Itak

The above photo is of the Cold Steel bolo machete. Being of Filipino descent, I also know this style of machete as "itak". The bolo, in various styles, is found throughout the Philippines and Indonesia. It is primarily a farm implement but its availability lead it to being adopted as a military weapon as well.

The Filipino versions I'm familiar with are longer and thinner than the one from Cold Steel. Machetes fill the void between knife and axe when you need the chopping power of an axe but also the speed and nimbleness of a knife. Of the various machete styles, I like the bolo because of the center of balance being towards the front of the blade. The forward balance adds power to the blow with minimal effort of the user. It is another reason why the bolo makes an effective weapon.

The Cold Steel version is inexpensive (I'd say cheap but that may give the wrong connotation) and very durable. I use it to keep the weeds at bay in our back yard. Chopping tall weeds should be direguer for any machete and the bolo dispatches them with wanton abandon. The bolo's weight distribution also makes it a formidable dispatcher of thick bushes and saplings as well. I was quite surprised how easily it chopped through thick limbs of trees and bushes.

The secret of using a bolo is to let the blade do most of the work. Instead of swinging with your arm, swing using your wrist and let the blade's momentum finish the work. You won't tire as quickly and with the proper wrist flexibility, you will be able to dispatch large thickets of weeds (or invaders to your homestead) with terrific efficiency.