Machete for Alders

[Rob]

Anyone find these help much for getting through alders?

Rob

[ruger#1]

A friend of mine has one of these, He loves it. Fiskars Brush Axe 7860

https://youtu.be/wS6KT0ayn2c

I,am going to get one.

[Good2bCanadian]

Don't buy a SOG machete.

They sure look cool, but my blade blew up chopping alders.

[ruger#1]

I also have three Fiskars axes. No more splitting mauls. They also have a life time warranty.

[Stroodle]

Same goes for the Gerber - I use mine all the time but it is too thin/cheap and I spend a lot of time bashing straight and sharpening. I will get another machete one day, but it will be a heavy duty version, they are very quick to get out and use.

this is the one I have and is too light duty in my opinion and experience.

http://www.gerbergear.com/Outdoor/Gear/Gator-Machete_31-000758

[Good2bCanadian]

I second Fiskars.

They stood behind a garden weed puller for me three times and eventually gave me there best model available.

All I had to do was email them a picture of the broken unit.

[Stroodle]

A friend of mine has one of these, He loves it. Fiskars Brush Axe 7860

https://youtu.be/wS6KT0ayn2c

I,am going to get one.

That does look like it would suit my needs and definitely heavier than the Gerber I'm using. Thanks.

[ruger#1]

That does look like it would suit my needs and definitely heavier than the Gerber I'm using. Thanks.

Wait until they come on sale at Canadian tire.

[Rob]

Cool, pretty cheap to, thanks.

Rob

[ellenbill]

I use pruners, much safer to use and I can cut 2 inch alders and other branches.

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Me? I'd just go somewhere else.

[J_T]

Only the high quality machete's work. Cheap is too cheap. Fiskars brush hook is a good alternative, but I find the Sandvik absolutely the best.

[BiG Boar]

I looked at a lot of reviews online and found the fiscal brush hook to be the best. I went with it and haven't looked back. Tough, does everything I thought it would.

[adriaticum]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtlpAM8XzBQ

[warnniklz]

I rock a fiskars A7 hatchet for logs and had a gerber machete fod clearing devils club and smaller alders. Cleared a lot of trail with both. My machete is sitting on the side of "Dink Mountain" somewhere... have yet to replace it

[Big Lew]

I have 2 large heavy duty machetes and have used them many times to
whack myself into an area. Mountain alder and Devil's Club are very tough
and springy so I've found the heavy duty blades work much better then
the light ones. Keeping the blade very sharp makes a huge difference as well.
I always use a strap with them though as it can be very dangerous if you
lose your grip. The strap has saved me from losing them over a bank or
into the nasty thickets more than a few times.

[adriaticum]

Every tool has it's purpose.
Machetes are more effective than hatchets in cutting small trees and shrubs.
They are lighter and easier to carry.
If you don't need to cut trees 2 or more inches in diameter, I think you'd be better off with a machete.

[Big Lew]

Every tool has it's purpose.
Machetes are more effective than hatchets in cutting small trees and shrubs.
They are lighter and easier to carry.
If you don't need to cut trees 2 or more inches in diameter, I think you'd be better off with a machete.

I agree, except my heavy duty ones have been used on green trees up to 3"-4" quite
frequently and successfully.

[wideopenthrottle]

I agree with ellenbill...a good set of hand pruners is way safer and quieter if you are in thick small stuff like alder swamps/buckbrush ..it is also easier to cut them right at ground level so as to avoid snagging while dragging...I use the hand pruner to prune my laurels (about 100 ft long by 10 feet high) cuz it does a neater job than the hedge trimmers and as previously said anything up to an inch is easy with up to 2 inches possible with a little effort...swinging a traditional machete in the wet bush is a risk not worth taking...

[Foxtail]

Gerber owns fiskars now or viseversa but its the same company. I have a callimanus that I like

[ruger#1]

Every tool has it's purpose.
Machetes are more effective than hatchets in cutting small trees and shrubs.
They are lighter and easier to carry.
If you don't need to cut trees 2 or more inches in diameter, I think you'd be better off with a machete.

You havent seen my Fiskars hatchet in action. Thats what I use to clear alder on the road to the cabin. I also have a fiskars axe sharpener.

[M.Dean]

Anyone find these help much for getting through alders?

Rob Dear God Man!!! Alders have feelings too you know!!! You got the big Gramma and Grammpa Alders, Mum and Dad Alders, and all around them are there children, growing up healthy and proud to be good, straight Alder bushes, not bothering anyone, and here you come along with a bloody big "Machete" and cut them off at the roots!!! This brutel Alder Genocide has to stop! What has man kind become? We have to kill every little blade of grass, wild flower and tree or bush that get's in our way??? Shit, games on, go "Blackhawks Go!"!!! I just love the big "First Nations" face on there sweaters, reminds me of Me!!!

