its less brittle and easy to resharpen with a file.  Be careful, 30 years later I still have a scar from that Ontario machete on the knuckle of my right thumb.      - John

[xtrema312]

I have used many tools for trimming and clearing.  Noting worked better than the Gerber Brush Thinner.  It makes short work of about anything within reason.  I cut down small trees with mine all the time.  Stuff in the 4” range, but it can do larger ones.  It does the job of a machete and a small ax all in one other than splitting wood.  It is not too heavy to carry, but has a sharp and heavy blade. They cheapened the handle a little on the more recent ones I have seen, but still a great tool.   The hooked end keeps it from slipping of heavy stuff you are chopping on when it moves some or you can't get through with one hit.  Two hands can make for faster work of heavy stuff like small trees.  Much more cutting area than a hatchet for less critical accuracy.  I would never be without one now that I have had one.  

  http://www.gerbergear.com/index.php/product/id/149

[reddogge]

A 1910 model of the U.S. bolo. Sharpened on one side only with a 10 1/4" blade and 1 1/4# it is  a serious cutting machine.

They were used as a clearing tool and a weapon from 1898 through WW2 with many design changes. The marines used the WW2 version to clear shooting lanes for machine guns.
 

[TxAg]

I bought a Cold Steel today at the gun show for $20. It's sharp, and I've heard good things about them. It reminds me of the military type machete my dad had when I was a kid.

I had a Gerber from the local sporting goods store. What a piece of junk. It could more accurately be described as a "club"