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Mexican machete, from Guerrero, 1970. bull horn handle, hand forged blade (hammer marks visible)

A machete (/məˈʃɛti/; Spanish pronunciation: [maˈtʃete]) is a broad blade used either as an agricultural implement similar to an axe, or in combat like a long-bladed knife. The blade is typically 30 to 66 centimetres (12 to 26 in) long and usually under 3 millimetres (1⁄8 in) thick. In the Spanish language, the word is possibly a diminutive form of the word macho, which was used to refer to sledgehammers.^[1] Alternatively, its origin may be machaera, the name given by the Greeks and Romans to the falcata.^[2]^[3] It is the origin of the English language equivalent term matchet,^[4] though this is rarely used. In much of the English-speaking Caribbean, such as Jamaica,^[5] Barbados, Guyana, Grenada, and Trinidad and Tobago, the term cutlass is used for these agricultural tools.^[6]

Uses

Agriculture

In various tropical and subtropical countries, the machete is frequently used to cut through rainforest undergrowth and for agricultural purposes (e.g. cutting sugar cane).^[7] Besides this, in Latin America a common use is for such household tasks as cutting large foodstuffs into pieces—much as a cleaver is used—or to perform crude cutting tasks, such as making simple wooden handles for other tools.^[7] It is common to see people using machetes for other jobs, such as splitting open coconuts, yard work, removing small branches and plants, chopping animals' food, and clearing bushes.^[7]

Machetes are often considered tools and used by adults. However, many hunter–gatherer societies and cultures surviving through subsistence agriculture begin teaching babies to use sharp tools, including machetes, before their first birthdays.^[8]

Warfare

People in uprisings sometimes use these weapons. For example, the Boricua Popular Army are unofficially called macheteros because of the machete-wielding laborers of sugar cane fields of past Puerto Rico.^[9]

Many of the killings in the 1994 Rwandan genocide were performed with machetes,^[10] and they were the primary weapon used by the Interahamwe militias there.^[11] Machetes were also a distinctive tool and weapon of the Haitian Tonton Macoute.^[12]

In 1762, the British captured Havana in a lengthy siege during the Seven Years' War. Volunteer militiamen led by Pepe Antonio, a Guanabacoa councilman, were issued with machetes during the unsuccessful defense of the city.^[13] The machete was also the most iconic weapon during the independence wars in Cuba, although it saw limited battlefield use.^[14] Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, owner of the sugar refinery La Demajagua near Manzanillo, freed his slaves on 10 October 1868. He proceeded to lead them, armed with machetes, in revolt against the Spanish government.^[15] The first cavalry charge using machetes as the primary weapon was carried out on 4 November 1868 by Máximo Gómez, a sergeant born in the Dominican Republic, who later became the general in chief of the Cuban Army.^[16]

The machete is a common side arm and tool for many ethnic groups in West Africa. Machetes in this role are referenced in Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart.^[17]

Some countries have a name for the blow of a machete; the Spanish machetazo is sometimes used in English.^[18] In the British Virgin Islands, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Barbados, Saint Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago, the word planass means to hit someone with the flat of the blade of a machete or cutlass.^[19] To strike with the sharpened edge is to "chop". Throughout the English-speaking islands of the Caribbean, the term 'cutlass' refers to a laborers' cutting tool.^[19]

The Brazilian Army's Instruction Center on Jungle Warfare developed a machete-style knife with a blade 25 cm (10 in) in length and a very pronounced clip point. This machete is issued with a 13 cm (5 in) Bowie knife and a sharpening stone in the scabbard; collectively called a "jungle kit" (Conjunto de Selva in Portuguese); it is manufactured by Indústria de Material Bélico do Brasil (IMBEL).^[20]

The machete was used as a weapon during the Mau Mau rebellion, in the Rwandan Genocide, and in South Africa, particularly in the 1980s and early 1990s when the former province of Natal was wracked by conflict between the African National Congress and the Zulu-nationalist Inkatha Freedom Party.^[21]

Manufacture

Good machetes rely on the materials used and the shape. In the past, the most famous manufacturer of machetes in Latin America and the Spanish-speaking Caribbean was Collins Company of Collinsville, Connecticut.^[22] The company was founded as Collins & Company in 1826 by Samuel W. Collins to make axes.^[23] Its first machetes were sold in 1845^[24] and became so famous that a machete was called un collin.^[25] In the English-speaking Caribbean, Robert Mole & Sons of Birmingham, England, was long considered the manufacturer of agricultural cutlasses of the best quality. Some Robert Mole blades survive as souvenirs of travellers to Trinidad,^[26] Jamaica, and, less commonly, St. Lucia.^{[citation needed]}

Colombia is the largest exporter of machetes worldwide.^[27]

Cultural influence

The flag of Angola features a machete, along with a cog-wheel.

The southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul has a dance called the dança dos facões (machetes' dance) in which the dancers, who are usually men, bang their machetes against various surfaces while dancing, simulating a battle. Maculelê, an Afro-Brazilian dance and martial art, can also be performed with facões. This practice began in the city of Santo Amaro, Bahia, in the northeastern part of the country.^[28]

In the Philippines, the bolo is used in training in eskrima, the indigenous martial art of the Philippines.^[29]

In the Jalisco region of Mexico, Los Machetes is a popular folk dance. This dance tells the story of cutting down sugar cane during the harvest. Los Machetes was created by Mexican farm workers who spent a great amount of time perfecting the use of the tool, the machete, for harvesting. Traditionally, real machetes are used while performing this dance.^[30]

Similar tools

The panga or tapanga is a variant used in East and Southern Africa. This name may be of Swahili etymology; not to be confused with the panga fish. The panga blade broadens on the backside and has a length of 41 to 46 cm (16 to 18 in). The upper inclined portion of the blade may be sharpened.^[31]

Other similar tools include the parang^[32] and the golok^[33] (from Malaysia and Indonesia); however, these tend to have shorter, thicker blades with a primary grind, and are more effective on woody vegetation.

The tsakat is a similar tool used in Armenia for clearing land of vegetation.

Other similar tools include:

