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