A machete wouldn’t cut brambles well anyway, they’ll probably still scratch up your forearms.
You wither weren’t using it right, or it was blunt.
A proper machete, as opposed to a brush axe pictured above, is the most versatile of my tools, and the most effective for the kind of trail encroaching overgrowth were talking about here.
Consider your swing and foot position for safety though!
A brush axe has a slight advantage on more woody overgrowth, but not by much, but I prefer the machete because its lighter and less tiring to use.
IME its best to cut more aggressively than you need to, because if you titivate around the edges, you’re back where you started in about 2-3 weeks.
The most effective is a battery powered hedge strimmer, some of which you can get for about 100 quid. These are very effective for widening trails, and no where near as noisy as the petrol stuff, so are better for some off-piste work.