References

^ "Online Etymology Dictionary". etymonline.com. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
^ "La falcata ¿mito romántico o realidad? - Archivos de la Historia". 8 April 2020.
^ Es, Armas. "El Machete: Abriéndose paso en jungla y combate - Mundo Armas".
^ "matchet". Dictionary/thesaurus. The Free Dictionary. Retrieved 7 February 2009.
^ Blair, Teresa P. A-Z of Jamaican Patois (Patwah), Page 49, Google Books Result
^ Klein, John (21 October 2013). "What Is a Machete, Anyway?". The Atlantic. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
^ ^a ^b ^c Franz, Carl; Havens, Lorena (2012). Rogers, Steve; Rogers, Felisa Churpa Rosa (eds.). The People's Guide to Mexico (14th ed.). Berkeley, Calif.: Avalon Travel. pp. 277–278. ISBN 978-1-61238-049-0.
^ Day, Nicholas (9 April 2013). "Give Your Baby a Machete". Slate. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
^ Martin, Gus (15 June 2011). The SAGE Encyclopedia of Terrorism, Second Edition. SAGE Publications. p. 490. ISBN 978-1-4129-8016-6.
^ Verwimp, P. (2006). "Machetes and Firearms: the Organization of Massacres in Rwanda". Journal of Peace Research. 43 (1): 5–22. doi:10.1177/0022343306059576.
^ Braid, Mary (3 March 1999). "The Jungle Massacre: African rebels who revel in their machete genocide". The Independent. Archived from the original on 12 January 2018. Retrieved 6 February 2009.
^ "Tonton Macoute". Haiti History. Haitian Media. Archived from the original on 3 January 2013. Retrieved 6 February 2009.
^ Ponce, Mildrey (2007). "Why Did The English Take Over Havana?". Cuba Now. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 6 February 2009.
^ Tone, John Lawrence (2006). "Chapter 10: Mal Tiempo and the Romance of the Machete". War and Genocide in Cuba, 1895–1898. University of North Carolina Press. pp. 126–127. ISBN 978-0-8078-3006-2.
^ Gravette, A G (28 September 2007). "Chapter 7: The Southern Peninsula". Cuba (5the ed.). New Holland Publishers. p. 106. ISBN 978-1-84537-860-8.
^ "Major General Máximo Gómez Báez". Revolutionary Armed Forces. Gobierno de la Republica de Cuba. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 6 February 2009.
^ "Plot Overview". Things Fall Apart. SparkNotes. Retrieved 6 February 2009.
^ Sturges, James Walter (August 2010). Machetes in the Trunk: Three Weeks in Panama. James Sturges. p. 31. ISBN 978-1-4404-8664-7.
^ ^a ^b Allsopp, Richard (2003). Dictionary of Caribbean English Usage. University of the West Indies Press. pp. 184, 442–443. ISBN 978-976-640-145-0.
^ "Conjunto de Selva". Produtos. Indústria de Material Bélico do Brasil. Archived from the original on 29 April 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2012.
^ Cavaleri, David P. (2005). The Law of War: Can 20th Century Standards Apply to the Global War on Terrorism?. DIANE Publishing. p. 66. ISBN 978-1-4379-2301-8.
^ Jones, Chester Lloyd (1906). The Consular Service of the United States: Its History and Activities. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 72.
^ Kauffman, Henry J. (1994). "III: The Nineteenth Century". American Axes: A Survey of Their Development and Their Makers. Masthof Press. p. 30. ISBN 978-1-883294-12-0.
^ Henry, Daniel Edward (1995). Collins' Machetes and Bowies, 1845-1965. Krause Publications. p. 15. ISBN 978-0-87341-403-6.
^ La Farge, Oliver (1956). A Pictorial History of the American Indian. Crown Publishers. p. 219.
^ "1566: Vintage Trinidad Machete in Leather Sheath : Lot 1566". liveauctioneers.com. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
^ "Colombia líder – La Prensa". laprensa.com.ni. 12 April 2014. Archived from the original on 14 April 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
^ Lewis, John Lowell (1992). "3: Capoeira in Salvador". Ring of Liberation: Deceptive Discourse in Brazilian Capoeira. University of Chicago Press. pp. 54–55. ISBN 978-0-226-47683-4.
^ Wilson, Frederick T. (1 January 2004). A Sailor's Log: Water-tender Frederick T. Wilson, USN, on Asiatic Station, 1899–1901. Washington: Kent State University Press. p. 130. ISBN 978-0-87338-782-8.
^ "Los Machetes - Folk Dance Fun!". Sally's Sea of Songs. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
^ Mothander, Björn; Finn Kjærby; Kjell J. Havnevik (1989). Farm Implements for Small-scale Farmers in Tanzania. Nordic Africa Institute. pp. 36–37. ISBN 978-91-7106-290-1.
^ Stone, George Cameron; Donald J. LaRocca (1999). A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration, and Use of Arms and Armor in All Countries and in All Times: In All Countries and in All Times. Courier Dover Publications. pp. 481–482. ISBN 978-0-486-40726-5.
^ Stone, George Cameron; Donald J. LaRocca (1999). A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration, and Use of Arms and Armor in All Countries and in All Times: In All Countries and in All Times. Courier Dover Publications. p. 249. ISBN 978-0-486-40726-5.

External links

Media related to Machetes at Wikimedia Commons

[1] "Online Etymology Dictionary". etymonline.com. Retrieved 10 December 2016.

[2] "La falcata ¿mito romántico o realidad? - Archivos de la Historia". 8 April 2020.

[3] Es, Armas. "El Machete: Abriéndose paso en jungla y combate - Mundo Armas".

[4] "matchet". Dictionary/thesaurus. The Free Dictionary. Retrieved 7 February 2009.

[5] Blair, Teresa P. A-Z of Jamaican Patois (Patwah), Page 49, Google Books Result

[Klein-6] Klein, John (21 October 2013). "What Is a Machete, Anyway?". The Atlantic. Retrieved 15 January 2015.

[FranzRogers2012-7] Franz, Carl; Havens, Lorena (2012). Rogers, Steve; Rogers, Felisa Churpa Rosa (eds.). The People's Guide to Mexico (14th ed.). Berkeley, Calif.: Avalon Travel. pp. 277–278. ISBN 978-1-61238-049-0.

[8] Day, Nicholas (9 April 2013). "Give Your Baby a Machete". Slate. Retrieved 19 April 2013.

[Martin2011-9] Martin, Gus (15 June 2011). The SAGE Encyclopedia of Terrorism, Second Edition. SAGE Publications. p. 490. ISBN 978-1-4129-8016-6.

[10] Verwimp, P. (2006). "Machetes and Firearms: the Organization of Massacres in Rwanda". Journal of Peace Research. 43 (1): 5–22. doi:10.1177/0022343306059576.

[11] Braid, Mary (3 March 1999). "The Jungle Massacre: African rebels who revel in their machete genocide". The Independent. Archived from the original on 12 January 2018. Retrieved 6 February 2009.

[12] "Tonton Macoute". Haiti History. Haitian Media. Archived from the original on 3 January 2013. Retrieved 6 February 2009.

[13] Ponce, Mildrey (2007). "Why Did The English Take Over Havana?". Cuba Now. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 6 February 2009.

[14] Tone, John Lawrence (2006). "Chapter 10: Mal Tiempo and the Romance of the Machete". War and Genocide in Cuba, 1895–1898. University of North Carolina Press. pp. 126–127. ISBN 978-0-8078-3006-2.

[15] Gravette, A G (28 September 2007). "Chapter 7: The Southern Peninsula". Cuba (5the ed.). New Holland Publishers. p. 106. ISBN 978-1-84537-860-8.

[16] "Major General Máximo Gómez Báez". Revolutionary Armed Forces. Gobierno de la Republica de Cuba. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 6 February 2009.

[17] "Plot Overview". Things Fall Apart. SparkNotes. Retrieved 6 February 2009.

[Sturges2010-18] Sturges, James Walter (August 2010). Machetes in the Trunk: Three Weeks in Panama. James Sturges. p. 31. ISBN 978-1-4404-8664-7.

[Allsopp-19] Allsopp, Richard (2003). Dictionary of Caribbean English Usage. University of the West Indies Press. pp. 184, 442–443. ISBN 978-976-640-145-0.

[20] "Conjunto de Selva". Produtos. Indústria de Material Bélico do Brasil. Archived from the original on 29 April 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2012.

[Cavaleri2005-21] Cavaleri, David P. (2005). The Law of War: Can 20th Century Standards Apply to the Global War on Terrorism?. DIANE Publishing. p. 66. ISBN 978-1-4379-2301-8.

[22] Jones, Chester Lloyd (1906). The Consular Service of the United States: Its History and Activities. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 72.

[23] Kauffman, Henry J. (1994). "III: The Nineteenth Century". American Axes: A Survey of Their Development and Their Makers. Masthof Press. p. 30. ISBN 978-1-883294-12-0.

[24] Henry, Daniel Edward (1995). Collins' Machetes and Bowies, 1845-1965. Krause Publications. p. 15. ISBN 978-0-87341-403-6.

[25] La Farge, Oliver (1956). A Pictorial History of the American Indian. Crown Publishers. p. 219.

[26] "1566: Vintage Trinidad Machete in Leather Sheath : Lot 1566". liveauctioneers.com. Retrieved 10 December 2016.

[27] "Colombia líder – La Prensa". laprensa.com.ni. 12 April 2014. Archived from the original on 14 April 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2018.

[28] Lewis, John Lowell (1992). "3: Capoeira in Salvador". Ring of Liberation: Deceptive Discourse in Brazilian Capoeira. University of Chicago Press. pp. 54–55. ISBN 978-0-226-47683-4.

[Wilson2004-29] Wilson, Frederick T. (1 January 2004). A Sailor's Log: Water-tender Frederick T. Wilson, USN, on Asiatic Station, 1899–1901. Washington: Kent State University Press. p. 130. ISBN 978-0-87338-782-8.

[30] "Los Machetes - Folk Dance Fun!". Sally's Sea of Songs. Retrieved 16 March 2024.

[31] Mothander, Björn; Finn Kjærby; Kjell J. Havnevik (1989). Farm Implements for Small-scale Farmers in Tanzania. Nordic Africa Institute. pp. 36–37. ISBN 978-91-7106-290-1.

[32] Stone, George Cameron; Donald J. LaRocca (1999). A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration, and Use of Arms and Armor in All Countries and in All Times: In All Countries and in All Times. Courier Dover Publications. pp. 481–482. ISBN 978-0-486-40726-5.

