Put simply, the term refers to machete on a top heavy knife with a long blade. Thanks to the extraordinary shape is suitable machete less for cutting, but is designed primarily for hitting and hoeing. The blade length of one machete usually ranges from 20 cm to 60 cm, with most machetes having a blade length of 35 cm. In Europe, the machete mainly known from adventure novels and movies and is often referred to as a bush knife.

Genesis and form

Historically, it is not fully understood where and when the machete originated. The shape of the machete is likely to have been inspired by classic swords and sabers. In the beginning, the machete was mainly used as agricultural Tool, which for tee off z. Sugarcane was used in Latin America. There are also some other machete-like knives such as the Nepalese Kukri, which has a much older history and tradition than the machete. Over the years, the machete has spread worldwide and is used equally as a universal tool and as a fear-inspiring weapon. Today, the machete is available in many different versions. In addition to the traditional shape reminiscent of a saber, there are a variety of different variations of the original shape of the blade. Since the machete is a relatively simple tool used primarily in Third World countries, the quality is often not very good. For the production of the long blade inexpensive steel pipes are used in many cases, which are very rust-prone.

machetes as combat weapons

Today, most machete blades are stamped from a steel plate, which keeps production costs low. The quality of a machete depends primarily on the material used and its construction. In addition to the usual low-cost models, there are of course also high-priced machete models in which the blade is forged and used for the production process high-quality stainless steel. The handle of a modern machete is usually made of non-slip and impact-resistant plastic. In many models, the Erl is consistent up to the handle end. The steel blades are often coated to make them more resistant and to protect against rust. Thanks to its unique properties, the machete is not only a tool, but also extremely effective as a melee weapon. The long blade gives the machete a much longer reach than a regular knife. The first evidence for the use of the machete as a weapon date from the early 17th century, where farmers have used the machete as a weapon in uprisings in the South American sugar colonies. Even in the 20th century, there is plenty of evidence for the use of the machete, if not as a combat weapon, but as a murder weapon. For example, machetes were used by the Interahamwe militia during the civil war in Rwanda to commit war crimes.

Use in agriculture

The machete is used as a tool in its most common use. Especially popular is the machete in sugar cane production. It is used to cut the sugar cane above the root and remove leaves from the stems. The long knife is also often used to remove weeds in cane fields as well as in the home garden. In addition, machetes are also used predominantly as a machete. As mentioned in the paragraph above, there are many forms of machetes, most of which are named after their country of origin. So there are z. As the La Inglesa, which comes from England or the La Alemana, the German machete. Although today’s modern agriculture machines are used in sugarcane harvesting, the machete is still in use worldwide. This is especially true for regions where the shape of the ground or the location of the field do not allow the use of a machine or their use simply does not pay off economically.