Big Blade!

S

soapboxpreacher

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Apr 3, 2010
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Looking to get a budget friendly Big Blade 9+" and start honing my skills for chopping, baton, and other camping related usage. I will eventually get a Busse Bushwacker Mistress or Scrapyard Dog Father but for now I want to get something that is respectable and will offer me a good learning and exploration knife yet use later if need be or for a fellow camper. Right now it's not so much about not wanting to spend the money more so availability as well as how much will I use a blade that big. I might be suprised so starting reasonable at this time seems to me my best option. I had my sights on a Ontario RTAK II. For the price is right and seems like it can handle the tasks I am looking for. I will be also adding a machete to the list as well to help clear thorn bushes and make trail paths to the 2 lakes I am trying to get to to fish and camp. Let me know your recommendation.

Oh and on my machete list is the Cold Steel Kukri 12" (SP). And a Condor around 18" with a poly handle and sheath.
 
Yeah under or at least around 100. I posted a reply to the other post you pointed to. This thread I believe I put in the wrong place.

But however I discovered a few more options as I replied to:

As we know the RTAKII
RD9 (Shorter but thicker)
BK9 (Not nuts about it...handle is so so)
CS Trail Master (Heard good things but dont like the guard)

I believe all are in the 100 range
 
The RD-9 is an excellent choice. The 1/4" thickness, vs. the 3/16" thickness, will serve you well when batoning.

The BK-9 is also a great choice, and you can get micarta grips from Kabar to replace the original grips.
 
Posted in a different thread but applies the same! As if the field of knives wasnt cloudy already. I have had so many people recommend tha Kabar Heavy Bowie and the Ontario SP5...I have backed up a few steps to re-evaluate the purchase. The SP5 and the Kabar I believe are both thicker knives. 0.25" thick blades at 10" They are also half the cost! So that makes them very attractive for a first big blade chopper, baton, light brush clearer. I am not nuts about the Kbar tang...it is very thin in the handle but to be honest...I have not heard of anyone breaking it. The SP5 is harder to find but I think it is the lesser of the 2 for my need...someone please correct me if I am wrong. This post has gone all over the place...first it was the RTAK II, then RD9, and now the Kabar Heavy Bowie as well as the Ontario SP5...my head is spinning!!!!
 
The CS Kukri will chop very very well. Especially for the price. You will need to work on the edge.

I have heard great things about the Condor machetes, and they come with a convex edge, which is a huge deal with a chopper.

I had a Trailmaster for about 10 years (it was the San Mai III version with the laminated steel blade). The top of the guard does take away from some of the general utility, but helps in the "combat" role. You could always buy one, and grind down the top guard very easily. I have done that on another knife with a double guard and liked the results).
 
The large Ka-Bar Heavy Bowie is an outstanding value in a big knife. Mine handily outchopped knives that cost four or five times as much. The full flat grind is awesome for batoning too.

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cutter17 said:
The RD-9 is an excellent choice. The 1/4" thickness, vs. the 3/16" thickness, will serve you well when batoning.

The BK-9 is also a great choice, and you can get micarta grips from Kabar to replace the original grips.
Click to expand...
I agree.
 
I like the RTAK-II design better than all the others, but I'm sure any of them will do.
 
Cold Steel Trailmaster :thumbup:

I do not own but frequently recommended knives include. BK9, Ontario SP5 and SP10, Kabar Large Heavy bowie.
 
I grabbed a SP5 and a Kabar...both were less than a RD9 or RTAKII combined!! RTAKII is nice but the blade should be thicker...A knot will bend it. I have heard a few chipping issues with the RD9 5160...so I past on it. I will let you guys know what I think. I am going to play around with them once I get them in. SP5 are near non-existent anymore...the Kabar is also being discontinued. I didnt want to buy two knives for I was trying to get a Dog Father Later...but I couldn't make up my mind on the SP5 or the Kabar Heavy Bowie so I got both. I couldnt find a side by side comparison. On paper as stated before the SP5 has a longer blade, full tang, better steel (marginally), and the sheath (which both are crap) is slightly better. I believe the handle is better on the kabar...eats more shock as I believe I stated before (however this is what I hear, no hands on to confirm that). It would make sense because the kabars tang isnt full so you have more handle material to eat up shock. plus i think (once again heard) the handle is slightly more comfortable. So that is what kabar has going.

How is the warranty service from both these companies....anyone have any experience?
 
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