[33] Stone, George Cameron; Donald J. LaRocca (1999). A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration, and Use of Arms and Armor in All Countries and in All Times: In All Countries and in All Times. Courier Dover Publications. p. 249. ISBN 978-0-486-40726-5.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|Type of broad and heavy knife}}
 {{Other uses}}
+{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
+[[File:Gerber Machete (cropped).jpg|thumb|Machete/saw combo]]
+[[File:Agustín Cruz Tinoco working.jpg|thumb|Mexican artisan [[Agustín Cruz Tinoco]] using a machete to carve wood]]
+[[File:Mexican machete.JPG|thumb|Mexican machete, from Guerrero, 1970. bull horn handle, hand forged blade (hammer marks visible)]]
+[[File:Machete Campos Hermanos N°22.jpg|thumb|Campos Hermanos Mexican machete with blade 75 centimeters long and 93 total.]]
+A '''machete''' ({{IPAc-en|m|ə|ˈ|ʃ|ɛ|t|i}}; {{IPA|es|maˈtʃete}}) is a broad [[blade]] used either as an  agricultural implement similar  to an [[axe]], or in combat like a long-bladed [[knife]]. The blade is typically {{convert|30|to|66|cm|in}} long and usually under {{convert|3|mm|in|frac=16}} thick. In the [[Spanish language]], the word is possibly a diminutive form of the word ''macho'', which was used to refer to sledgehammers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=machete|title=Online Etymology Dictionary|work=etymonline.com|access-date=10 December 2016}}</ref> Alternatively, its origin may be ''[[makhaira|machaera]]'', the name given by the Greeks and Romans to the [[falcata]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archivoshistoria.com/la-falcata-arma-iberica-o-mito-romantico/|title = La falcata ¿mito romántico o realidad? - Archivos de la Historia|date = 8 April 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.armas.es/arma-blanca/el-machete-abriendose-paso-en-jungla-y-combate|title = El Machete: Abriéndose paso en jungla y combate - Mundo Armas| last1=Es | first1=Armas }}</ref> It is the origin of the [[English language]]  equivalent term ''matchet'',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thefreedictionary.com/matchet |title=matchet |work=Dictionary/thesaurus |publisher=The Free Dictionary |access-date=7 February 2009}}</ref> though this is rarely used. In much of the English-speaking Caribbean, such as Jamaica,<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?isbn=1481752359 Blair, Teresa P. ''A-Z of Jamaican Patois (Patwah),'' Page 49, Google Books Result]</ref> Barbados, Guyana, Grenada, and Trinidad and Tobago, the term ''[[cutlass]]'' is used for these agricultural tools.<ref name= "Klein">{{cite magazine | last=Klein | first=John | url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/10/what-is-a-machete-anyway/280705/ | title=What Is a Machete, Anyway? | magazine=The Atlantic | date=21 October 2013 | access-date=15 January 2015}}</ref>
-[[Image:Machette kos.pg.jpg|right|thumb|375px|Older machete from Latin America]]
-A '''machete''' ({{IPAc-en|m|ə|ˈ|ʃ|ɛ|t|i}}; {{IPA-es|maˈtʃete}}) is a broad blade used either as an implement like an axe, or in combat like a short sword. The blade is typically {{convert|32.5|to|45|cm|in}} long and usually under {{convert|3|mm|in}} thick. In the [[Spanish language]], the word is a diminutive form of the word ''macho'', which means male or strong and was used to refer to sledgehammers.<ref>http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=machete</ref> In the [[English language]], an equivalent term is '''matchet''',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thefreedictionary.com/matchet |title=matchet |work=Dictionary/thesaurus |publisher=The Free Dictionary |accessdate=7 February 2009}}</ref> though it is less commonly known.{{cn|date=August 2016}} In the English-speaking Caribbean, such as Jamaica,<ref>Blair, Teresa P. ''A-Z of Jamaican Patois (Patwah),'' Page 49 [https://books.google.com/books?isbn=1481752359 Google Books Result]</ref> Barbados, Guyana, Grenada and in Trinidad and Tobago, the term "[[cutlass]]" is used for these agricultural tools.<ref name= "Klein">Klein, John, [http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/10/what-is-a-machete-anyway/280705/ "What Is a Machete, Anyway?"], "The Atlantic'', Oct 21, 2013 (accessed Jan 15 2015)</ref>
 == Uses ==
-[[File:Agusti¦ün Cruz Tinoco working.jpg|thumb|[[Agustín Cruz Tinoco]] of [[San Agustín de las Juntas]], [[Oaxaca]] uses a machete to carve wood]]
-===In agriculture===
+=== Agriculture===
-In various tropical and subtropical countries, the machete is frequently used to cut through [[rain forest]] undergrowth and for agricultural purposes (e.g. cutting [[sugar cane]]).<ref name="FranzRogers2012">{{cite book|last1=Franz|first1=Carl|last2=Rogers|first2=Carl Franz, Lorena Havens, Steve|last3=Havens|first3=Lorena|title=The People's Guide to Mexico|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=I2YZgJJXj1YC&pg=PA278|date=11 December 2012|publisher=Avalon Travel Publishing|isbn=978-1-61238-049-0|pages=277–278}}</ref> Besides this, in [[Latin America]] a common use is for such household tasks as cutting large foodstuffs into pieces&mdash;much as a [[cleaver (knife)|cleaver]] is used&mdash;or to perform crude cutting tasks, such as making simple wooden handles for other tools.<ref name="FranzRogers2012"/> It is common to see people using machetes for other jobs, such as splitting open [[coconut]]s, yard work, removing small branches and plants, chopping animals' food, and clearing bushes.<ref name="FranzRogers2012"/>
+In various tropical and subtropical countries, the machete is frequently used to cut through [[rainforest]] undergrowth and for agricultural purposes (e.g. cutting [[sugar cane]]).<ref name="FranzRogers2012">{{Cite book |last1=Franz |first1=Carl |last2=Havens |first2=Lorena |editor1-last=Rogers |editor1-first=Steve |editor2-last=Rogers |editor2-first=Felisa Churpa Rosa |date=2012 |title=The People's Guide to Mexico |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I2YZgJJXj1YC&pg=PA278 |edition=14th |location=Berkeley, Calif. |publisher=Avalon Travel |pages=277–278 |isbn=978-1-61238-049-0}}</ref> Besides this, in [[Latin America]] a common use is for such household tasks as cutting large foodstuffs into pieces—much as a [[cleaver (knife)|cleaver]] is used—or to perform crude cutting tasks, such as making simple wooden handles for other tools.<ref name="FranzRogers2012"/> It is common to see people using machetes for other jobs, such as splitting open [[coconut]]s, yard work, removing small branches and plants, chopping animals' food, and clearing bushes.<ref name="FranzRogers2012"/>
+Machetes are often considered tools and used by adults. However, many [[hunter–gatherer]] societies and cultures surviving through [[subsistence agriculture]] begin teaching babies to use sharp tools, including machetes, before their first birthdays.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/how_babies_work/2013/04/09/bad_parenting_ideas_that_are_actually_good_for_some_babies.html|title=Give Your Baby a Machete|last=Day|first=Nicholas|date=9 April 2013|work=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]|access-date=19 April 2013}}</ref>
-===As a weapon===
-Because the machete is common in many tropical countries, it is often the weapon of choice for [[uprising]]s. For example, the [[Boricua Popular Army]] are unofficially called ''[[Los Macheteros|macheteros]]'' because of the machete-wielding laborers of sugar cane fields of past [[Puerto Rico]].<ref name="Martin2011">{{cite book|last=Martin|first=Gus|title=The SAGE Encyclopedia of Terrorism, Second Edition|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=I_jh4VBi_HYC&pg=PA490|date=15 June 2011|publisher=SAGE Publications|isbn=978-1-4129-8016-6|page=490}}</ref>
+=== Warfare ===
-Many of the killings in the 1994 [[Rwandan genocide]] were performed with machetes,<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Verwimp | first1 = P. | title = Machetes and Firearms: the Organization of Massacres in Rwanda | journal = Journal of Peace Research | volume = 43| issue = 1 | pages = 5&ndash;22| year = 2006 | doi = 10.1177/0022343306059576| url = http://jpr.sagepub.com/content/43/1/5.full.pdf+html| format = PDF}}</ref> and they were the primary weapon used by the [[Interahamwe]] militias there.<ref>{{cite news |first=Mary |last=Braid |title=The Jungle Massacre: African rebels who revel in their machete genocide |work=[[The Independent]] |date=3 March 1999 |accessdate=6 February 2009 |url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/the-jungle-massacre-african-rebels-who-revel-in-their-machete-genocide-1077954.html}}</ref> Machetes were also a distinctive tool and weapon of the [[Haiti]]an ''[[Tonton Macoute]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.haitianmedia.com/index.php/46 |title=Tonton Macoute |work=Haiti History |publisher=Haitian Media |accessdate=6 February 2009}}</ref>
+People in uprisings sometimes use these weapons. For example, the [[Boricua Popular Army]] are unofficially called ''[[Los Macheteros|macheteros]]'' because of the machete-wielding laborers of sugar cane fields of past [[Puerto Rico]].<ref name="Martin2011">{{cite book|last=Martin|first=Gus|title=The SAGE Encyclopedia of Terrorism, Second Edition|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I_jh4VBi_HYC&pg=PA490|date=15 June 2011|publisher=SAGE Publications|isbn=978-1-4129-8016-6|page=490}}</ref>
+Many of the killings in the 1994 [[Rwandan genocide]] were performed with machetes,<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Verwimp | first1 = P. | title = Machetes and Firearms: the Organization of Massacres in Rwanda | journal = Journal of Peace Research | volume = 43| issue = 1 | pages = 5–22| year = 2006 | doi = 10.1177/0022343306059576| doi-access =  }}</ref> and they were the primary weapon used by the [[Interahamwe]] militias there.<ref>{{cite news |first=Mary |last=Braid |title=The Jungle Massacre: African rebels who revel in their machete genocide |work=[[The Independent]] |date=3 March 1999 |access-date=6 February 2009 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/the-jungle-massacre-african-rebels-who-revel-in-their-machete-genocide-1077954.html |archive-date=12 January 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180112170811/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/the-jungle-massacre-african-rebels-who-revel-in-their-machete-genocide-1077954.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Machetes were also a distinctive tool and weapon of the [[Haiti]]an ''[[Tonton Macoute]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.haitianmedia.com/index.php/46 |title=Tonton Macoute |work=Haiti History |publisher=Haitian Media |access-date=6 February 2009 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130103074957/http://www.haitianmedia.com/index.php/46 |archive-date=3 January 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
