Large knives vs short machetes

B

B.B.M

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Dec 3, 2009
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Hi guys, I've been using my short 12-13 inch machete's a lot, and i have been wanting something with around a 10inch blade and was wondering how the larger knives like the bk9, condor hudson bay, condor kumunga ka-bar zombie line....etc compare to the shorter machetes? do they chop as well as a short machete? how about the finer cutting task? I cut a lot of saplings and brushy stuff but also do most of my battoing with my machetes. but i have never used a large knife, the largest knife i have used is my tracker which really does not have that long of a blade. I was wondering if the weight of the larger knives would be a benefit or if they would lose "bite" compared to the machetes?

Thanks for any info:)
 
I feel the large knives with their thicker blades and more weight chop better. But if your using yours to mostly clear brush, you may get more mileage from a machete. I do my camping in higher elevations so I don't have brush to clear. As for fine detail task, I use a folder for that.
 
I love my BK9 & the Condor Hudson Bay looks & feels like a beast ! I have several machetes but when I hit the hills 9 times out of 10 I take my BK9. The Condor "mini" bolo is gonna be my next machete purchase.
 
I really like small machetes, and there's a spectrum in blade thickness and grind. A thin tramontina with a thin V grind is going to bite VERY deep, but won't be pulling out chunks. It's super efficient if you make precise V notches in the wood and you can swing all day without getting tired, though the edges tend to roll a bit and a frequent three-pass sharpening session is necessary. As you get thicker and more convex, you aren't going to bite as deep but the edge will last longer and you'll pull out chunks as you bite. With more forward weight you'll bite deeper, but again the thicker the blade the less deep you'll bite. The way to get around this is with weight-forward designs like a bolo, kukri, golok or Kabar's Cutlass that thicken the blade profile at the end to add weight but keep the width of the spine thinner. If you like to swing wildly a thick convex blade like a Kumunga or a HI is going to be your best bet. The hardness of the wood, as well as its water content, will swing the scales as well. In the middle you have convex Condor/Marbles machetes, and Ontario's selection, at about 1/8th of an inch. Any thicker and I'd call it a large knife, any thinner and I'd call it a machete. The beauty of all of these is that they are generally inexpensive and you can get a pretty good selection of large blades with a hundred bucks.
 
I'll add that your technique has as much to do with it as the blade design-if you can't keep the angle of the blade at the same angle of your swing, you'll damage your edge without doing much to the tree. Being able to consistently place the blow at the sweet spot is going to get you farther, too. When it comes to other tasks like drawknifing, a thinner blade and thin V grind is going to get you farther than a fat flat or convex grind on a large knife.
 
I've wanted the Esee Junglas for a while but I just can't bring myself to spend $160 when my $20 12" Ontario's have been so good. I still want one though.
 
A Ontario RBS-9 is going in my next order for sure, 9 inches of 5160 with micarta scales at 60 bucks it's a steal! Not to mention the Desert Tan color will look great with my Eberlestock Operator in FDE. There's a shortage of big blades out there in desert colors (short of Bussekin)
 
If you get a thicker "machete" like a Filipino bolo, it can do brush clearing as well but is better at chopping and batonning IMHO. I think a thick machete is more versatile than a thin, latin-style machete, but the choice depends on your climate, geography, and needs of course.
 
I had a rtak for a while and loved it till I lost it. Replaced it with a esee jungles, it's a great knife and sheath. For the
Money I would probley go with the rtak.
 
The thicker the blade, the worse it will do with grasses and the like. I tend to prefer larger knives, as I like the weight when I am chopping. Short machetes aren't as good at chopping in my experience. Longer machetes chop great, and can slash grasses great, too. If I was to pick one or the other, I'd take a large knife. However, it really depends on what the main focus on the knife/machete is.
 
I put a convex edge on my 12" Ontario Cutlass machete, 1/8" thick version. That thing will outchop the ESEE Junglas, mostly due to lenth, and the weight forward design. The handle had to be re-worked as well, but it was worth the effort.
The Junglas is an okay chopper, too short and heavy for machete work, but I could see it cutting down certain illegal plants very well, as it's designed to do. The tip of the Junglas sets it apart from many machete styles, and a sharp point opens up some other options.
From what I own, the best chopper is the 12" Culberson Bolok, it's thicker (13/64") than the Ontario, and holds a much better edge...it's the second one down.
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Here is a more recent pic, new hickory handle on the Ontario, Bolok with some natural patina starting,and a stripped, etched, and patina'd Junglas.

necklaceanddog022.jpg
 
The standard 12" Ontario machetes are great choppers. I have two, One with the Orange D-guard handle and the other a Saw back. Am thinking of turning one of them into a clip point. The 10" to 14" Old Hickory (Made by Ontario) Chef's knives make good Machetes also. They are dang good for the money and great choppers like I said especially against brush and soft woods.

The BK9 is a good all around large knife at a good price. Also check out the Kabar Heavy Bowie. It's another good all around knife. The BK9 is possibly a bit better at chopping but I still use my Heavy Bowie more. Mostly because the Heavy bowie looks more like a traditional Bowie then the BK9.

I've applied to work at a Wilderness Therapy School for troubled teens and young adults. Field staff are required to carry a knife (preferably 2) a Machete and folding saw. If I get the job I'll be carrying either my 12" Ontario machete or 14" Tramontina Bolo along with a couple 4 to 6" fixed blades and my normal EDC folders. Then again who knows, I may bring my Bowies (BK9, Heavy Bowie, SOG Tigershark) along with the Machetes from time to time.
 
PayetteRucker said:
Fantastic collection Foxx, I may have to talk to you on modding my Junglas!
Click to expand...

I got the idea from Bryfry, here's a link to his tutorial. http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...s-lots-O-pics-n-how-to?highlight=junglas+etch
He did a much better job than I did, he did a better a strip and patina, not to mention the handle. The etch went really well on mine, I used the etchant from Radio Shack. Just make sure you tape off the edge really well. That stuff ate away at a bit of mine.
P.S. BryFry was doing this for others, FYI.
 
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thanks for the info guys, i think i will probably stick with the machete, I've been looking around for a 10inch machete. has anybody tried the marbles jungle bowie machete? or how about the condor inca knife? i wish the inca was carbon instead of stainless reckon stainless would hold up to battoning?
 
I've got a lot to say on this matter and don't have the time to write it at the moment. :o The ultimate message is that it depends on what you need the tool to do, but the explanation of why will have to wait until later, I guess! :p
 
I personally love my hudson bay, just as a shout out sort of thing I was batoning, and it hit a screw in the wood, I gave it a few more whacks because I didn't know what it was, the blade didn't chip out on me it just rolled, a few minutes of file work and it it was fine.

In answer to your question they both have different uses, but for fine work they are both pretty limited without proper technique.
 
Where I live in the north a big knife is way more usefull. down south a machete would probably be king.
 
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