For those interested, there is a martial art based on the machete in Haiti. Machetes were the weapon that won freedom for the island for the slaves and beat the French… they were quite dealt in the hands of those who were forced to use them everyday cutting sugarcane. There is a documentary about the form and one of its last living practitioners around somewhere - I believe it is called “Song of the Machete” or something like it. The style is deceptively languid and looks dangerous.
Excellent commentary and demonstration with cutting! I was going to do a video explaining the differences myself, but you have said everything about it and I agree 100%. Now I can just link your video when someone asks, instead of making one myself. 👍
@@tatumergo3931 I suspect you are talking about the very upscale machetes that were popular across parts of the Caribbean and in Cuba in particular. With their fancy hilts and hand guards these are often called *cutacha*, and just like you say they are a far cry from our present day machete especially in blade type. If you haven’t already I would check out the research of Carter Rila who goes into great detail about the origins and use of Cutacha. Rila tries to answer the longstanding question about where these blades fall…are they machete? Swords? Both? Neither? I take a slightly different opinion and feel that they perhaps are more machete and less sword, but I don’t think we need to draw such hard lines between the two families and some blades such as these can blurr the lines.
excellent video. I just want to add a couple of details regarding the blade geometry of the machetes, starting with the distal taper, actually the vast majority of machete manufacturers provide them with distal taper, for example those from Truper or Bellota go from 1.8 to 0.8 mm thick on average, other manufacturers such as Tramontina or Ontario are those that do not include distal taper. Another point is the thickness of the blade, certainly the vast majority of machetes do not exceed 2mm in thickness, except for the machetes manufactured during or before the 60's by Legitimus Collins or CH that manufactured machetes with 3 to 4 mm thickness in the ricaso and 1.5 at the tip with leaves up to 26 to 28 inches long. Although I think the biggest difference between machetes and swords is in the bevel, machetes even if they are 4mm thick have a very short bevel for a very wide and flat blade, which is logical considering their purpose and function as tools. Other points such as the guard are debatable because, although it is not common in commercial models, artisanal ones can have it, generally being an S-shaped guard. I personally have a CH brand machete with a 26" long and 3mm blade. thick that is reduced to 1.5mm. I have customized it with a guard, a pommel and a thumb ring, it is a Frankenstein that can serve as both a tool and a substitute for a saber, but due to the difference in blade geometry It won't perform as a sword, but as a substitute for one it will do better than most machetes.
Machete are a whole lot thinner, especially at the ricasso. Though one can get machete like the Baryonyx kingfisher that does have hand protection, fullering & distal taper. Which gets it a lot closer to that sword classification than most machete would.
Yep, I’ve seen a few different names in the Caribbean. Cutlass or koulta in some cases, and I believe Haiti used Manchette. My family is from Belize and would say it something like “Ma che te”: it was certainly used for tomfoolery in the Caribbean!
Interesting note, during the Mexican Revolution, the rebel cavalry would make use of the machetes they already owned over proper cutlasses or sabres. I have to wonder how cavalry with machetes would compare with sabre wielders.
Before watching, I think a “sword” would be something designed with the intended purpose of killing. I think the machete would be more of a “tool”. It was not intended to be used on people but you can still use it for that and to great effect, it just wasn’t its intended purpose and might fall short compared to dedicated weapons
@@outsideiskrrtinsideihurt699depends on the khukuri, hanshee/lambedhi style khukuri were weapons, stuff like the Mk1-Mk3 were tools and weapons, whereas villager khukuri were/are still predominately tools.
I’m thinking it would be the same the other way around. Get a Falchion, or Side Sword, or Katana, and get to work clearing heavy thicket in an over grown swamp or rainforest, and chances are it won’t last very long, where as the thinner, more flexible machete can work all day long, everyday of the week, twice on Sunday. Like you said, different tools dedicated to different jobs. Could a machete kill someone or be used in combat? Absolutely. It’s just not ideal. Could a sword be used to clear a dense thicket? Sure. Just not ideal.
@@gatorjohnny 1930s Collins machete for export to South and Central America were more like Cutlasses with distal taper and good weight btw, thin light machete with no distal taper from sheet steel weren't always the norm, even 1960s Tramontina machete were better made with distal taper and thicker stock. Snap cutters in Asia like Kanchin Dao, Bolo also straddle the line of tool and weapon, ultimately styles that are weapon and shield based as opposed to just weapon which also works in defense can have more flexibility in design as a two part system, another example would be the Oda Katthi.
