Are you looking for the best machete? Look no further. This guide will walk you through, step-by-step, on how to select, grade, and choose the best machete for your need. Whether it be camping, gardening, or survival, a machete is a great tool to have on hand, only if its a good machete though.
Our Picks For Best Machete
- Condor Tool and Knives Warlock Machete
- Cold Steel San Mai Gurkha Kukri
- Bear Grylls Parang Machete
- Woodman’s Pal Classic Fixed Blade Machete
- SOG SOGfari Kukri Machete
Best Machete Reviews
#1. Condor Tool and Knives Warlock Machete
The Condor Tool and Knives Warlock Machete has a 12-inch blade with a broad top tapering towards the handle.The manufacturer Condor Tool Knife has a history dating back to 1787 to the foundation of GEBR WEYESBERG Company. This was in Solingen, Germany. Solingen is titled the cutlery capital of the world.The blade is made of high carbon steel with epoxy black powder coating finish. The handle is Micarta.All user reviews of this machete are favorable. Users love how this machete is simple looking yet high functioning.
#2. Cold Steel San Mai Gurkha Kukri
Cold Steel, a household name among martial artists and knife enthusiasts, teamed up with Maung Gyi, chief instructor of the American Bando Association, to produce this amazing knife. Designed as a self-defense weapon, it has more than everything you need for a long day of camp work or backyard chores.Kukri’s have a long history of being a great blade. With a fat, heavy belly, it makes chopping easy. The point give you the option of poking and stabbing. The thin section between the belly and handle allows for fine cuts. In total, a Kukri is a great tool to own.What makes the San Mai Gurkha Kukri different than other Kukris on the market is that it is thicker and heavier at the belly. This gives you more power when chopping. The tool also has VG-1 steel, a high grade tool steel, unlike other machetes who use stainless steel.
#3. Lansky Dual Grit Sharpener
The Lansky dual grit sharpener is the perfect tool for sharpening machetes, lawn mower blades, knives, axes, hatchets, or any other blade. As a 3″ round puck, the tool has two grades, one on each side. This allows for great control no matter the position.
Best Machete 2020 – Ultimate Buying Guide
What is the Best Machete?
Are you looking for the best machete? A machete is extremely useful for cutting down stubborn items in the yard such as weeds and small trees–like those things that grow under your deck but you can’t reach with anything else. It is also great for hiking off trail. You can clear your way threw a lot of bushes with a good machete. However, at bestmachete.net, we are not concerned with good machetes, we want the best machete.
What makes a Good Machete
These are the things that you would want in a machete.
- Weight. Make sure the machete weights enough to assist you in cutting branches, but not too much where it would be a pain to carry on a trail.
- Length. The longer the machete, the more it weights. Also, the longer the machete, the more you can cut with just one swing.
- Sharpness. This is self explanatory. You would want a nice sharp blade to cut with.
- Material. Don’t get the cheap $20 machete from the camping store. Those knives are made with cheap metals that do not hold the blade for long. Invest a few more dollars into a quality knife.
Notable Mentions
These machetes are not as superior as the ones listed above but are still good. Check them out.
#1. Bear Grylls Parang Machete
Let’s start with the Bear Grylls Parang Machete. Named after the Man vs. Wild host/star Bear Grylls, this blade is from Gerber Gear.Gerber Gear is a knife-manufacturing company founded in 1939. It boasts decades of innovation. The company’s products have a global reach.The Bear Grylls Parang is a short machete – blade length of 13.5 inches. The design is based on a traditional jungle machete. Blade material is carbon steel. It has a textured rubber grip with full tang construction. The angle of the blade is meant for clearing vegetation.Users love the look of the Bear Grylls Parang. However, most think that’s all there is to it. With a short blade, it doesn’t reach well. While the blade angle helps with its purpose, the overall build of the Parang makes it lack in heavy-duty work. This machete comes with a great sheath.
#2. Woodman’s Pal Classic Fixed Blade Machete
Next on the list is the Woodman’s Pal Classic Fixed Blade Machete. This machete is from the Woodman’s Pal product line of Protool Industries.Protool Industries take pride in manufacturing products right in the USA. They claim to make sure to use only the best raw materials and handcraft tools one at a time.The Woodman’s Pal is another short-bladed machete at only 10.5 inches. The primarily noticeable feature is its shape. It has a high carbon steel blade.User reception of this machete is generally favorable. The description says that it can be used as different tools. User reports support this claim as the Woodman’s Pal can be used as an axe, hatchet, camp knife, hammer, and many more.
