Big blade for yard work/woods?

orthogonal1 said:
You might want to consider a Browning Crowell/Barker Competition Knife, since it has done well in my minor endeavors.

If you want to go less expensive, you can find older made-in-India kukries on sale at various places. I have a couple and these to well for chopping, also.
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A kukrie works great for this kind of work and can be found pretty cheap if you look around.

On the other hand I've been trying to find Browning Crowell/Barker Competition Knife and couldn't find one anywhere. I ended up settling for an Outcast that I reprofiled and turned into a crazy sick little chopper.
 
Bark River Golok is my no. 1 most used blade for yard work. Not as long or wide as a machete, but somewhat thicker. Fantastic on small limbs.

BarkRiverGolokPinky-12-09.jpg
 
retzius said:
Ontario Military Issue Machete.
You don't need a Busse to attack a sapling.
Last time I checked they dont fight back.
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I like that point of view LOL, I don't spend much on wood choppers either.
Plus for kindling I find dry twigs/sticks that snap off with hand pressure burn easier than live green wood that has to be cut. And only have to use thatdead stuff still on the tree when the ones on the ground already are too wet from recent precip.
Maybe I'm doing it wrong but fires seem warm to me.

I have the econo Ontariochete, next time might splurge for the $20 version.

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Since original criteria calls for something smaller than a machete, I'd recommend a hatchet like this Plumb USA.
Rather beat on it than a $150 kanife. Probably just me tho.
Usually doesn't look this good.
I do try to clean it up once a year or so... whether it needs it or not.

PlumbDE3rhs.jpg


Then if those two are overkill for the outdoor cutting chore, I like to reach for ye olde Schrade USA SW7s in the back pocket. Easily extracted and opened with one hand which is nice when the other hand is grappling with the pesky limb/branch already.

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Nuthin' too schmancy but they've gotten the job done so far.
 
I found this Bark River blade to be very handy around the yard. 13.5 inches of cutting edge, .120 inch thick, light and comfortable to use. Hair shaving sharp too :)

Top: BRKT, Middle: CS Rajah II, Bottom: Becker BK9

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Another recommendation for the Bark River Golok. It's an incredibly handy workhorse!

Bark River is making a run of them right now!
 
I would say a ka-bar bk9. Big bad knife chops like a small axe, if 9" is to much a sog seal knife 2000 is a bad ass knife to, I've had mine since the late 90's I've chopped everything with it, it holds a good edge and sharpens well and it does not rust very easy mine is over ten years old and has no rust what so ever.
 
The son of dogfather is another good chopper. It can handle all the abuse you give it.

Just keep the blade clean, dry and oiled after use.
 
orthogonal1 said:
You might want to consider a Browning Crowell/Barker Competition Knife, since it has done well in my minor endeavors.
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+1, i love mine, especially for only $100. It is a great knife with better fit and finish for less than a bk9

retzius said:
Ontario Military Issue Machete.

I think mine cost a whopping 20 dollars.

I have beat the snot out of it and it works great.

You don't need a Busse to attack a sapling. Last time I checked they dont fight back.
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Another good option, the heavier ones have a 1/8 blade and are more big knife/chopper than light machete. The ct2 also has a sawback if you want. http://www.knifecenter.com/kc_new/store_detail.html?s=ONCT2
 
Andrew Colglazier said:
I would check out the Himalayan Imports forum to learn about khukuris. Many of HI's models would work very well for you.
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+1! :thumbup:

HIKhukuris2009110b_sm.jpg


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Tora is another maker of hard workin' khuks in a similar price range, albeit with higher shipping:

ToraHIghlandAndOfficersDuiChirra200.jpg


ToraHighlandKhukuriHoneysuckle20-2.jpg


I've also done a lot of de-limbing with Valiant Trading Company blades:

Golok20060722_sw.jpg


ParangBandol20070902c_sm.jpg


CajunGoloks20090730_sm.jpg
 
Having used Busses, machetes, HI kukhris, the Browning Crowell/Barker and the Valiant golok for just your purposes, I would suggest the Valiant (the first on in CS Graves' pics, although the 3rd one is noce too but doesn't have the reach). Costs about $75, is thicker than a machete, and has longer reach than a 9"-blade knife which comes in handy for yard work. Plus it's well-balanced and so much easier and more comfortable to swing for long sessions, IMHO as opposed to whaling away with a big chopper knife/kukhri. I took apart a small felled tree with one of these, and then finished off the big bits with my HI and Busse.

Another option for maybe $25 is an Ontario Old Hickory big butcher knife. 14" carbon steel blade, wood handle is easy to sand to a comfortable shape, and it just whips through thin-diameter foliage. But for sturdier branches the golok wins out, and it does the thin stuff great too.
 
fishface5 said:
[...] I would suggest the Valiant (the first on in CS Graves' pics, although the 3rd one is noce too but doesn't have the reach). Costs about $75, is thicker than a machete, and has longer reach than a 9"-blade knife which comes in handy for yard work. Plus it's well-balanced and so much easier and more comfortable to swing for long sessions, IMHO as opposed to whaling away with a big chopper knife/kukhri.
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:thumbup:

Only caveat for the Valiant SGL I might mention to the OP is that Valiant uses traditional materials... not high-tech super polymers and such... so they won't fare so well with abuse. If you use rather than abuse your blades though, they're fantastic!
 
Machetes are the jungle/brush workhorses here. Tramontina, CS, Ontario.
Hardwood whackers are HI Khukuri's.
 
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