BATAC: CG or LE/SE?

Tyrkon Lawson

Tyrkon Lawson

Joined
Oct 31, 2003
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I started out with the CG BATAC with standard slabs, which was on the thinner side for me. However, I was plesantly surprised at how tough it was at prying. It was also very light and compact.

Then the SE's came out and I had to get one of those. I have always liked fattys.

But now I am starting to wonder if a blade this size would, made of INFI, wouls be better in the CG pachage.

Here are my thoughts. I like fatties for added heft when chopping and prying. My FFBM is my current chopper and she is thick. :eek:

I have already tested the prying abilities of the CG BATAC and have found it to be excellent so far. The SE has extra heft and some people say that helps with chopping. But the Badger is not a chopper and I'd baton it any way. The handles on the SE feel excellent but sometimes it feels a little too heavy for a compact blade.

What do you guys think? :confused:
 
i just handeld a BATAC LE this afternoon (its the BATAC LE from CRAFFT) it is one of the best blades i ever held in my hands.
i cannot wait to have one of my own.
wookie
 
Someone did some mic's of the LE vs. CG last week or so. It confirmed my suspitions that the LE, although beginning with a thicker stock, stays thinner than the CG until it gets pretty high on the blade. I like it better for slicing.

It IS heavy, but they BOTH are. I bet a shot of whiskey there's no t 3 oz.ff difference in weight. Not the straw that broke the HOGS back if you ask me.
 
MY favorite of the BATAC line is the LE...
the heft feels GREAT!!! :thumbup: :thumbup:

The only real chopping would be for a shelter... but she can handle it. ;)
I like the LE over the SE because I like micarta over G-10, and satin finish over double cut. :cool:

04BATACLE863-0759.jpg


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Had drifted back to page 7...

I was trying to figure out which of my BATACs would be a better slicer, my CG BATAC or my BATAC LE. My concern with the BATAC LE was that it was much thicker at the spine, 0.27 vs 0.20 (measured just past the handle scales), maybe too fat to slice?

I took a series of measurements, at 1 inch intervals, just above the knife bevel (approximately 1/16th of an inch from the edge) to see how thick the blade was at the edge. Here are the results:
at choil: cg 0.66, le 0.41
1" from choil: cg 0.061, le 0.041
2" from choil: cg 0.065, le 0.046
3" from choil: cg 0.070, le 0.055
4" from choil: cg 0.077, le 0.061

Average thickness for cg is 0.068
Average thickness for le is 0.049

Conclusion:
- the full flat grind of the LE will probably make it a better slicer
- the LE is as thick 1/4" from the edge as the CG is 1/16" from the edge because of the grind
- the LE is about 25-30% thinner at the edge

Just thought I would share the info.
Click to expand...

If I have a dedicated large chopper (DF or FBM) in my pack I would go with a lighter and thinner midsize like the CG BATAC.

If I have access to just one knife, and need it to both slice and chop-lite, I think I would choose the BATAC LE over the CG BATAC.

I believe that compared to the CG BATAC, that the BATAC LE will be both a better slicer and a better chopper with a slight weight, disadvantage for the weight conscious.
 
I'm not too keen on thick handles, so I like my CG the best. I think that it's because I have what my family calls "meaty" hands. Not small, but pretty thick. So the thinner slabs feel better in them.
I like raw INFI better than Satin as well. It has a dull sheen and rough appearance, like me, my wife says.;):D I hope that's a compliment.:confused::rolleyes:
 
I like the LE myself. The thickness of the handles fits me perfectly. That satin blade with the big belly looks fantastic and performs like a much bigger knife. It is on the heavy side but carries well.
 
Tyrkon Lawson said:
I have already tested the prying abilities of the CG BATAC and have found it to be excellent so far. The SE has extra heft and some people say that helps with chopping. But the Badger is not a chopper and I'd baton it any way. The handles on the SE feel excellent but sometimes it feels a little too heavy for a compact blade.

What do you guys think? :confused:
Click to expand...

I must agree. CG BATAC.
Paired with the FBM, you wouldn't need it to chop and it makes a great combo.
 
I wasnt' aware, until VoxHog's awesome data, that the LE was thinner on most of the blade. Is this also true for the SE?
 
for the med-large knives, i prefer the fatties.

if i need a slicer, i have the daba and gw's.

for an all around type knife, perhaps the cg might be better. but i wouldn't think the extra thickness on the se or le would be that critical.
 
I didn't like the CG. Handles just didn't feel right to me. I tried a CG with mags and it was better. I got a BATAC LE and it is without a doubt the best. I love the heft and the feel of the knife. I put the BATAC with mags on the exchange after feeling the LE.

LE all the way! :thumbup:
 
I'd go with the CG, but with Mag scales. The CG, in spite of not being a fatty, is really tough, even at prying like you noticed. It's not something one can easily break, no matter what you do with it. Even the CG is very heavy for a knife that size, and the LE would be even heavier.
 
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