Think of any jungle scenario and the machete will be at the forefront, slashing dense cane and rough brush to make a path for the safari. While that’s not the way most people in the tropics travel today, there’s still plenty of country you can’t cross without one. Sometimes called the agricultural cutlass, the machete bears a strong resemblance to the short, heavy fighting sword that was a favorite among pirates and common seamen. Long thick forward-weighted blades made this style of working knife instantly appropriate for battle.
Today the machete is built more for bushcraft than fighting, although many are still special issue military gear. The Brazilian Army provides soldiers a machete with a ten inch clip point blade, along with a whetstone and a fixed blade Bowie knife, as part of the standard jungle kit. For civilians similar shorter versions of the machete efficiently clear campsites and trails and make quick work of camp chores, performing like a camp axe but without the weight. Often ground with a short thick bevel, the blades hold up to heavy work without turning an edge. That same thick steel doesn’t serve well for tasks that require razor sharp thin blades. Use the machete for heavy chopping, but keep a hunting or skinning knife on hand for the fine work.
The Bark River Golog Machete has the simple machete design but with the refinements of a good hunting knife.
Ontario Knife Company’s SP8 Spec Machete shows what happens when a corporation cares about getting it right.
Our choice for the best machete is Cold Steel’s Kukri Machete. It takes the Gurkha knife to new levels.
Built like slim machetes, these Twin Ninja Swords from Trademark Global should be treated with respect. Although they aren't combat quality steel, they're certainly good enough to do harm.
One sheath of strong nylon fabric holds both swords and can be conveniently slung over the back. Unlike some ninja ...
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the movie Predator, a detailed replica of the machete used by Dutch Shaefer (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger) and his commando squad was released in a limited production run of 10,000 pieces. This is not one of them.
Built narrower and lighter than the signature version ...
The Becker BK3 Tac Tool, now made by Ka-Bar, resulted from a collaboration between Ethan Becker of Becker Knife and Tool and John Benner of Tactical Defense Institute. The original purpose of the Tac Tool was to provide emergency entry into locked or barricaded rooms. Even though the ...
United Cutlery made the Black Ronin Ninja Sword good enough to actually use, though it's an odd blend of jungle machete and wakizashi. Like the Black Ronin Tomahawk, the Ninja Sword looks like a fantasy weapon until you get up close. Then it's surprisingly real.
Made from one bar of ...
Fans of the Fox TV series Firefly or the subsequent movie Serenity will recognize this weapon as a Reaver sword, based on the blade acquired by the young psychic River Tam in one of the story's final scenes. Although details don't exactly match the sword she brandishes in ads for the ...
If you need a knife heavy enough for chopping wood, the Ka-Bar 14-1/4-inch Bowie could be a match. The tactical black high carbon 1085 steel blade is flat ground and tempered to Rockwell 55 to 57 -- it's a strong edge that will even hold up to rocks without ...
Ka-Bar's Black Cutlass Machete reaches back to the roots of both designs, coming up with a new approach that works well for modern campers and adventurers. The 16-1/2-inch rat tail tang knife -- with 11 inches of 1085 high carbon steel cutting edge -- chops brush, slashes rope, and in ...
The Falchion took centuries to evolve from what was probably a butcher knife or kitchen cleaver pressed into emergency service into what became a cross between an ax and sword. The Medieval Falchion from Valiant Armoury is both an accurate reproduction of this old weapon and an example of how it ...
The Bark River Golog brings the traditional machete of Indonesia to the North Woods of America. One pound in weight, the 17 5/8" bushcraft knife has been reduced in size but not in strength--it's forged from chrome vanadium tool steel nearly a quarter inch thick. ...
Machetes look like great fun in jungle movies, with everybody up front chopping away at six foot grass and sapling thickets and hardly slowing down the march--but try one in the American woodlands and you'll quickly realize that the full length machete was meant for tender green growth, not the briar ...
Sometimes it's great just to see a utility knife with sheer simplicity. Nothing fancy, no special little gimmicks. Just a straightforward machete made from quality materials. And it's made by none other than Cold Steel.
The basic design of this Cold Steel machete is derived from ancient African and South American styles. It ...
If I were to take a machete into the North American wilderness, I think I'd like one that was shorter and heavier than the jungle variety. Maybe something that would fit into a belt sheath, so I could use my hands for other things; something with a secure grip instead ...
If I hear the name Ka-Bar I think of the tried and true fighting knife that's standard equipment for U.S. Marines. It isn't fancy, but most Marines can't break it. Ka-Bar does branch out into other parts of the knife industry from time to time, and the 17" ...
Machetes were originally designed to be farm and trail tools--that's an application few of us will need these days unless we cut sugar cane for a living or wander about in Tarzan quality jungles. This machete is the standard Army issue, which says a lot about it (the Army buys ...
If I think of German engineering, I think of efficiency, utility, and horrifically creative design. I see some of that in this knife. I'm sorry if it sounds weird, but I think German engineers just can't help it.
Smaller than the Ka-Bar version of the Gurkha military knife, the ...
Kershaw's plain-edge Outcast is a decent choice for an outdoor knife. It's reasonably strong, fairly priced, and has the reputation of Kershaw behind its craftsmanship... three very good reasons to keep this one in mind.
The blade has a recurve drop point with half-length top swage, a suitable choice for heavy outdoor ...
These Kukri knives are heavy, curved knives originally used as both weapon and machete. Today they are mostly used as bushcraft tools and are often called "Gurkha blades".
It features a twelve inch blade made of SK-5 high-carbon steel. Its got a black, anti-rust coating.
The handle is textured Kraton that may be ...
This machete from Woodman's Pal is intended to be a multipurpose tool, replacing several tools you might be inclined to carry.
It's billed as a do-it-all machete, axe, pruning shears, saw, chainsaw and bowie knife. Though it's probably best to assume it will do a good job as a machete job ...
Condor makes another machete that's similar to this one. There are only two differences: the blade's finish, size and tip.
In this particular Outback model the machete is made from blasted satin stainless steel, giving it an authentic "stainless steel" look.
The tip also shows a small swage, likely only a couple ...
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