How to Use a Machete as a Tool

Secrets to efficient use of a machete. Demonstration of removing branches from a downed tree.

[@sjciancio]

So refreshing to see a useful video with purposeful, succinct content without waste. Thank you Mr. Hale for sharing wisdom and experience.

[@terryhale9006]

+SJC Thanks SJ.

[@ahmedm6041]

Very informative!

[@atiliosbastard6218]

I'm from central America, and you're the only north American ive seen that knows how to use a machete

[@terryhale9006]

lol. Thanks, Atilios. I guess none of the others make videos.

[@MelvinArchila-u7p]

Buen video. Buen uso del machete

[@JuaneDosesII-wj6dd]

We’re out there

[@dominik8550]

This video may have been posted a decade ago, but it has been the most helpful one i found that just gets straight to the point.

[@terryhale9006]

Kind of you. Thanks, Dominik.

[@ryankoehler79]

Ive watched at least 100 videos on machete use. Although I know what I am doing, I found this to be one of the top 5 videos I have seen. THanks for sharing.

[@terryhale9006]

Thanks Ryan.

[@morrowena.3868]

I bet this guy oozes knowledge to everyone around him.

[@tranquility9325]

He's a smart one. I appreciate his help since I have not ever used a machete before so trying to get tips.

[@Slick-666]

Terry fucks

[@tammywalker118]

THANK YOU! This was exactly what I needed. Straight to the point tips on how to most effectively use the tool at hand. I appreciate the walk through. I have recently started to work with a machete to clear trails and camp sites. So far this video has been my most beneficial learning tool!

[@terryhale9006]

Thanks Tammy! Glad to hear it. Bless you for your trail and camp work.

[@cilicat]

very straightforward and practical, thank you

[@terryhale9006]

Thank you William.

[@jordant.2326]

Absolutely the best instructional video to date of something that you could very easily just go "oh you just swing real hard". I really appreciate how he talks about the safety stuff then shows why they are important.

[@terryhale9006]

Thanks, Jordan!

[@Devsterinator]

Thank you! This is precisely what I was looking for, and I kept finding wanna be ninjas before I found you.

[@terryhale9006]

+Devsterinator Great! (Yeah. They drove me to make the video.)

[@sebs751]

This sir is smooth, I could pay attention to him all day long.

[@dalethebelldiver7740]

One more tip for the people who don't use a machete very often. Think; before you swing. A deflecting blade may be deflected into your leg or bounce into your arm or hand. I sometimes use a stick to press down on the limb I'm going to chop instead of using my gloved hand. Once you get use to using a stick in this manner you'll see how handy it is. It's just another tool keeping your body parts or those working in your area totally away from the working end of a machete or any tool.

[@ideacafe07]

DALE thebelldiver ii

[@brandonfoley7519]

That is some stuff I learned quickly while clearing brambles Sometimes I would wack my boot fortunately it was very strong, and I ended up using a stick to push the stems back so I could chop at the base

[@wwhb4780]

@@brandonfoley7519 I never press. I always pull. If necessary, I afterwards go over the plot a second time and cut the rest a few centimeters above the ground with a scythe. But first, I need to go over it with the machete, because I have a steep slope and need to be able to see the surface before I start working.

[@itsjohnira]

This just scared me. 😅 I’m about to cancel my order. LBVS

[@cherylgoodall8120]

Thank you

[@the.negative]

I was born in the jungles of Nicaragua. Deep in the humid heat my father raised me in the ways of the machete. I learned to hear through the language of cold steel against wood and brush. I learned to see from the angles a stone cuts into the blade. My breath was tempered by my swings and my strength gained through measuring the tool against nature. My heart has learned to beat against the tempo of a man working in the field swinging implement against the earth. Even today I hold this creed of work and iron sacred. This man is both humble and confident. Learn from him as I tried to learn from my father.

[@rb.x]

Poetic!

