Some Of The Best Quality Machetes ???

M

Motorman

Joined
Jul 9, 2011
Messages
27
Yo All,

In your experience what brands do you like in a quality machete?
I'm sure there are some machete (chopper?) collectors out there that would
be willing to give their opinion. Maybe not many machete only collectors,
but if you have a favorite I sure would like to hear about it.

How about it?

As always, thanks in advance for your comments.

"Machete don't text"
 
Last edited:
Ontario mil spec. Their 1095 steel is worlds better than the crap used in most machete blades. Also, it's made in the USA and not some 3rd world country.
 
Different country..rather opinion here - IF you are going to use for its intended purposes- get a Tramontina at your local farm supply store - used to be $7 or so..maybe $10.

My wife, a former medical-missionary, would tell me how folks in far-flung places used various blades - I remember telling me about cutting their grass in Honduras with machetes. She brought me a Masai spear from Kenya as carry-on luggage....pointy and very sharp.

Different times and places but matching tools to the job at hand still works.

Best
 
Last edited:
collector - if you want pretty, i know Bark River did a run of golok machetes. Some other makers have done likewise.

If you are after a tool some details as to intended use would help folks give you answers in that direction.
 
Well, first off, this is a HUGELY broad question, simply because there are so many different types of machete, from those used for clearing grass and chaff........to those used for vines and undergrowth in a dense jungle or forest.........to models designed for brush removal and even light chopping. In addition to different uses, there are so many different styles........and then you get into the many different price points.

Svord, mentioned above, makes good products, even great, but I'm not going to pay $300 for a machete. Then, you can get a cheapo machete for $4.99 at Harbor Freight. ( Actually, Harbor Freight has a machete styled kinda like a Panga Machete or one fo those Chinese swords with the larger swept tip that actually performs quite well for a very inexpensive piece. )

I do have a number of standard Latin-style machetes, even one I made myself. However, I prefer longer, heavier duty machetes in the mid-price bracket, and that is where my "favorite" machete sits at the top of the gigantic heap. By far, my favorite heavy duty machete is the:

Condor 17" Parang Machete -- $49.95

Not only is it a beautiful piece of bladecraft, but its hard to find a better quality/price ratio blade in all of the knife world. The blade is 1/4' thick at the spine and handle but is distally tapered. The gracefully curving blade gives you enough forward weight to slice with speed, but it is, despite its slim appearance, very sturdy and strong, as well.

THe handle shape is great, although I find it to be just a bit too thick. So, I put mine on the sanding belt and made it thinner and made the vertical profile a bit more oblong. Then, I use my secret weapon on it............Wilson Tennis Racquet Grip cover, specifically the Cushion Grip Pro model. I use this on all my machetes and choppers. Its very comfortable and cushioning, looks good, and is also tacky so it won't slip when wet.

Also, while the Parang comes out of the box sharp enough to do any cutting chores, I do a litte work on the blade, as well. I don't necessarily convex the blade, but In get rid of the shoulder at the top of the bevel by grinding it down to a smooth slope. Then I slim out the bevel just a hair and finish the edge on 1000 grit wetdry, then go througn my normal stropping routine.

Now, mine with chop through 1 1/2" branches with one swing, but is also perfectly comfortable taking down vines, grasses, and flexible green branches. There's no doubt that this machete is too heavy for daily use for lightweight work, but since it is capable of doing such, if i ever have to do both heavy and light machete clearing, I always reach for this one first.

For a lighter weight machete ( I still prefer longer machetes ), I really like the Condor Thai Enep Machete and the new Condor Discord Machete. These both have great comfortable handles, quick swinging and sharp carbon steel blades, and they are well made and can take a beating.

No matter what style of machete you like, you honestly cant go wrong with Condor. Honorable mention goes to the Cold Steel Magnum Kukri, and, of course, the Cold Steel San-Mai Ghurka Kukri. If I was going to spend $200+ on a machete, that is definitely the one I would go with.

Hope that helps. Have a good one!

