Page "Machete" Paragraph 28

The fascine knife is a somewhat similar tool / weapon used by European armies throughout the late 18th to early 20th centuries.

In fact, the Spanish Army called its fascine knives machetes.

Whereas infantry were usually issued short sabres as side arms, engineers and artillerymen often received fascine knives, as besides being side arms they also served as useful tools for the construction of fortifications and other utilitarian tasks.

They differ from machetes in that they generally have far thicker, tapered blades optimized for chopping European vegetation ( the thin, flat blade of the machete is better for soft plants found in tropical environments ), sword-like hilts and guards, and sometimes a sawback-blade.

Some later models could be fixed to rifles as bayonets as well.