machete reviews

Best Machete Buying Guide

Before we can select the right machete, we need to be clear on our purposes. Machete for cutting small tree will definitely be very different from the one that we need for camping. For hacking purposes we will definitely looking for material that heavy enough so it can cut off small tree in a single swing. Heavy and durable material will be the best selection. For camping on the other hand require a lighter blade, so it will not a burden when we have to track our way to the camping ground.

To simply the process, we lay out the most important criteria for your consideration.

Design

Thre are many variation of machete. Each has its own purposes.

Materials

The most important part of machete is the material for blade. The metal is the heart of the blade. So when selecting a blade, again, we need to consider the most suitable metals.

In general we can category the metal for the blade into three different types. Then again this is a very general statement. Of course we can select what different metal if we are making our own machete.

Stainless steel

Main advantage of stainless steel blade is it resistant to rust. An essential consideration if our working close to saltwater. Unfortunately the metal is softer than carbon steel. So it needs regular sharpening.

The biggest disadvantages of stainless steel blade is the cost of materials. Stainless steel is more expensive than carbon steel. We can expect a higher price for the end product.

Carbon steel

Carbon steel is fairly common as the cost of production is fairly low and the process of making the machete blade is less complex. Majority of machetes for the mid and low end market are made of carbon steel. You got what you pay. But there is nothing wrong with that.

Carbon steel is much harder than stainless steel. It can provide sharp blade with simple maintenance. And it don’t require regular sharpening, unless we use it on daily basis. For general usage, simple sharpening and interval oiling is enough.

Unfortunately the carbon steel is very vulnerable to rust, especially with the present of high moisture. Salty water will definitely make it worse. The best way to avoid the rust is to oiled the blade regularly.

High carbon steel

High carbon steel provides the best characteristic of both carbon steel and stainless steel. The metal is the combination of both carbon steel and stainless steel. It can withstand corrosion much better than carbon steel. And it is much durable than stainless steel.

Obviously the process of making high carbon steel is more complex and expensive. The metal also is less tolerance to high heat. 

How to Sharpen a Machete the Right Way

You bought a machete and are ready to use it, but only then realize the machete needs to be sharpened. At Best Machete, we will share with you’re the necessary knowledge about the best sharping information. So your machete will be well prepared for the works.

There are different ways of sharpening machetes, depending on the purposes. Sharpening a machete for cutting small woods will be very much different than for slicing meat.

Here are some general guide on the machete blade angle.

For a non woody vegetation cut small sharpening angles about 20-25 degrees are the best , razor sharpness is necessary to cut grass, with this kind of sharpening there is little risk of chipping the edge. So it is ok to have smaller blade angle.

For a woody vegetation or branches cut a larger sharpening angle is recommended, 25-35 degrees. The large angle provide extra strength when cutting through the strong materials. This way the blade can withstand the constant beating of strokes while chopping.

For general usage machete with 25-30 degrees angle blade will be suitable. it can cut through most materials with ease, without compromising the strength of the blade. One good example is machete use for camping.

Having share that let us look at the list of machete sharpeners.

Heavy Sharpeners:

These ones are used to put an edge on a new blade as well as a damaged blade. Its main purpose is to give the machete the required blade angle. The result will be rough, so it needs to be sharpened further with a finer sharpener.

Heavy sharpeners include belt sanders, grinding wheels and mil files/hones. Let see what each got to offer.

Belt Sanders

This is the easiest and most cost effective method of sharpening machetes. Especially if you have many blade that need to be sharpened. The belt senders can create a convex edge using the inner part of the belt. It is very important not to monitor the blade temperature. Just make sure to keep the blade temperature low. Otherwise the heat will weaken the metal.

Grizzly H6070 Belt and Disc Sander

Our Rating: (4.1 / 5)

Grinding Wheels

Grinding wheels is cheap. The price varies but you can buy one for about $50 dollars. One good example is skil bench grinder. Beside sharpening machete, it can be used to sharpen all kinds of garden tools, mower blades and other implements.

Skil Bench Grinder

Our Rating: (4.5 / 5)

For experienced users, the use of a grinding wheel is perfect to remove initial bluntness from the machete. Grinding wheels are a more aggressive method to sharpen the blade and are recommended as a good option for initial sharpening, as they remove large nicks or restore a rusty or worn machete.

The key to get a good sharpening is to set up a work area with enough space, so the entire length of the machete or tools could be drawn across the wheel in a smooth motion to create an even edge. Be careful not blocking the path between the blade and the grinding wheel.

If you have enough experience using a grinding wheel this is the right choice for you. Again heat from the grinding can generate a very high temperature, just make sure your blade not overheat. The best way is to have a break in between. Alternatively we can also use water to cool down the blade temperature.

Mill Files/Hones

Mill Files or hones are the least expensive option we have. They are easy to use and can be stored easily without requiring much extra space.

TEKTON 6688 10-Inch Mill File

Our Rating: (4 / 5)

Mill File

Mill files have teeth that can give good blade profile. There are many files with double cut on one side and single cut for the other site. The double cut will give the blade a rough surface, the single cut on the other hand will give a finer finishing.

We need to make sure our machete blade properly secured at a correct angle and held firmly in a vice. Mill file should be pushed over the blade (do not pull), and this need to be done repeatedly. Until we have a sharp blade. Conversely the blade can be drawn across the secured mill file. If you are in the field, an alternative is to stuck the machete in a tree trunk for filing it.

We need to sharpen both sides of the blade. So do one side, then turn it over and sharpen the other side. However some military style machetes have chisel grind blades that are only sharpened only by one side.

During the grinding process a thin projection of metal is created (we call this a burr), turn the blade over and carefully look for this burr, it can be on either side, as you sharpen the other side of the blade a burr can develop. It looks like metal shavings clinging onto the edge. To get a fine edge, all burrs must have been removed.

Field Sharpeners:

While working in field, sharpening may be necessary. Our field sharpener can provide a touch up sharpening to our machete, as opposed to sharpeners that we have mentioned earlier.

These files are not recommended to use as a primary grinding device, but they do a good work honing and polishing the edge.

Different field sharpening stones are available for us, these stones can be kept in our pocket. In most cases the field sharpeners can be used without the need to use any oil or other cooling medium.

Two of good example are The Puck and the traditional canoe file.

Lansky Dual Grit Sharpener

Our Rating: (4.6 / 5)

The Puck is designed for large blades as machetes or mower blades, The Puck style Stone has a curved surface that is excellent for sharpening sickles and curved blades.

Beside the traditional method, there are also a more modern field sharpeners. They are easy to use. One good example is Smith’s 50118 Axe and Machete Sharpener.

Smith 50118 Machete Sharpener

Our Rating: (4.5 / 5)

We really hope this short explanation about machete sharpeners provide you with enough knowledge on the options that are available. It is not a rocket science. It just need a little knowledge plug some common sense.