10 Best Machetes (Review) In 2021

The KA-BAR 2-1249-9 Kukri is one of the best survival machetes on the market. It’s designed for chopping weeds, clearing branches, and other bushcraft jobs, but the design makes it look more like something used by special forces. One of the main things we like about it is the all-black design, which gives it a sleek and professional look.

The fixed blade is made out of carbon steel, which means it is more durable and stays sharp longer than steel blades. The ergonomically-shaped handle is made from TPR (thermoplastic rubber), one of the toughest materials around. Basically, it’s not going to break easily, even under heavy use. The Kukri shape makes it one of the best tools for cutting through branches and grass. Only billhook machetes are more suited for this, but they’re not much use for anything else. The other thing we like about this knife is the high-quality leather/Cordura sheath. It provides plenty of protection to stop your machete from getting scratched or broken when you’re not using it. You may also like some of the best multitools from our list, so take a moment to check them out.

Bear Grylls is one of the most famous survival experts of all time. After a career in the SAS, he has become a household name thanks to his numerous TV shows and books. And now, he’s put his name to a Gerber Parang machete. The shape is based on the traditional jungle tribesmen’s tool that is used for clearing away branches and vines. It’s an essential tool if you’re trying to walk through an area with heavy coverage of plants.

The high carbon steel blade is extremely tough, resistant to corrosion, and easy to sharpen. It’s also weighted, which gives each swing more power. The handle has a textured rubber on the outside, making it extremely easy and comfortable to hold on to. And, it comes with a military-grade nylon sheath. The sheath alone is enough to sell this machete – it’s not only lightweight and resistant to mildew, but it also looks fantastic. On the end of the handle, there’s a lanyard cord, so you can attach the blade to your belt or pack easily.

This Parang machete is designed like an old-school machete used by tribesmen to cut their way through thick bushes. It’s one of the best-made and aesthetically pleasing knives on this list. We love the brown, hardwood handle in particular. It makes the machete look like something that was made hundreds of years ago, but it performs like something made yesterday. The 12-inch blade is made from high carbon steel and has a unique grind that you only see on Condor knives. This allows it to stay sharp for longer and gives the machete a unique look.

Condor Tool & Knife are a well-known brand in this space. They make some of the best machetes and this is one of their flagship products. You might have to pay a little more for a knife like this, but it’s well worth the investment if you want a blade that lasts. Although there’s no indication of a sheath on the Amazon listing, it does come with an attractive and durable brown leather sheath. For more useful cutting tools, check out our selection of the best wood axes.

The Ontario Knife Co. Military Machete is one of a line of bush machetes designed to US military specifications. The long, straight back blade makes it perfect for cutting through vegetation, whilst still being portable and easy to fit into a sheath. It’s not quite as suited to slicing as a Parang machete knife, but it’s just as good in the bush. The carbon steel blade is hardened to 50-55 HRC (which is pretty high on the scale for determining blade strength). Plus, it has a molded plastic handle that is riveted to the blade to stop it from ever coming loose.

One of the most attractive things about the Ontario Knife Co. Military Machete is the price. At just over $25, it’s much cheaper than a lot of the Parang machetes we’ve featured. There’s a couple of reasons for this, but the main one is that it doesn’t come with a sheath. That means the blade is much more likely to get damaged unless you find an alternative way of covering it up. Also, the handle is quite slippery, so you might need to cover it with some grip tape.

This Duku machete is our second featured product from Condor Tool & Knife. It’s relatively similar to the Parang machete but has a longer blade with a slightly different shape. Ultimately, they serve the same purpose – they’re both used for cutting away branches, grass, and other greenery. The reason we’ve selected this product as our Premium Product is the way it looks. It has a varnished hardwood handle with gold rivets and gold wrapping. The varnishing really brings out the wood’s natural grain. This – paired with the carbon steel blade – makes this one of the best-looking machetes money can buy. Even at nearly $100, it looks much more expensive than it is.