[@iamkeystroke]

Beautiful comment

[@OarsmanPower]

Well said ✌🏽

[@Pterocarpous]

What a delightfully instructive video. A lesson composed of visual and verbal instruction - explaining his methodology with science. One learns best by understanding why than by rote. This instructional video was a real treat, Mr. Hale. Thank you.

[@terryhale9006]

Thanks, PC.

[@TheMacGeek]

Excellent info, and great demonstration! I've been looking for these tips for trail clearing and wood processing for firewood.

[@terryhale9006]

Great! Good luck with your trail development work.

[@timberray9572]

The great white machete ninja.

[@timberray9572]

@Truthisfreedom light Amen.

[@sunilvasnani5505]

cool I followed what he said and practiced I was able to cut an oak tree in 3-4 swing though i'm only 15

[@nnnnnie]

Words of experience and wisdom ... from an intelligent tool user. I like the scene at the end where all the "fluff" is removed before he is going to attack the rest with a chainsaw. One does not want to be stumbling around with a mass of small, leafy branches underfoot while using a chainsaw. Work wisely, folks. Terry Hale, thank you for saying what needs to be said and no more.

[@kingdoc3262]

Thank you for your making this with Empathy... putting yourself in the position of those of us just getting started on such knowledge. Well done sir

[@JDStone20]

Nice video! Good to see someone doing actual work and something useful with their machete!

[@terryhale9006]

+Yehoshua Jason D. Stone Thanks!

[@D40-b9e]

Thank U sensei/teacher for helping me. Be wise and choose wisely .☺

[@dillidson8653]

now this is what youtube was made for not a fake ass "nice" person

[@randomweirdo2701]

This was a nice video. I went for a period of about four years where I was on crutches after leaving the service. I bought a panga machete on the end of a long handle. the upswept blade worked much as your notch. The longer handle allowed me to reach stuff on the ground without stooping. It also allowed me to reach stuff further away. I'm sure you'd agree that hopping on one foot with one crutch and a machete should be kept to a minimum.

[@terryhale9006]

Yeah. Definitely don't want to miss-swing and damage that crutch! Sorry to hear of your injury. Thank you for your service and best of luck to you.

[@petermccann2561]

Well done. I've also used machetes for years, and have been using many of these techniques subconsciously. Very well articulated, and something here for a range of experience levels. I have heard some bushcraft guys warn against lanyards, since it's possible to have a blade pivot back around on the lanyard and strike the user. I have had that happen with a lanyard, after getting too tired and having a blade slip, but I was not cut. I tend not to use them, and stay mindful of where others are in the work area.

[@terryhale9006]

Unfortunately, I rarely have to worry about others being anywhere near me when I work. Sons left home years ago.

[@scatoutdebutter]

intelligent and practical

[@glytch5]

my machete is shaving sharp but it will NOT go through material like that. Thinking if I should just cut a huge relief angle into the shoulder

[@robertrac2314]

wow this was far the most usefull video i saw on youtube! really shows the time and effort you spent on it. thank you for this video it helped me a lot.(sorry for my bad english).

[@terryhale9006]

Thank you Sir. Please do not apologize for your English. I can not even pretend to speak a second language.

[@dakotabussell4990]

Thank you so so much for your videos!! Wonderful teacher. I've used these knifes all my life but still you taught me something new. God bless and thanks again

[@chrisa2351]

very useful. Especially the part about the saw part on the back. That's a very good point. "Tacti-cool" isn't always best, who knew? lol

[@terryhale9006]

Thanks, Chris.

[@kaizoebara]

A lanyard might not be a good idea - I'd rather send the machete flying away from me than having it swing around my wrist possibly cutting up whatever bodypart happens to be near at the time.

[@terryhale9006]

That is a point, though I've never had an injury due to that problem. That's not a good metric though, as I've only had two injuries from the blade in 50 years. Both were shin strikes that left a painful linear bruise, blunted by my blue jeans.