-In 1762, the [[Kingdom of Great Britain]] invaded [[Cuba]] in the [[Battle of Havana (1762)|Battle of Havana]], and peasant guerrillas led by [[Pepe Antonio]], a [[Guanabacoa]] councilman, used machetes in the defense of the city.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cubanow.net/articles/why-did-english-take-over-havana |title=Why Did The English Take Over Havana? |first=Mildrey |last=Ponce |year=2007|publisher=Cuba Now |accessdate=6 February 2009}}</ref> The machete was also the most iconic weapon during the [[History of Cuba#Antislavery and independence movements|independence wars]] in that country (1868–1898), although it saw limited battlefield use.<ref>{{cite book |first=John Lawrence |last=Tone |title=War and Genocide in Cuba, 1895-1898 |publisher=[[University of North Carolina Press]] |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-8078-3006-2 |url=http://books.google.com/?id=OxRVaAPpeCsC |chapter=Chapter 10: Mal Tiempo and the Romance of the Machete |pages=126–127}}</ref> [[Carlos Manuel de Céspedes]], owner of the [[sugar refinery]] ''La Demajagua'' near [[Manzanillo, Cuba|Manzanillo]], freed his slaves on 10 October 1868. He proceeded to lead them, armed with machetes, in revolt against the Spanish government.<ref>{{cite book |title=Cuba
-|first=A G |last=Gravette |edition=5 |publisher=New Holland Publishers |isbn=978-1-84537-860-8 |url=http://books.google.com/?id=y7B51dAgT8MC |chapter=Chapter 7: The Southern Peninsula |page=106 |date=28 September 2007}}</ref> The first [[cavalry]] charge using machetes as the primary weapon was carried out on 4 November 1868 by [[Máximo Gómez]], a sergeant born in the [[Dominican Republic]], who later became the general in chief of the Cuban Army.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cubagob.cu/otras_info/minfar/defensa_ingles/imaximo.htm |title=Major General Máximo Gómez Báez |accessdate=6 February 2009 |work=Revolutionary Armed Forces |publisher=Gobierno de la Republica de Cuba}}</ref>
+In 1762, the [[Kingdom of Great Britain|British]] captured [[Havana]] in a [[Siege of Havana|lengthy siege]] during the [[Seven Years' War]]. Volunteer [[militia]]men led by Pepe Antonio, a [[Guanabacoa]] councilman, were issued with machetes during the unsuccessful defense of the city.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cubanow.net/articles/why-did-english-take-over-havana |title=Why Did The English Take Over Havana? |first=Mildrey |last=Ponce |year=2007 |publisher=Cuba Now |access-date=6 February 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714143344/http://www.cubanow.net/articles/why-did-english-take-over-havana |archive-date=14 July 2014  }}</ref> The machete was also the most iconic weapon during the [[History of Cuba#Antislavery and independence movements|independence wars]] in Cuba, although it saw limited battlefield use.<ref>{{cite book |first=John Lawrence |last=Tone |title=War and Genocide in Cuba, 1895–1898 |publisher=[[University of North Carolina Press]] |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-8078-3006-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OxRVaAPpeCsC |chapter=Chapter 10: Mal Tiempo and the Romance of the Machete |pages=126–127}}</ref> [[Carlos Manuel de Céspedes]], owner of the [[sugar refinery]] ''La Demajagua'' near [[Manzanillo, Cuba|Manzanillo]], freed his slaves on 10 October 1868. He proceeded to lead them, armed with machetes, in revolt against the Spanish government.<ref>{{cite book |title=Cuba |first=A G |last=Gravette |edition=5the |publisher=New Holland Publishers |isbn=978-1-84537-860-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=y7B51dAgT8MC |chapter=Chapter 7: The Southern Peninsula |page=106 |date=28 September 2007}}</ref> The first [[cavalry]] charge using machetes as the primary weapon was carried out on 4 November 1868 by [[Máximo Gómez]], a sergeant born in the [[Dominican Republic]], who later became the general in chief of the [[Cuban Liberation Army|Cuban Army]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cubagob.cu/otras_info/minfar/defensa_ingles/imaximo.htm |title=Major General Máximo Gómez Báez |access-date=6 February 2009 |work=Revolutionary Armed Forces |publisher=Gobierno de la Republica de Cuba |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304000649/http://www.cubagob.cu/otras_info/minfar/defensa_ingles/imaximo.htm |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
-The machete was (and still is) a common [[side arm]] and tool for many ethnic groups in [[West Africa]]. Machetes in this role are referenced in [[Chinua Achebe]]'s ''[[Things Fall Apart]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/things/summary.html |title=Plot Overview |work=Things Fall Apart |publisher=[[SparkNotes]] |accessdate=6 February 2009}}</ref>
+The machete is a common [[Sidearm (weapon)|side arm]] and tool for many ethnic groups in [[West Africa]]. Machetes in this role are referenced in [[Chinua Achebe]]'s ''[[Things Fall Apart]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/things/summary.html |title=Plot Overview |work=Things Fall Apart |publisher=[[SparkNotes]] |access-date=6 February 2009}}</ref>
-Some countries have a name for the blow of a machete; the [[Spanish language|Spanish]] ''machetazo'' is sometimes used in English.<ref name="Sturges2010">{{cite book|last=Sturges|first=James Walter|title=Machetes in the Trunk: Three Weeks in Panama|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=plSb1MoA0hQC&pg=PA31|date=August 2010|publisher=James Sturges|isbn=978-1-4404-8664-7|page=31}}</ref> In the [[British Virgin Islands]], [[Grenada]], [[Jamaica]], [[Saint Kitts and Nevis]], [[Barbados]], Saint Lucia, and [[Trinidad and Tobago]], the word ''planass'' means to hit someone with the flat of the blade of a machete or cutlass.<ref name="Allsopp">{{cite book |title=Dictionary of Caribbean English Usage |first=Richard |last=Allsopp |publisher=[[University of the West Indies Press]] |year=2003 |isbn=978-976-640-145-0 |url=http://books.google.com/?id=PmvSk13sIc0C |pages= 184, 442–443}}</ref> To strike with the sharpened edge is to "chop". Throughout the [[Caribbean]], the term 'cutlass' refers to a laborers' cutting tool.<ref name="Allsopp"/>
+Some countries have a name for the blow of a machete; the [[Spanish language|Spanish]] ''machetazo'' is sometimes used in English.<ref name="Sturges2010">{{cite book|last=Sturges|first=James Walter|title=Machetes in the Trunk: Three Weeks in Panama|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=plSb1MoA0hQC&pg=PA31|date=August 2010|publisher=James Sturges|isbn=978-1-4404-8664-7|page=31}}</ref> In the [[British Virgin Islands]], [[Grenada]], [[Jamaica]], [[Saint Kitts and Nevis]], [[Barbados]], Saint Lucia, and [[Trinidad and Tobago]], the word ''planass'' means to hit someone with the flat of the blade of a machete or cutlass.<ref name="Allsopp">{{cite book |title=Dictionary of Caribbean English Usage |first=Richard |last=Allsopp |publisher=[[University of the West Indies Press]] |year=2003 |isbn=978-976-640-145-0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PmvSk13sIc0C |pages= 184, 442–443}}</ref> To strike with the sharpened edge is to "chop". Throughout the English-speaking islands of the [[Caribbean]], the term 'cutlass' refers to a laborers' cutting tool.<ref name="Allsopp"/>
-The [[Brazilian Army]]'s [[Centro de Instrução de Guerra na Selva|Instruction Center on Jungle Warfare]] developed a machete with a blade {{convert|10|in|cm}} in length and a very pronounced [[Blade#Patterns of knife blades|clip point]]. This machete is issued with a 5-inch [[Bowie knife]] and a [[sharpening stone]] in the scabbard; collectively called a "jungle kit" (''Conjunto de Selva'' in [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]]); it is manufactured by Indústria de Material Bélico do Brasil ([[IMBEL]]).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.snstecnologia.com.br/imbel3/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=68&Itemid=117 |title=Conjunto de Selva |work=Produtos |publisher=[[IMBEL|Indústria de Material Bélico do Brasil]] |accessdate=20 February 2012}}</ref>
+The [[Brazilian Army]]'s Instruction Center on Jungle Warfare developed a machete-style knife with a blade {{convert|10|in|cm|0|order=flip|abbr=on}} in length and a very pronounced [[Blade#Knife patterns|clip point]]. This machete is issued with a {{convert|5|in|cm|order=flip|abbr=on|0}} [[Bowie knife]] and a [[sharpening stone]] in the scabbard; collectively called a "jungle kit" (''Conjunto de Selva'' in [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]]); it is manufactured by Indústria de Material Bélico do Brasil ([[IMBEL]]).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.snstecnologia.com.br/imbel3/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=68&Itemid=117 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429033710/http://www.snstecnologia.com.br/imbel3/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=68&Itemid=117 |url-status=dead |archive-date=29 April 2021 |title=Conjunto de Selva |work=Produtos |publisher=[[IMBEL|Indústria de Material Bélico do Brasil]] |access-date=20 February 2012 }}</ref>
-Quite a lot of slashers have used it as a weapon in horror movies, the most notorious being [[Jason Voorhees]].
+The machete was used as a weapon during the [[Mau Mau rebellion]], in the Rwandan Genocide, and in [[South Africa]], particularly in the 1980s and early 1990s when the former province of [[Natal Province|Natal]] was wracked by conflict between the [[African National Congress]] and the [[Zulu people|Zulu]]-nationalist [[Inkatha Freedom Party]].<ref name="Cavaleri2005">{{cite book|last=Cavaleri|first=David P.|title=The Law of War: Can 20th Century Standards Apply to the Global War on Terrorism?|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Gq820_ESKXgC&pg=PA66|year=2005|publisher=DIANE Publishing|isbn=978-1-4379-2301-8|page=66}}</ref>
-== Cultural variations ==
-[[File:Mexican machete.JPG|right|thumb|Mexican machete, from Acapulco, 1970. Horn handle, hand forged blade taper (hammer marks visible.). Has been sharpened by owner. Rust marks visible.]]
+== Manufacture ==
-The ''panga'' or ''tapanga'' is a variant used in [[East Africa|East]] and [[Southern Africa]]. This name may be of [[Swahili language|Swahili]] etymology; not to be confused with the [[Panga fish]]. The ''panga'' blade broadens on the backside and has a length of {{convert|16|to|18|in|cm}}. The upper inclined portion of the blade may be sharpened.<ref>{{cite book |title=Farm Implements for Small-scale Farmers in Tanzania |first=Björn |last=Mothander |author2=Finn Kjærby |author3=Kjell J. Havnevik  |publisher=Nordic Africa Institute |year=1989 |isbn=978-91-7106-290-1 |url=http://books.google.com/?id=0N0mJ8cvM2gC |pages=36–37}}</ref>
