Traveling with a Machete

[Jo]

Originally Posted by shogun1011

See, i got the impression that "knives" were big no no...concealed or not. But thought machetes were more of a "tool" than a "weapon".

I do appreciate the advice though. Seems kinda strange that a local can walk down a beach, machete in hand, chopping coconuts and selling them to tourists...but a tourist isn't able to chop his own??

Knives per se- yes. I took swiss army knife as an example as it is not your classical knife and more of a classical camping tool- and quite a bit smaller than a machete......not to make a statement about "knives" being okay or knives in general.

To put it another way: if I walked down my street in Playa where I used to ive and I saw a local gardener with a machete I'd know that he is wielding it for work.
If I saw a tourist wielding a machete walking down the street I'd be a little bewildered as to what is going on.
I simply assume the authorities may think likewise- which in turn may or may not get you in trouble.
You have to admit that what you are proposing is not your typical "things I take on vacation with me" idea.

Again: my suggestion if you insist on chopping open coconuts to make your vacation a perfect one would be to buy a machete in Tulum and simply not carry it with you- which you won't really need to anyhow as Tulum is very much more "civilization" nowadays than it was ten years ago.

[shogun1011]

Ok ok ...everyone's had a good laugh. i'm very capable with a machete and have owned close to 10 in my lifetime (which may give you an idea as to how different/rustic my life might be from your experiences). Never thought it'd be the "craziest" idea this forum has heard...but I learn something new everyday I suppose.

I personally would have prefered a buck knife, but was warned against that...and directed towards a machete. but figured i'd run all this by some other people here.

All in all, the question was not about safety..or capability... or the number of digits on my hands. It was meerly an honest question about an honest tool used for honest things.

so, how about this... does anyone "really" know the laws behind this?...or have any experience with this?

Now here's my laugh for the day... another post on here mentioned knives...then the topic turned to guns... then some guy shows the 20+ guns he owns, and people all start chiming in about how cool they are yada yada. And my machete is considered rediculous? Hmmm...

[shogun1011]

Originally Posted by Joana

Knives per se- yes. I took swiss army knife as an example as it is not your classical knife and more of a classical camping tool- and quite a bit smaller than a machete......not to make a statement about "knives" being okay or knives in general.

To put it another way: if I walked down my street in Playa where I used to ive and I saw a local gardener with a machete I'd know that he is wielding it for work.
If I saw a tourist wielding a machete walking down the street I'd be a little bewildered as to what is going on.
I simply assume the authorities may think likewise- which in turn may or may not get you in trouble.
You have to admit that what you are proposing is not your typical "things I take on vacation with me" idea.

Again: my suggestion if you insist on chopping open coconuts to make your vacation a perfect one would be to buy a machete in Tulum and simply not carry it with you- which you won't really need to anyhow as Tulum is very much more "civilization" nowadays than it was ten years ago.

Fair enough. didn't plan on "weilding" anything in a populated place...but I understand where you going. One tip though...please don't try to cut open a coconut with a swiss army knife. odds are you'd lose a finger much quicker than I would.

[user 6507]

Well, I think there's a big difference in "carrying" a machete as part of camping gear as opposed to "wielding" a machete. I've been on a few excursions where I actually wished I'd had a machete with me. These were of course not of 5th or anywhere close to normal tourist areas. Just ask a few local cops, use your discrection, and take if from there. Use common sense.

[Jo]

Originally Posted by shogun1011

Ok ok ...everyone's had a good laugh. i'm very capable with a machete and have owned close to 10 in my lifetime (which may give you an idea as to how different/rustic my life might be from your experiences). Never thought it'd be the "craziest" idea this forum has heard...but I learn something new everyday I suppose.

I personally would have prefered a buck knife, but was warned against that...and directed towards a machete. but figured i'd run all this by some other people here.

All in all, the question was not about safety..or capability... or the number of digits on my hands. It was meerly an honest question about an honest tool used for honest things.

so, how about this... does anyone "really" know the laws behind this?...or have any experience with this?

Now here's my laugh for the day... another post on here mentioned knives...then the topic turned to guns... then some guy shows the 20+ guns he owns, and people all start chiming in about how cool they are yada yada. And my machete is considered rediculous? Hmmm...

I for one never focused on how many fingers etc..
And this is by far not the craziest thread we've had here, believe me.

This is NOT about a machete being something crazy.
NOR is it about thinking what you are intending to do is crazy.
Neither.

It is about two things: you are intending something that is generally concerned both a tool and a weapon in a foreign country. For fun, not because you really need it. Which may simply irk the authorities- and in turn get you in trouble. It is a simple as that. If the authorities are irked laws will come into play at one point, too. But what will come into play first is a federal that wonders what the hell you are up to. If your spanish is good- then go for it, by all means. If it is not good, and you'll have a hard time really making it clear to him that you are having the machete for no malignant reasons- then I'd not do it.

