I have more machete time than I care to think about. It is most certainly my most used outdoor tool, and it is a rare day That I am out on my property without it. If I had to be stranded anywhere, it would be the one tool I would most like to have. I could make any other tool, weapon or shelter I needed using it. The key IMO is weight VS length. The large head heavy ones though good used on thicker stuff like an axe, will wear you out swinging at small stuff. Blade thickness is very important. Avoid the thin surplus store and wallmart ones. They have too much blade flex when striking heavier branches, which can lead to unexpected and uncontrolled glancing blows. IMO, a blade with a 1/8"(.125") thick back is about right. Apparently someone else thought so also, as it was written into a millspec.
I have owned/used several, and the best one I have is the 18" millspec model made by the Ontario Knife Company. The others I have will work, but they are just not as efficient as the Ontario model. You can see one down near the bottom of this page.
Welcome to Ontario Knife Company! They have manufactured these for decades. I have owned mine for well over 20 years. They make an updated version with a handguard and a colored handle(same blade as the milspec but with a molded handle). If I had to get another one, I would probably get one like the model 8516 seen on this page.
Welcome to Ontario Knife Company! But in 20 years of hard use, I have been unable to wear my current one out
I have on occasion missplaced it in the woods, so a colored handle would be handy. IMO, 18" of blade is the ideal length. It is also very easy to carry and store on tractor or truck.
Whatever you use, put a wrist strap on it. If you are working in stickers or thorns, you will want to wear gloves, and hot sweaty hands, or gloved hands can sometimes have grip issues. An 18" blade flying thru the air uncontrolled can be a real bad thing... Cut branches/logs at an angle steeper than you would use for a axe(30-45 degrees). This allows the blade to sever the wood strands easier, like a Katana sword slicing thru a rolled straw mat. As you use it you will find there is a sweet spot where the cutting seems to be effortless. This spot for me seems to be back from the tip about 6". Once you get the swing of it, you will wonder how you ever worked in the bush without one. On tree trunks up to about 8", I can hack my way thru faster and with less effort using the machete than I can with an axe.
Good luck and be safe. The part about taking a leg off? That mans father was right in that regard.
