This one was cheap, the reason being that a good machete is inexpensive, yet reliable.

It does the job needed of it, and doesn't break your wallet.

It's not supposed to be an expensive, fragile, overrated, jewel-encrusted and precious-metal coated family heirloom, to be passed on from father to son.

Nor is it a insultingly cheap, poorly made, rat-tail tang, wall-hanger that rusts easily.

History wise, it is descended from cutlasses carried on-board Spanish ships, and passed on to laborers in early Latin America, who found the curved blade of the cutlass-derived machetes to be useful for clearing bush, harvesting crops and defending oneself in a melee scenario, whilst being cheap to purchase and maintain.

Likewise, laborers in Africa found the machete's usefulness and affordability to be invaluable, for daily chores and such.

It's therefore understood, that when uprisings occur in such countries, machetes are usually the weapon of choice for such scenarios.

One thing to note about the machete, is it's length. A European Broadsword or Japanese Katana is cumbersome and heavy to use in modern times, and you might look silly wielding one. But the machete is small enough to carry and easy to wield.

Also, machetes are flexible, they can withstand a lot, and still keep on chopping.