Low cost – A decent machete can be had for as little as $25, sometimes less depending on which part of the world you are in. Lethality – Apart from being able to cut, slash or stab, a machete can hack off an opponent’s limb with the right application of speed and force.

A Bush or Latin machete is great for this. Combat/Self-Defense: Combat machetes need to be able to slice effectively. The double-sided Panga machete will undoubtedly do this. You’d also want a longer machete blade to keep more distance between you and your attacker, so a long Latin or Bolo machete could work.

A 12-inch machete may be the greatest single survival tool ever conceived, long enough to do some bushwacking but short enough to easily control and carry easily. Perfect as a “one tool option” when the going gets tough, you will also appreciate having one on hand at camp and even at home for yardwork.

Machetes are classified as agricultural tools by United States law. Unlike stabbing knives and swords, which are classified as weapons, machetes have the distinction of usually being only sharpened on one side of the blade.

In many cases, the upper inclined portion of the panga blade may be sharpened. The upturned point of the machete is also good for stabbing and piercing, since the full force of the blade can be concentrated on a small area.

The meat cleaver is the best knife to use for cutting through bone. If you are dealing with larger bones then you can always use a bone saw. But, for everyday use it’s the meat cleaver or butchers knife that will really make the difference.

Machete blades are not really hardened metals and do not have to be razor sharp. To an extent like an axe you are cutting counter cuts taking out a wedge for hard woods, sharpened machetes are better for the softer bush or grass work. This is why they are sharper and lighter than axes.

A machete is a powerful tool for clearing brush. In the tropics, machetes are ubiquitous, all-purpose tools: they have been used to carve trails through tropical forests, to slash out clearings for crops, to crack open coconuts and slice papayas, and, of course, as imposing weapons.

You cannot concealed carry a dirk, Bowie knife, switchblade, ballistic blade, machete, or virtually anything scary.

Machetes are amazing tools for carving, incising and coppicing wood. Inicing, or preparing wood to be treated, can be a daunting task without a machete, and there’s no better go-to for coppicing – which is process of chopping a tree stump to promote shoots and new tree growth through that stump.