While some falchions/messers like most machetes do have blades which look like not much more then flattend pieces of sheet metal and while you do see examples of messers and falchions which are around the same length of matchetes falchions/messers unlike machetes are built with the purpose of being used as a weapon in mind and tends to have certains features which we would associate with being a sword however I wouldn't necessarily really be too uncomfortable with comparing something with a blade built like a machete blade to a sword and I wouldn't I necessarily be too uncomfortable with still calling an object built like that a sword yet I typically don't call machetes swords but that's simply just because it wasn't necessarily designed with the specific purpose of being used as a weapon in mind.
Your khukuri doesn't have enough distal taper, also the handle isn't shaped properly, it should lock into your hand...furthermore khukuri are sword AND shield (or long blade and improvised shield) based weapons. Nor do you have the correct footwork or angulation. Machete DO NOT do well on bamboo, that's why you don't see true slashing machete in Asia but you instead see snap cutters like Katthi, Koita, Parang, Dao, Khukuri etc.
Yes this isn't the best representative Khukuri to showcase what they really can do, but it is the one I had on hand so I didn't want to leave it out! It has a rather straight grip, but the length, as well as the thickness of the blade spine, while perhaps an outlier for most historical examples, is still comparable to that of this example found in the Mandarin Mansion. www.mandarinmansion.com/item/silver-mounted-khukuri As always you have my apologies for my poor footwork and technique. Great point to bring up that khukuri is another sword and shield weapon set!
@@dlatrexswordsno, not comparable, that example sheds weight through chirra. It's also a wider blade but relatively shorter for that width, with a handle that locks in. It's hard to explain overall cross section and harmonics through text so apologies there, that blade weighs only approx 500g for a reason, most modern repros are like 1/3rd heavier than good quality historical khukuri (as opposed to munitions grade sharpened prybars which exist as well from the same period). If you can, put some grip tape on your handle to make it lock in leaving it just thin enough to still rock in your hand when snap cutting. I think you could easily make it through 80% of the pumpkin if you work to use the khukuri with kinetic linkage from the rear leg to the weapon hand (as khukuri are predominately rear handed weapons it's more like throwing a cross than western lunge based HEMA Sabre which is more akin to a jab, if that makes sense.)
Yes. Theyre just swords with a fatter blade geometry.
For those interested, there is a martial art based on the machete in Haiti.
Machetes were the weapon that won freedom for the island for the slaves and beat the French… they were quite dealt in the hands of those who were forced to use them everyday cutting sugarcane.
There is a documentary about the form and one of its last living practitioners around somewhere - I believe it is called “Song of the Machete” or something like it. The style is deceptively languid and looks dangerous.
Excellent commentary and demonstration with cutting! I was going to do a video explaining the differences myself, but you have said everything about it and I agree 100%. Now I can just link your video when someone asks, instead of making one myself. 👍
Oh don’t make me an authority mate! Make your own video so that I can enjoy as well :)
@@tatumergo3931 I suspect you are talking about the very upscale machetes that were popular across parts of the Caribbean and in Cuba in particular. With their fancy hilts and hand guards these are often called *cutacha*, and just like you say they are a far cry from our present day machete especially in blade type. If you haven’t already I would check out the research of Carter Rila who goes into great detail about the origins and use of Cutacha. Rila tries to answer the longstanding question about where these blades fall…are they machete? Swords? Both? Neither?
I take a slightly different opinion and feel that they perhaps are more machete and less sword, but I don’t think we need to draw such hard lines between the two families and some blades such as these can blurr the lines.
excellent video. I just want to add a couple of details regarding the blade geometry of the machetes, starting with the distal taper, actually the vast majority of machete manufacturers provide them with distal taper, for example those from Truper or Bellota go from 1.8 to 0.8 mm thick on average, other manufacturers such as Tramontina or Ontario are those that do not include distal taper. Another point is the thickness of the blade, certainly the vast majority of machetes do not exceed 2mm in thickness, except for the machetes manufactured during or before the 60's by Legitimus Collins or CH that manufactured machetes with 3 to 4 mm thickness in the ricaso and 1.5 at the tip with leaves up to 26 to 28 inches long. Although I think the biggest difference between machetes and swords is in the bevel, machetes even if they are 4mm thick have a very short bevel for a very wide and flat blade, which is logical considering their purpose and function as tools. Other points such as the guard are debatable because, although it is not common in commercial models, artisanal ones can have it, generally being an S-shaped guard. I personally have a CH brand machete with a 26" long and 3mm blade. thick that is reduced to 1.5mm. I have customized it with a guard, a pommel and a thumb ring, it is a Frankenstein that can serve as both a tool and a substitute for a saber, but due to the difference in blade geometry It won't perform as a sword, but as a substitute for one it will do better than most machetes.
Machete are a whole lot thinner, especially at the ricasso. Though one can get machete like the Baryonyx kingfisher that does have hand protection, fullering & distal taper. Which gets it a lot closer to that sword classification than most machete would.