[@philupshuis1]

Keep that Flying machete away from me

[@utweakermolotov142]

The lanyard doesn't go round your wrist, it goes around your thumb, this arrests all the energy so the machete will just hang not flail around.

[@annapeterson5897]

Terry, here in Florida we have palms and palm branches predominantly. Dead branches frequently need to be removed as do some live ones. We use 18" Tramontina machetes for the heavy stuff along with their 12" model and 14" Bolo. All wooden handles. Contoured and wrapped with black 550 paracord. We have been back and forth on the lanyard issue. My husband has one particular 18" Tramontina he has set up for him and won't let anyone else but myself use it. The dead palm branches are a serious challenge. They are thick and when dry that edge really needs to be sharp. All the advice on technique you have shown is solid. Many of the people here use a grabat to grab at heavy vine clusters and other vegetation while cutting. It is a three acre facility with a lot of vegetation to contend with daily. My husband uses his also to level the hedges. We have been asked a few times to do a video though we don't have a proper set up for that. Great video and great techniques. Subbed and liked!

[@terryhale9006]

Anna, The Tramontinas are my favorite. I used to visit my grandparents in Florida and I'm glad I don't have to deal with some of the nasty plants that you have had to.

[@cupsbo2]

Thank you for the wisdom, Mr. Terry.

[@PhilTravisano]

Great video! I just got my first machete, so this is extremely helpful. Did you learn all this from someone or something, learn by doing, or a combination?

[@cherylgoodall8120]

Wow, talk about Utube University, this is it.

[@terryhale9006]

Thanks, Cheryl!

[@d.skwiyer5257]

Great teaching, sir. I believe the fine details and explanations of some of the nuances in using this tool effectively will make all the difference. Thank you.

[@DoctorMangler]

Great timeless video, thank you so much for posting this. I have a saw backed blade, and I thought about it being more prone to breaking at the V of each tooth as well. I do use the saw, but honestly I use the blade side 100x more. Nice to see a few different techniques as well, can't wait to try it again next spring!

[@terryhale9006]

Thanks, Doc. Definitely looking forward to the Spring!

[@mountainbearoutdoors]

love the grab hook you put on yours, I am a self employed gardener and know all to well the pain of bending down every few seconds to retrieve branches, nicely done.

[@terryhale9006]

Thanks, Bear. I hope machete manufacturers will start offering it as a standard feature. I'm not very good with a plasma cutter.

[@victorquesada7530]

I appreciate how straightforward and elementary this video was. Anybody who has some practice with an ax or working with wood would be able to figure out some of this stuff independently, but combined with the thoughtfulness of clearing brush/ branches that could bounce out of the way and the safety concerns with using such a tool really elevated the video

[@terryhale9006]

Thanks, Victor.

[@harrisoncannon9132]

Terry you bloody legend. Thanks for the knowledge!

[@whisper8742]

This was actually very helpful. There still only a handful of videos on the tool specific aspects of a machete. Thanks, man~

[@terryhale9006]

Glad to hear you found it helpful. Thanks for the feedback.

[@MrUniqueUserID]

Bravo! One of the few machete demos I've seen where the presenter didn't try to demo how to chop through a 10 inch log using a machete. Good demo of proper use of the tool. Oh and I like the notch mod for us older guys. Still on my quest for a good video showing which styles excel with which tasks and plant types.

[@carlflanders923]

WOW! Thank you Mr. Machete, you be good chopper. CHOP CHOP CHOP, all good to go, you be best.

[@daveisgettingold]

A ten year old video that is just as helpful today as it was when you posted it. Thank you.

[@liamdowling1529]

Finally. Thank you for this video.

[@terryhale9006]

Great!! I'm glad YoiuTube was helpful for you.

[@celticwitan]

I am wondering what machette you use. I am an old landscaper / horticulturist / ground and greenskeeper etc.. my back is done. I like the idea of minimizising bending over.

[@terryhale9006]

+James Hightower Thanks, James. I honestly can't name the maker and it is totally devoid of any markings. It was some "off brand" that is about 2.5 inches longer than the classic Ontario Knives used by the US Army. Good luck with your back problems.

