The Five Machete's for "Machete"

Robert Rodriguez's new film, Machete, starring Danny Trejo was released this weekend. It's the story of a former "federale", current killer, who is set up by his financiers to take the fall for a fake assassination. With the glut of reviews circling the web let's cut to the fun. Machetes!

Machetes actually come in a variety of styles, each tailored to the task at hand. These are my favorites but a quick search will yield plenty more:

The Panga: Don't confuse it with "penga". This design comes from Africa and the Caribbean Islands. It has a deep belly which provides weight for chopping and a curve for suitable for slicing as well. The upturned point can concentrate force on a small area for piercing or stabbing, too (not that I'm advocating violence). The Panga works well when slicing and chopping moderately thick woody vegetation.

The Bolo: This one (my favorite) is most popular in South East Asia. The bulge at the end adds heft and weight to the blade for more chopping power. The blade is also, usually, thicker than average. This one is great for chopping heavy vegetation (or heavy people).

The Kukri (or Khukuri but not kukhuri): This is the most versatile and unique of all. Kukri machetes have three parts, or sections, to their blade; a pointed tip for piercing, a wide midsection for chopping, and a narrow area near the handle for whittling and carving. The kukri is the national knife of Nepal, with many households having several, and is a very popular tool throughout central Asia (India, Pakistan, etc.). It is carried for protection and as a utility tool. The cops have them!

The Cane Machete: Wide, no tip and perfect for hacking corn stalks and sugar cane. This blade is sometimes hooked to allow the user to pull the chopped cane from the plants still standing. The relatively thin blade allows for easy cutting through cane style vegetation. Typically, the cane machete is used for cutting sugar cane, rice, and corn stalks. It also works great as a butchering cleaver.

The Latin Machete: This one's the longest (insert joke here) and the most like a sword. It's a slender blade that is ideal for cutting tall grass in a meadow or field. Originating in South American continent it was used mainly to clear a path but works as a weapon or hunting tool as well.

Now, that you have the knowledge don't go hurting anyone.