F.YI In the Caribbean countries machetes tend to be referred to as cutlasses.Which is obviously a term which many of us would associate with swords.
Yep, I’ve seen a few different names in the Caribbean. Cutlass or koulta in some cases, and I believe Haiti used Manchette. My family is from Belize and would say it something like “Ma che te”: it was certainly used for tomfoolery in the Caribbean!
Interesting note, during the Mexican Revolution, the rebel cavalry would make use of the machetes they already owned over proper cutlasses or sabres. I have to wonder how cavalry with machetes would compare with sabre wielders.
It sounds like a machete and khukuri are more versatile than a sword. You can take care of camp chores with them as well as use them as a weapon.
i'd say they can be considered swords in the right context since there is no universal solid definition of what a sword is (length) (weight)
Before watching, I think a “sword” would be something designed with the intended purpose of killing. I think the machete would be more of a “tool”. It was not intended to be used on people but you can still use it for that and to great effect, it just wasn’t its intended purpose and might fall short compared to dedicated weapons
dunno, an kukri is primarily an tool, and it does great against people in an ambush/CC setting
@@stefthorman8548 No doubt, but wasn’t it also designed to be a weapon as well as a tool?
@@outsideiskrrtinsideihurt699depends on the khukuri, hanshee/lambedhi style khukuri were weapons, stuff like the Mk1-Mk3 were tools and weapons, whereas villager khukuri were/are still predominately tools.
I’m thinking it would be the same the other way around. Get a Falchion, or Side Sword, or Katana, and get to work clearing heavy thicket in an over grown swamp or rainforest, and chances are it won’t last very long, where as the thinner, more flexible machete can work all day long, everyday of the week, twice on Sunday. Like you said, different tools dedicated to different jobs. Could a machete kill someone or be used in combat? Absolutely. It’s just not ideal. Could a sword be used to clear a dense thicket? Sure. Just not ideal.
@@gatorjohnny 1930s Collins machete for export to South and Central America were more like Cutlasses with distal taper and good weight btw, thin light machete with no distal taper from sheet steel weren't always the norm, even 1960s Tramontina machete were better made with distal taper and thicker stock. Snap cutters in Asia like Kanchin Dao, Bolo also straddle the line of tool and weapon, ultimately styles that are weapon and shield based as opposed to just weapon which also works in defense can have more flexibility in design as a two part system, another example would be the Oda Katthi.
Jason Voorhees seems to make them work
While some falchions/messers like most machetes do have blades which look like not much more then flattend pieces of sheet metal and while you do see examples of messers and falchions which are around the same length of matchetes falchions/messers unlike machetes are built with the purpose of being used as a weapon in mind and tends to have certains features which we would associate with being a sword however I wouldn't necessarily really be too uncomfortable with comparing something with a blade built like a machete blade to a sword and I wouldn't I necessarily be too uncomfortable with still calling an object built like that a sword yet I typically don't call machetes swords but that's simply just because it wasn't necessarily designed with the specific purpose of being used as a weapon in mind.
On the offensive yes but defense, not so much
No. Common machetes are optimized for agricultural work. Can they be used like a sword in certain contexts? Absolutely.
Your khukuri doesn't have enough distal taper, also the handle isn't shaped properly, it should lock into your hand...furthermore khukuri are sword AND shield (or long blade and improvised shield) based weapons. Nor do you have the correct footwork or angulation. Machete DO NOT do well on bamboo, that's why you don't see true slashing machete in Asia but you instead see snap cutters like Katthi, Koita, Parang, Dao, Khukuri etc.
Yes this isn't the best representative Khukuri to showcase what they really can do, but it is the one I had on hand so I didn't want to leave it out!
It has a rather straight grip, but the length, as well as the thickness of the blade spine, while perhaps an outlier for most historical examples, is still comparable to that of this example found in the Mandarin Mansion.
www.mandarinmansion.com/item/silver-mounted-khukuri
As always you have my apologies for my poor footwork and technique. Great point to bring up that khukuri is another sword and shield weapon set!
@@dlatrexswordsno, not comparable, that example sheds weight through chirra. It's also a wider blade but relatively shorter for that width, with a handle that locks in. It's hard to explain overall cross section and harmonics through text so apologies there, that blade weighs only approx 500g for a reason, most modern repros are like 1/3rd heavier than good quality historical khukuri (as opposed to munitions grade sharpened prybars which exist as well from the same period). If you can, put some grip tape on your handle to make it lock in leaving it just thin enough to still rock in your hand when snap cutting. I think you could easily make it through 80% of the pumpkin if you work to use the khukuri with kinetic linkage from the rear leg to the weapon hand (as khukuri are predominately rear handed weapons it's more like throwing a cross than western lunge based HEMA Sabre which is more akin to a jab, if that makes sense.)