+Good machetes rely on the materials used and the shape. In the past, the most famous manufacturer of machetes in [[Latin America]] and the Spanish-speaking [[Caribbean]] was Collins Company of [[Collinsville (Canton, Connecticut)|Collinsville]], [[Connecticut]].<ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/consularservice01jonegoog |first=Chester Lloyd |last=Jones |title=The Consular Service of the United States: Its History and Activities |year=1906 |publisher=[[University of Pennsylvania Press]] |location=Philadelphia |page=[https://archive.org/details/consularservice01jonegoog/page/n86 72]}}</ref> The company was founded as Collins & Company in 1826 by [[Samuel W. Collins]] to make [[axe]]s.<ref>{{cite book |first=Henry J. |last=Kauffman |title=American Axes: A Survey of Their Development and Their Makers |chapter=III: The Nineteenth Century |publisher=Masthof Press |year=1994 |isbn=978-1-883294-12-0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x5ZiYCZRdHwC |page=30}}</ref> Its first machetes were sold in 1845<ref>{{cite book |title=Collins' Machetes and Bowies, 1845-1965 |first=Daniel Edward |last=Henry |publisher=Krause Publications |year=1995 |isbn=978-0-87341-403-6 |page=15}}</ref> and became so famous that a machete was called {{lang|es|un collin}}.<ref>{{cite book |first=Oliver |last=La Farge |title=A Pictorial History of the American Indian |url=https://archive.org/details/pictorialhistory00lafa |url-access=registration |publisher=Crown Publishers |year=1956 |page=[https://archive.org/details/pictorialhistory00lafa/page/219 219]}}</ref> In the English-speaking Caribbean, Robert Mole & Sons of Birmingham, England, was long considered the manufacturer of agricultural cutlasses of the best quality. Some Robert Mole blades survive as souvenirs of travellers to Trinidad,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/6121694|title=1566: Vintage Trinidad Machete in Leather Sheath : Lot 1566|work=liveauctioneers.com|access-date=10 December 2016}}</ref> Jamaica, and, less commonly, St. Lucia.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}}
+[[Colombia]] is the largest exporter of machetes worldwide.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.laprensa.com.ni/2014/04/12/activos/190612|title=Colombia líder – La Prensa|date=12 April 2014|website=laprensa.com.ni|access-date=1 May 2018|archive-date=14 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140414094016/http://www.laprensa.com.ni/2014/04/12/activos/190612|url-status=dead}}</ref>
-This tool has been used as a weapon: during the [[Mau Mau Uprising]]; in the Rwandan Genocide; in [[South Africa]] particularly in the 1980s and early 1990s when the former province of [[Natal Province|Natal]] was wracked by conflict between the [[African National Congress]] and the [[Zulu people|Zulu]]-nationalist [[Inkatha Freedom Party]].<ref name="Cavaleri2005">{{cite book|last=Cavaleri|first=David P.|title=The Law of War: Can 20th Century Standards Apply to the Global War on Terrorism?|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=Gq820_ESKXgC&pg=PA66|year=2005|publisher=DIANE Publishing|isbn=978-1-4379-2301-8|page=66}}</ref>
+== Cultural influence ==
-[[File:Bolo ni Maximino.jpg|thumb|''[[Bolo knife|Bolo]]'' or ''iták'']]
+[[File:Flag of Angola.svg|thumb|The [[Flag of Angola]]]]
-In the [[Philippines]], the ''[[Bolo knife|bolo]]'' is a very similar tool, but with the blade swelling just before the tip to make the knife even more efficient for chopping. Variations include the longer and more pointed ''iták'' intended for combat' this was used during the [[Philippine Revolution]] against the Spanish colonial authorities, later becoming a signature weapon of guerrillas in the [[Philippine–American War]]. Filipinos still use the ''bolo'' for everyday tasks, such as clearing vegetation and chopping various large foodstuffs. These are also commonly found in most Filipino kitchens, with some sets displayed on the walls and other sets for less practical use. The ''bolo'' is also used in training in ''[[eskrima]]'', the indigenous [[Filipino martial art|martial art]] of the Philippines.<ref name="Wilson2004">{{cite book|last=Wilson|first=Frederick T.|title=A Sailor's Log: Water-tender Frederick T. Wilson, USN, on Asiatic Station, 1899–1901|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=Pb7vSZgl5BYC&pg=PA130|date=1 January 2004|publisher=Kent State University Press|location=Washington|isbn=978-0-87338-782-8|page=130}}</ref>
+The [[flag of Angola]] features a machete, along with a [[cog-wheel]].
-Other similar tools include the ''[[parang (knife)|parang]]''<ref>{{cite book |title=A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration, and Use of Arms and Armor in All Countries and in All Times: In All Countries and in All Times
-|first=George Cameron |last=Stone |author2=Donald J. LaRocca |publisher=Courier Dover Publications |year=1999 |isbn=978-0-486-40726-5 |url=http://books.google.com/?id=A4Rp_Qx9in4C |pages=481–482}}</ref> and the ''[[golok]]''<ref>{{cite book |title=A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration, and Use of Arms and Armor in All Countries and in All Times: In All Countries and in All Times |first=George Cameron |last=Stone |authorlink=George Cameron Stone |author2=Donald J. LaRocca |publisher=Courier Dover Publications |year=1999 |isbn=978-0-486-40726-5 |url=http://books.google.com/?id=A4Rp_Qx9in4C |page=249}}</ref> (from [[Malaysia]] and [[Indonesia]]); however, these tend to have shorter, thicker blades with a primary grind, and are more effective on woody vegetation. The Nepalese ''[[kukri]]'' is a curved blade that is often used for similar tasks.
+The southern [[Brazil]]ian state of [[Rio Grande do Sul]] has a dance called the ''dança dos facões'' (machetes' dance) in which the dancers, who are usually men, bang their machetes against various surfaces while dancing, simulating a battle. ''[[Maculelê (dance)|Maculelê]]'', an [[Afro-Brazilian]] dance and martial art, can also be performed with ''facões''. This practice began in the city of [[Santo Amaro, Bahia]], in the northeastern part of the country.<ref>{{cite book |first=John Lowell |last=Lewis |title=Ring of Liberation: Deceptive Discourse in Brazilian Capoeira |publisher=University of Chicago Press |year=1992 |isbn=978-0-226-47683-4 |url=https://archive.org/details/ringofliberation0000lewi |url-access=registration |chapter=3: Capoeira in Salvador |pages=[https://archive.org/details/ringofliberation0000lewi/page/54 54]–55}}</ref>
-In [[Thailand]], more variations exist, such as the ''e-nep'', or ''nep'', which translates as "leaf" (มีดเหน็บ). It may resemble some forms of Muslim blades like the ''jambiya'', or the Pakistani-Nepali ''khukuri'', having aspects of both with the up-swept tip and protruding belly. Another design found in Thailand is the ''e-toh'', which is prominent in Southern China, Laos, and other northern parts of South East Asia. Generally, ''e-tohs'' must have forward weighted tips, and are used around the home for splitting stove wood or chopping bone. The Chinese ''dao'', with its triangular tip, is found in Thailand as the ''hua-tad'' (หัวแตด), which translates roughly as "head chopper." The most common blade in Thailand is called the ''pra'', (พร้า) it can describe long straight designs, or billhook designs. The primary purpose of a ''pra'' is farm work and clearing vegetation. During the 2006 riots in Bangkok, red-shirt protestors carried ''sapatda'', which resemble an oversized bowie knife with sawback cuts in the spine.{{cn|date=August 2016}}
+In the [[Philippines]], the ''[[Bolo knife|bolo]]'' is used in training in ''[[eskrima]]'', the indigenous [[Filipino martial art|martial art]] of the Philippines.<ref name="Wilson2004">{{cite book|last=Wilson|first=Frederick T.|title=A Sailor's Log: Water-tender Frederick T. Wilson, USN, on Asiatic Station, 1899–1901|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Pb7vSZgl5BYC&pg=PA130|date=1 January 2004|publisher=Kent State University Press|location=Washington|isbn=978-0-87338-782-8|page=130}}</ref>
-In the various regions of [[Ecuador]], it is still used as an everyday tool in agricultural labors, such as clearing, chopping, cutting and felling. In the Pacific coast region, the machete has a long history of use and can be seen as part of the everyday dress of the rural male inhabitants, especially in the provinces of [[Manabí Province|Manabi]], [[Los Ríos Province|Los Rios]] and [[Guayas Province|Guayas]]. In its day, the machete and the skills related to it were seen as a token of manliness, and it was carried, sword-like, in ornamented sheaths made out of leather or in sashes around the waist. Its use was not limited to agriculture: it also had a double role as a ready-to-hand weapon for self-defense or attack. Although modern laws in Ecuador now prohibit its use as a weapon, there are still cases of vicious fighting or intimidation related to it. Being a part of the male dress, it also has a part in the cultural expressions of the coastal rural regions of Ecuador, such as dances, horse taming contests and skill exhibitions.
+In the [[Jalisco]] region of [[Mexico]], Los Machetes is a popular folk dance. This dance tells the story of cutting down sugar cane during the harvest. Los Machetes was created by Mexican farm workers who spent a great amount of time perfecting the use of the tool, the machete, for harvesting. Traditionally, real machetes are used while performing this dance.<ref>{{cite web |title=Los Machetes - Folk Dance Fun! |url=https://www.sallysseaofsongs.com/2015/05/los-machetes-folk-dance-fun.html | author=<!--Not stated--> |website=Sally's Sea of Songs |access-date=March 16, 2024}}</ref>
-In the southern [[Brazil]]ian state of [[Rio Grande do Sul]], the machete is largely used by the native inhabitants. It is used to clear paths through the bush, and was used to fight against the Brazilian Empire in the [[Ragamuffin War]]. There, the machete is called ''facão'' or ''facón'' (literally "big knife"). Today, this region has a dance called the ''dança dos facões'' (machetes' dance) in which the dancers, who also always men, knock their machetes while dancing, simulating a battle. ''[[Maculelê (dance)|Maculelê]]'', an [[Afro-Brazilian]] dance and martial art, can also be performed with ''facões''. This practice began in the city of [[Santo Amaro, Bahia]], in the northeastern part of the country.<ref>{{cite book |first=John Lowell |last=Lewis |title=Ring of Liberation: Deceptive Discourse in Brazilian Capoeira |publisher=University of Chicago Press |year=1992 |isbn=978-0-226-47683-4 |url=http://books.google.com/?id=WcB_1E8dKv8C |chapter=3: Capoeira in Salvador |pages=54–55}}</ref>
+== Similar tools ==
-In southern [[Mexico]] and [[Central America]] it is widely used to clear bush and often hundreds of ''macheteros'' are contracted to assist in clearing paths for the construction of new roads or structures. Many people in the rural regions own machetes to clear the constant overgrowth of jungle bush. In the recent drug cartel wars of the region, many homicides and decapitations are suspected of being committed with machetes or similar tools.
+The '''''panga''''' or ''tapanga'' is a variant used in [[East Africa|East]] and [[Southern Africa]]. This name may be of [[Swahili language|Swahili]] etymology; not to be confused with the [[panga fish]]. The ''panga'' blade broadens on the backside and has a length of {{convert|16|to|18|in|cm|0|order=flip|abbr=on}}. The upper inclined portion of the blade may be sharpened.<ref>{{cite book |title=Farm Implements for Small-scale Farmers in Tanzania |first=Björn |last=Mothander |author2=Finn Kjærby |author3=Kjell J. Havnevik  |publisher=Nordic Africa Institute |year=1989 |isbn=978-91-7106-290-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0N0mJ8cvM2gC |pages=36–37}}</ref>
