Information AboutMachete |
For the professional wrestler, see Machete (wrestler) . The machete (-like tool that looks like a very large Knife . The blade is typically 50–60 Cm (18–24 In ) long, usually with a thin blade under 3 Mm thick. In the English Language , an equivalent term is '''matchet'''. Since the 1950s , most modern factory-made machetes are of very simple construction, consisting of a blade and full-length Tang punched from a single piece of flat steel plate of uniform thickness (and thus lack a Primary Grind ), and a simple Grip of two plates of wood or plastic bolted or rivetted together around the tang. Finally, one side is ground down to an edge — although some are made so cheaply that the purchaser is expected to finish the sharpening. These machetes are usually provided with a simple cord loop as a sort of Lanyard , and a Canvas Scabbard — although in some regions where machetes are commonly used tools, the users may make decorative leather scabbards for them. The machete is normally used to cut through thick vegetation such as Sugar Cane or Jungle undergrowth (the lack of a primary grind makes the machete much less effective on woody vegetation), but it can also be used as an offensive Weapon . Machetes were the primary weapon used by the Interahamwe militias in the Rwandan Genocide , as well as the signature tool/weapon of the Haitian Tonton Macoute . The machete was also one of the most common weapons during the Cuban Independence War . Slaves freed by Carlos Manuel De Céspedes agreed to fight against Spain, where their only weapons were the tool they used to cut the sugar cane in the La De Majagua plantation. In 2002 , a rebellion of peasants in the Mexican municipality of San Salvador Atenco led the authorities to cancel a project to construct a new airport near Mexico City . Some tropical countries have a name for the blow of a machete; the Spanish ''machetazo'' is sometimes used in English. In Trinidad And Tobago , to hit someone with the flat of the blade is termed planass. The modern machete is very similar to some forms of the Medieval Falchion (a type of Sword ), differing mainly in the lack of a Guard and a simpler hilt. The Swahili panga is a variant used in East Africa , with a broader blade and a squared off tip. In the Philippines , the Bolo is a very similar tool, but with the blade swelling just before the tip to make the knife even more tip-heavy for chopping. A longer and a more pointed tip bolo or ''itak'' (intended for combat) was also used during the Philippine Revolution against the Spanish, and later a signature weapon of guerillas in the Philippine-American War . Other similar tools include the '' Parang '' and the '' Golok '' (from Malaysia and Indonesia ); however, these tend to have shorter, thicker blades with a primary grind, and are more effective on woody vegetation. The Nepalese '' Kukri '' is a curved blade which is often used for similar tasks. The machete made its way into American popular culture, as it is one of the better-known weapons of choice used by killer Jason Voorhees in the Friday The 13th series of horror films and as a prime weapon against the Living Dead . In the Southern Brazil (state of Rio Grande Do Sul ), the machete is largely used by the native inhabitants. It's used to open ways through the jungle, and was used to fight against the Brazilian Empire in the ''farrapos' war'' ( War Of Tatters 1835-1845). There, the machete is called "facão" or "facón". Today, there is a dance called ''dança dos facões'' (machetes' dance), that is danced in this region. In this dance (that is danced only by men), the dancers knock their machetes while dancing, simulating a battle. |