MacheteSpecialists.com Hot Pick in Tactical Knives Magazine

Hey, we haven't been updating our blog as much as we'd like, we spend all our time packing.

We are excited and honored to announce that Tactical Knives Magazine has us featured as one of Randall's Hot Picks at the end of an article about machetes in their most recent issue. In it the author argues the relative merits of a machete as compared to a knife or ax in survival situations.

We know where we stand.

We continue to gather new styles of machetes, as well as useful information regarding their use and care.

Machetes and Survival

I was reading the Army Survival Manual FM 21-76 today, and came upon several interesting machete-related excerpts.

"Knives" are mentioned more often than "machetes", but if we look at what the field manual says about knives, one of the three outlined uses are best accomplished with a long knife or machete, as it is difficult to slash and chop with a pocket knife.

"A knife has three basic functions. It can puncture, slash or chop, and cut"

"If you are the victim of an aircraft crash, the most important items to take with you from the crash site are a machete, a compass, a first aid kit, and a parachute or other material for use as mosquito netting and shelter."

"Chop Fishing
At night, in an area with a good fish density, you can use a light to attract fish. Then, armed with a machete or similar weapon, you can gather fish using the back side of the blade to strike them. Do not use the sharp side as you will cut them in two pieces and end up losing some of the fish."

Hansa Arrocero 19.99

The forces involved in using a machete require that the steel used be both hard and flexible. The edge must be hard enough to retain its sharpness, but flexible enough through proper tempering to allow the blade to bend without breaking. Hansa prides itself on the ability to bend the blade at room temperature, showing just how ductile the blade is.

ESEE Lite Machete with Condor Blade 59.95 w/o Sheath

We are now offering the ultra-lite ESEE (Formerly Rat Cutlery) Lite Machete with Micarta handle. This is a great price point for someone looking for the quality and comfort of a micarta handle without the high-price.

Bellotto Sickles and Machetes

We just added a line of Brazilian agricultural edge tools. There are sickles of various shapes that can be used to cut grains or harvest fruits, as well as corn knives for harvesting cane and other machetes. With the increase in popularity of small-scale agricultural, hand tools are once again a worthwhile investment for many farmers.

New Condor Parang Machete $39.95

New Condor products arriving soon! We are the first website to obtain the new Condor product line. Product should arrive by the end of April.

We are very excited about the new Condor high-carbon Parang Machete, which features an 18 inch long, 1/4 inch thick blade for serious chopping.

Based on a design popular in SE Asia and Malaysia in particular, the Condor parang features a hardwood handle and expoxy-coated blade. Also soon to be offered, the optional leather sheath, perfect for this unusual and effective blade style.

The Machete Hook

There is nothing more important for cutting down on the time it takes to clear brush and tall grasses than the "gancho" or hook.

Typically, the hook is made in the field out of a bifurcating branch as the image above shows. By using the hook in the opposite hand as that which wield the machete, considerable time and effort can be saved. Just a few advantages:

1) Keeps hands further from where the machete will be cutting to avoid accidents.
2) Pulls vegetation taught so that it can be cut more easily.
3) Prevents animal and snake bites by eliminating the need to grasp with the hands.
4) Pulls vegetation aside to expose the stalks and trunks of plants for easy cutting.
5) Prevents cut vegetation from interfering with areas still to be cut.
6) Protects from thorns and briars.
7) Can be used to pull obstacles such as fallen limbs out of the way to allow unrestricted cutting.

Check out this video showing Don Fernando Caamano, a veteran machete-man, taking care of some brush with a 24 inch Hansa lampon machete.