+Other similar tools include the ''[[parang (knife)|parang]]''<ref>{{cite book |title=A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration, and Use of Arms and Armor in All Countries and in All Times: In All Countries and in All Times|first=George Cameron |last=Stone |author2=Donald J. LaRocca |publisher=Courier Dover Publications |year=1999 |isbn=978-0-486-40726-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A4Rp_Qx9in4C |pages=481–482}}</ref> and the ''[[golok]]''<ref>{{cite book |title=A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration, and Use of Arms and Armor in All Countries and in All Times: In All Countries and in All Times |first=George Cameron |last=Stone |author-link=George Cameron Stone |author2=Donald J. LaRocca |publisher=Courier Dover Publications |year=1999 |isbn=978-0-486-40726-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A4Rp_Qx9in4C |page=249}}</ref> (from [[Malaysia]] and [[Indonesia]]); however, these tend to have shorter, thicker blades with a [[primary grind]], and are more effective on woody vegetation.
-<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Russian Survival Machete.jpg|thumb|right|Russian taiga]] -->
-The ''taiga'' is a machete of Russian origin that combines the functions of machetes, axes, knives, saws, and shovels into one tool. It is easily distinguished by the large swell at the end of the blade to facilitate chopping. The ''taiga'' is used by military air and special forces, including the ''Spetsnaz''.
+The [[wikt:ցաքատ|tsakat]] is a similar tool used in [[Armenia]] for clearing land of vegetation.
-== Similar historic tools and weapons ==
-The modern machete is very similar to some forms of the [[Middle Ages|medieval]] [[falchion]],<ref name="Klein"/> a short [[sword]] popular from the 13th century onwards. The cutting edge of the falchion is curved, widening toward the point, and has a straight, unsharpened back edge.<ref>{{cite book |first=Charles |last=Edelman |publisher=Continuum International Publishing Group |year=2000
-|isbn=978-0-485-11546-8 |title=Shakespeare's Military Language: A Dictionary |url=http://books.google.com/?id=Cpk3nT5FCaoC |page=127}}</ref> The machete differs from the falchion mainly in the lack of a [[hilt#Guard|guard]] and a simpler hilt, though some machetes do have a guard for greater hand protection during work.
+Other similar tools include:
-The ''[[kopis]]'' is an [[ancient Greece|ancient Greek]] weapon comparable to the machete. The ''[[makhaira]]'' is also similar, but was intended primarily to be a weapon rather than a tool.
-The ''[[seax]]'' is a [[Germanic peoples|Germanic]] weapon that is also similar in function, although different in shape.
-The ''[[kukri]]'' is a Nepalese curved blade used for many purposes similar to the machete.
-The ''[[Parang (knife)|parang]]'' is a Malaysian knife that many machetes are based on.{{cn|date=August 2016}}
-The ''[[grosse messer]]'' is a large ''medieval'' [[knife]], employed both as a tool and as a weapon.
-The "[[dao]]" is a traditional Chinese weapon resembling the machete. It is also known as "The General of All Weapons"
-The [[fascine knife]] is a somewhat similar tool and weapon used by European armies throughout the late 18th to early 20th centuries. In fact, the [[Spanish Army]] called its fascine knives ''machetes''.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://books.google.com/?id=QA8AAAAAMAAJ |first=C. J. |last=L'Estrage |title=Europe in Arms, No. X - The Spanish Army |journal=Illustrated Naval and Military Magazine: A Monthly Journal Devoted to All Subjects Connected with Her Majesty's Land and Sea Forces |volume=8 |date=January–June 1888 |page=263}}</ref> Whereas infantry were usually issued short [[sabre]]s as side arms, [[Combat engineering|engineers]] and [[Field artillery|artillerymen]] often received fascine knives,<ref name="1802-43">{{cite web |url=http://www.catalogacionarmas.com/public/31-machetes-1.pdf |format=[[PDF]] |title=Machetes de Artillería y de Ingenieros del Ejército (I) 1802 - 1843 |publisher=Catalogación de Armas |language=Spanish |accessdate=12 February 2009}}</ref><ref name="1843-07">{{cite web |url=http://www.catalogacionarmas.com/public/32-machetes-2.pdf |format=[[PDF]] |title=Machetes de Artillería y de Ingenieros del Ejército (II) 1843–1907 |publisher=Catalogación de Armas |language=Spanish |accessdate=12 February 2009}}</ref> as besides being side arms they also served as useful tools for the construction of fortifications and other utilitarian tasks. They differ from machetes in that they generally have far thicker, tapered blades optimized for chopping European vegetation (the thin, flat blade of the machete is better for soft plants found in tropical environments), sword-like hilts and guards, and sometimes a sawback-blade.<ref name="1802-43" /> Some later models could be fixed to [[rifle]]s as [[bayonet]]s as well.<ref name="1843-07" />
-The [[katana]], typically acquired through trade, was used by the Ainu people in a machete-like fashion rather than a weapon as it was originally intended to be.{{cn|date=August 2016}}
-== Manufacturing ==
-[[File:Gerber Machete.jpg|left|thumb|[[Gerber Legendary Blades|Gerber]] machete/saw combo]]
-[[Image:sugar-cane-knife.jpg|thumb|80px|right|[[Cane knife]]]]
-[[File:Cold steel machete.jpg|thumb|A bolo machete.]]
-Both the materials used and the shape of the machete itself are important to make a good machete. In the past, the best and most famous manufacturer of machetes in [[Latin America]] and the Spanish-speaking [[Caribbean]] was Collins Company of [[Collinsville (Canton, Connecticut)|Collinsville]], [[Connecticut]].<ref>{{cite book |url=http://books.google.com/?id=FK8RAAAAYAAJ |first=Chester Lloyd |last=Jones |title=The Consular Service of the United States: Its History and Activities |year=1906 |publisher=[[University of Pennsylvania Press]] |location=[[Philadelphia]] |page=72}}</ref> The company was founded as Collins & Company in 1826 by [[Samuel W. Collins]] to make [[axe]]s.<ref>{{cite book |first=Henry J. |last=Kauffman |title=American Axes: A Survey of Their Development and Their Makers |chapter=III: The Nineteenth Century |publisher=Masthof Press |year=1994 |isbn=978-1-883294-12-0 |url=http://books.google.com/?id=x5ZiYCZRdHwC |page=30}}</ref> Its first machetes were sold in 1845<ref>{{cite book |title=Collins' Machetes and Bowies, 1845-1965 |first=Daniel Edward |last=Henry |publisher=Krause Publications |year=1995 |isbn=978-0-87341-403-6 |page=15}}</ref> and became so famous that all good machetes were called "un Collins".<ref>{{cite book |first=Oliver |last=La Farge |title=A Pictorial History of the American Indian |publisher=Crown Publishers |year=1956 |page=219}}</ref> In the English-speaking Caribbean, Robert Mole & Sons of Birmingham, England, was long considered the manufacturer of agricultural cutlasses of the best quality. Some Robert Mole blades survive as souvenirs of travelers to Trinidad,<ref>[http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/6121694 Vintage Trinidad Machete in Leather Sheath]</ref> Jamaica, and, less commonly, St. Lucia.
-Since the 1950s, however, manufacturing shortcuts have resulted in a quality decline of machetes. Today, most modern factory-made machetes are of very simple construction, consisting of a blade and full-length [[Tang (weaponry)|tang]] punched from a single piece of flat steel plate of uniform thickness (and thus lack a [[primary grind]]), and a simple [[hilt#Grip|grip]] of two plates of wood or plastic bolted or [[rivet]]ed together around the tang. Finally, both sides are ground down to a rough edge so that the purchaser can sharpen the blade to their specific geometry using a file. These machetes are occasionally provided with a simple cord loop as a sort of [[lanyard]], and a [[canvas]] [[scabbard]]&mdash;although in some regions where machetes are valuable, commonly used tools, the users may make decorative [[leather]] scabbards for them.
-[[Toughness]] is important because of the twisting and impact forces that the relatively thin blade may encounter, while edge retention is secondary. Medium to high [[Carbon steel|carbon]] [[spring steel]]s, such as [[SAE steel grades|1050]] to [[SAE steel grades|1095]], are well suited to this application (with better machetes using the latter), and are relatively easy to sharpen. Most [[stainless steel]] machetes should be avoided, as many high-carbon stainless-steel machetes cannot stand up to repeated impacts, and will easily break if abused.
-In comparison to most other knives, which are commonly heat treated to a very high degree of hardness, many machete blades are [[tempering (metallurgy)|tempered]] to maximum toughness, often nearly spring tempered. This results in a tougher blade, more resistant to chipping and breaking, with an edge that is easier to sharpen but does not retain sharpness as well, due to its lower hardness.
-A properly constructed machete will have a convex or flat primary bevel from the spine to the edge, which is formed by a secondary bevel. Better machetes will also have a slight [[Blade geometry#Taper|distal taper]].
-[[Colombia]] is the largest exporter of machetes worldwide.<ref>http://www.laprensa.com.ni/2014/04/12/activos/190612</ref>
-==Users==
-Machetes are often considered tools and used by adults. However, many [[hunter–gatherer]] societies and cultures surviving through [[subsistence agriculture]] begin teaching babies to use sharp tools, including machetes, before their first birthdays.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/how_babies_work/2013/04/09/bad_parenting_ideas_that_are_actually_good_for_some_babies.html|title=Give Your Baby a Machete|last=Day|first=Nicholas|date=9 April 2013|work=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]|accessdate=19 April 2013}}</ref>
-== Culture==
-[[File:Flag of Angola.svg|thumb|The [[Flag of Angola]]]]
-* The [[Flag of Angola]] features a machete, along with a [[cog-wheel]].
-* The machete is also a performance weapon used in variations of the Brazilian martial dance called ''[[Maculelê (dance)|maculelê]]'', often practiced by practitioners of ''[[capoeira]]''.
-* In the Mexican state of [[Durango]], the folkloric dance called ''Danza de los Machetes'' consists of blind-folded dancers juggling machetes and pitching them at increasing speeds between one another.
-* In [[Colombia]] and other countries in South America, "machete" is a term often used to describe a ''[[kludge]]''.
-== See also ==
 * [[Billhook]]
-* [[Cutlass]]
+* [[Dusack]]
 * [[Golok]]
+* [[Kopis]]
 * [[Kukri]]
-* [[Parang (knife)|Parang]]
+* [[Seax]]
-* [[Sword]]
+* [[Sorocaban Knife]]
-== Notes ==
+== References ==
-{{Reflist|30em}}
+{{reflist}}
-==External links==
+== External links ==
+* {{commons category-inline|Machetes}}
-{{Wiktionary|machete}}
-{{Commons category-inline|Machetes}}
 {{Knives}}
 {{Forestry tools}}
 {{Garden tools}}
+{{Authority control}}
-{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2010}}
 [[Category:Machetes| ]]
 [[Category:American inventions]]
-[[Category:Hiking equipment]]
+[[Category:Edged and bladed weapons]]
-[[Category:Blade weapons]]
 [[Category:Camping equipment]]
+[[Category:Forestry tools]]
+[[Category:Gardening tools]]
+[[Category:Hiking equipment]]

