A very large,
heavy knife, usually with one
sharp edge. It's main usage is to
slash and
cut, not to
stab because it usually has no
point, only a long
slashing edge.
Machetes are common weapons in
Africa,
Asia and
South America. In some areas where
guns have entered
mainstream culture,
machetes are still the weapon of
choice.
In Asia, where guns are still not used as extensively by gangs as in America, machetes are the main weapons used in gangland warfare. In brutal battles known as "choppings", gang members would slash wildly, often maiming each other, chopping off fingers or even entire arms. Death by "chopping" is a much more macabre way to die than gun wounds, victims bleed to death with small parts of their bodies littered around them. Very nasty.