Machetes

Machetes are ideal to hack your way in the jungle or to chop sugar cane. In first instance, this is a tool that is used frequently throughout the world.


## The origin of the machete


The name is Spanish in origin and means ‘little sledge hammer’. This says something about their usual sturdy build. Crushing a coconut should not be a problem for a good machete. The shape of machetes can vary. That relates to the origin of the particular type among other things. A Kukri is originally a Nepalese machete with a curved shape whereas the Parang and the Indonesian Golok have a much straighter blade. Many warriors also used a machete as it was the sharpest tool available to them. Machetes are jungle knives par excellence, as you can simply hack away around you with them.


## The steel and the sharpness of machetes


The steel types machetes are made from can vary. In some cases a cheaper steel type is used to keep the price low and sometimes the materials used are of very high quality. A machete is always very strong and can withstand vigorous hacking. If carbon steel is used it will not be rust-resistant. Not all machetes are supplied razor sharp. That is not a problem in many cases because they are not used to peel an apple but for chopping. Of course you can also sharpen a machete perfectly on a Japanese whetstone, but it will take some time because of the length of the cutting surface.

Machetes are tools between a large knife and a small sword in size (around 30–50 cm long). Machetes are often used in agriculture and in the tropics in particular.

Machetes: from the jungle to your garden