Cheap machetes. Which should i get?

Ruukuu said:
The Imacasa sound familiar. I'm sure i saw a UK dealer that had them. Not to sound at all racist, but if a machete comes from that area of the world i tend to think they should be decent users.

EDIT....yep the Imacasa is $6 cheaper than the exact same Marbles Bolo except for the orange paint job.
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It's not racist at all, the fact of the matter is that the humble machete is an essential tool in south America and they know how to make them.
They know how to make an economical working tool that's not too hard or too soft.
 
Some Imacasas (like the typical 127 Latin pattern) tend to be a bit thinner, with distal taper. Trams seem to be full thickness without taper but perhaps softer on the steel/temper. Both safe bets. I like the Marbles. And the Incolma machetes are fine. I think it boils down to pattern, length and weight and type of handle.

There are a number of "off brands" out there on the "surplus" market that seem to be made by Incolma and branded by distributors, such as MOB (Merchants of Britain), SON Dove and JMK. Looks like they also make machetes for Truper. (Mexico).
 
Ruukuu said:
Mainly trimming bushes and tree branches. Cutting ivy etc.
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For this check out a the tapanga pattern, gavilan Incolma makes one for the British company Spear & Jackson and they're not expensive.
They offer 14"-22" variations, they're a bit thicker and heavier than I use but would probably be just the ticket for your needs.
This 5pc " Colombian military surplus " ( really just overstock Incolma machetes ) arrived earlier this week and you can see the Spear & Jackson panga second up from the bottom.
 
Hickory n steel said:
For this check out a the tapanga pattern, gavilan Incolma makes one for the British company Spear & Jackson and they're not expensive.
They offer 14"-22" variations, they're a bit thicker and heavier than I use but would probably be just the ticket for your needs.
This 5pc " Colombian military surplus " ( really just overstock Incolma machetes ) arrived earlier this week and you can see the Spear & Jackson panga second up from the bottom.
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My ideal would be the Svord Golok British Army Pattern, but its expensive. To tell the truth i'd never thought of Spear and Jackson......i should be able to find them quite easily i think. I will have a look. If i cant find any i think i will see if i can find an 18" Tramontina. Especially if the blade is a little thicker.
 
Ruukuu said:
The Imacasa sound familiar. I'm sure i saw a UK dealer that had them. Not to sound at all racist, but if a machete comes from that area of the world i tend to think they should be decent users.

EDIT....yep the Imacasa is $6 cheaper than the exact same Marbles Bolo except for the orange paint job.
Click to expand...

I bought several Tramontina bolos from a business that was closing for about $8. each delivered. No sheath. MY Marbles bolo was $15 but included a heavy sheath and a sharpening stone, plus a bit of shipping.

Hey, forget racism, it's culture and familiarity. Central and South America know their machetes. Europe has a bazillion different cheeses. Folks in Southeast Asia have all kinds of rice and can tell you how to prepare and eat most anything that grows, walks or crawls. I love it. ;)
 
Ruukuu said:
My ideal would be the Svord Golok British Army Pattern, but its expensive. To tell the truth i'd never thought of Spear and Jackson......i should be able to find them quite easily i think. I will have a look. If i cant find any i think i will see if i can find an 18" Tramontina. Especially if the blade is a little thicker.
Click to expand...

That Svord is nice, but pricey. I had to settle for a few boxes of these hand-forged Thai knives. $3-$4 each, but the shipping wasn't cheap. If you can get one of those heavy tapanga patterns (#202 - 19.5" ?), you could cut it down to about 14" and still have a chopper. Some of these pattern numbers are the ones used by Martindale, way back.