v t e Knives and daggers
List of daggers List of blade materials
Kitchen and table knives	Boning Boti Bread knife Butcher knife Butter knife Caidao Cheese knife Chef's knife Cleaver Electric knife Fillet knife Grapefruit knife Lame Mezzaluna Parmesan knife Pizza cutter Splayd Steak knife Tomato knife Japanese kitchen knives Deba bōchō Maguro bōchō Nakiri bōchō Santoku Sashimi bōchō Udon kiri Unagisaki hōchō Usuba bōchō Yanagi ba
Other knives	Aircrew Survival Egress Knife Athame Balisong/Butterfly Ballistic Ballpoint pen knife Bayonet Boline Bolo Boot knife Bowie Cane knife Ceramic knife Clip point Combat knife Commander Corvo CQC-6 Deba bōchō Diving knife Drop point Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife Gerber Mark II Ginsu Golok Gravity knife Guna Hacking knife Higonokami Hunting knife Husa knife Ivan's Knife Jacob's ladder Karambit Kard Kirpan Kitchen knife Kukri Laguiole knife Machete Mandau Marking knife Misericorde Mora knife Multi-tool Navaja Neck knife Nontron knife Opinel knife Palette knife Pantographic knife Parang Penknife Penny knife Pesh-kabz Pirah Pocketknife Phurba Putty knife Puukko Rampuri Resolza Sabatier Sami knife SARK Scalpel Seax Sgian dubh Sharpfinger Sheath knife Shiv Sliding knife Smatchet SOG Knife Straight razor Strider SMF Survival knife Swiss Army knife Switchblade Taping knife Throwing knife Trench knife Tumi Ulu Utility knife Verlängerungsmesser Warrior knife Wedung X-Acto Yarara Parachute Knife Yatagan
Daggers	Anelace Applegate–Fairbairn fighting knife Arkansas toothpick BC-41 Bagh nakh Balarao Baselard Bichuwa Bollock dagger Cinquedea Dha Dirk Ear dagger Emeici Facón French Nail Gunong Hunting dagger Jambiya Jile Kabutowari Kaiken Kalis Katar Khanjali Khanjar Kris Kunai Liaoning dagger Mark I trench knife Microtech Jagdkommando Parrying dagger Poignard Pugio Push dagger Rondel dagger Seme Shobo Sica Stiletto Tantō U.S. Marine Raider stiletto V-42 Yoroi-dōshi
Manufacturers	Aitor Knife Company Al Mar Knives American Tomahawk Company Aritsugu Benchmade Böker Buck Knives Camillus Cutlery Company Cattaraugus Cutlery Company Chris Reeve Knives Chroma Cnife Clauss Cutlery Company Cobray Company Cold Steel Columbia River Knife & Tool Cuisinart Cutco Dalian Hanwei Metal Dexter-Russell Ek Commando Knife Co. EKA Emerson Knives F. Dick Fällkniven FAMAE Fiskars Gerber Legendary Blades Füritechnics Glock Ges.m.b.H. Imperial Schrade Ivan's Ka-Bar Kershaw Knives KitchenAid Korin Japanese Trading Company Kyocera Leatherman Mad Dog Knives Marble Arms Medford Knife and Tool Microtech Knives Morseth Muela Murphy Knives OLFA Ontario Knife Company Opinel Randall Made Knives Ranz Cuchillos Rösle Sabatier Shun Cutlery Slice, Inc. SOG Specialty Knives Spyderco STI Knives Strider Knives Thiers Issard TOPS Knives Tramontina Victorinox W. R. Case & Sons Cutlery Co. Carl Walther GmbH Wenger Western Knife Company Wilkinson Sword Wüsthof Yoshida Metal Industry Global Zero Tolerance Knives Zwilling J. A. Henckels
Knifemakers	Rex Applegate James Black Tom Brown Jr. Blackie Collins John Nelson Cooper Jack W. Crain Ernest Emerson Jerry Fisk Bill Harsey Jr. Phill Hartsfield Gil Hibben Jimmy Lile Bob Loveless William F. Moran Ken Onion Ralph Osterhout Bo Randall Chris Reeve A. G. Russell Jody Samson William Scagel Mike Snody Robert Terzuola Michael Walker Buster Warenski Daniel Winkler
Associations	American Bladesmith Society Cutlery and Allied Trades Research Association Knifemakers' Guild
Category:Knives / Daggers

