So I'm just wondering what others on here think about the machete and the kukri. The two of them seem highly similar to me, and I'm wondering which people think is better or more versatile. I'm also wondering which would be a better tool to have around in a survival situation. Personally I think that the kukri is probably more versatile and would be better to have in a survival situation, as i can see it being easer to perform many tasks with the kukri than a machete.

Mate

I suppose it depends on what size you mean. You can get some machetes that are more like swords than any other blade.

From my personal usage, in the 17-20 inch department, I would prefer a kukri, for heavier duty work say through light brush / scrub, however with lighter work, grassland & rainforest vines etc I'd go a machete or brushhook.

Cheers

Down here in the Caribbean we use the machete for almost everything to do with clearing land. I learned from the best machete wielders from St. Lucia.

Both sides of the blade are usable. One side for cutting above ground and the other for digging and removing roots.
It is very common to cut down fairly large trees ( up to 2 ft.in diameter ) with a machete locally. It's all about the technique which can take a while to perfect.

Go with the machete and don't think a big heavy machete is necessary. It 's more about quick accurate chops or cuts.

The kukri looks like and over sized knife. Some guys here would rather have a machete than a gun.

My system of doing things doesnt require either one. So I exclude the long cutting blades. In place of them I have a Case XX camp hatchet,small lightweight saw, and I just added a Cold steel Bushman. Should I need the brush clearing ability of the machete, I merely add an an 18" wood handle to the Bushman and screw it in solid. Will be adding an additional bushman to the other side of the pack as well. For the weight, ease of sharpening and toughness of the steel they are fine for me. AO: blackwater cedar swamps and ultra dense forests of western washington.

Those tools may be well suited to other forested areas, and jungle environs quite well for others though.

I have a K-Bar Kukri that I absolutely love. 1095 Cro-van steel blade 11.5" long and just over 17" overall, it's a good heavy blade that will cut through about anything but only wieghs about 2lbs so as to not cause extreme fatigue. I like the curve of the blade and find that it gives added leverage in the swing.

Originally posted by JDBlack
So I'm just wondering what others on here think about the machete and the kukri. The two of them seem highly similar to me, and I'm wondering which people think is better or more versatile. I'm also wondering which would be a better tool to have around in a survival situation. Personally I think that the kukri is probably more versatile and would be better to have in a survival situation, as i can see it being easer to perform many tasks with the kukri than a machete.

Khukuri would be more versatile.
REAL Khukuris, not the fleamarket crap.

The Nepali people use them as weapons, machetes, garden tools, hammers, kitchen tools, pry bars, chisles, axes, and many more things.
It's the oldest multi-tool in the world.
They are usually over 18 inches long and 1/4 inch thick.
they are made from old car and truck leafsprings.
See himalayan Imports website for some of the best on the planet.


Machetes are thin, cheap blades made to slice brush. that's it.
A real khukuri will do everything a machete will do, and about 1,000 more things a machete cannot,
and then it can chop the machete in half and never break a sweat

I had the same question and had to go with the Nepalese Kukri.

My Kukri has a 10' blade and a western handle including a lanyard hole. The traditional handles made me nervous...

I did prepare a meal with it, cutting onion, green pepper, tomato, and cut a boneless pork roast.
I've also used it extensively for chopping, hardwood and soft, green or dry, the kukri rates with an axe.
Mine is 1000 grams in weight. Kind of a lot. It's heavier than it looks on a computer monitor.

IF you are wanting an all-around survival knife; get the Kukri blade........it was primarily designed as a sentry removal weapon and can split a man's skull in half (from top of head to base of neck). That's what its designed for!

A machete is nothing more than a brush knife that can skin a coconut (after many chops).........

Obviously many here have never seen a professional use a good machete. To say they are good for nothing but cutting brush is a joke.