# Is that a machete? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 19, 2016, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-a-machete/766345 "2016-09-19T13:07:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2016, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-a-machete/766345/1 "2016-09-19T13:07:53Z")
Do I have a misunderstanding of what machetes are, or is this **really** a [machete](http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-police-machete-attack-shot-1.3768108)? I thought machetes had much larger blades. The linked item looks like something you stab with rather than swing with. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2016, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-a-machete/766345/2 "2016-09-19T13:19:53Z")
> [@Canadjun](#): > > Do I have a misunderstanding of what machetes are, or is this **really** a [machete](http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-police-machete-attack-shot-1.3768108)? I thought machetes had much larger blades. How can you tell from that photo how large the blade is? There’s no scale given. _Assuming_ the opening for the handle is ~10cm (which is a minimum, really, the average male hand is just over 8cm wide and you want some leeway), that’s a 50cm blade. That’s actually at the long side for machetes. It does have more of a [kukri](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kukri) shape, but a kukri’s just a kind of machete with a particular cultural history, IMO. > [@](#): > > The linked item looks like something you stab with rather than swing with. If it was a stabber, it wouldn’t be so wide towards the end. That’s a good indication of a chopper - puts all the weight at the outside of the swing, for momentum. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2016, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-a-machete/766345/3 "2016-09-19T13:22:54Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > How can you tell from that photo how large the blade is? There’s no scale given. I meant width relative to length as well as size of the blade relative to the handle (and the handle itself strikes me as rather odd) ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2016, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-a-machete/766345/4 "2016-09-19T13:24:04Z")
Helpfully labeled with its manufacturer’s name in the article’s picture, another article calls it a Kopsis machete. > **[Amazon.com: Cold Steel Kopis Machete : Patio, Lawn & Garden](https://www.amazon.com/Cold-Steel-97KPM18S-Kopis-Machete/dp/B006YBY9T2)** > > The Kopis Machete is modeled closely on an ancient sword design that was held in high esteem by the Greeks, Romans, and Spaniards. This was because its uniquely shaped blade had the weight forward balance that was optimal for cutting and chopping,... Kopsis/Kukri/Falcata are blades angled and weighted as hacking weapons rather than stabbing or slashing weapons. ---
**Author:** ![K2500](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f6c823/32.png) [@K2500](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K2500)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2016, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-a-machete/766345/5 "2016-09-19T13:25:35Z")
Edit: guess you have to be fast around here, I got beat to the punch, twice. ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2016, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-a-machete/766345/6 "2016-09-19T13:28:40Z")
It says right there in the sub heading how long it is: _Blade measured at 48.3 centimetres_ ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2016, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-a-machete/766345/7 "2016-09-19T13:31:48Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > How can you tell from that photo how large the blade is? There’s no scale given. > > \*\*_Assuming_ the opening for the handle is ~10cm (which is a minimum, really, the average male hand is just over 8cm wide and you want some leeway), that’s a 50cm blade. That’s actually at the long side for machetes. > \*\* > It does have more of a [kukri](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kukri) shape, but a kukri’s just a kind of machete with a particular cultural history, IMO. > If it was a stabber, it wouldn’t be so wide towards the end. That’s a good indication of a chopper - puts all the weight at the outside of the swing, for momentum. Good estimate. Under the main headline: > [@](#): > > Blade measured at 48.3 centimetres ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2016, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-a-machete/766345/8 "2016-09-19T13:38:06Z")
Cold Steel Kopis Machete, 97KPM18S: Weight: 25.3 oz Blade thickness: 2.8mm Blade length: 19" Handle: polypropylene, 7" long Overall: 26" Steel: 1055 carbon steel with black baked-on anti-rust matte finish Sheath: Cor-ex sheath ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2016, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-a-machete/766345/9 "2016-09-19T13:50:39Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > How can you tell from that photo how large the blade is? There’s no scale given. 😕 The yellow police evidence marker (with the large “3” on it) has a scale on it. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2016, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-a-machete/766345/10 "2016-09-19T13:54:11Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Helpfully labeled with its manufacturer’s name in the article’s picture, . You can read that?? I looked again and I still can’t read the little label. Guess your screen has much better resolution than mine. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2016, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-a-machete/766345/11 "2016-09-19T14:32:12Z")
