There aren't a lot of tools that give you as much bang for the buck as a machete and the price of under twenty bucks is pretty crazy for what you get. Hell, even if you don't need a bad-ass machete, buy this one anyway.. just "because" :)
There are a lot of machetes to choose from, many are thin 1/16" "mystery metal", wobbly, made in China junk, while others are WAY overpriced ALSO made in China, (oh the audacity!) like fancy Gerber's or whatever. Seriously, screw that nonsense, because THIS is the I-18 Ontario "meat & potatoes" boss of the brush. Put another way, what would Jason from Friday the 13th reach for? THIS ONE, provided of course, he remains a bad-ass and doesn't suddenly follow the current PC trends to adopt a more reflective "humanist" approach, with soft fragile feelings he desperately needs to share... and "discuss" lol.
I won't say just because it's US military issue, it's the best (even though it is, to me) True, there are specialized high quality "Woodsman's Pals" with a unique shape and a polished fit and finish that the US forestry service uses, but you wanna drop like, a hundred plus $ on a machete? Personally, I don't need it that bad when I can get this for the price of two lunches at McDonalds.
It has the time tested, capably well balanced, no-frills Cutlass shape that will step up to do all "machete tasks", and then some. And unlike much of the anemic, wobbly, worthless and weak competition, it's 0.125" (1/8th inch) thickness will deliver heft and power to obliterate heavier brush and even send chunks of wood flying. This is a relative heavy-weight, for machetes. For me, I think that's a good thing because it will clear everything from the very green soft "juicy" foliage, to the hard core woody thickets with a lot of branches. What type of environment are you clearing? If it's a mix of both, go with this. If it's just tons of soft juicy green stuff, get a thin fast and light "wobbly" one, because this will tire you out unnecessarily because of its heft.
I sing this thing praises, but it's because of the bargain price in mind. This is not perfect, nor is it refined. The handle is kind of crude and can get uncomfortable with some "hot spots. Also, it comes with a rather crude edge. I think Ontario must have different classes of sharpeners at their US factory in up-state New York.. and I imagine the "lawnmower blade sharpener level" people are tasked with putting an edge on these. So, you won't be slipping this out of its cardboard sleeve upon arrival to watch it "float" through a sheet of paper. However, it's also not a butter knife and will easily slice you open badly right out of the box if you're not careful. Perhaps that is why they ship them like this, son that they don't hazardously cut their way out if the box, and can take the stresses of being tossed carelessly in military warehouses without a fragile razor edge being subject to damage.. well, just a thought, because the edge stinks. Again, I forgive these things as it's a US made big hunk of tough steel for under twenty bucks and you'll have to put a little work into promoting this soldier to "be all he can be". Most importantly, the edge angle is established so you just need to hone it some, however you can just take it out of the box and start clearing brush, but I'd strongly recommend taking a few minutes to make the job five times easier with a diamond or ceramic rod, or even a cheap 8" x 2" rectangular sharpening stone you can find in the hardware sections of "dollar stores".
It has a powdery, black, matte, non-reflective zinc-oxide coating (I believe it's zinc oxide) to protect the steel as it is NOT stainless. However, it is 1095 carbon, which takes a wicked edge easily, holds it for a pretty long time and is really robust for this application since it's not prone to chipping. It is hardened to the mid to lower fifties on the Rockwell scale, so it's forgiving under shock, as machetes ought to be since they boss their way through hazards unknown, sometimes encountering a concealed cable, rock or a really hard hunk of wood.
Although this particular I-18 is the US military issued model, you'd be hard pressed to find any current members since 2001 mentioning how dependable it was in the "sand box" but some Vietnam guys sure will, and it's the same one they were issued. Ontario knows "if it ain't broke, don't fix it", so this is the same one those guys swung through the dense brush of southeast Asia over forty years ago. 👍
IN USE: I already have a 12" Ontario model with the saw-back spine, and except for the saw teeth and the blade blank being cut 6" shorter, it's the same. With that one, I've beaten the snot out of it and it's still 100%. You know how they say, "this is a certain tool, so don't use it as a screwdriver, axe, prybar, etc, etc, etc.. Pfft! lol. Just to see what it could take, I batoned this through super hard wood that was ridiculous, like it was a stone, and it didn't snap the blade on it. No, I wouldn't try to hang off it, use it as a step-up or pry a door off the hinges (it's tough, but it's not supernaturally tough) My point being, this is the machete you will buy ONCE, use it for extreme brush clearing and even survival duties, chop down a tree, clear logs blocking a path, etc. and you'll never need to buy another one.
So, to sum up. It can rust, so take some sensible care of it, the exposed edge in particular, especially if you're in a corrosive environment near the salt water, for example. You'll have to roll up your sleeves and refine the edge to reveal its ability to slice time-space as the factory edge is crude. The handle will antagonize the paws of girly-men, so use gloves if pushing pencils and paper cuts is your most hazardous routine (just kidding, I have some callouses and it can still get irritating when swinging it a lot) But most of all, it's awesome for under twenty bucks. Just make sure you get at least a cheap sheath for it, but even the whole combo won't set you back thirty bucks. Now, if the caveats sound reasonable to you, buy it with confidence. It get's a 5/5* from me👍
| Brand | Ontario Knife Company |
|---|---|
| Blade Length | 18 Inches |
| Handle Material | Plastic |
| Blade Material | Carbon Steel |
| Style | No sheath |
| Item Weight | 0.45 Kilograms |
| Product Dimensions | 23"L x 2"W |
| Hand Orientation | Ambidextrous |
| Item Package Dimensions L x W x H | 24 x 4 x 2.5 inches |
| Package Weight | 0.66 Kilograms |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 23 x 2 x 2 inches |
| Brand Name | Ontario Knife Company |
| Warranty Description | SEE MANUFACTURER |
| Model Name | 1061458 |
| Color | Black |
| Material | STEEL |
| Suggested Users | unisex-adult |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Manufacturer | Ontario Knife Company |
| Part Number | 1061458 |
| Model Year | 2012 |
| Included Components | 1061458 |
| Size | 1 Pack |
| Sport Type | Hunting |
