Best jungle clearing blade?

Jungle clearing tool

  • 1311

    Votes: 17 70.8%

  • BB13

    Votes: 5 20.8%

  • Huck Fin

    Votes: 2 8.3%
  • Total voters
    24
DanR217

DanR217

Joined
Sep 6, 2010
Messages
1,721
So I've gotten a good bit of my blades sold and have enough money to start thinking about planning trips. One place I'd really like to check out, and possibly move to, is Costa Rica.

While I was serving in Okinawa I always wanted to go into the jungle, but found out it's not as easy as walking through the woods. I walked up a couple of times and hit a dense wall of vegetation. You literally have to cut your way at least initially through. I don't about beyond that, I never made it that far.

I still have a few blades I haven't sold yet and got my last new knife, a Huck Fin (that thing is cool!). What would be the better path clearing tool, a 1311, BB13 or Huck and why? Any advantages or disadvantages you can see to any of those?
 
I chose the 1311 because it is closer to a machete, though it would probably clear better with a FFG. The BB13 needs a higher bevel to be effective and I can see the back fin of the Huck Fin getting stuck in brush. Not a fan of 0.25 for clearing green vegetation. Woody? Sure. The Huck Fin might be the most fun though...
 
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That's a good point about the fin getting caught, I didn't think about that. I've chopped quite a bit of dry oak, but hardly anything green.

You're right, the fun factor though! I love me some kukris :D
 
A long light blade would be best I reckon. The SYKCO 1311 or the BB13 Battle Grade version would be perfect. That said, I reviewd the TG-P yesterday and that thing would be an awesome full exposed tang option if that's your thing.
 
1311 would be the best options without a doubt. That being said i've used it for a couple hours clearing blackberry bushes and it killed my forearm and i'm 20 years old, fit and healthy. Its because the weight forward design lends itself to chopping not continuous slashing and cutting. A machete would be lighter and better balanced for brush clearing, also a lot longer blade which I would of welcomed when clearing those fkn prickly bushes.
 
A Rucki? I know it's not an option but they look like they would do the task. If not a 1311 due to the machete like design.
 
If your really going to slash through jungle forget a heavy knife it will kill your arms before you get 20 feet. Get a decent lite machete. Trying to clear a path while carrying any kind of weight aka pack and supplies not to mention a rifle ages you fast. You would be better off finding a game trail and following that, you don't have to worry about ambushes.
 
It looks like my question could have been phrased better. What are the characteristics to look for in a jungle clearing tool? A long (about how long?), light, evenly balanced blade? FFG with a V edge?
 
I prefer a 18" machete it makes it long enough to get good swings but not so long its a pain to carry. Light and a ffg normal v machete edge. Although I prefer a micarta handle instead of the plastic ones, they can give you some nasty blisters. The Ontario machete works well, I like the handle better on the ESEE machete. A good wood handle would work good too.
 
I mostly agree with the recommendations for a thin, light machete with about an 18" long blade. Many machetes are about 1/8" thick, so at 3/16" thick the 1311 is fairly thick and has limited reach. I feel the optimal blade length and thickness depends on how dense and thick the vegetation is where you will be, so in some cases maybe the 1311 would work better than a longer, thinner blade.
 
Just take a look at what the locals use. I would imagine a thin 18" machete to be a universal choice.

The Boom Parang might fit the bill, as well as a Rucki.

I spent 4 months tromping through the jungles of Okinawa. Heavy gets old real quick.
 
What they said, but you don't need to spend $80 on an ESEE lite that is basically a $10 machete with ESEE's name on it. A simple ranger band on a $5 Imacasa poly handle machete will serve you just as well (I say $5 because there is an online outlet that has a unreal deal on Imacasa machetes right now). They literally are selling the 14" Imacasa for $3.50 if you get the free shipping no minimum deal or buy one (actually it's buy one get one free) of each length to qualify for $29 free shipping. I won't mention the name, if you want to know PM me. I recently bought two 14", two 18" and two 22" poly handle Imacasa's for $31 shipped to my door.

 
Hard to argue against a cheap machete for that use, here is an old pic of my 1311 and 14" Tramontina:

30ix1jr.jpg
 
If you want to stay in the Busse family then I say the rucki if not then as others have said checkout what the locals use. There's a site selling a 5 pack verity of machetes for like 30 bucks. I got one they had to be sharpened other than that sturdy build and worked great for fence clearing.
 
F'lar said:
If you want to stay in the Busse family then I say the rucki if not then as others have said checkout what the locals use. There's a site selling a 5 pack verity of machetes for like 30 bucks. I got one they had to be sharpened other than that sturdy build and worked great for fence clearing.
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The Rucki doesn't have very good cutting geometry in all honestly. It won't cut brush.
 
On thick hard growth I agree but on softer green vegetation my convexed rucki slices like butter. A full blown chopper it is not.
 
An AK 47 does just as well as many machetes, in that role. However, I'd hate to risk ruining it in a jungle. 18 1/2 inches of reach. The blade isn't as "high" or wide as a machete but it performs as well. INFI should be ok, in that climate.

Much more costly than a regular machete.... your pick!
 
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