Posted: 8/24/2014 4:54:56 AM EDT
While scouting out a new deer hunting location, I decided I would like a machete to help clear out some paths. I don't have much experience with these things, but I have seen my uncle's Ontario. What's the best bang for the buck?? (no pun intended) 
|
|
Quoted:
While scouting out a new deer hunting location, I decided I would like a machete to help clear out some paths. I don't have much experience with these things, but I have seen my uncle's Ontario. What's the best bang for the buck?? (no pun intended) Not a knife, but you asked for the best bang for the buck clearing a trail and IMHO fastest and safest, here it is... 
|
|
depends on what kind of brush you're going through. green stuff or dry?
I would avoid making trail and "bend like a reed in the wind" through the existing brush..... unless you're setting aside a day for nothing but swinging a blade. I cleared land for pasture in costa rica for 2 bucks an hour a decade ago or so..heavy jungle, fallowed pasture..... I used a 26 or 28" Imacasa along with a "garapato" (same length stick with a L-shaped 8 inch hook (branch) on the end) Also had a bastard file sharpened by stone to knife edge to re-sharpen machete blade every hour or so one up on the sheers: 
|
|
how much do you want to spend, there are some for a few dollars and some for over one hundred, you first have to decide what you want to do with the machete, do you want to cut green leafy stuff, or woody stuff, the machete is also specialized in the types there are also special machetes for sugar cane work or tree work. that said i like the condor machetes, the village parang, the
http://www.machetespecialists.com/machete-brands.html village parang blade heavy chops well: http://www.machetespecialists.com/condor-village-parang.html the pack golok is a handy size: http://www.machetespecialists.com/condor-pack-golok.html the bushcraft parang handles well also: http://www.machetespecialists.com/condor-bushcraft-parang.html as you can see there are lots of choices and lengths, a 12 -14 inch is long enough and portable enough. for heavy work an 18-24 inch will chop better but is more unweildly to use as a knife. get a stone and a file to sharpen them with also alex. |
|
The area is hard woods with lots of briers patches, and some vines....
I was looking for one with good steel, the ontario impressed with the 1095 steel as I know it should hold a good edge. Price wise undecided. I looked at a woodsman pal but the price had me thinking "is it really worth it??" |
|
Quoted: The area is hard woods with lots of briers patches, and some vines.... I was looking for one with good steel, the ontario impressed with the 1095 steel as I know it should hold a good edge. Price wise undecided. I looked at a woodsman pal but the price had me thinking "is it really worth it??" Machete's and tools like them are so cheap, you can get two or three. (Everybody should have at least one.) I use one of these things:  $23 on Amazon. The Gerber version comes with an actual sheath for a few dollars more. |
| I like Ontario and had great use from a short machete, I also use a camp ax/tomahawk with it. The ax is used to pull or hold stickers and cut with machete and of course for the bigger branches if needed. Cold Steel Trail Hawk is my choice, good reach and not to big. |
|
Quoted:
Not a knife, but you asked for the best bang for the buck clearing a trail and IMHO fastest and safest, here it is... http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/318QYGEC94L._SY300_.jpg Quoted:
Quoted:
While scouting out a new deer hunting location, I decided I would like a machete to help clear out some paths. I don't have much experience with these things, but I have seen my uncle's Ontario. What's the best bang for the buck?? (no pun intended) Not a knife, but you asked for the best bang for the buck clearing a trail and IMHO fastest and safest, here it is... http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/318QYGEC94L._SY300_.jpg +1 on using loppers. I went through the same exact thing last year clearing a trail through brush, etc to a new ladder stand I placed on my brother's property. I brought a Fiskars machete and a camp axe (wtf did I know ) and found both to be pretty much useless for this application.
My brother broke out some loppers and we got the job done PDQ. Again, this was for thick brush complete with thorns, etc. about waist high. Loppers FTW. |
|
If you have to have a machete, and no one can talk you out of it, then
Quoted:
For clearing out paths get a latin machete by Tramontina or Cold Steel. FerFAL Quoted:
Tramontina, you can get 3 or 4 for the price of one of the others mentioned. It is the go to machete for people who use them everyday. I lost my 18 inch today while clearing brush, heartbroken. ...is damn good advice. I bought ten for less than $70, thinking they'd be cheap and break easily. Not so much. Still on my first one, and she's worked pretty good. They're made for men who use them every day in places that need machetes. Having said all that, the best thing I've ever used to quickly clear trails is loppers. If your target brush is green, get bypass loppers. If older and dryer, get anvil loppers. You'll probably end up with a machete anyway, as it's hard to beat the whole romantic notion of swinging that big blade and hacking your way through your own personal "jungle"...but when you get done playing, you'll grab loppers. I'm not knocking machetes as survival tools! I've got a bunch of 'em. I like playing jungle explorer too. But when it's time to work? I use the loppers. |
|
I have and use lopers all the time, but when I needed to clear out a huge outgrowth of brush in my back yard, I used the machete to great results. Think a 20 ft long semi circle of brush protruding out of a fence line. I wanted to make the fence line straight for easier mowing.
I did find that the machete was extremely effective when I could get to the thicker parts of the brush stems. It cuts through 1" thick trees with ease. I practically waded through it as I cut and pulled out small trees and branches. Either tool would have done the job pretty well. |
|
Quoted:
+1 on using loppers. I went through the same exact thing last year clearing a trail through brush, etc to a new ladder stand I placed on my brother's property. I brought a Fiskars machete and a camp axe (wtf did I know ) and found both to be pretty much useless for this application.
My brother broke out some loppers and we got the job done PDQ. Again, this was for thick brush complete with thorns, etc. about waist high. Loppers FTW. Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
While scouting out a new deer hunting location, I decided I would like a machete to help clear out some paths. I don't have much experience with these things, but I have seen my uncle's Ontario. What's the best bang for the buck?? (no pun intended) Not a knife, but you asked for the best bang for the buck clearing a trail and IMHO fastest and safest, here it is... http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/318QYGEC94L._SY300_.jpg +1 on using loppers. I went through the same exact thing last year clearing a trail through brush, etc to a new ladder stand I placed on my brother's property. I brought a Fiskars machete and a camp axe (wtf did I know ) and found both to be pretty much useless for this application.
My brother broke out some loppers and we got the job done PDQ. Again, this was for thick brush complete with thorns, etc. about waist high. Loppers FTW. Oh My God...... Do you realize you will have to turn in your ARFCOM Survivalist Tacticool Prepper Card now???? And since you have a loper and have little chance of severing an artery in your leg, you'll have to turn in your tacticool pants with 87 built-in turnyquits too.
|