Finally, it’s time to talk about machetes, as you may guess from today’s blog title. We usually give a whole outlook to the piece at the start, but we think we will skip it this time around. Now, every enthusiast knows a machete is a broad and rather long blade. It can be used either as an axe to hack away at an object or wielded as a weapon much like a short sword.
Back in the days, a typical machete blade was between 12.8 to 17.7 inches long and only about 0.12 inches thick. Initially, it was not more than an agricultural tool. But farmers and other people soon used it as a weapon considering its immensely effective blade and high availability.
In case you came looking to buy machete for sale and not read everything about the blade, then you may go through our inventory of wholesale knives to pick the cheapest but best blade you will buy ever. You will come across more knives than you are prepared to look at. So, our advice will be to brace yourself before perusing through our cool knives collection.
Oh! Almost forgot we should tell you about some similar tools and weapons to a machete that existed in the past. Won’t you like reading about that?
Historical Tools and Weapons Similar to Machete
Nowadays, it is much longer and available in various sizes ranging between 18 and 24 inches. So, these historical weapons and tools we are going to discuss are not going to be exactly like the new machetes for sale but still they seem similar.
- Kukri: is a Nepalese curved blade used in almost the same way. Perhaps, that’s why it has become a type of machete in the modern day world. So expect to learn more about the kukri knife later in this blog.
- Parang: is said to be the Malaysian knife which became the basis for most machetes.
- Seax: A German weapon similar in use but not in shape.
- Dao: a traditional Chinese weapon, also known as “General of All Weapons”, which looks like the machete.
- Kopis: an ancient Greek weapon matching the description of the broad blade in question.
If we want, we can keep this list going on and on forever. However, we think it best to move towards the main topic everyone is anxiously waiting to read about. Don’t you agree?
Popular Machete Types
If you want, you can go ahead and call them the common types of machete. Still, we are going to stick with the term popular machetes until the end. So, following are some well-known variations of the weapon:
Latin Machete
This is the same weapon that comes into the minds of most Americans, when we utter the word “machete”. Often seen in Hollywood movies, the Latin or Bush machete has a straight back blade, nicely balanced and quite strong. People use it as a multi-purpose tool but mainly good for green vegetation.
Bowie Machete
It’s well known in the US for being based on bowie knife, which was popularized by the legendary frontiersman Jim Bowie. Another term people use to refer to it is the large bowie knife as its nothing but one. Also, this type might just be the best example of a survival machete. You can use this great blade for all sorts of trips to the wilderness. Bowie machete is extremely useful for survival and hunting purposes and that’s why you will find a number of large bowie knives for sale in the market to get your hands on!
Kukri Machete
Kukri knife, which is also known as khukri, has its origins in Nepal. It’s an inwardly curved long blade that is often considered to be a type of machete. Even though it’s not actually a variation but a weapon and tool with its own separate history. The kukri was initially a utility knife that later got introduced to the Nepalese Army as time progressed. So, it has got a similar history and traits to a machete but it’s not really a type of another weapon. Still many people call it a kukri machete anyway.
Bolo Machete
Another popular type of the weapon, the bolo machete comes from the land of the Filipinos. A broad blade that swells a little bit more around its tip to make it efficient for chopping. You can use it for clearing up vegetations, chopping up wood or portioning big pieces of meat. It is used for training in the local martial arts fighting style as well. There are more bolo machetes for sale available online, and in the markets, than you can buy. So, have fun finding the best machete for yourself!
Panga
The panga machete or tapanga is a variation of the weapon originating from somewhere in the Southern Africa. It has an unusual shape as the blade swells and curves out and upwards near the tip, unlike many other types of machete knife that have a straight back or inward curve. In few cases, people sharpen the risen part of the panga blade. As it has a large drop in the belly, the big knife gives you an advantage at chopping and slicing things with ease. The upward curve and sharp tip makes it a great weapon for stabbing an opponent and making big swings to chop off a body part during your attack.
Golok
Originated in Southeast Asia, the Golok machete was traditionally utilized as an agricultural tool. It is not suitable to be used as a weapon for being shorter in size than most other variations of machete for sale. However, it's good for chopping down thick green vegetation due to its rather thick blade. Golok is popular for having a great primary grind that keeps it from getting stuck while one chops down green plantations with it.
Parang
Much similar to the golok, parang machetes are small and thick blades that have a primary grind; while they are usually found in places like Indonesia and Malaysia. Parang are effectively used for cutting green trees and branches with the help of its fine primary grind.
Barong
Known around the globe for its unique blade, the barong machete has a single-edged and leaf-like blade, which originated somewhere in the Philippines. This variation of the weapon is usually heavy so great for slicing and chopping. Its uses vary from cutting greens and clearing paths to slaughtering livestock and fighting with it in martial arts training.
Which is the Best Machete for Your Use?
We think we have explained the uses of machetes, along with how popular they are and the reason why! You can keep a them for a number of reasons but mostly you will need them for chopping and cutting green vegetation.
If you are a survivalist or hunter, then we suggest you to buy a bowie machete as soon as possible. For its bowie style blade can help in clearing brush, hunting, skinning your game and slicing its meat. This means anything is possible for you in the wild with it.
On the other hand, buying a bolo machete can be useful in the long run as its heavy, tough and nicely balanced for chopping. You can rough it up doing hard tasks and it will keep up with you for a long time.
However, the simplest one you can get is the Latin machete that can help you clear up your surroundings on any camping trip, which you take occasionally. Being simple is not a bad thing actually this type is best for first time buyers. So, you should consider it before every other of the weapon’s variations because it’s the finest blade you can ask for multi-purpose use.
Popular Uses of Machete
As it's a multipurpose tool, the machete knife can have varying uses depending on the situation. Still, people usually use it for carrying out the following tasks:
- Clearing up brush: is a great use of the tool. You can clear your surroundings to reach places otherwise inaccessible.
- Making pathways and maintaining them: as clearing the brushes for the first time will only open a path way, after which you will have to keep cutting them with your machetes regularly; in case you plan to stay in the area for a while.
- Harvesting crops: using a good type has always been a great deal for the farmers in various regions of the world. Sickle styled machetes comes in handy for agricultural uses all the time. You can use to get rid of vines and harvest all sorts of crops such as rice, corn, barley, sugar cane and many others.
- Cutting green or woody vegetation: because this is perhaps its most common use out there. Most long blades are the best for chopping green plantation after all.
- Other uses of machete blade are: managing a campsite, hunting and survival, splitting nuts or fruits, cutting fodder for farm animals, chopping wood to get a fire going, removing weeds, trimming hedges, gutting game, making shelter, carving up wood to make other tools, digging, making traps, butchering meat, clearing scrub and much more.
There are not enough words to explain everything about the wholesale machetes for sale on Knife Import. So, talking about each and everyone in the world is quite impossible. Still we tried our best to provide everything you want to know about a machete, its various types and which of its variation can be the best for your use.
Hopefully, you liked today’s blog and may that be enough to keep you coming back for reading more informational pieces we put up on the platform. But we will be parting for now, until next time, good bye!
Read More: How Many Types of Knives for Sale at Knife Import?