It comes with a simple welted sheath that is handcrafted from high-quality leather. If you’re looking for an extremely high-quality machete, this is the one for you. Condor has a reputation for making the best machetes on the market and this one is no exception. It should come with a warning that it has a lot of forwarding weight – when you swing it, it doesn’t want to stop!

The Golok machete is the last knife on this list from Condor Tool & Knife. It has a long 14” blade that curves up at the end, which makes it more effective at chopping on a solid surface. Like all of the machetes from Condor, it’s a versatile tool that can be used in all sorts of bushcraft situations. This shape is common in South East Asia and is used for chopping and shaping wood – it’s designed to be shorter and heavier than a Parang machete.

The carbon steel blade on this machete has a black powder epoxy coating. This protects it from rust, corrosion, and damage. And, it also makes it look fantastic. The walnut handle has gold rivets and fits perfectly with the blackened blade. Like all Condor machetes, it comes with a high-quality leather sheath, which is hand-made and fits the machete perfectly. If you’re looking for a versatile machete that is geared towards chopping, this is one of the best there is.

The Cold Steel 97BWM12S is designed to be an alternative to a bowie knife. Bowie knives can be really expensive, but you can get this bowie machete much cheaper. In fact, it’s the cheapest machete on this list. The benefit of a bowie knife is its clipped point, which makes it great for piercing. It will puncture almost anything that stands in your way. But, unlike a dagger, it’s not just designed for piercing, it can be used for chopping and slicing as well.

The design of this knife is pretty simple, compared to the more expensive machetes on this list. It has a carbon steel blade with a baked-on black finish. This isn’t just for aesthetic purposes though, it stops the blade from rusting and helps keep it sharp. One of the only things we don’t like about this knife is the handle. It’s made from tough plastic, but it just doesn’t grip well enough. In a survival situation, you don’t want your knife to slip out of your hand. You can easily fix this problem with some grip tape (the kind used on tennis or squash rackets).

Next up, we’ve got the KA-Bar Cutlass Machete. The shape of these knives is pretty similar to bolo machetes, but with a slightly thinner blade tip. The end of the blade is still wider than the base, which provides extra momentum when chopping branches, twigs, and anything else that stands in your way. This knife is also pretty good at piercing objects, thanks to the straight back and pointed tip.

In terms of its construction, it’s very similar to our Best Choice product, the KA-BAR 2-1249-9 Kukri. For example, it has a blackened carbon steel blade, a TPR handle, and comes with a leather Cordura sheath. In fact, apart from the shape of the blade, the two machetes are pretty much the same. If you check out the Amazon reviews for this product, you’ll quickly see that it is well-loved by outdoorsmen. It has a stream of 5-star reviews from customers that can’t wait to say how good this knife is. If you want a really versatile machete for medium to heavy use, the KA-Bar Cutlass Machete is definitely up to the task.

The CRKT Halfachance Fixed Blade Parang Machete has a claim to fame that makes it worth a place on this list. It was designed by famous knife maker Ken Onion, who rose to fame for inventing the SpeedSafe mechanism on Kershaw machetes. Of course, it wasn’t made by Ken Onion (it would cost a whole lot more if it was) but it still benefits from his design magic. The Parang-shaped blade is 18-inch long and is coated with epoxy powder to protect it from rust and corrosion.

One of the big selling points of this machete is the ergonomically designed handle. It has multiple grooves for your fingers to fit into. This reduces the amount of pressure needed to hold the blade steady, making it easier to chop for long periods. Plus, it has multiple lanyard holes in the handle to give you a variety of grip options. We also really like the sheath – it’s made from reinforced nylon and has 3 button straps to keep the machete in place.

Last on our list is the Cold Steel 97MKM Magnum Kukri. This shape is one of the most common machete shapes because it’s so useful in survival situations. The blade is pointed downwards to make chopping and shaping wood easier. But, it’s still pretty well suited to combat. All of the weight is towards the end of the blade, giving you much more momentum with each swing. It has a carbon steel blade with the same baked-on finish as the Cold Steel 97BWM12S. Despite there being no sheath on the product pictures, this listing is for a machete with sheath.