Recommendation? Best Chopper Fixed Blade

I think I'd rather have a small hatchet for the chopping, and a Victorinox Trekker or some other smaller folder as a back-up.

If you chop with the knife, it's not going to stay sharp enough for other knife-type duties.
 
Go Go Go!!!!

I am currently listing each knife in a spread sheet. I will then review my options and make a smaller list of those that seem like good options.

David Marry what does one of those go for?

Man that Buck is interesting. Im a big fan of the Alaskan guide series with S30V. Originally I wanted a machete/saw. Then I tried the sog and was disapointed in the saw and the steel. I put a nearly full convex on it with a micro bevel and the blade was twice as good. Still not great but good. The saw was always near useless.
 
I will be reaching out to the custom makers mentioned to see if they can make something along these specs.

Drop point Blade
.25" thick blade
10"-11" cutting edge
With a quality chopping steel. I'll then take those offers and pit them against the 5 options I have narrowed it down to.


Those options are
Busse Basic 10
Busse Basic 11
Carothers Medium Chopper
Esee Junglas
Scrapyard (SYCKO) 1111

I took a look at every single option listed as well as the ones I found. About 40 knives in total. It appears I am not willing ro bend on the specs listed above.

Thanks all for the input. Feel free to list your favorite out of the 5 knives left.
 
Late to the party, but I would throw the TOPS Yacare into the mix as well... I know folks love the Junglas, but the Yacare, while slightly shorter and lighter overall, is a bit thicker at the spine and has a bit more belly providing better forward weight distribution, a better design for a dedicated chopper...
If you want something true stainless;
Fox Pathfinder in Nitro-B
or
Hazen SAR in 154cm
or
Spyderco made a Bob Lum Darn Dao in 154cm

all 3 are designed to be choppers in mind...

Just a few more worth considering.
 
Rbpwrd240, your specs are very similar to what I like in a knife that is as all-purpose as I can get (from wood chopping to delicate tasks such as game and food prep). 9.5"-10" blades are the most useful for me. I always want a finger choil on a big knife. It makes the knife much more versatile, IMO. I like Esee knives, and have a 4 with an aftermarket G10 handle, but wouldn't buy a Junglas because no finger choil and it's not thick enough for me.

My Busse Basic 10 is my favorite big chopper. I also have a Swamp Rat Battle Rat, which is very similar, as is the SYKCO 911. I love Busse's Resiprene C handles, which these knives have. I also think highly of my Ontario SP-50. Sadly, none of these are made anymore, but you might get lucky with a search.

I've heard good things about CPK and would give them a hard look if I was going to buy another chopper. Bark River is another manufacturer I'd consider.
 
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Rbpwrd240 said:
Well that is what I'm trying to find out.

I did a machete and a hatchet on the trip I mentioned and it worked but it like to see if I can go to a large chopper.

Options like a Kumari from Himalayan imports or simply adding a silky saw are definitly options Im Interested in testing in my setup but I have a hankering for a big old chopper at this point.

Most of the chopping work would be small hardwoods up to 6" around but mostly smaller 3-4" trees chopped broken down and processed for firewood.

I love all the ideas. Keep them coming.
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I have several blades in this category and have tried out a bunch . Lol, some years ago a box showed up from fellow BFs member Moose45 that felt like a boat anchor. He'd sent almost the entire Becker line of choppers to me for testing. I tried them all out and sent them back with a few gifts. Another good one that's reasonably priced imho is the Esee 6 . They range from about $70 for the bare blade to about $120 for the entire set up. The balance of this knife is outstanding.
 
I recently got a Swamp Rat SawManDu which is a super 10” chopper. Thin behind the edge with a FFG, a working saw and great handle, although it’s slightly thinner than what you’re looking for at .22” thick.
The MountainManDu however is 1/4” and otherwise the same proportions (and no saw)...
DFF58329-8856-403B-9764-A22E12F8725B.jpeg
 
When chopping is a primary part of what I plan to do, I grab one of my DPX GEAR Choppers.


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MtnHawk1 said:
:thumbsup:

I love the Busse Resiprene C handles, especially on my big choppers. They are the best knife handles I have, by far, but not sure if they are made anymore.
Click to expand...

Resiprene is some my favorite handle material! Yeah SYKCO is still coming out with Resi handled knives. The latest being the WS1020.
 
I have you covered. Mother of All Steel Hearts, unconditional lifetime warranty, and custom 9oz leather sheath included. It's so much larger than my 8" EDCs, i just could not carry it.
 

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