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.