[@n54more81]

This is the first video that shows how to use a machete correctly, thanks

[@paulajones9020]

I really appreciate you for making this video. Thank you.

[@PhilipChristian]

Perfect instruction video. - Machete user of 15 years

[@terryhale9006]

Thanks for the endorsement, Phil.

[@citizenwolf8720]

Excellent video. Many thanks for sharing your knowledge. I definitely learned some things. (I also appreciate the preparation and editing etc that goes into the making of the video itself)

[@mclovin9151]

I saw some city worker the other day on the side of the road hacking the hell out of a small tree with a machete. I wondered what he was doing, I was in a bad area I thought maybe they didn't trust a power tool or pruner over there and gave him a 2 for 1 tree pruning tool and self defense weapon.

[@tastystinker]

Ong wish dude was my grandpa. Such a chill, knowledgeable guy

[@dksurfer]

Profesor machete. Thanks for the in-depth physics and pragmatical use of the machete.

[@zarrow50]

I can't help thinking loppers and a pruning saw would work just as well, but less fun

[@terryhale9006]

They'd definitely work, but take nearly twice as long.

[@zarrow50]

I have now ordered a machete

[@terryhale9006]

May the blisters shun you.

[@RHINOTACTICAL]

Great video. I was impressed at how good your technique was. Thankyou very peaceful educational video presentation. I subbed!

[@GM-xb6hy]

Thanks mr. Hale, great informative simplistic straightforward video. I had a thought while I was watching the segment regarding the sweet spot of the machete to prevent vibration. I guess a novice like myself could actually identify that 3 in area where the blade should hit and maybe spray paint that to mark it off and then practice hitting with The Sweet Spot. Thx again!

[@terryhale9006]

I wouldn't bother with the paint or practice. You'll learn best by doing. Knowing that a sweet spot exists will help you search for it.

[@GM-xb6hy]

Much thx!

[@TheDavidMetcalfe]

A great, no-nonsense video and just as relevant in 2018. Thanks!

[@CharlesLumia]

Great video. I'm going to be using a machete to clear a good amount of brush and I don't have any doubt that your video is going to help a great deal.

[@terryhale9006]

Thanks, Charles. I'm not sure what you plan to do with that area, nor how large your brush is, but if you're looking to have it permanently cleared (i.e. future lawn), you may find it helpful to cut at waist height so that you can subsequently have something to grab onto to help remove the stump/roots.

[@CharlesLumia]

Thanks Terry! It's about a tenth of an acre. It's a long narrow strip on the side of the property with small/medium trees, vines, bushes, etc. I'll keep the removal of the brush in mind to turn it into part of the lawn.

[@baddmg]

Great info on machete use and saving wear and tear on your body. I will be adding a notch to mine to avoid some bending! Thanks!

[@Suesses-Einhorn]

very good video, thank you very much. Someone used your video without naming the source its called "How to Use a Machete as a Tool"

[@terryhale9006]

Glad to hear it may have been a help to additional people. Thanks.

[@Suesses-Einhorn]

@@terryhale9006 i learned a lot from your channel, your videos are top notch

[@GG-ub4ej]

Thank you very much for this. I really appreciate your time and effort.

[@terryhale9006]

Thanks G G.

[@marcochang3141]

Bro the hooked tip is mint

[@meh9682]

Thanks, *subbed

[@realUlfricStormcloak]

10:57 ☝️🤓 There it is, THANK YOU. Been advocating this for years. Saw back machetes.... Hard to be 'edgy' when your blade is snapped.

[@zaizen4359]

Very thankful for this video. Among everything mentioned, I especially appreciate the advice against buying a machete with serrated teeth at one end. I’m still learning about them before I invest money into a quality one, and now I know the teeth are merely an impractical gimmick for my uses and will avoid them. That narrows my search considerably!

[@terryhale9006]

I hope you will be happy with your eventual choice.

