Even Suburbanites Need a Machete

Although popularly thought of as jungle hacking tools, machetes come in very handy around the house. I use mine to chop my kitchen and garden waste into little pieces so it composts rapidly. My evergreen bushes out front grow new shoots in the summer, and to keep the bushes looking I good I get rid of the uneven shoots with my machete. A vine is growing through some of my bushes, and the machete took care of that too. I make stakes out of branches and saplings from the backyard for tomato trellis stakes and bean poles.

The Infamous Machete

In most of the world, a machete-wielding man would not even raise an eyebrow. Unfortunately, machetes have a more sinister reputation in the US. Most people think of violence when you mention a machete, and although classified as an agricultural tool by most governments, it always pays to be circumspect in shipping or carrying a machete. Whenever called upon to identify the contents of our packages, we try to use the harmless sounding "Edge Tools" as opposed to "Machetes."

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.

Trimming Native Grasses

Using native grasses for landscaping has become very popular here in the US. Machetes and hand sickles are the perfect tool for maintaining native grasses.

In early spring, dead leaves and flower stalks should be cut-back to provide space for new growth. Hand sickles and machetes are perfect for removing dead, unsightly vegetation. Last year's growth should be cut to about 4-6 inches above ground level.

Additionally, machetes can be used to divide overgrown clumps of grasses into smaller clumps for replanting.

Machetes and Woodlot Management Part 1

The machete can be a vital tool if you are a landowner looking to improve the economics and diversity of your woodlot.

1) Clear vegetation around new planting to reduce competition.
2) Clear diseased or non-viable trees to make room for valuable timber species.
3) Diversify transition zones between forest and field by creating tiered levels of vegetation.
4) Create brush piles for local wildlife.
5) Avoid straight lines and angles, remember that organic growth usually appears random.

Martindale Machetes

Ralph Martindale & Company Ltd of England produces an incredible variety of edge tools for sale all over the world. Many of their machetes are produced in their factory in Ghana, West Africa. Once produced, they are sold all over the African continent. Martindale also makes other styles popular in Asia and the Americas. Well-known for consistent quality and attention to detail, Martindale supplies machetes and survival tools to the British Armed Services.
MacheteSpecialists.com now offers the largest selection of Martindale machetes in North America.

Palm Tree Trimming Tool

Most people knowledgeable about pruning palm trees know that some type of blade is required. Though old, dry fronds do not harm the tree, they can become unsightly if left for too long. A dense, shaggy mass often remains where the dry fronds broke from the tree, which can build up and become a fire hazard and a favorite nesting spot for rodents. With as many different palms as there are, it would be hard to recommend a specific machete for this task, but we can give some suggestions.

Palm trees are very sensitive to damage to their trunks, so utmost care must be taken when removing spent fronds. Generally speaking, pruners can better control their blades if they choose a machete with either a straight or concave cutting edge. Both provide more control compared to a machete with a convex, slicing blade. Sickle like blades have the further advantage of gathering the fronds together right before cutting them.

Since palm fronds are usually not woody, a lightweight machete is preferred to avoid fatigue. Avoid heavy blades.

Machetes with a hook have the advantage of allowing the uses to pull down vegetation to within reach.

If you are needing a palm tree pruning tool, look no further than MacheteSpecialists.com.

Old Edge Tools-Machetes and Billhooks

There are several sites in the UK that specialize in old-time edge tools, many of which are no longer manufactured.

Some great places to look:

timelesstools.co.uk
oldtools.co.uk

Agriculture in the UK has a long history, and for hundreds of years people used hand tools to harvest fuel and food. With the recent mechanization of agriculture, many of these implements were discarded and replaced by newer machines. In the UK however, land parcels still tend to be small, and the growing movement towards sustainable, small-scale agriculture has once again created interest in billhooks, machetes, and other edge-tools.

Machetes for Surveyors

Here at MacheteSpecialists.com, we get a lot of responses from surveyors looking to find a machete. They need a good machete to clear sight lines when making boundary surveys. Most are looking for a medium-long, hefty machete that does not bend or wobble.