Why You Need the Best Machete
Many would agree that the simple machine called wedge is pretty useful in our everyday life. The wedge is the main component of bladed tools. Using a knife or any other similar tool might be such a daily routine for most of us that we no longer think of them. In any case, we still know that we need such tools.The machete is one of the common bladed tools around. Basically, it is a large knife akin to the cleaver. It may sound exaggerated when a machete enthusiast tells you that the machete is an extremely useful tool. Some might say that if you could only own one blade, then the machete is the best choice. But there’s a reason why there are such fans of the machete. It is indeed a useful tool not only according to enthusiasts but also according to history.Machetes are primarily used in tropical and subtropical regions for agricultural purposes. They are the tool of choice for sugar cane farmers and the like. But such purposes don’t make machetes popular for the general public. People love machetes because of their versatility. It can be used for a wide variety of tasks.You can use a machete in preparing food, especially when cutting meat, much like a cleaver. A machete in good condition can efficiently cut meat of large animals. That’s why regular hunters also like to carry a machete. A machete alone can be used for cutting, skinning, and many other tasks in preparing caught game.Then, there’s the use of machete as a weapon. In several countries throughout the world, the machete has been a popular weapon in uprisings and invasion defense. According to people on the internet, the machete is a good weapon for the “inevitable” zombie apocalypse. It’s up to you if you want to take that last part seriously or not.Anyway, let’s go back to the topic. The versatility of a machete is owed to its different parts. Each section of the blade caters to different purposes. If the machete has a pointed tip, you can use it for drilling and even opening cans.There is actually no indication of the parts of the machete, except for the handle and blade. But if you create an imaginary division that separates the sharpened part of the blade into three, you’ll have the top of the blade, the middle, and the bottom. The positions of these parts relative to the handle make each part ideal for different types of tasks.The top of the blade is perhaps its primary feature. This is the part used for majority of cutting and chopping tasks.The middle is good for chopping game limbs, chopping up tree branches, and slicing meat.The bottom part is the easiest to control. You can use it for precise cutting such as sharpening pencils or sticks.Aside from the sharpened sections, the part of the blade near the handle is blunt. You can use this for hammering certain objects like fire steel and for opening beer bottles. Aside from that, you may adjust your grip to this part so you get better control.The back of the machete also has many uses. You can scale fish with it or even drive nails. If you need to split some logs, rest the blade on the wood and strike the back with another wood or something similar.For machetes with a flat top, you can use this part as a makeshift shovel. Or you can flip a meat on the grill with it. Just make sure it’s clean.
The Different Features of a Machete
Machetes pretty much follow a basic build. There are variations, though.Machetes may be of similar size. After all, if a blade strays too much from the average size, it can no longer be called a machete. However, the size is still an important feature since the even a little difference in size can affect how comfortable it is to use. Size comes in for other considerations as well.When the size is specified, the measurement of the blade length is considered. The range is between 10 and 28 inches, the average being 18 inches.Then, there’s the composition of the blade. The two most common material choices are carbon steel and stainless steel. Some are made with a combination of these called high carbon stainless steel.The tang – the part connecting the machete blade to the handle, extending to the grip – is another important feature. The tang supports the blade so that it won’t easily part from the handle during heavy blows. There are different builds for the tang.Then, there’s the blade shape or style. Take note, however, that there is no standardization for most blade styles. Some may even use style names interchangeably. You can treat the following list as just a guideline of sorts.
- Bush Machete – shape follows a basic knife, just larger; a general purpose blade.
- Bolo Machete – broader near the tip.
- Barong Machete – leaf-shaped blade.
- Kukri Machete –three distinct sections: pointed tip, wide midsection, and narrow area near the handle.
- Colima Machete – double-edged machete.
- Sable Machete – distinct curved shape, resembling a scimitar.
- Cane Machete – blunt-tipped, sometimes hooked blade.
- Short-handed Sickle – relatively short with an edge-side curve.
- Spear Point Machete – with a piercing point.
- Hawkbill Machete – hooked machete; can be sharpened on both or either side.
Machete handles are also made from different materials.
- Wood
- Molded Plastic
- Stainless Steel
- Rubber
- Leather
- Micarta
Aside from the material, handles differ in style.
- Quillon
- D-Ring/Knuckle Guard
- Crossguard
Notable Machete Manufacturers
- Cold Steel
- Condor Tool and Knives
- Gerber
- Ontario Knife Company
Conclusion
The basic design of the machete gives it supreme versatility. However, not all machetes are created equal. If you decide to get one, be sure to check out the features and consult user reviews so you choose more carefully. You’d surely get a great machete.