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A4 checklist with all illustrated steps. Tick the boxes on paper as you go.

FeatherSticks · Tools

Bushcraft Machete & Parang: Types, Safe Use and Sharpening

A machete is not a small axe – and that is exactly why people get hurt.

Quick facts

Time to learn
An hour for safe basics, a season for good technique
Difficulty
Moderate – control matters more than force
Best for
Brambles, saplings, grass, green brush
You need
Machete or parang, sheath, hook stick, gloves, boots

What you need

  • Parang or machete with a 30–45 cm blade and a secure sheath
  • Lanyard (wrist loop) in good condition
  • Forked hook stick, cut on site or carried
  • Flat file (20–25 cm) with handle, round axe puck and a strop
  • Grippy work gloves, sturdy boots, eye protection for thorny growth
  • First aid kit with a pressure bandage
  • Lockable case or bag for transport

Step by step

  1. Pick the blade for the growth

    1 Pick the blade for the growth

    Long, thin blades for grass and soft green growth; shorter, thicker parangs and bolos for woody brush.

  2. Check edge, handle and lanyard

    2 Check edge, handle and lanyard

    Before you start: edge sharp and free of chips, handle tight without cracks, lanyard intact and snug.

  3. Clear your safety zone

    3 Clear your safety zone

    Nobody within about two arm-plus-blade lengths, roughly 3 m. Look up and around for branches and vines.

  4. Set your stance

    4 Set your stance

    Feet apart, knees soft, target an arm plus blade away, free hand behind you. The arc must end away from your legs.

  5. Cut at 45°, hold with a stick

    5 Cut at 45°, hold with a stick

    Hook the stem with a forked stick, pull it taut and cut down and outward at about 45° on the tensioned side.

  6. Sheathe, clean and sharpen

    6 Sheathe, clean and sharpen

    Sheath on as soon as you stop. Wipe the blade dry, oil it thinly and touch up the edge with a file or puck.

Common mistakes

  • Holding the plant with your free hand instead of a hook stick.
  • Swinging across the body or towards the legs instead of down and out to the side.
  • Working with other people inside the safety zone, or above and below each other on a slope.
  • Using a thin latin machete like an axe on dead hardwood until it chips or bends.
  • Leaving a bare blade lying in grass or leaves instead of sheathing it.
  • Carrying a machete openly in town or on public transport.
  • Carrying on when tired – the last strokes of the day are the risky ones.