Try to imagine it the other way round: if in your neighborhood you saw someone with a machete that you can clearly identify as one from the neighborhood and clearly as someone who should be wielding a machete- you wouldn't be bewildered.
If in your neighborhood you saw someone walking around with a machete that looks like he doesn't have a garden in the area, neither comes from the area- would you not wonder??? (Well- okay, YOU would probably go out to talk about machetes with him........so lets make this a huge ass iron bar or something or other........).

This is the same the federales will do.

The other reason why people are reacting a bit amused I suppose is- like mentioned before- that Tulum is not really a adventurous place these days anymore......now if you'd said you'll go into the jungle for two weeks I would wonder less........but I would STILL advise you to buy one down there and keep it a bit on the down low once you own one.

[Bumper]

Originally Posted by shogun1011

One tip though...please don't try to cut open a coconut with a swiss army knife. odds are you'd lose a finger much quicker than I would.

What you need is a Swiss "Navy" knife. Just give your coconut a whack with the built-in canoe paddle, and it'll pop right open. Easy peasy. You can say thank you now, Shogun. (Oh, by the way, this isn't even close to the weirdest question we've had on the forum. A good try, I'll admit, but you're up against some pretty stiff competition.)

[shogun1011]

Originally Posted by gingele

Can you clarify, please? Are you asking:

(a) can you carry a machete in your luggage (carry on or checked?) from the US to Mexico?

or

(b) you are planning on purchasing said tool once in Mexico, and you are just asking if you can hang out with it and chop open coconuts on the beach without fear of being harassed by the authorities?

Hi again,
to clarify...i was going to check it when flying, and keep it strapped/secured to the side of my pack, sheithed, whith the handle hidden by my pack cover. most everyone would never even notice i had it since the sheith is the same color as my pack.

My main concern is that I just don't want to piss off the authorities by "having" this tool. If all they'd do is take it from me, that's fine. But i'm looking at jail time or something like that, then it's not worth it to me.

Thanks for the help!

[Jo]

Originally Posted by shogun1011

Fair enough. didn't plan on "weilding" anything in a populated place...but I understand where you going. One tip though...please don't try to cut open a coconut with a swiss army knife. odds are you'd lose a finger much quicker than I would.

With wielding I meant carry in a way that an outsider can see it is a machete- mind you, I am not of US descent, so sometimes words fail me a bit.

I personally have no inclination towards opening any coconot with anything- be it a machete, army knife or screwdriver.............I let others do that for me.

[shogun1011]

Originally Posted by StephenB

I don't think it's a big deal if you're out in the boonies. A machete definitely is a good camping tool. I don't think it would be kool to have one outside of the camping scenario. Anyways, you could always wait and get some input when you get there and then go buy one. Your screen name leads me to believe you might have an affection your items like this.

thanks! oh, also, my screen name is my first initial, and my last name...followed by some digits.

[shogun1011]

Originally Posted by Bumper

What you need is a Swiss "Navy" knife. Just give your coconut a whack with the built-in canoe paddle, and it'll pop right open. Easy peasy. You can say thank you now, Shogun. (Oh, by the way, this isn't even close to the weirdest question we've had on the forum. A good try, I'll admit, but you're up against some pretty stiff competition.)

Lol..thank you! that was great!

[Jo]

Originally Posted by shogun1011

Hi again,
to clarify...i was going to check it when flying, and keep it strapped/secured to the side of my pack, sheithed, whith the handle hidden by my pack cover. most everyone would never even notice i had it since the sheith is the same color as my pack.

My main concern is that I just don't want to piss off the authorities by "having" this tool. If all they'd do is take it from me, that's fine. But i'm looking at jail time or something like that, then it's not worth it to me.

Thanks for the help!

I think - as others have said- that check in might not work. For that- check with your airline. Tell them you're going trekking.
Second- get a written note in Spanish explaining the trekking-thing in case they have you open your suitcase at customs in Cancun.
Third- keep it on the downlow.

Easier- like I said before: don't fly it in but buy one in Mexico, keep it on the downlow.

[shogun1011]

Thank you Joanna. Sounds like a plan.

[Bumper]

Originally Posted by shogun1011

thanks! oh, also, my screen name is my first initial, and my last name...followed by some digits.

Ah, so S Hogun as opposed to Shogun. You'll understand our confusion. This is a Shogun. And as Crocodile Dundee said, "Now, this is a knife.

[user 6507]

I think the machete is the swiss army knife of Mexico. I would never take one with me on a plane, but there are plenty of hardware stores that sell them. I honestly don't know what the law is about this. I see lots of people in rural areas with them. If I were on a back packing/camping trip I would want one. Now I'm going to find out to satisfy my own curiosity. There's a huge difference in having one in those situations as opposed to strapping one on and carrying it in to the Bucket or La Rana.....

[Jo]

Originally Posted by Bumper

Ah, so S Hogun as opposed to Shogun. You'll understand our confusion. This is a Shogun. And as Crocodile Dundee said, "Now, this is a knife.

You shure that is not a machete on the left??? Maybe he is a Mayagun??