This machete is only moderately more expensive than the types sold at most home & garden shops in paper sleeves, and yet it is heavy and substantial (unlike the thin metal of cheaper machetes), with a useful saw blade on the rear. I've owned a few cheap machetes in the past that have quickly rusted or lost their cutting power -- this machete has some heft to it, and looks like it could weather many more sharpenings than those cheap blades ever could. The only down-side might be if you have a weak wrist - since missing an object to slice through will leave you with an arm-wrenching follow through. I've made sure to aim well when using this machete. A thin, shorter, and cheaper machete might still have its uses for brambles and thin brush. This blade is better for cutting through larger, more established brush and even small trees or bamboo.