If you could only bring one or the other, which would it be?
Why?
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If you could only bring one or the other, which would it be?
Why?
I chose Machete , just seems it would be more versatile, after watching Pict's Video, Its Machete all the way :)
I chose an axe as that's what I used to.
If I was in a area the had thick folage, jungle etc, I might want to rethink that.
Proper prepping does not make in nessessry to "chose" one over the other.
As with anything, you chose the proper tool for the job, if you can plan ahead, or use what ever you have, if you are in a situation where you don't have a choice.
I agree with hunter63. Even though I chose an axe, it would depend on the habitat I was in at the time. On some of the rivers down here in the south a machete would be best, on others the axe and on some you would need both.
I have a machete made from a sawmill blade and is heavy enough to do some serious chopping and splitting. So I think in an "either or situation" and knowing nothing about the habitat I would choose MY machete.
I would mirror that I would also choose a machete in certain situations, but, overall, it is an ax (small camp-sized) for me.
I mostly hunt and camp in plains prarie or riparian forest, so a machete would be overkill. Indeed, I only use the ax as a convenience for splitting wood for kindeling and have gone into the wild quite often with nothing more than a multitool, knowing that I could find plenty of smaller stuff to start a fire in an emergency. Overall, my approach is to work with and around nature, not put myself in situations where I feel I need to hack and wack my way through it.
For a kicker, I've never injured myself with an ax, but I have with a machete. I was using it correctly, but that is a lot of blade and it easy to accidently cut a toe or knee. In a survival situation, that could be the difference between an uncomfortable night without a fire and death.
If I knew I would be in dense vegetation, I may change my mind.
Axe for me. Same reasons. I can walk around multi-flora rose.
What are things an axe can do that a machete can't?
What are things a machete can do that an axe can't?
What sort of environments are more suited to each?
Does the size of the axe impact which one you would choose?
You can clear brush as you walk with a machete, and it's easier to split wood with an axe?
For me it would be an axe, I already carry my coldsteel bushman that is well suite to use for clearing brush, so an axe would be a knife saver when gathering wood.
That about sums it up for me.Quote:
Originally Posted by sgtdraino
In order to make an intelligent decision, or give good advice, you (we) need to know what environments you plan on using either of these. If it's the woods that you normally hike in, what are they like? Do you hike on paths or trail blaze? I imagine that Pict's answer to the question might be different than Sourdough's.Quote:
Originally Posted by sgtdraino
Given the lack of data I have to say an axe. The only Machete I own is an "El-Cheapo" bought from Wally-World. However I'd also be taking my Becker Combat Bowie with it's 9" blade, so that would help with any brush that needed clearing. An axe, IMO, is one of the most versatile tools there is. If I ever find myself in the Panamanian Jungle or in the Brazilian rain forest alongside Pict/Mac I might regret that decision, but realistically I don't see anything like that happening. :cool2:
One point, I never go along with "either/or" situations; I take along what I want & what I need. :cool2:
I have one of these ,, and believe me its very heavy duty, Its a ww2 folding jungle survival machete that was issued to pilots, this will do any chopping a medium Axe will do i think,
http://www.oriental-arms.com/photos/...03509/ph-0.jpg
I chose the axe for it's use as a hammer in a extreme survival situation.
Hi there HappyHunter. Why not Hunt your way happily to our Introduction section and tell us a bit about yourself?
http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...ead.php?t=7813
Wow, Axe is kicking Machete's ***! There must me advantages to Axe that I'm not seeing yet.
One thing that I have observed, or at least the impression I get, is that a majority of the experts on this forum reside in colder climates that are perhaps more suited to Axe than Machete. I wonder if this is influencing the results?Quote:
Originally Posted by crashdive123
I notice the same trend whenever clothing is discussed: There is a lot of focus on cold weather clothing, not as much focus on hot weather clothing.
I'm not so much looking for advice on what I should carry, as I am seeking to understand what factors cause you guys to choose the tool that you choose. Obviously different folks will choose differently depending on what factors they face. I'd like to hear more about those factors that influence their choices.Quote:
Originally Posted by crashdive123
THAT'S CHEATING! :) That's like saying, "I'll take BOTH!" A large bowie with a 9" blade is basically like having a small machete.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sarge47
What if you had to choose between Axe, and your Becker Combat Bowie, Sarge?
I'd like to hear some more detail on this. I seek to understand. What are the many versatile things that an axe can do? Obviously if you're going to be felling sizeable trees, an axe is what you need. But beyond that, it seems like an awefully heavy and cumbersome item compared to a machete.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sarge47
Couldn't a sizeable chunk of wood do that?Quote:
Originally Posted by happyhunter42
SD, I guess you just like machetes better.
Thats great, but I have to question why it always seems to be a either/or situation?
Most people wiill pick what they like if they have a choice, or use whatever they have if they don't. Nothing wrong with that....it's what we do.
