Machete vs. hatchet

Hatchet. To my thinking, neither a hatchet nor a machete would be ideal to section wood past a certain diameter anyway. So I prefer a hatchet to split the small stuff with. I find it to be more precise to hold wood in my left hand while bringing the wood and hatchet down together in unison with the right. Because the hatchet is so much shorter, I'm more precise and the job is performed quicker, the concentrated mass helps as well. And...... I simply just LOVE handling a hatchet. This alone, irrational or not, makes me go hatchet. I just love holding, handling, and using one. Great tool.
 
As a kid, I used hatchets a lot. As a grownup, I bought hatchets and axes. Then I started playing with machetes. I was never exposed to a machete until I was grown and working on a survey crew, but they hurt. Now I have figured out how to select machetes that work and I leave the hatchets at home. Axe and saw comes with me when I car camp. I choose machete.

But it all depends on what you intend to cut and the location you're in. In my area, I choose a machete.
 
I enjoy using hatchets, but I feel a knife and machete combo (+Silky Saw) is best suited for my area.
 
I prefer a kukri over any small axe or hatchet I had in the past,i even preferred my two tomahawks over my hatchet.but my new to me condor warlock is shipping to me in the mail,its been stripped and blued,cant wait to see it,got it off here,its replacing a parang I sold.had a Ontario machete too,but the parang got the most use,besides my kukri.
 
For me its not a case of machete vs hatchet, I prefer each of them for different environments and tasks. Each are proven tools in the hands of a capable user.
 
I love my 16 inch fiddle back machete I think it can out cut a small a but not out split one and they also make a great draw knife, but mist of the woods I have here are softwoods and I am not sure how it would do on hardwoods, but for me machete every time unless I am going to do lots of splitting then I bring a two-handed axe.
 
Its a difficult choice at times
I can do pretty much all I need to do with either .
It really comes down to which do I prefer to play with at the time .

this is the gear that is to hand at the moment this morning , without digging in cupboards and drawers and vehicles and kits etc ..

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seriously tho , I have a shoulder / spine injury that affects my dominant hand a lot , ill go for a machete over a hatchet nearly every time , the weight to cutting efficiency for me ( note , for me , not for everyone or a static physics model ) says that a knife style chopper used with a draw cut .. dragged thru the chop as its happening makes it just at least seem to cut / chop better , I cant get that with a hatchet .

weight too , vs cutting performance in *my* use , a machete wins hands down .
 
I've used both machetes and axes a fair amount. I have a 12" Ontario machete (modified) that I love, an 18" ontario machete, and 2 gransfors axes. I also regularly process wood to start our wood stove which accounts for about half or our heat. I normally baton with the 12" Ontario. It takes a beating and never seems to care. The 18" batons well and chops fairly well when i'm actually out cutting wood (I normally use it to get limbs out of the way). That said, when i try and cross cut some FROZEN HARDWOOD in the winter, the machete just plain sucks. It has trouble digging in once you get past the bark and the vibration is horrible if you hit anywhere but in the actual sweet spot of the blade. Even then, it sometimes feels like your little finger is going to break. The axe doesn't seem to care. Even a smaller tomahawk doesn't care. The wood handle takes the vibration and doesn't rattle much. Also, the axe shape takes the impact differently. So, from my experience using both, I'd take the 12" machete as a big knife for drawcutting, batoning, clearing areas, etc. If it's winter and you plan on building much of a shelter or processing wood, even dead stuff that may be wet, an AXE is woth the weight. If it's warmer weather and no worries about havin bo build more in a frozen environment, then a machete is very versetile and a great tool that can clear areas and do things that are difficult with an axe. I'll always take the short 12" machete. However, if I were hiking or camping any place not frozen, I'd probably take the 18" machete. If I was packing my BOB bag to leave my home forever, I'd probably take both and drop one later if needed. I just know how much better that axe was with the frozen oak I was hitting on. I hope this helps a little.
 
In my own experience up here in Wisconsin, an axe has outdone a machete. I like machetes, they're fun to use and effective. However, I've tried bucking dead oak for firewood with a CS Latin and I rather just hit it with a rock or jump on it tip it breaks. I usually carry a Husqvarna Carpenters. Up here, its totally worth the weight to me, I prefer to have plenty of good firewood when its well below zero with a few feet of snow.
 
Old thread, but....axes and machetes are not the same, and while there may be minimal overlap in some task abilities, they really don't have the same intended applications, nor do they both shine in the same environments. It's not even a fair comparison.
 
I cleared a path of about 100 yards through hardwoods. Had to cut down saplings and remove limbs. I took a WW2 era Martindale machete and a Estwing hatchet . The machete was about worthless the hatchet made the job easy. But. I dont know if I had the machete sharpened correctly. I sharpened it just like my knives.
 
Saplings and limbs? My 12" Ontario would have eaten that up without breaking stride, I can't imagine how yours was worthless. Last time I cleared trail, I went out with that machete and an Estwing hatchet. I came back with the Estwing in my belt and the machete in my hand. Amazing how people can have such different experiences under the same (assumed the same?) conditions.
 
dipbait said:
I cleared a path of about 100 yards through hardwoods. Had to cut down saplings and remove limbs. I took a WW2 era Martindale machete and a Estwing hatchet . The machete was about worthless the hatchet made the job easy. But. I dont know if I had the machete sharpened correctly. I sharpened it just like my knives.
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How thick were the saplings and limbs? And have you used a machete before that? I find that when i started it was hard to keep the blade straight while swinging. After a bit of practice it started to bite much deeper and wouldn't bounce or slide off. I have no trouble on ~ 2 in. Diameter saplings with a couple swings with an 18 in. now. Hell, I do it for fun sometimes.
 
Blue Sky said:
Saplings and limbs? My 12" Ontario would have eaten that up without breaking stride, I can't imagine how yours was worthless. Last time I cleared trail, I went out with that machete and an Estwing hatchet. I came back with the Estwing in my belt and the machete in my hand. Amazing how people can have such different experiences under the same (assumed the same?) conditions.
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Most of the standing trees were black locust and limbs were a mix with even some Oasge among them. Maybe it was technique and the machete not being sharpened correctly. I havent used it since.
 
Black locust and Osage are supposed to be some tough stuff, maybe there's the difference? I was cutting mostly maple, oak, cherry and birch.
 
The majority of my machete use is a mix of hard and soft maple. The hardest wood I really encounter is oak so I guess YMMV.
 
traveling on foot ill take a hatchet on horse ill carry a machete. If building a camp id like a hatchet
 
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