Best Substitute Froe/Draw Knife for Field use?

M

MattPatches

Joined
Apr 29, 2014
Messages
34
Hey All,

Been a while since i've posted a thread here in the forums but here goes:

I'm looking for a larger knife design that will lend itself to easy use as a draw knife/froe to debark and split flat sections of wood out for use as shingles ect in the field. Currently being considered are Himalayan imports kukri, Condor 18" el salvador machete, condor 17.5" parang machete, or condor 14" golok machete. Open to all suggestions, i would like for the tool to have some use in clearing brush, or replacing a small axe for chopping use. The reason behind this is i can throw a small axe on my pack or a condor eco survivor light machete in addition to this tool if it is lacking in either the heavy chopping or light brush clearing department. Thanks as usual guys, also as i am a bit rusty if there is a subforum that this should be going in do feel free to correct me.
 
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Billhooks usually do well in that department. You can grasp the backside of the bill like a second handle, and the blades on proper ones are usually easily thick enough for that kind of splitting use.
 
FortyTwo, The idea of a billhook is actually great. Do you know any good modern makers with a blade thick enough to do that sort of work? I realize i'm asking for a tool that is suited to several very different tasks, a billhook really might be just the thing. I guess these exotic blade profiles got me thinking the answer was halfway across the globe when it could have been right on the homestead here in the states. Though i wonder how the hold up to chopping tasks? They seem rather short and heavy to do much clearing of light vegetation.
 
Rinaldi makes some excellent ones, as do Angelo B. and Falci. For light vegetation the hook of the bill traps it and keeps it from slipping off the blade. But of course, it also depends on the mix and thickness of targets you'll mostly be cutting. They hold up very well in chopping tasks, as processing woody vegetation is what they were designed around.
 
What about the Fiskars or Gerber Brush hooks? Fiskars X3 or XA3? I don't own either, but they are inexpensive and easy to come by... I think they are only 0.11" thick though.

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Or the Buck Compadre Froe?

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The Fiskars is more of a billhook-shaped machete. Not a good match for the task in my opinion. They have their uses, but they're a poor example of a proper billhook.
 
That froe looks badass. Fortytwo, how would you compare a bill hooks utility in chopping to a condor villager parang?
 
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