Jester
 
Last edited:
in my country the goloks and parangs generically refers to 'big knives' or a machete. gerber's bear grylls parang and BRKT golok are two of many patterns of machetes here. if "best quality " meant for using, there're many, many designs depending on what you'll actually using the machetes for. we have a lot of patterns, almost different in every region /island, because of the different vegetations, cultural heritage and mostly because of the intended use of these tools. but for example, using my own perspective, because i live in the small village in a tropical forest/mountains, i find thin bladed machetes like Tramontinas do the job very well (i am using it to make path, cutting down small trees, etc). i have compared Ontario RTAK2 with the tramontina 12" and it simply beat the RTAK2. the thin blade also easy to sharpen using rock I found along the way.

Now when high quality means 'plasant in the eye'.. i am sure there are alot of it worth mentioning, like the brkt golok, esee junglas, etc..
 
Jestersinthemoon said:
Well, first off, this is a HUGELY broad question, simply because there are so many different types of machete, from those used for clearing grass and chaff........to those used for vines and undergrowth in a dense jungle or forest.........to models designed for brush removal and even light chopping. In addition to different uses, there are so many different styles........and then you get into the many different price points.

Svord, mentioned above, makes good products, even great, but I'm not going to pay $300 for a machete.

<EDITED>



Condor 17" Parang Machete -- $49.95

Not only is it a beautiful piece of bladecraft, but its hard to find a better quality/price ratio blade in all of the knife world.

<EDITED>

Jester
Click to expand...

quick google turns up svord machetes at $52 ..

I swear if Svords are gunna go up in value that much , I have some for sale ... till then Im just another broke bloke who buys the best he can :)
 
Imacasa/Condor--Imacasa is Condor's parent company and their models are geared towards agricultural field workers and so best represent "pure-bred" machetes. They come rough in the fit/finish but they're simply diamonds in the rough. Expect to have to put an edge on them before taking them out in the field. The riveted handle models have oversized scales that need to be sanded flush with the tang, as well. However, they're some of the very finest machetes on the market. The Condor line is their premium sub-brand geared towards the North American/European camping and bushcraft markets, and the fit and finish is much better, more premium handle materials, designs geared towards Northern tastes, etc. etc.

Tramontina--fewer patterns available than Imacasa, no distal taper to the blades, but less work needs to go into them to get them up to performing solidly. Good machetes for the price.

Hansa--slightly softer steel than Tramontina or Imacasa/Condor, but still right in the ballpark of what I consider ideal. Distal taper on many of their blades.

Cold Steel--acceptable hardness though softer than I prefer. Some designs are fantastic, others not so much, and no distal taper. Handles sized for larger hands. Some models come with only the rough "courtesy grind" that Imacasa/Tramontina/Hansa do while some models come with a sharpened edge. Even the sharpened models can use a little extra edge work, however, but they have a lot of designs that are quite well done and unique to the market.

Martindale --Not inexpensive (made in the UK does it) but great steel and distal taper with a lot of classic designs--most just aren't available in the US right now. They also often have a warp to the blade from blanking and heat treatment that doesn't get corrected so if it bothers you just flex the heck out of it in a vice to bend it back straight.

Svord--L6 steel, great handle, serviceable but ugly sheath, not the cheapest...and only one model. But it's a phenomenal short machete, very packable, and a great value for what you get.

Personally I find Ontario's machetes too hard and heavy with poor out-of-the-box ergos that require significant modding to improve. I carry them mostly because they're kind of one of the only affordable USA-made machetes on the market.

There are others, as well, but these are a few to get you started.
 
If you just want one, then any Central or South American maker can get you the real thing. Try Condor.

If you are going to use it, then it's assumed that will be in a likely environment - tropical. That's the intent of the tool, to keep back rapidly growing tropical vegetation. Anything in the US would be limited to Gulf Coast states where it has a place.

Further north, the machete hasn't been and still isn't the preferred tool to manually cut vegetation. Get in the temperate zone where plants have to withstand freezing temps over weeks during the winter, where rain is measures in inches, not feet, and you quickly discover the stuff is a lot more fibrous or woody. It takes a different tool.