v t e Forestry tools and equipment
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Logging	Cant hook Feller buncher Forwarder Go-devil Harvester Helicopter Log truck Lombard Steam Log Hauler Peavey Pickaroon Pike pole Skid cone Skidder Washington Winch Steam donkey Yarder swing
Other	Denailer Firewood processor Forest railway Forestry mulcher Hand compass Hand hook Hydraulic debarker Log house moulder Log pond Log flume Machete Stump grinder Chainsaw mill Tree tyer Tsakat Whoopie sling Wood-drying kiln Woodchipper
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v t e Garden tools
Hand tools	Averruncator Axe Billhook Broadfork Daisy grubber Dibber Garden fork Grafter Grass shears Grass Stitcher Hoe Homi Hori hori Kirpi Loppers Machete Mattock Pickaxe Pitchfork Post hole digger Potting bench Pruning shears or secateurs Rake Riddle Scythe Shovel Sickle Spade Loy Trowel Watering can Weeder Wheelbarrow Wood auger
Manual or powered	Cultivator Dethatcher Earth auger Edger Hedge trimmer Lawn aerator Lawn mower Lawn sweeper Plough
Power tools	Brushcutter Chainsaw Garden hose Irrigation sprinkler Leaf blower String trimmer
Types of tools Cleaning Cutting and abrasive Forestry Garden Hand Kitchen Machine and metalworking Masonry Measuring and alignment Mining Power Textile Woodworking