Considering buying a good machete. I have a cheapo discount tool store special which doesnt work that great. Ive considered some of the Fiskars models. I own their X27 and Isocore and have a pair of their hedge clippers too. It'd be used for chopping through vines/prickers/saplings which are usually present at my roadside wood scores.
I have Condor Duku Parang. I received as a gift. It is not cheap but it seems really well built. I have abused it on and off for 3 years now without any damage. Cool looking for sure. Don't have much experience with any others.
If there is anything I think I know just a little about, it's machetes. I have three favorites. Condor Parang... Cold Steel Bolo... Cold Steel Bolo Machete With Sheath 97LBMS Overall Length 24 Color Black 50 off for sale online | eBay Cold Steel garden and camp angled machete COLD STEEL 97GSM COLDSTEEL Cold Steel Garden & Camp Machete for sale online First two have scabbards, last does not. The last one is also called a 'whip.' It is useful for whacking small stuff but not something tough like an oak sapling. This tool is awesome for keeping an area or trail clean. Or clearing it in the first place of small stuff like vines, bushy stuff, grass, and very thin saplings. The first two will whack oak saplings. The Parang is much more expensive than the Bolo. I was surprised that I like the Bolo as much as I do; it lived up to its reviews. The Parang has thicker metal but the Bolo does surprisingly well due to more weight at the tip than other designs. I did a lot of research and bought several machetes to find the ultimate clearing machetes I use on my land to clear/maintain trails and also to help with scrounging nasty spots. I was lucky that the Parang was the first I bought; it does awesome. I bought the Bolo because it didn't cost much and I knew I could not know how good it could be without trying it. The whip thing was a great discovery that I lucked up on somehow. In its own way, it is superior and awesome. All of them are great. I also bought one more... a Martindale 28" Crocodile machete. Bought because of Martindale's good reputation and because it was the longest I could find within reason from a reputable manufacturer. I don't like it, it's too thin at this length, doesn't work for me. Might work on grass or light briars. I bought it hoping it would be hefty enough, for the purpose of trail clearing/maintenance such that I would not have to bend down so much as I walk. But the metal will not whack a small oak sapling, just too thin. I cannot recommend the Fiskars, and I have tried one briefly and I like Fiskars products. It's ok, it would work, just not as good as those above. When you are whacking for a long time, a little bit more efficiency matters. I also cannot recommend a short machete; I prefer these above because of the length of blade and the other things I mentioned. The loppers in my sig also work well.
I like the old fashioned brush hooks. They clear out pretty much everything without swinging hard or having to reach. Also like that you’re farther away and don’t get chewed up by thorns whipping back or down like what happens to me using a machete. I inherited a hook like this one and haven’t used the machete in years.
To each his own, for sure; I have never liked a brush hook at all! I do like the looks of a smaller one I came across but I did not buy it. My quest was to find something to whack oak saplings (they are very tough) in one whack without having to bend over much. I have always found a brush hook too heavy for what I need. The 'garden and camp angled machete' that I mentioned above is awesome and it will whack tough stuff but an oak sapling over about 1/2 inch, it's not hefty enough. So, for my needs, I continue to search for something between that and a brush hook. Both have length but one is too light, one is too heavy.
Fiskars has lots of options!!! Wood Cutting Tools | Fiskars I've had their Brush Axe for several years and like it. It will easily down up to 1.5" trees in a single slice. It will even quickly chop down 3"-4" trees if you don't put it back in its sheath quick enough. Not overly long and unwieldy in thick brush to catch on stuff either. Brush Axe (19") | Axes, Mauls & Machetes However.... If you're cutting a lot of prickers, as I see is a use you listed, you may be better off with a longer bladed machete. I think the brush axe would get caught easy on the less rigid stuff. The machete is more knife like, and the brush axe is more axe like . The real solution is to have a machete, a brush knife, and a small pruning saw.
Don't overthink it. I have swung a machete more times than I care to consider. This is all you need. Nothing fancy. Latin style machete made in Columbia. I recommend the 18" as the 22" gets heavy real fast. Corona Machete - 18 in Get one of these also. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Corona-A...SO8tE2opj-mp0iWJMoL6rew3wPQavHIBoCXYEQAvD_BwE I see a ditch bank blade above. I have one of those also...feel like Conan when using...and if you use it enough, you'll look like Conan soon.
I worked as a surveyor for over 15 years at the start of my career. A LOT of our work consisted of cutting survey lines with a machete through the East Texas creek bottoms. Our survey crew used both the 24” or 22” machetes. I preferred the 24” length for the extra leverage and reach. I used a flat bastard file to sharpen the blade and kept a very flat edge for the first 6 or 8 inches to slice through the briars and vines. I also liked to have the handle with a square stop at the butt of the handle. It seemed to reduce the possibility of the machete slipping out when my hands were sweaty and cause less blisters. I still keep one in the toolbox of my truck for when I venture out into the woods at my place. The online surveying supply houses are a good source for these. The Sokkia and Seymour brand look a lot like the one I still have. Don’t know if they are still built to the same quality as they were 30 years ago. They seem to cost between 12$ to 17 $ now.