That's why it's been asked what will the tool be used for. Like trying to build a house with a cabinet makers hammer, the wrong tool can't do the job as effortlessly as another. Same reason why you can't haul 1,000 pounds of concrete block and a pallet load of sheet rock on a Neon.

It's repeatedly done, and the owners brag about it. Take that for what it's worth.
 
tirod3 said:
If you just want one, then any Central or South American maker can get you the real thing. Try Condor.

If you are going to use it, then it's assumed that will be in a likely environment - tropical. That's the intent of the tool, to keep back rapidly growing tropical vegetation. Anything in the US would be limited to Gulf Coast states where it has a place.

Further north, the machete hasn't been and still isn't the preferred tool to manually cut vegetation. Get in the temperate zone where plants have to withstand freezing temps over weeks during the winter, where rain is measures in inches, not feet, and you quickly discover the stuff is a lot more fibrous or woody. It takes a different tool.

That's why it's been asked what will the tool be used for. Like trying to build a house with a cabinet makers hammer, the wrong tool can't do the job as effortlessly as another. Same reason why you can't haul 1,000 pounds of concrete block and a pallet load of sheet rock on a Neon.

It's repeatedly done, and the owners brag about it. Take that for what it's worth.
Click to expand...

Nonsense. Machetes work great in the North. You just need to pick your pattern appropriately. I agree that matching the tool to the task is important, but there are tons of machetes out there that are well suited to woody targets--the Imacasa "rozador" pattern, for instance. :)
 
This is one of my favorite games... Best machete i've ever had my hands on

Tops .230. Here's my review

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...in-Tops-230-Machete-review-Now-VERY-pic-heavy

and here's what it looked like after my edge regrind
2nrzthy.jpg
 
for an actual user where it's gonna hit dirt and sand imbedded and caked roots and rocks and such.....imacasa and tram. for nicer finished ones to tackle less edge and finish destroying tasks......one of those fancy makers machetes.:)

esee machete, the steel comes from imacasa...so you know esee doesn't like to use crap in their knives. so they think imacasa does steel well enough to use it. i got one, it's a nice machete the grip is fantastic for me. plus it's got the skull logo...so that is all that matters.:)

ontario.....i'm with 42 on this...

so for a worker where big money isn't wanting to be spent and you don't mind putting a little work into getting it just right.....imacasa and tram. if you got the money to spend, and don't want to put any work into it.... any of the fancier ones are just as good or better.....although i have a hard time saying better, but that's me. ymmv and i respect that.
 
Motorman said:
Yo All,

In your experience what brands do you like in a quality machete?
I'm sure there are some machete (chopper?) collectors out there that would
be willing to give their opinion. Maybe not many machete only collectors,
but if you have a favorite I sure would like to hear about it.

How about it?

As always, thanks in advance for your comments.
Click to expand...

Hi Motorman
One of my machetes I prefer is the Condors combat machete. You can use it as a tool as well as a knife and a weapon. For my purposes it works great.
 
For a myopic school teacher with a degree from Berkeley (yes, THAT Berkeley :D), I do have quite a bit of machete time, and I can only say that you have good advice here. Machetes are made to be tools for working villagers, and the quality (not the same as expensive) ones are the ones that are sold to and used by those villagers.

I can recommend Tramontina, Martindale (Crocodile Brand) and the Ontario. As was stated, the military Ontario is a bit heavy to use for long periods but I use it to cut through heavy limbs. Ontario does have a lighter version but I have not used it.

I have used machetes in Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Hawaii and Southeast Alaska. They are useful in all those places for cutting brush and for keeping trails clear. A machete is not an axe, but it can be used to cut down small trees. Where I have lived and worked, it is the real survival knife for many locals who really need knife to survive. :cool:
 
Check out Fiddleback Forge 12,14,16 and 18 inch machetes. The blades are made by Imacasa, The Micarta handles and grinds are done by Andy.
For green vegetation I like the ESEE lite machete. Its so thin it just screams through everything.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top