Big Chopping Knives?

Where I live in Florida we have palmetto jungle all over. Palmettos are nasty. About 6 ft high, long, flexible, sharp, serrated stems with pointy palm leaves on top. If a wounded boar seeks cover in there it's a real bitch the get to him, not to mention to get him out. You can't really rip Palmettos out without heavy equipment, they have hundreds of worm like roots. Using an axe is pointless, they are too flexible and just bounce back. Chopping knives are not long enough and don't develop enough momentum to cut the leaves effortless. The only thing that does the job is a long machete; it's still not easy to clear palmetto jungle but hitting their leaves with the upper 10" of the blade cuts them. it works. I always have my $ 25.- machete in my truck when hunting.

I once bought a khukri. Many survival experts and military trainers claim a khukri being superior to a machete in a jungle environment. I can't verify that, it didn't work at all for me. May be it was to cheap or I just didn't know how to use it right. I had a hard time hitting the spot I wanted to hit.
 
Sub 15" machetes are pretty good all around knives. 12" machetes are cheap, durable, easy to maintain, and do lots of jobs well enough. I find machetes much better for general cutting, food prep, etc. Machete usually made from steel tending to be relatively soft, easy to sharpen, flexible, difficult to break. The only thing I find a heavy chopper does better is pry. The heavy choppers also tend to be more stylish and refined.
 
A big chopper like the scrapyard bowie coming out soon is not great at anything but will do anything. This means that instead of carrying a axe machete ad camp knife all you need is one chopper. A good modern bowie like the FBM or Trace Rinaldi's armageddon can be made very sharp and used the same way as a custon cutting competion knife. The upside down tanto is quite popular with the comp guys because it puts the weight farther forward and makes for a nice straight edge.

I like my CS machete kukuri but it is better for harder wood and you have to hit that sweet spot.
 
Walt-FL said:
Where I live in Florida we have palmetto jungle all over. Palmettos are nasty. About 6 ft high, long, flexible, sharp, serrated stems with pointy palm leaves on top.
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Same here in south Georgia. But to get to the original question, I think we just buy big, expensive chopping knives because we like them. I'll admit, for palmettos, nothing beats a thin, light Tramontina 22" machete. I really like the Ontario RTAK or RTAK II for the best compromise between a heavy chopper and a short machete. The 12" Ontario Camp machete is heavy enough to chop wood and long and light enough to clear vegetation. Some Bowies work well, too, like the Western, the Case, and the old Collins #18.
The Becker BK-9 works well as a mini-machete and chopper. Others I used are CS LTC Kukri, Gerber Uility Bowie, Ontario Survival Bowie. You don't have to spend bigs bucks to get the job done. But you can!
 
Personally the only time I've had a use for choppers is during winter. There isn't a lot of vegetation to deal with where I live (Northeastern US), just the trees. In the warmer months all you need to do is whittle on a stick, make some shavings and throw some twigs on there and you have a fire. No need to chop. For shelters you have all sorts of material you can use that is just laying around or can easily be cut free with a small knife. What a small fixed blade can't cover with cutting and a little batoning, a SAK saw can make quick work of.

During winter things are often snow covered, frozen and barren of most plant life. To start a fire one generally needs to find a dead log and break it open to the insides. A larger knife makes the work much easier here. For shelters I'm mostly limited to wood and snow, so again the chopper is more practical here this time of year.

I've tried a CS machete, some large fixed blades and a kuhkuri. The machete chopped well enough but it did have binding issues like others mentioned. The large fixed blades felt awkward being used to chop for me. The kuhkuri seems to work good. It took a little getting used to, but now I really like it for my winter large knife. I feel more comfortable using the kuhkuri than a hatchet or large axe, but that's just personal preference. I'd pick a hatchet over a large knife though, seems like much more economical weight placement for a dedicated chopper.

I think there is too much emphasis on these large knives though. Maybe it's just me but the vast majority of my outdoors tasks are handled by a fixed blade under 4 inches in blade length.

By the way, I posted in that Buse thread. I noticed similar sentiments being posted later in this thread, so if anyone wants to chime in here I'd appreciate it.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?p=4358374#post4358374
 
Yes. In realistic terms of probability, large blades are much less likely to be used than 4" bushcraft knives or even garden variety folders. However, for seemingly mundane tasks like : harvesting sugar cane, banana, coconuts etc etc, the whole third world has a reverse protocol. The machete-type blade of between 13" and 22" is the defacto horticulture tool. That brings us to the real motive behind big blade discussions in non-horticultural climes- namely Possibility. For us non-farmers, it's the challenge of what to take in the wild or urban jungle even, if all you had to take was a 4" knife and one more blade, or axe. That's the real basis for the academic side of this discussion- what would you take IF your world became the third world?
I'm not going to plug a blade I've co-designed but I haven't even tried yet ,but I'm banking on a super tough combination pry-bar, machete, hatchet, knife as that second blade of choice.
Again, it's an academic discussion- hopefully, we'll not have to depend on our big blades for anything. But soldiers may, as may the consumate outdoorpersons- such as myself.
Make mine a Ranger Knives - Mach~Axe ;)