:wink:

[ruger#1]

Gerber owns fiskars now or viseversa but its the same company. I have a callimanus that I like

Fiskars is a global consumer products company with a strong portfolio of trusted brands including Fiskars, Iittala, Arabia, Hackman, Gerber, and Buster. The company is listed on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki in Finland.

[TheProvider]

Always used Sandviks

[adriaticum]

You havent seen my Fiskars hatchet in action. Thats what I use to clear alder on the road to the cabin. I also have a fiskars axe sharpener.

You can do everything with a hatchet too, it'll just cost you some more sweat.

[scoutlt1]

Dear God Man!!! Alders have feelings too you know!!! You got the big Gramma and Grammpa Alders, Mum and Dad Alders, and all around them are there children, growing up healthy and proud to be good, straight Alder bushes, not bothering anyone, and here you come along with a bloody big "Machete" and cut them off at the roots!!! This brutel Alder Genocide has to stop! What has man kind become? We have to kill every little blade of grass, wild flower and tree or bush that get's in our way??? Shit, games on, go "Blackhawks Go!"!!! I just love the big "First Nations" face on there sweaters, reminds me of Me!!!

:wink:






Quit trying to out-drink me dammit! :)

[ruger#1]

You can do everything with a hatchet too, it'll just cost you some more sweat.

I used machetes up there. And I would rather use the hatchet. A machete to me is a pain in the ass.

[albravo2]

I've spent a fair bit of time in the tropics and have seen what a machete can do in the hands of a good user. They are an amazing tool. You can't compare a hatchet.

I have a couple machete and am OK as a user. I'd like to try a sandvik but haven't found anywhere a machete wouldn't work.

[ruger#1]

I'm not into carrying a long blade when packing a rifle. So you can keep your machete. The tropics are a lot different from here. Try using you machete on vine maple. Try using it to split maple. Thats what I use mine for. It also works good for blackberries. It is very sharp. Next time you get a chance to handle one, See how sharp it is.

[Big Lew]

I have a tough sheath holding my machete on the side of my pack.
It is quick and easy to access, and with it I can clear away just about
any tangle blocking my way, including small laid over trees up to 4 " dia.
Because it's always very sharp and is heavy, even tough stuff like
vine maple, gnarly snow slide willow, and devil's club can be cut out of the way.
I've re-opened many clogged and re-grown roads and trails for kms with it.

[ruger#1]

Thats why we are making a brush cutter for the tractor. It works the best. It also has a drink holder.

[adriaticum]

Ultimately it's not the tool, it's the master craftsman.

[ruger#1]

Ultimately it's not the tool, it's the master craftsman.

No, it is, I want an all round tool. I do not want to pack around multiple tools. I have three splitting mauls in the garage. I bought my first Fiskars. Which is a long axe. Those mauls were 6lbs at the head each. Fiskars out splits them. I would like a Fiskars brush cutter. But it is just another thing to carry.

[Timberjack]

Use a sandvik or long handled brush hook (2 hands). A machete of any sort WILL end up with a cut at some point in your life, no doubt about it. Machete cuts are not pretty. There's a reason nearly every forestry company has banned their use... Don't get a machete!!! The fiskars thing looks cool, but I see the same safety issue with it as well..

sandviks are very nice cause they don't deflect like an axe or machete, and the way the blade is protected allows you to cut things very close to the ground without dulling the blade, which further enhances safety for those walking in on the trail afterwards, if that's what you're using it for.

TJ

[Big Lew]

Ultimately it's not the tool, it's the master craftsman.

And the individual's determination to reach a chosen goal.
I once spent 2 full days hacking open a long unused road-trail into Olive Lake (several kms)
so that I could bring my 2 kids there to fish and enjoy the sub-alpine.
It was well worth it because they caught lots of fish, saw bears, deer, goats, and fantastic scenery.

[Brno22F]

Always used Sandviks

Have used both Sandvik and machete. Prefer the Sandvik by far. Much safer and it handled big stuff (3 inch plus) way better.

[hardnocks]

I use a 660 stihl or a D8

[BromBones]

Fiskars brush axe is great in green alder and willow.

For a Machete, the Ontario Knife 12'' and 18'' are the cats ass. Dirt cheap and tough as nails.

[charlie_horse]

Anyone have any experience with Silky products? I was looking at the Yoki brush axe and Ono hatchet