The ESEE Expat El DeGUELLO is a compact machete designed as a genuine field tool: long enough and with a forward-leaning blade to work effectively through vegetation, yet significantly more manoeuvrable than a large traditional machete.

Inspired by the experience gained in El Salvador by the Randall’s Adventure & Training team, the DeGUELLO features a wide blade made from 1075 carbon steel, whose bulbous profile naturally concentrates some of the mass towards the front. This geometry enhances efficiency when cutting, clearing undergrowth and setting up camp, without requiring an excessively long tool.

The blade features a Black Oxide finish, which reinforces its utilitarian character and provides additional protection for the carbon steel. The Micarta handle is designed to maintain a secure and comfortable grip during prolonged use, even in wet conditions. A brass-reinforced lanyard hole completes this deliberately simple and robust design.

With a blade thickness of just 2.4 mm, the DeGUELLO prioritises cutting speed and manoeuvrability over the ‘crowbar’ philosophy of some larger ESEE survival knives. This is precisely what makes it so appealing: it is, first and foremost, a field machete, designed to cut through vegetation effectively.

Supplied with a canvas sheath.

Technical specifications of the ESEE Expat El DeGUELLO machete:

Brand: ESEE / Expat Knives
Model: El DeGUELLO
Type: machete / large camping knife
Made in the USA
Steel: 1075 carbon steel
Blade finish: Black Oxide
Total length of the knife: 47.6 cm
Blade length: 32.4 cm
Handle length: 15.2 cm
Blade thickness: 2.4 mm
Handle: Micarta
Construction: full tang
Thumb loop: yes, reinforced with brass
Sheath: canvas
Warranty: ESEE lifetime warranty

Tellknives review:
We like the El DeGUELLO machete precisely because ESEE hasn’t tried to produce yet another oversized survival knife.
Its 32.4 cm blade remains compact for a machete, and its thickness of just 2.4 mm gives it a very clear purpose: to cut quickly and efficiently rather than splitting wood with sledgehammer-like blows.
The 1075 carbon steel is perfectly suited to this purpose: robust, easy to maintain and, above all, easy to resharpen in the field.
A tool free of unnecessary frills, in the finest ESEE tradition.