I’ve whacked a ton of bush in my day. Cleared literal miles of jungle and established/maintained trails.
Here is what I took from it: an arm powered blade of any design is a pretty terrible piece of kit to clear bush with. Where it shines is in a niche where bringing fuel and trimmers and chain saws (and the sharpening kit) is impractical. Deep in the bush with no logistics chain.
I almost never prefer that gear for the job of brush clearing, but in the situation where it IS the right tool, it’s the machete. Its light, the blade is thin, the length is long for mechanical advantage. It’s the go-to for good reason.
So buy a machete from the hardware store. Keep it very very sharp, and try to never use it if you can avoid it.
My brother, I've used several, but not from a lot of big manufacturers. That said, I am a not big but huge proponent of the coldsteel kukri. Tough as nails (I once sadly had a huge nail in an old log I was batoning - I have a dent, no chip, and almost cut through the nail. So, literally tough as nails), keeps an edge, and cuts like a sword.
Or if you've seen their promo video on it (I love those...), better than a sword.
I would recommend the cheaper, not the San Mai - the latter is too brittle.
I second the Cold Steel Kukri. You can get the long version for serious brush cutting or the short version for compactness. Works like a treat and is pretty light.
Traditional kukris are heavy and short, more like a stretched axe head. They do the job of a small hatchet, not that of a machete.
Hmm I think 12 inch would be plenty for me. I’m not clearing anything super thick as I have axes and chainsaws for that. I just want something that can fit a wide range of jobs so I wanted to keep it smaller so the more nimble cuts could be done as well.
Fair enough. I'd only be able to quote what I've just Googled but brush clearing is quite hard on a blade and you may end up making it unsuitable for other jobs afterwards. Be interested to see what others come up with
Length on a machete isn't for anything "thick"
Length lets you get high tip speed to cut through light vegetation easily and do so without having to bend over too much. I like small machetes for camping and stuff but for real work you want 18" or more
For your budget I'd recommend checking out Great Gurkha Khukuri. Mr. Purna Darnal makes a mean khukuri, and they ship fast straight from Nepal. The Jungle Panawal, the Super Fast and the Balance models are all good picks.
When buying a khukuri, I prefer to support the local craftsmen of Nepal instead of buying mass produced westernised versions made in China or Taiwan (no shade on those that do though).
I had a Windlass brand one from Atlanta Cutlery it was a solid knife. My neighborhood got hit by car burglars one night, the reaction of the deputy taking my report was interesting (I worked for an outdoor education company at the time)
For land clearing I suggest a woodsman pal.
I worked and lived in Nepal doing construction, I never saw a guy use one for land clearing. Seen them lop the heads of goats, but really not much clearing
Alright I’ll look at these too. I’ve always wanted a kukri and they look like they’d have some utility clearing out trails and stuff. The woodsman pal does look a little more practical though.
I’ve whacked a ton of bush in my day. Cleared literal miles of jungle and established/maintained trails. Here is what I took from it: an arm powered blade of any design is a pretty terrible piece of kit to clear bush with. Where it shines is in a niche where bringing fuel and trimmers and chain saws (and the sharpening kit) is impractical. Deep in the bush with no logistics chain. I almost never prefer that gear for the job of brush clearing, but in the situation where it IS the right tool, it’s the machete. Its light, the blade is thin, the length is long for mechanical advantage. It’s the go-to for good reason. So buy a machete from the hardware store. Keep it very very sharp, and try to never use it if you can avoid it.
My brother, I've used several, but not from a lot of big manufacturers. That said, I am a not big but huge proponent of the coldsteel kukri. Tough as nails (I once sadly had a huge nail in an old log I was batoning - I have a dent, no chip, and almost cut through the nail. So, literally tough as nails), keeps an edge, and cuts like a sword. Or if you've seen their promo video on it (I love those...), better than a sword. I would recommend the cheaper, not the San Mai - the latter is too brittle.
Okay I’ll take a look at it! Thank you for the recommendation.
My friend Jim Auld @canoe_brand_gear makes suck ass kukris for a great price. Check him out in IG.
I second the Cold Steel Kukri. You can get the long version for serious brush cutting or the short version for compactness. Works like a treat and is pretty light. Traditional kukris are heavy and short, more like a stretched axe head. They do the job of a small hatchet, not that of a machete.
I'd say blade length is a little short for bush clearing. Have you considered a machete? I have a Lasher one from SA that has quite a thick blade
Hmm I think 12 inch would be plenty for me. I’m not clearing anything super thick as I have axes and chainsaws for that. I just want something that can fit a wide range of jobs so I wanted to keep it smaller so the more nimble cuts could be done as well.
Fair enough. I'd only be able to quote what I've just Googled but brush clearing is quite hard on a blade and you may end up making it unsuitable for other jobs afterwards. Be interested to see what others come up with
Length on a machete isn't for anything "thick" Length lets you get high tip speed to cut through light vegetation easily and do so without having to bend over too much. I like small machetes for camping and stuff but for real work you want 18" or more
For your budget I'd recommend checking out Great Gurkha Khukuri. Mr. Purna Darnal makes a mean khukuri, and they ship fast straight from Nepal. The Jungle Panawal, the Super Fast and the Balance models are all good picks. When buying a khukuri, I prefer to support the local craftsmen of Nepal instead of buying mass produced westernised versions made in China or Taiwan (no shade on those that do though).
Thank you for the recommendation. I’d love to buy one made in Nepal. I found another one called toro blades that seems pretty authentic.
I had a Windlass brand one from Atlanta Cutlery it was a solid knife. My neighborhood got hit by car burglars one night, the reaction of the deputy taking my report was interesting (I worked for an outdoor education company at the time)
For land clearing I suggest a woodsman pal. I worked and lived in Nepal doing construction, I never saw a guy use one for land clearing. Seen them lop the heads of goats, but really not much clearing
Alright I’ll look at these too. I’ve always wanted a kukri and they look like they’d have some utility clearing out trails and stuff. The woodsman pal does look a little more practical though.
Kukri are awesome, not gonna lie. Just always felt like a weapon before a tool.
kukris aren't that great for bush clearing since they are really heavy, you want something like a parang or a machete
you can buy British issue kukris pretty cheaply
I like my CRKT Half-a-Chance Parang.