[@enriquemartinez16]

Absolutely positively outstanding! Thank you very much, Sir.

[@joeyjoejoejr.shabadu8857]

Amazingly well thought out and executed video... So.... You use THAT machete because it's the best for fighting right?🤣 Thanks! All the best to you and yours until the next!

[@terryhale9006]

Thanks, Joe. Pretty sure I have severed less than a dozen wrists and necks with it.

[@graywade9225]

This was a FANTASTIC video. Thanks Terry. One of the best and most informative I've ever seen.

[@terryhale9006]

Thanks Gray. Appreciated.

[@johnlacey5068]

You want to see how to cut and remove brush quickly and efficiently, check out Arturo Longoria's channel on KZbin. He lives in the true brush country of the entire U.S., deep South Texas full of horrible thorn thickets, prickly pear flats, jungles of mesquite and huisache trees and literally a wall of thorns. He's more than expert with the machete!!

[@thevirginiabushcrafter8833]

Great Advice and thanks for Sharing. Stay Safe

[@joemalone3099]

You SIR really know your subject very well . Thank you SIR for sharing your knowledge

[@southernlandsolo7839]

Excellent video Terry. Thanks very much

[@calithug3000]

Awesome video. First time here but just subscribed! Great information and straight to the point. Please keep making videos.

[@westsenkovec]

Back in high school we used to call him _"El Machete"_

[@croncorcen]

Great informative video! i came here after a pretty biased and almost review of a cold steel brand machete. this is so muc more useful. tanks for sharing your knowledge!

[@terryhale9006]

Thanks Ron!

[@orsoncart9441]

Great video. Just what I wanted to know. Thanks for taking the time to post the video.

[@terryhale9006]

Great! Glad to hear it, Orson.

[@colorocko1]

Outstanding video as usual. Most of the other comments already mentioned what I would like to say. Thank you!

[@geraldhernandez9802]

Terry, what would you say is the best budget machete for making trails. Like cutting small branches and brush.

[@woofbark4475]

Yep those dead trees are much better taken out with a saw...i fully concur from experience that machetes hate dry and flexible branches. Some solid advice!

[@CFWaittoleave]

Terry brings to our attention that wisdom comes with age. The know it all tenderfoots that do something in the outdoors and have suddenly become enlightened is typical. Tiresome are the primadonnas who usually are loud because they innately know no one is listening. Thanks for your great video Terry.

[@rosspritch34]

very informative, i absorbed every tip, thank you!

[@terryhale9006]

Great! Thanks Ross.

[@k9road]

.. many thanks , the notch is a fab idea ...

[@terryhale9006]

Thanks. My back really loves it now that I'm even more decrepit.

[@MrAdamNTProtester]

The teeth on the back also prevent using the machete to baton through wood to process... so it really isn't giving you an extra tool bcuz now you need a hatchet or other to do the big chopping jobs... so use the proper tool for a job & don't try to get 2 tools for 1 bcuz you end up with no tools or having to take another anyway & that's not helpful at all!

[@redrooster4894]

That notch is pretty nifty! I’ve spent time in rural Mexico where the Machete is king, but that’s the first time I’ve seen that. Great video.

[@thatoneguyattacobell8118]

Thanks for the video, I had the kid screaming and crying.

[@terryhale9006]

??? From fright at the man with the machete ??? I've killed less than a dozen people. Nothing to fear.

[@brandiruble2987]

well my kid talks about using Machete as weapon asgainst zombie and how Jason uses one to killed teens having relations bc he can't, she understands 4th grade.. js

[@elliottg5987]

Very informative. Long edged tools are enjoyable to use but not the time for foolishness, so I appreciate your sensibility in the way this is presented.

[@terryhale9006]

Thanks, Elliot.

[@pjoneal12]

Very Informative + Slightly Amusing

[@mangalbob956]

the cut you want to make on the thicker part of the tree branches, should be make with the lowerside of the machete, the lowerside is working like a cutting axe the upperside works for thinner twigs and branches like a cutting knive. using gloves has the risk that de machete slide out of your hands.

