As you are discovering, a long sharp blade bites deep and takes out a big chunk of wood with each blow. Chopping in a V shape, about the same width as the thickness of the wood is the way to do it with machetes. With a good edge, the longer blade has a huge advantage. That is because of the speed of the chopping area of the blade. The longer the blade, the higher the velocity of the tip in a stroke. Since energy = mass x velocity squared, V is more important than M. The widened hump near the tip of a bolo blade also adds more mass at the chopping end of the blade, further adding to the power of the cutting stroke.





Bolos are great choppers.