Big chopper knife?

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mbkingshane

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Ok looking for some other options. Wanting a big chopping /camp knife. Nothing really for hiking. Just grab my pack from the truck walk a mile or so, and set up camp. Need this for making primitive shelters, wood batoning, general camp chores. I will also have a smaller fixed blade or folder for cooking and finer camp tasks. The knives I'm thinking of are. Cold steel trail master, Fallkniven thor, Fallkniven A2 wilderness knife. Anything else I should be looking at? Thanks for your help and knowledge!
 
I have a Trail Master and love it but I would chose my CS Gurkha Kukri every day of the week and twice on Sunday. Also look at HI kukri. Nothing beats them in the heavy chopping role, imho.
 
Ka-Bar BK-9. Don't call it the King for nothing. Also maybe the BK-4 if you want to be different. I have both and love both but the 9 chops like a beast. The Becker handle is second to none in comfort.
 
I have the Trailmaster and the Thor. All three knives you mentioned are made by Hattori in Seki and are laminates. The CS TM SM with VG1 core offers the most "bang for the buck". They will also become harder to find in the near future as production will be limited.
The Thor and A2 use VG10 core and you pay more for the slightly better finish. The A2 using the Kraton handle (like the TM) makes it
ideal for rugged "use". Some people find the handle on the CS TM to be a bit small for their hands. Most other large knives in this category in stainless are lower quality Chinese imports. If you want t look at Carbon Steel knives, models like the Becker BK9 and BK39,
or Bark River Bravo 3 come to mind. Lots of suggestions will probably be made.
 
How big are we talking?

H&K Feint makes for a pretty good option in 440c stainless...
 
Another vote for the BK9. Proud owner of one, and I would not trade it for anything.
 
Choppers heavier than the BK9....besides the CS trailmaster, I'd look at the Ontario RD9 and SP51, Tops Armageddon and Steel Eagle series. Those are in 1095 steel. Busse has huge choppers in INFI steel. Bark River has a new Bravo 3 in CPM3V. There are quite a lot to choose from.
 
Blackjack Tac Ops 8, a nice medium size chopper. I have it in A2 the prototype version but it's now only available in 1095. The heavy, extreme bowie-like tip design lends weight to chopping, but the top is a false edge.
 
Esee Junglas is what I would recommend. It costs much less than the Fallkniven knives and is proven as an excellent chopper.
 
I have a junglas and love it. Again looking for a bit more heft. Like 1/4" blade steel or more. Thanks everyone so far for your time!
 
How about something inexpensive? I just got a Condor Kumunga which has a 10" blade and looks like a knife, but acts like a short machete. It's fun. After that, I lean toward something like the Condor Pack Golok for chopping and general chores around a fixed camp.

Added: Prior to getting the Kumunga, my go to's for a short heavy chopper was the Condor Pack Golok and Village Parang. I like playing around with these. Been wacking stuff around the house with the Kumunga lately and it seems to cut just fine.
 
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It makes me want to cry when someone calls an 8" blade a big chopper. Go bigger. 12" or 14" or thereabouts is a respectable size and is still packable. As far as blade thickness is concerned, a thick blade won't necessarily equate to better chopping performance. When you get too thick, the blade doesn't seem to bite as well when you are chopping. It would seem like the extra heft would be a bonus, but blade speed and a blade geometry that won't put the brakes on the blade when it contacts the wood are also a factor.
 
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Not sure how much you're looking to spend, but I've been happy as a clam with this lil' fella.

 
mbkingshane said:
I have a junglas and love it. Again looking for a bit more heft. Like 1/4" blade steel or more. Thanks everyone so far for your time!
Click to expand...

Yeah, that said the Feint is like a slightly shorter stainless junglas...

TOPS steel eagle = .25" of 1095 steel.
 
The Junglas, man. The Junglas. 16" of goodness - it's so nice and so cheap you'll almost feel guilty about not paying more for it.
 
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Get a Pro Tool Apache Bolo. I think they are discontinued but I just bought two of them off the big auction site for less than $40.00 each. That price is a steal! They are a 1/4 thick and heavy (31oz.) for chopping and come with a sheath.
 
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