DRAFT UGANDA 
STANDARD  
  DUS DEAS 188 
 
First  Edition  
2019-mm-dd 
 
 Reference number  
DUS DEAS 188: 2019  
 
© UNBS 2019 
   
Machete — Specification  
 
 
DRAFT STANDARD FOR PUBLIC REVIEWDUS DEAS 188: 2019  
ii                © UNBS  2019 - All rights reserved  
 Compliance with this standard does not, of itself confer immunity from legal obligations  
A Uganda Standard does not purport to include all necessary provisions of a contract. Users are 
responsible for its correct application  
© UNBS 2019  
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilised in any 
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without prior written 
permission from UNBS.  
Requests for permission to reproduce this document should be addressed to  
The Executive Director  
Uganda National Bureau of Standards  
P.O. Box 6329  
Kampala  
Uganda  
Tel: +256 41 7 333 2 50/1/2 
Fax: +256 41 286 123  
E-mail: info@unbs.go.ug  
Web: www.unbs.go.ug  
 
DRAFT STANDARD FOR PUBLIC REVIEWDUS DEAS 188: 2019  
© UNBS  2019 - All rights reserved                 iii National foreword  
Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) is a parastatal under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and 
Cooperatives established under Cap 327, of the Laws of Uganda, as amended.  UNBS is mandated to co -
ordinate the elaboration of standards and is  
(a) a member of International Organisatio n for Standardisation (ISO),  
(b) a contact point for the WHO/FAO Codex Alimentarius Commission on Food Standards, and  
(c) the National Enquiry Point on TBT Agreement of the World Trad e Organisation (WTO).  
The work of preparing Uganda Standards is carried out through Technical Committees. A Technical 
Committee is established to deliberate on standards in a given field or area and consists of representatives of 
consumers, traders, academ icians, manufacturers, government and other stakeholders.  
Draft Uganda Standards adopted by the Technical Committee are widely circulated to stakeholders and the 
general public for comments. The committee reviews the comments before recommending the draft standards 
for approval and declaration as Uganda Standards by the National Standards Council.  
This Uganda Standard, US EAS 188: 2019 , Machete — Specification , is identical with and has been 
reproduced from an East African  Standard, EAS 188: 2019 , Machete — Specification , and adopted  as a 
Uganda Standard.  
The committee responsible for this document is Technical Committee UNBS/TC 4 , Mechanical engineering 
and metallurgy . 
This standard cancels and replaces US 162: 2019 which has been withdrawn.  
Wherever the wo rds, “ East African  Standard " appear, they should be replaced by "Uganda Standard."  
DRAFT STANDARD FOR PUBLIC REVIEW DEAS  188:2019  
ICS 25.130.40  
 
 
© EAC 201 9                                                                                                                          Second  Edition 201 9 DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  
Machete  — Specification  
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY  
DRAFT STANDARD FOR PUBLIC REVIEWDRAFT STANDARD FOR PUBLIC REVIEWDEAS  132: 2019  
ii © EAC 2019  – All rights reserved  
 Copyright notice  
This EAC document is copyright -protected by EAC. While the reproduction of this document by 
participants in the EAC standards development process is permitted with out prior permission from EAC, 
neither this document nor any extract from it may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form for 
any other purpose without prior written permission from EAC.  
Requests for permission to reproduce this document for the pu rpose of selling it should be addressed 
as shown below or to EAC’s member body in the country of the requester:  
© East African Community  2019 — All rights reserved  
East African Community   
P.O. Box 1096 , 
Arusha  
Tanzania  
Tel: + 255 27 2 162100  
Fax: + 255 27 2162190  
E-mail: eac@eachq.org  
       Web: www.eac -quality.net  
Reproduction for sales purposes may be subject to royalty payments or a licensing agreement.  
Violators may be prosecuted . 
 