Machetes.jpg
 
Ruukuu said:
Mainly trimming bushes and tree branches. Cutting ivy etc. But also i used the Tramontina to take down a 7" dia Holly tree and a 4" dia Eucalyptus....then cutting it all up so i could burn it...…..So a mix of quite light and occasionally heavy work. I could do with doing some batoning but even though i know the blade will take it, it wont do so well as its so thin.
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I can see using a machete to keep Ivy at bay a bit, or to top-prune new growth on a bush, or shaping a Christmas tree. For branches, I use loppers, Japanese-style pull saws or my trusty Swiss FELCO secateurs pruning shears. I'm still on my first pair of FELCOs after 40 some years, and I happened on another 3 pair of brand new ones at a flea market for about $10 each. I'm set for life. If I have to do much more pruning, I'll use a chainsaw or Roundup herbicide. :)
 
USMCPOP said:
That Svord is nice, but pricey. I had to settle for a few boxes of these hand-forged Thai knives. $3-$4 each, but the shipping wasn't cheap. If you can get one of those heavy tapanga patterns (#202 - 19.5" ?), you could cut it down to about 14" and still have a chopper. Some of these pattern numbers are the ones used by Martindale, way back.

Machetes.jpg
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WOW !! that's a lot of knives....i'm SO envious !!
 
Ruukuu said:
I can't use Kukri's. I would end up cutting my foot off i'm so bad at wielding them...lol
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I always keep a lanyard wrapped around my hand to keep that thing from flying out of my hand and assist in grip to avoid fatigue.
Swinging top left to bottom right, keep your right foot back. Top right to bottom left, keep your left foot back.
When you swing come from above your head, not next to your head, good way to lose an ear...
You gotta imagine the blade is going all the way to the ground, because it just might, and it's going to hack whatever is in the way.
Don't be in the way.

Cold Steel has quite a few machete designs, pick the one that is the most useful to you, but I've been impressed
by Cold Steel machetes period, and the low price really sweetens the deal.
 
Ruukuu said:
WOW !! that's a lot of knives....i'm SO envious !!
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Well, we were going to start an import business for goods from Thailand. Didn't work out. I had a one car garage full of stuff from machetes to dishes, pottery and keychains. The paperwork and shipping costs were a nightmare. Used DHL as the local importer/receiver and that was a pain. But eventually the account rep halfway offered me a job as I had done my homework. In the USA, there's like a 500 page book of goods and tariffs. Boggles the mind.

What I did like from 3 years living in Thailand was working with a 70+ year old farmer/blacksmith, and later encountering some Hmong hill tribe smiths in a refugee camp. Simple tools , such skill! Like this, though this not my pics. My blacksmith came from that area. Had the same style air pumps and mud forge.

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Sounds like you need a pruner, not a machete. I keep the ratcheting pruner in my hunting pack to cut shooting lanes.
 
Motega said:
Sounds like you need a pruner, not a machete. I keep the ratcheting pruner in my hunting pack to cut shooting lanes.
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I agree. I'm a horticulturist by training. Earned some money on the side pruning while in college. Even conducted a couple simple pruning courses for the Virginia state extension service.
 
Motega said:
Sounds like you need a pruner, not a machete. I keep the ratcheting pruner in my hunting pack to cut shooting lanes.
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You're probably right. Pruner, saw, trimmer etc. Thing is i personally dont need those things. I'm doing an elderly neighbours garden for her and i'm trying to save as much money for her as i can. A machete is always the one thing i like to keep on hand in the shed :-) but i dont want to ask her to buy the tools i could do with. I cant afford them. the little money she is giving me works out to less than $2 an hour...lol
 
USMCPOP said:
I bought several Tramontina bolos from a business that was closing for about $8. each delivered. No sheath. MY Marbles bolo was $15 but included a heavy sheath and a sharpening stone, plus a bit of shipping.

Hey, forget racism, it's culture and familiarity. Central and South America know their machetes. Europe has a bazillion different cheeses. Folks in Southeast Asia have all kinds of rice and can tell you how to prepare and eat most anything that grows, walks or crawls. I love it. ;)
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LOL. This recalls the classic line from “Unforgiven”. You know the one I mean.
 
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