If you ain't cheating, you ain't trying.Quote:
Originally Posted by sgtdraino
Don't forget what can be done with a sharp axe in the hands of an experienced woodsman. http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...ighlight=angus
I think that is correct, the axe is a preferred tool in large forested areas while a machete works well against heavy Brush.Quote:
Originally Posted by sgtdraino
NANNY NANNY BOO BOO! :innocent:Quote:
Originally Posted by sgtdraino
AXE WINS, HANDS DOWN! No contest!Quote:
Originally Posted by sgtdraino
What if your Machete breaks? Look at the thickness of an axe head, See how thick & strong it is? Here's a quote from "The Complete Book of Camping" by Leonard Miracle with Maurice Decker; Chapter 8: "The Vital Ax;" pg 151:Quote:
Originally Posted by sgtdraino
"If you were all alone in the woods with only one tool, what tool would you select? To this question the modern woodsman would answer an ax-for the ax is the basic Wilderness tool.
"With only an ax, a skillful woodsman can build a sturdy shelter-a permanent cabin if need be. The steel head of an ax will spark a flint to start a fire. An ax will cut material to build traps for fish & game. A man with an ax can build a raft, a dugout, or a canoe. The cutting edge of an ax can be used to butcher a moose that weighs a half a ton or to clean a 1-pound fish.
"An ax is a formidable weapon in itself, and it will shape the materials needed for a spear, or a bow and arrows. A rifle is just an elaborate club when a vital spring breaks or it's cartridges are gone. Although ax handles break, the steel can be used to cut and shape a new handle, and the head will last indefinitely".
So I choose the ax.
Perhaps, but you have to spend time & expand energy looking for that "just right" piece of wood...Your axe is already equipped with it! Besides, why count on using something "sub-standard" in place of the right tool? Wood can break apart easily & is untrustworthy as a proper tool. The time & energy spent, in my opinion, does not justify your stance regarding the machete. :cool2:Quote:
Originally Posted by sgtdraino
Thanks for reminding us of that video.
I didn't know they had "invented" survival, back in 1954.
Snicker, snicker...............
LOL,, I agree ! Loved watching that :) was that Bears Grandpa ? LOLQuote:
Originally Posted by hunter63
Machete, because I have a reputation to uphold.
Seriously it all depends on where and what time of year. Here in Brazil, year round you have to carry a machete and an axe is dead weight.
Back in PA during the summer I'd rather have a short machete. In winter there or anywhere north of there I'd rather have an axe.
Both can be either the right (essential) tool for the job or just a useless item on a trip. I think it is a fact that neither of them is "better" just which is appropriate for the task at hand. Learn them both and choose your tools wisely.
Cutting instruments evolve in an environment and climate that they suit.
The guys in AZ, soCal, are not dealing with real wood. They are clipping twigs and digging holes. A machette is fine for them.
Us folk that deal with real wood need the cutting instrument that was designed for out needs, the axe.
People do not realize that when the Europeans got to North America they had to redesign the axe for the first time in 5,000 years. Our environment required a completely different type of cutting tool.
Anything else is a poor substitute for an axe in the North American forest. Note the words: "almost, nearly, could be used and so far" when discribing any other tool outside jungle or desert conditions.
We have Big trees too, just depends where you are :blushing:Quote:
Originally Posted by kyratshooter
I went with axe because without specifying a terrain, I assume you mean my terrain. I am in the south, mostly around old woods, or planted pines. Most of the thick underbrush is patchy at best. If I can only carry one, I prefer the more versatile, and heavy duty tool. I can walk around the brush. Usually if it's thick enough to need chopping with a machete, it's near a "bottom" where you really don't wanna go anyway (unless you're hunting). We just don't have thick-jungle type woods around here everywhere. I prefer the heavy-duty, but I do intend to add a machete to my kit. As Mac has shown, a machete can be a more versatile in certain situations and I would love to have one with the mods he's done to his!
I have said before, we seldom use either. We gather dead wood for fire and anything that needs to be smaller we use leverage between trees or if close to the fire. We just burn it and keep moving it into the fire.
I would probably choose the machete first for short camps. Long term I would want the axe.
Who here carries an axe the size Angus used in the video with them when they hike?
I carry an axe in the truck and the quad. But, not when I am walking. But, I'll stick a machete in my pack. Sometimes...
When I picked -Axe......This is what I had in mind.
On my hunting fanny pack;
I do what a machete, carry it in the back of the truck, along with a lot of other "stuff".
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y13...3/DSCF0035.jpg
Okay, if I'm fighting off Zombies I want either a Machete or a Katana...along with Howie Britain, of course! :innocent: Anyway, I have the lightweight backpacking hand axe made by Buck, it's even smaller than Hunter's. :cool2:
Here's the problem, S.D., The members on here are all different & live in different areas; there's no "one size fits all" answer here. What you might like & want will more than likely be different than what the rest of us want & like. I consider my Becker Combat Bowie just a knife...a really huge knife, to be sure, but a knife just the same. You may see it differently, I don't really care. It's what I'd take along with an axe; the biggest of which is a youth's model Scout axe, BTW. :cool2:
I prefer an ax, just bacause that is what I am used to. I do not feel I would be losing much by carrying a machete, but I just don't carry one.
I think as others have said it really does depend on the environment and more importantly what you're used to.