Bill Hooks: the European Machete

Condor Bush Knife $59.99

The billhook is any many ways the machete of Europe. Featuring a curved blade that concentrates vegetation in the center of the curve for controlled cutting, they are great for stripping side branches or cutting around curved objects like tree trunks.

Billhooks were useful for woodlot management, particularly important in an earlier time when wood was the fuel for virtually every household.

Gerber Gator Recall

New Model

Recalled Model

Gerber Legendary Blades Recalls Machetes Due to Laceration Hazard

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Gerber® Gator® Machete and Gator® Machete Jr.

Units: About 149,000 Gator Machetes and 6,000 Gator Machetes Jr.

Importer: Gerber Legendary Blades, of Portland, Ore., a division of Fiskars Brands Inc., of Madison, Wis.

Gerber Blade Company has added a finger guard on their Gator® and Gator® Jr machetes.

All the new Gerber Gator machetes sold by MacheteSpecialists.com feature the new handle, which prevents the hand slipping onto the serrated blade while sawing.

Consumer Contact: For more information, contact Gerber Legendary Blades toll-free at (877) 314-9130 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT, Monday through Friday, or visit the firm's Web site at www.gerbergear.com (pdf)

Imacasa Machetes

MacheteSpecialists.com is the only website in the US currently selling machetes from Central American giant Imacasa. Based in El Salvador, Imacasa sells a wide range of tools throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. They are knows as some of the best machetes produced.

Book of Eli-Fury Machete Only $8.50

In the movie "The Book of Eli", the machete they feature has several holes in the blade. These holes are designed to lighten the blade of the machete. We have several machetes that feature a lightened blade. This Fury machete features a kukri style blade and a black finish.

Machetes for the Survivalist

I tend to believe there is no tool more essential than the machete. In fact, one of the first items that primitive tribes added to their toolkit was the metal machete. Arab traders brought machetes to Southeast Asia, and Europeans brought them to South and Central America. So important were machetes that missionaries in the 1970s, when trying to contact jungle tribes in Ecuador, would drop machetes from helicopters as gifts to attempt to make contact, and ironically, civilize them.

Condor Golok Machete

The Condor golok machete is a really cool tool, and our bestseller.

Golok is the Indonesian term for machete, so it is really a tautology to say golok machete. Since golok is an all-encompassing term, any style of blade that originated in Indonesia tends to be called a golok.

That said, machetes with thick, stout blades tend to be popular in Asia, and are a common feature of many "golok" machetes.

The Condor golok machete is hand-crafted in El Salvador, but based on a SE Asian design.

Sickles are Modified Machetes

A machete, in our humble estimation, is similar to a large knife except that you tend to swing it as opposed to stab with it. In other words, a machete is a long blade on a handle that you swing. A sickle, therefore, is just a highly modified machete for harvesting grains and stalks.

Machetes at the Fair

At one time, machete-like tools were ubiquitous in farms all across America. Known as "corn knives" or "sickles", they are similar to machetes in that that are swung to chop and slice. As the name implies, the corn knife is used for chopping corn stalks. As mechanization supplanted these humble hand tools, corn knives and sickles became rare. The Latin American sugar cane machete, still common in sugar-growing regions everywhere, is similar in structure to the corn knife, and can be used as one. Both feature a wide, thin blade with a blunt tip. The wide blade provides enough weight for chopping, and the tip is removed to prevent it from interfering with the chopping motion of the blade. The hook is used to help gather the chopped stalks or canes.

The Machete in the Garden

The machete has been used for thousands of years, primarily for agricultural purposes. One form we know is the sickle, which is really a machete with a highly modified, curved blade. The advantage of the sickle is that the stalks or canes are pulled together toward the center of the curve, so that they are easier to gather together.

Uses of Machetes or Sickles for Gardeners and Farmers:

1. Chop vegetable matter into small pieces to compost.
2. Cut grasses, brush, leafy vegetaion, or branches for compost material.
3. Remove branches shading your garden.
4. Harvest a variety of grain crops.
5. Make trellis poles.
6. Practice no-till gardening by removing only the above-ground vegetation.
8. Cut fodder for animals.