Oh, that’s from “Cold Steel”. Nice-looking machete! I have bought several items from that company. They make excellent knives, swords, axes, etc. I don’t think that this news item is good advertising for them, though… ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2016, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-a-machete/766345/12 "2016-09-19T17:22:45Z")
> [@Canadjun](#): > > I meant width relative to length as well as size of the blade relative to the handle (and the handle itself strikes me as rather odd) Obviously it’s a non-traditional design. The shape of the blade and handle are unconventional, but it doesn’t look that our of line for a machete to me. It’s not like machete is a technical designation. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2016, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-a-machete/766345/13 "2016-09-19T18:31:09Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > 😕 The yellow police evidence marker (with the large “3” on it) has a scale on it. Not on my tiny screen, it doesn’t 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2016, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-a-machete/766345/14 "2016-09-19T18:46:02Z")
Pretty much everything about that design is terrible for stabbing…at least by a human. On top of what was already mentioned, to stab with that, you’d have to be holding it in a position the handle is not designed for, or moving your arm in a motion _it_’s not designed for. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2016, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-a-machete/766345/15 "2016-09-19T18:53:04Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Obviously it’s a non-traditional design. The shape of the blade and handle are unconventional, but it doesn’t look that our of line for a machete to me. > > It’s not like machete is a technical designation. Yep, non-tradicional, but it is still in that area where it can qualify as one, one seller does point also at the one in the OP as a kind of Machete: > **[Machete Buying Guide](https://knife-depot.com/pages/machete-buying-guide)** > > Written by Timothy Martinez Jr. From the old sugar fields of Florida and the subtropical rainforests of South America to the mountainous regions of Nepal and the grasslands of West Africa, the machete is one of the most widely used tools in the... I like the description of how it was and is more useful as a tool to work in the farm. Kinda like a “plowshare” that can be turned into a sword when the need arises. If one wants more information contact Danny Trejo… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2016, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-a-machete/766345/16 "2016-09-19T19:25:30Z")
Yeah, machetes in general are not optimized for stabbing but for hacking. And they hack real good … easy to take off your other hand if you are not careful. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2016, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-a-machete/766345/17 "2016-09-19T19:44:43Z")
[Take your pick](http://cdn.bloody-disgusting.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/machete-danny-trejo-image.jpg). (SFW) ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2016, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-a-machete/766345/18 "2016-09-19T20:32:53Z")
Personally I’d call that a kopis, one type of single-edged sword Greek soldiers used way back when. It’s too big for a kukri even though the shapes are obviously similar (and probably cribbed from another, either via Alexander’s continental drive-by or possibly when the Muslims set up shop all across the area). Whereas to me, while it may have a curved blade the defining characteristic of a machete is its straight back, [like so](https://images.knifecenter.com/thumb/1500x1500/knifecenter/ontario/images/ON18a.jpg). Another defining characteristic would be that Machete don’t text. ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2016, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-a-machete/766345/19 "2016-09-19T21:20:04Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Personally I’d call that a kopis, one type of single-edged sword Greek soldiers used way back when. It’s too big for a kukri even though the shapes are obviously similar (and probably cribbed from another, either via Alexander’s continental drive-by or possibly when the Muslims set up shop all across the area). > > Whereas to me, while it may have a curved blade the defining characteristic of a machete is its straight back, [like so](https://images.knifecenter.com/thumb/1500x1500/knifecenter/ontario/images/ON18a.jpg). Another defining characteristic would be that Machete don’t text. Yeah, it is definitely a kopis-style machete! Here is is in action : [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/XLhiBvrd-30/maxresdefault.jpg "Cold Steel - Kopis Machete") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLhiBvrd-30) ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2016, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-a-machete/766345/20 "2016-09-19T21:50:52Z")
> [@gytalf2000](#): > > Yeah, it is definitely a kopis-style machete! Here is is in action : > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLhiBvrd-30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLhiBvrd-30) And you just relieved my curiosity about the handle! Thank you! Yes, it should have been painfully obvious that the fingers go **in** the handle, not around it but for some reason that didn’t “click” with me. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-a-machete/766345.md?page=2)