DRAFT STANDARD FOR PUBLIC REVIEWDEAS  188: 201 9 
© EAC 2019  – All rights reserved  iii 
 Foreword  
Development of the East African Standards has been necessitated  by the need for harmonizing requirements 
governing quality of products and services in the East African Community. It is envisaged that through 
harmonized standardization, trade barriers that are encountered when goods and services are exchanged 
within th e Community will be removed.  
The Community has established an East African Standards Committee  (EASC)  mandated to develop and 
issue East African Standards  (EAS) . The Committee is composed of representatives of the National 
Standards Bodies in Partner Stat es, together with the representatives from the public and private sector 
organizations  in the community .  
East African Standards are developed through  Technical Committees that are representative of key 
stakeholders including government, academia, consumer  groups, private sector and other interested parties. 
Draft East African Standards are circulated to stakeholders through the National Standards Bodies in the 
Partner States. The comments received are discussed and incorporated before finalization of stand ards, in 
accordance with the Principles and procedures for development of East African Standards.  
East African Standards are subject to review, to keep pace with technological advances. Users of the East 
African Standards are therefore expected to ensure that they always have the latest versions of the standards 
they are implementing .  
The committee responsible for this document is Technical Committee EASC /TC 042, Production and General 
Engineering . 
This s tandard cancels and replaces US 162:2019 , which has  been withdrawn.  
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be subject of patent 
rights. EAC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.  
 
DRAFT STANDARD FOR PUBLIC REVIEWDRAFT STANDARD FOR PUBLIC REVIEWDRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  DEAS  188: 201 9 
 
© EAC 201 9 – All rights reserved  1 
 Machete  — Specification  
1 Scope  
This Draft  East African Standard specifies requirements, sampling and test methods for machete. It applies to 
general purposes curved blade and straight blade machete.  
2 Normative references   
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that som e or all of their content constitutes 
requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, 
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.  
ISO 6892 -1, Metallic materi als — Tensile testing — Part 1: Method of test at room temperature  
ISO 9556, Steel and iron — Determination of total carbon content — Infrared absorption method after 
combustion in an induction furnace  
ISO 10700, Steel and iron — Determination of manganese  content — Flame atomic absorption spectrometric 
method  
ISO 439, Steel and iron — Determination of total silicon content — Gravimetric method  
ISO 10714, Steel and iron — Determination of phosphorus content — Phosphovanadomolybdate 
spectrophotometric method  
ISO 671, Steel and cast iron — Determination of sulphur content — Combustion titrimetric method  
3 Terms and definitions   
No terms and definitions are listed in this document.  
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following 
addresses:  
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp  
4 Types  
4.1 The machete may either be of:  
a) straight blade as shown in Figure 1; or  
b) Curved blade as shown in Figure 2.  
DRAFT STANDARD FOR PUBLIC REVIEWDEAS  188: 2019  
2 © EAC 2019  – All rights reserved  
 
Figure 1  — Straight blade  machete  
DRAFT STANDARD FOR PUBLIC REVIEWDEAS  188: 2019  
© EAC 2019  – All rights reserved  3 
 
 
Figure 2 — Curved blade  machete  
NOTE – Different shapes ot her than those given in clause 4 .1 may be allowed depending on the purpose for which the 
machete is made provided that it meets the material requirements in clause 5 and passes the tests.  
DRAFT STANDARD FOR PUBLIC REVIEWDEAS  188: 2019  
4 © EAC 2019  – All rights reserved  
 5 Requirements  
5.1 Dimensions  
The blade dimensions shall be as specified in table 1 and 2 and shall have a minimum thickness of 2 mm.  
Table 1 — Dimensions for the straight blade machete — Tolerances ± 5 % unless otherwise  
All Dimensions  in millimetres  
Nominal blade length  
A ± 5 B 
± 5 C D E F t (min)  H G 
± 0.5  
411 152 75 26 48 50 2.0 95 3 
462 152 75 26 48 50 2.0 95 3 
 
Table 2 — Form dimensions for curved blade machete  
 
Dimensions are in millimetres  
Nominal blade length  
A ± 5 B 
± 5 C 
± 4 D E F t 
(min.)  H 
± 3 G 
± 0.5  
305 152 126 26 48 50 2.0 85 3 
400 152 126 26 48 50 2.0 85 3 
457 152 126 26 48 50 2.0 85 3 
 