Straw Bale Construction with Machetes

Straw-bale construction is becoming very popular as an alternative building method. Many hand-tools are used for various parts of the process, but perhaps none more so than a quality chopping machete. Straw is such an integral part of the process, and nothing cuts straw as well as a good machete. If you are wanting to buy machetes for construction of straw-bale structures, look no further than machete specialists.

Website Opens Offering a Global Variety of Machetes

Website Opens Offering a Global Variety of Machetes

Columbia, Missouri-Feb 24th, 2010- The tool of choice for the common man all over the world, the machete combines elements of both the knife and the ax in one convenient, portable package. Used for everything from clearing trails to harvesting crops, machetes are popular with campers, foresters, gardeners, hunters, surveyors, survivalists, hikers, and small-scale farmers. Found throughout the world, certain styles tend to be favored in different regions based on local vegetation, crops, and custom.

Returning to the United States after a 2-year stint in the Peace Corps in Ecuador, MacheteSpecialists.com founder Campbell Laird missed his machete. He did not need a machete to hack through jungle or wield as a weapon, but rather for mundane tasks around the home such as clearing brush and chopping kitchen waste into manageable pieces for his compost pile.

“I needed a good machete, and frankly, I could not find one locally,” says Laird. “The type I had used in South America had a good deal more weight in the blade, making it ideal for chopping. The one cheap machete on offer at my local hardware store was too thin and flimsy.”

In the US, retailers simply do not stock many machetes. Large-scale agricultural machinery has replaced the humble corn knife and sickle (both different types of machetes) at harvest time, and Hollywood and 24-hour news coverage have contributed to negative impressions that leave the machete maligned and misunderstood.

To Laird, however, the machete is an essential tool. “Though more common in the tropics, North Americans have found many uses for the machete as well. Camping, fishing and hiking are popular pastimes, and more and more people are becoming interested in gardening and sustainable agriculture. Additionally, many people living in the US come from areas abroad where machetes are commonplace, and they appreciate being able to use tools they are familiar with.”

A worldwide selection of machetes, as well as machete related-information, can be found at MacheteSpecialists.com.

About The Owner: Campbell Laird is a self-styled machete expert, having spent months researching and categorizing the different styles, regional names, and specialized uses of machetes from all over the world.

Landscaping Machetes

I was just talking to a local landscaper last night about MacheteSpecialists.com, and he was really excited that there was now a place he could buy machetes. He insisted that every landscaper needs a machete. He said power tools are great, such as chain saws and hedge trimmers, but they simply don't work on small diameter branches and long grasses. For building fences, he regularly needs to clear the planned fence line of all vegetation before he can begin to set the posts. Landscaping machetes come in many forms. For heavy vegetation choose a blade with a lot of weight for power. There are two-handed machete varieties, such as this grass slasher below, that can be swung from an upright position to clear vegetation, which prevents workers from having to stoop.

Hunting Machete

There are many uses for hunting machetes.
Hunters can use the machete to clear shooting paths.
They can attract wildlife and diversify habitat by creating brush piles, clearings, and managing saplings to provide a variety of forest growth stages
Hunters can use a strong machete to dispatch wounded animals and to dress game carcasses.
One of our favorites is the Marbles bolo machete, which comes razor sharp with a high-visibility orange color for easy relocation.

Best New Survival Machete

Innovative, Multifunctional, best describes the Condor Wilderness Tool! In this one tool you will find a machete blade, a brush/guthook/pick, a shovel, and a hatchet/cleaver edge. If you are heading into the wilderness this is the tool to have on your side! Cut shooting lanes and branches, build a shelter, make a camp fire pit, field dress big game, build a campfire, prepare meals; the Wilderness Tool could save your life if lost or stranded and it weighs less than a pound in its leather sheath! The concept and design was created by world-renowned knife and tool designer Arlan D. Lothe and is patent pending. Find this and other great machetes at MacheteSpecialists.com