[@randallgervell7663]

Thank you for teaching us how to really use a machete! You have covered all the points very well! Very informative!

[@terryhale9006]

Thanks, Randy!

[@c0nstantin86]

5:11 "damage to the stuff you wanna keep alive" 😬😬😬

[@crispyworm2178]

Well done sir. Very informative and well spoken.

[@nonalino]

Number one: Knows what he’s doing and I find it all helpful and good to know. Number Two: Unlike 90% of people in howto videos, he doesn’t repeat himself 250 times and makes a 5 minute video last 200 by just talking too much unnecessary talk. Way more to the point. Thank you Sir.

[@terryhale9006]

Thanks for the kind words, Marlon.

[@nonalino]

@@terryhale9006 …just saying as it is. Have a good day Sir.

[@GeorgeOrwell-yz6zx]

This is an excellent video. Thanks for sharing your tips

[@eqlzr2]

Was that epicormic growth you mentioned subsequent to any coppicing or pollarding? I'm just curious. Thx. ;-)

[@terryhale9006]

In a well-canopied forest, when a tree goes down, the extra light often stimulates epicormic growth in quite a few deciduous species. I have no experience with coppicing or pollarding, though it was commonly done to the Sycamores along roads where I grew up.

[@aletru4920]

There's a Mexican guy inside of you. 😁. I like it.

[@dustinrusbarsky189]

This is an absolutely superb video, Terry. Thank you so much. Extremely informational and very easy to understand.

[@terryhale9006]

Thanks Dustin. Given your setting and how good you look in a suit, I'm a bit taken aback by your interest in machetes. Must be more to you than meets the eye. ; )

[@dustinrusbarsky189]

Terry Hale That's me from my old life in finance until my wife rescued me and reminded me what a real man is. Now I have more fun than ever and I still get to wear a suit...but on my own terms! Life questing is the name of the game for me now. I think you'll appreciate this quest on primitive fire: align-mentality.com/quest-fan-the-flames/ I'm still on the quest...it's been over a year for me now. Lots of smoke but still no ember. :( One day...

[@dustinrusbarsky189]

Terry Hale P.S. the machete is my favorite tool...thanks to you I now know how to use it better than ever. Great vid...great, great vid.

[@garden0fstone736]

As a Floridian I found it to be completely necessary to have one machete somewhere in your house.

[@yatagarasu9274]

Right or wrong this man is spitting mad facts

[@ss-kz9ee]

Great video

[@osbaldohernandez9174]

This man made so many good point especially about the a machete is made for green wood not dried up and he is correct with green wood it’s easier for the blade to go through

[@Sticky_Ricky]

Am I the only one that thought he looked like Hitler in the videos thumbnail? Thanks for the video!

[@sieglindehochroth322]

Gute Machete-Anleitung! Fehlt nur noch der Teil wie man eine Klinge im Feld pflegt und scharf erhält!

[@terryhale9006]

Danke!

[@sieglindehochroth322]

Bitteschön... Aber wie bitte schärft Ihr die Klinge im Feld? Das wäre interessant zu wissen.

[@wwhb4780]

@@sieglindehochroth322 Garnicht, ich gehe ja nicht auf einen Eroberungsfeldzug weit weg. Ich schleife sie zuhause, Schleifwinkel 17,5 Grad (Schneidwinkel 35 Grad). Das reicht fast zum Rasieren und hält auch lange genug. Die nächste Machete kaufe ich aus Kohlenstoffstahl, der hält die Schärfe noch länger. Muss man halt nach der Arbeit saubermachen und einölen. (Engl.: I don't sharpen my machete in the field, I use it not in a distant war, but near my home and it will keep sharp quite a long time. Next time I will buy one from carbon steel, not stainless if alloyed (cheap) steel. They are even harder and tougher, just clean and oil them after work.