5.1.1  The type of machete and dimensions shall be as specified in Tables 1 and 2 of this standard.  
5.2 Materials  
5.2.1   Blades  
Blades shall b e made from suitable carbon steel of chemical  composition as given in Table 3 . 
Table 3 — Chemical composition  
 
Chemical, %  Minimum  Maximum  Test method  
Carbon  0.5 0.8 ISO 9556  
Manganese  0.60 1.5 ISO 10700  
Silicon  0.15 0.35 ISO 439  
Phosphorus  - 0.05 ISO 10714  
Sulphur  - 0.05 ISO 671  
 
5.2.2  Handles  
For purposes of this standard, machete shall be considered complete only when fitted with handles.  
DRAFT STANDARD FOR PUBLIC REVIEWDEAS  188: 2019  
© EAC 2019  – All rights reserved  5 
 Handles shall be made from hard wood of specific gravity ranging from 0.66 to 0.8 well seasoned to not more 
than 20 % moisture content (dry basis).Other comparable materials may be used provided that they are free 
from any defects rendering the handle unreliable or harmful to the user.  
Where rivets are used, they shall be made of steel. The rivets shall be staggere d as given in Figure 2 and 3, 
dimensions E and G.  
Any other suitable method of fastening may be used provided it fits the purpose.  
5.3 Hardness  
The machete shall be given suitable heat treatment to give hardness reading 38 HRC to 46 HRC. Testing 
shall be d one in accordance with ISO 6508 -1, Method for Rockwell hardness test.  
6 Tests  
6.1 Tensile test  
Machetes shall undergo a tensile test that shall be done in accordance with ISO 6892 -1. 
6.2 Bend  Test 
The machete shall be held down as shown in Figure 4 and bent forward and backward through one cycle and 
it shall not show permanent deformation, rupture or any sign of failure.  
The machete shall be bent 50 times through 45º angle on both sides before it develops any cracks.  
 
All dimensions in Millimetres  
 
 
Figure 4  — Bend test  
DRAFT STANDARD FOR PUBLIC REVIEWDEAS  188: 2019  
6 © EAC 2019  – All rights reserved  
 7 Sampling  
7.1 Lot 
7.1.1  If the entire stock is of homogenous quality then in effect, the stock shall comprise a single lot. A 
sample of specified size may then be selected directly upon opening the stock.  
7.1.2  If the lot is composed of boxe s (for instance, each from a different manufacturer) then sampling shall 
be conducted in two stages. First select a sample number of boxes and then select a sample of hoes from 
within each selected box.  
7.1.3  Once the samples have been selected, they shall  be legibly marked (for example 1, 2, 3, etc.) and the 
box from which they were taken also marked so that each can be sourced back to the box from which it was 
taken.  
7.2 Sample size  
A zero -based acceptance sample shall be selected based on an Acceptable Q uality Level of 2.5 %. The 
sample sizes to be selected are as given in Table 4 . 
Table 1 — Acceptable Quality Level (AQL) of 2.5 %  
Lot size  Sample size  
Less than 90  7 
91 to 150  11 
151 to 280  13 
281 to 500  16 
501 to 1 200  19 
1 201 to 3 200  23 
3 201 to 10 000  29 
10 001 to 35 000  35 
35 001 and above  40 
 
8 Marking  and Packaging  
8.1 Marking  
The machete shall be legibly and indelibly marked with the following;  
a) the manufacturer’s name or trade mark, this should be as near the handl e as possible;  
b) nominal blade length (in  mm);and  
c) country of origin;  
8.2 Packaging  
8.2.1 Each packaging material shall have the following information legibly marked on it;  
a) manufacturers name and/or trade mark;  
DRAFT STANDARD FOR PUBLIC REVIEWDEAS  188: 2019  
© EAC 2019  – All rights reserved  7 
 b) batch or code number;  
c) nominal blade length (in  mm);  
d) application of the machete; and  
e) country of origin.  
8.2.2  The machete  shall be suitably protected from corrosion during storage.  
 
DRAFT STANDARD FOR PUBLIC REVIEWDRAFT STANDARD FOR PUBLIC REVIEWDEAS  132 : 2019    
 
© EAC 2019  – All rights reserved  
  
  
DRAFT STANDARD FOR PUBLIC REVIEW