Recommend me a good machete.

[Somnophore]

As above, looking for a good machete for camping and garden clearance (very overgrown). Saw one someone on here made from a leaf spring, want something decent like that.

[windy81]

Condor - Golok Machete

http://www.heinnie.com/uploads/images_products_large/6180.jpg

This I've been using for a few months now, and about 100 trees felled or tidied up, the convex edge, having hit soil, stones and god knows what else has remained intact.

I should mention I used it to de-branch the trees and the long length made it particularly good at achieving the leverage necessary to get the job done in one slice.
A good machete is an extraordinarily efficient use of energy in this regard.

Swipe with a rough stone and the edge is revitalised.
The steel is agreeably soft enough to sharpen easily and tough enough not to chip. Spot-on I would say for the application
I'm extremely happy with it.

Condor make many other versions to choose from, so a few words about the quality.
It's thick but not too heavy, it's tough and wont bend easily which is good for log splitting and the edge, arguably the most important bit is ground to top quality mirror finish convex.
This makes the edge tougher and a more efficient slicer which is exactly what a machete is employed for, slicing things at high velocity which it does very very well.
The handle on this version is lovely and comfortable for my massive hands.

Condor clearly know what they are doing and at that price its frankly brilliant value.

I'll be carrying mine on my 5 day jaunt around the Llyn Peninsula in the coming weeks for wood splitting and so on.

Have I sold it to you yet ? ;)

Pictures of mine in action tomorrow...

http://www.heinnie.com/Knives/Condor-Knives/Condor-Knives-Golok-Machete/p-92-130-6180

[Bunny-Boiler]

Well you have just sold it to me. I was just questioning on another thread what capabillities the 1075 carbon steel has. I think you have just answered it. Its a defo on my list, just what I am looking for so thanks for that.

[flexo]

a sickle should do it...
if you want a machete any of the trade should do, be it, a tramontina,or martindale...
you might also consider a vernacular bill hook!

[TallNHairyDave]

That condor looks decent, especially now it's a full tang. (the original version wasn't full tang as shown in the photo above and had problems with the ball end of the handle breaking off in heavy use).

That said, you really can't go wrong with a tramontina (http://heinnie.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=0&P_ID=4626&strPageHistory=search&numSearchStartRecord=1). :D (Avoid martindale, unless you want to do a lot of work sharpening it first!)

[topheronetwoo]

Just don't get a sog fusion saw a review where a chunk of the blade got left in what they were cutting

[Danzo]

Good old Tramontina is very hard to beat for the money:

http://www.heinnie.com/Knives/Tramontina-Machetes/c-1-92-713/

Danzo

[se7en]

+1 on the Tramontina...at the price you just cannot go wrong,and they're an excellent tool.

[Somnophore]

I do like that condor galok, but that tramontina ,can get 4 for the same price as the galok

[mloc]

I have an old martindale machete like this
http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRoL4-hnW2_i_Vst6xN0kMZR9Iv49q40pXROxLFWjMrWsyEdYxm5g

I reshaped and radiused the handle slabs down to the tang and used a dremel to remove the up-swept tip and it is a great tool, i just use a power-file to touch up the edge when it needs it

It kinda looks like this one now but with more rust on the blade flats
http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQtyTezUOlBDHSj5yk3X6UjDbP6KdEza 0-QafuRzbSKcM7uBximnA

[MeetTheGeeks]

Dont buy the martindale unless you want to do some work getting it useable. ;) Ask me how I know

[parbajtor]

This has had some good reviews
http://www.heinnie.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=0&P_ID=2955&strPageHistory=search&numSearchStartRecord=25
a bit pricier than the Tram, but you can use from the word go, the handles are comfy and rehandling would be a doddle.
It's also just under 4mm thick, so a fairly hefty bit of steel.

[TallNHairyDave]

This has had some good reviews
http://www.heinnie.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=0&P_ID=2955&strPageHistory=search&numSearchStartRecord=25
a bit pricier than the Tram, but you can use from the word go, the handles are comfy and rehandling would be a doddle.
It's also just under 4mm thick, so a fairly hefty bit of steel.

I have one of those, and I can vouch for it doing the job nicely :)

[Danzo]

I do like that condor galok, but that tramontina ,can get 4 for the same price as the galok

I just ordered another one......with BB discount and free shipping from Heinnies its about the same price as a couple of pints of lager.

Daft, really.

Danzo