Only time I "really" used an axe was chopping wood when I had a fireplace and that was mostly just using a maul to split wood. But, I have used a machete to clear a path, chop trees, branches for a deer stand, shooting lane, etc. A machete does make quick work of this.
I think overall the machete is the more versatile of the two in any wilderness setting unless your intent is to build a log cabin.
I'm kinda with Batch though. I pretty much just use a knife. It'll take down small saplings if needed and I just burn thru bigger logs for the fire.
Here in Michigan there is lotsa mature woods, scrub woods, brush, vines, fields and swamp so a machete would definitely be the more versatile of the two. Some areas are virtually impassable due to all the vines and deadfalls and there's been many a time I wish I'da brought the machete. It would have saved me miles of backtracking. I've never had a situation where I wish I'da brought an axe or hatchet.
I agree. A machete always rides on the ATV front rack. I will add an axe only if I think I may need one.Quote:
Originally Posted by crashdive123
This is actually a half-way legitimate point: In a pinch, a machete would (IMO) be a more effective defensive or offensive weapon than an axe.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sarge47
But, then again, a machete is probably perceived as a weapon more often than an axe, which I suppose might possibly get you in hot water with the authorities, depending on what area you happen to find yourself in.
Oh yeah, I realize that. I'm interested in the reasoning behind their choices though, so that if I ever find myself in a different area, that I'm perhaps less familiar with than some of the other folks on here, I might better be able to decide whether I should bring an axe, or a machete.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sarge47
rwc's thinking pretty much echoes my own, except that he probably has a helluva lot more practical experience than I do. But "Axe" is so popular, I have to think I'm missing something regarding it's "versatility."Quote:
Originally Posted by rwc1969
Unless I'm going to be chopping things that are really, really big, I'd think a machete would do that chopping just as well. Maybe even better! Everything else that an axe can do, seems to me to be something that I could fairly easily fashion a quick primitive tool to accomplish almost as well. Alternatively, there are things a machete can do that there is just no easy way to duplicate, especially with an axe.
A related idea: What are your thoughts on just packing an axe head in your gear, and then fashioning a handle if you find you really absolutely need to use it?
and depending on the style of machete you have, you could make a really cool spear :)
Quote:
Originally Posted by sgtdraino
It is called "Boots in the Field" experience. Take a wild guess how many members have ever hacked there way through a jungle or Alder thicket........YEP, not very many. Now how many members have split some kindling at some point in there life........"Boots in the Field".
I'm really not very experienced with an axe, hatchet, or machete.
The only other thing I can think of is to me an axe feels much safer than a hatchet, or especially a machete.
Whenever I do use the machete, which is rare, i am always real careful how I'm carrying it and swinging it. it's such a lengthy blade and you can fall or swing and hack yourself pretty easy.
Hatchets are short and if you miss you can wack yourself too, unless you make sure a missed swing won't hit you. I've seen lots of vids where the guys aren't keeping this in mind and until recently I had considered it enough myself.
I have the machete, and a folding saw, which together don't weigh what my small axe does, about the same amount of space. I keep my axe in the suv. Carry the other two.
There ya go, making more work & expanding more energy. :innocent: I suppose if one were backpacking that might be a good idea, however, since I'm mobile inside a motorized vehicle I'd pack the following:Quote:
Originally Posted by sgtdraino
1.) Machete, filed down blade to increase cutting ability.
2.) Youth model axe, blade also filed for maximum effectiveness.
3.) Small hand axe.
4.) Small bow saw.
5.) Large bow saw.
6.) Small shovel.
If I was going to be doing a lot of wood splitting I'd add a good splitting maul & a few wood wedges into the mix; & yes, Sourdough, I HAVE split more than my share of kindling as well as hacked through brush. The hacking, however was NOT done with a machete, but with a very long military bayonet with a real sharp blade.(didn't have a machete & the bayonet was there...) :cool2:
No Offense Sgt.Draino...But you are talking about large cutting tools from totally opposite ends of the spectrum.
Machete- Light,thin, long cutting surface, soft metal, flexible
Axe -Heavy.thick,short cutting surface, Hard metal, rigid
If I were trying to strike a spark from a piece of flint, I would choose the axe over a machete. True the machete can do it, but it's easier with a harder metal.
As for the machete/weapon analogy, Axes have been used far longer as weapons than machetes, knives and swords. Even if it doesn't cut, it's gonna' break something. Stone axes were used as weapons,as well as tools.
The machete has a softer metal so that if it hits something hard like a rock...it doesn't chip. While in MOST of the world that has enough "woods" that a cutting tool would really be necessary. The machete wins hands down. Used mainly to cut thin vegetation,grasses, and vines. Anything much bigger than that and you will want an axe.
It is for this reason that I include BOTH a small axe/Tomahawk AND a small 12" Ontario machete in my BOB.Also I carry a small saw, and extra knife or two. Each tool has a function....true a wrench Can be used as a hammer. But wouldn't you really rather have the hammer?
To make it simple, anyplace that has a year round growing season you need a machete. Anyplace that has an actual winter, you need an axe. Mac
Makes sense to me :)