Vivi said:
I think there is too much emphasis on these large knives though. Maybe it's just me but the vast majority of my outdoors tasks are handled by a fixed blade under 4 inches in blade length.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?p=4358374#post4358374
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Indeed- I concur. Then there are the in-between tools that can indeed cut bamboo, cane or saplings and chop. That's what I was referring to. The cheapest I've got is the $20.00 12" bladed Myerco Machete/ Axe. A very good option at the price and lighter than many comparable Khuris. A price even professional cane cutters can afford
 
Well i decided that i should try the "big chopper" type knife. So i bought an Ontario Spec Plus marine raider bowie, and a Ka-Bar Heavy Bowie. This weekend i'll find out how they work for me.
 
I've got machetes and choppers. I mainly use my bolo machete for opening coconuts, and my regular machete for brush clearing. I wouldn't try chopping wood with either as they're too soft and thin for that sort of task. I use a Busse for chopping wood. There's different tools for different jobs. If you've got a blade that can do everything, it probably won't excel at ANYTHING as everything's a balance in terms of performance. For example, a heavy chopper like the Busse Battle Misstress would fatigue you pretty quickly and have a short reach if brush clearing and a Machete would bind and dull quickly if used for chopping wood. I have different blades for different uses.
 
So i tried out the Marine Raider Bowie and and Ka-Bar Large Heavy Bowie last weekend. They chop small branches pretty well. They also work pretty well for spliting wood and battoning. But not better than a hatchet.
Chopping larger logs, say 12" diameter, they dont come close to an axe or a hatchet. But they are more compact and i can use them for cutting chores as well, so like i figured its a toss up.
Its still fun to have a big knife or two around tho.
 
ac1d0v3r1d3 said:
So i tried out the Marine Raider Bowie and and Ka-Bar Large Heavy Bowie last weekend. They chop small branches pretty well. They also work pretty well for spliting wood and battoning. But not better than a hatchet.
Chopping larger logs, say 12" diameter, they dont come close to an axe or a hatchet. But they are more compact and i can use them for cutting chores as well, so like i figured its a toss up.
Its still fun to have a big knife or two around tho.
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Thats it. Have fun and be careful!
 
I've owned and used some of the bigger, more common choppers around: Ranger, Busse, Swamp Rat, Becker, HI, Bark River. So far, I've had a hard time equalling the sheer force of my David Wesner KC-4. (Kelsey Creek.) 12-5/8", 1/4" A2 steel.

This is the pic of mine just after he finished with it. I've had it out several times this winter clearing storm/ice damage. Awesome performance. I would put it up against about any hatchet.

Ultimately, find what works for you. :thumbup:

PA300399E.jpg
 
Does anyone use a Kershaw Outcast for choppin'? I have one ... couldn't resist when it was on sale for $50 ... but I've never chopped anything with it. I mostly use it as a joke "neck knife" under my shirt when I know I'm going to see someone who will appreciate it.
 
I so need a Ranger Mach-axe!!!! Can't wait to see those as a regular item, hopefully . . .
 
No offense, but 99% of people with big knives only have them for that "macho" BS. (Yes, this includes me) Not bashing the people who do, power to you.

Personally, I prefer a hatchet and a small knife. The one thing that makes a hatchet better than a knife IMO is that in a pinch, it can be used to split logs as well, something I doubt you can do with a knife.
 
GroovyMr1337 said:
The one thing that makes a hatchet better than a knife IMO is that in a pinch, it can be used to split logs as well, something I doubt you can do with a knife.
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Wanna go on a log splitting contest? Me with my Wesner, you with a hand hatchet? ;) Winner buys dinner and I don't need to carry cash. :D

Welcome to the wonderful world of batoning. :D

wood.jpg


split.jpg
 
Guyon said:
All kinds of philosophies on the chopper front. Some folks prefer a small axe or hatchet combined with a smaller knife (SAK, small fixed blade, etc.). Others seem to prefer a medium sized (6 to 7 inch) blade that is an all around tool. They carry it and nothing else. I'm in the camp that prefers one large blade (8 to 10 inches) and one small blade. I find the larger choppers easier to use and easier to pack than a small axe, and just as good at splitting when you throw a baton into the equation. I also carry some sort of smaller knife (3" fixed blade) for detail work or field dressing duties and a multi-tool (SAK or Leatherman) for everything else. With those three tools, I can take care of any situation that comes up.

Also, you can do lighter work with the big chopper if push comes to shove. Certainly easier than with an axe. Still, I'd rather carry a little extra weight and have a nice 3" fixed blade for small chores.

You just have to experiment and see what works best for you. I don't think there is a right answer here.

My favorite little fixed blade...

DenningHunter.jpg
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What is this little beautiful knife ???
 
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