Big Hacker

monster

monster

Joined
Jun 13, 2001
Messages
1,365
I'm in the market for a "quality" large camp knife or machete. I hear the CS Kukris rust at the sight of moisture and Newt Livesay RTAK's or RCM's are the way to go. Any input?
 
becker brute
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will fennell would NOT let me leave blade show without one of these. so i got one
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im glad i did. works as an axe,machete,and just a big camp knife.
comes with a good edge,but some might like to thin it down a little. ill keep mine the same thickness for now.
will also wanted me to do a little write up on it,so i will in the near future.

or if you just want a machete go with the becker patrol machete.
 
what's the blade thickness on the Becker machete....I've ruined 2 Ontario machetes already, they warped pretty bad.
 
For a big hacker, you can't go wrong with a Busse Basic 9. I'm sure the battle mistress would be an excellent choice, but I only own the basic 9, so I can only comment on it's performance. (plus, it's a lot cheaper than a battle mistress)

The basic 9 is an EXCELLENT chopper! It will hack anything you need hacked and then some.

BK&T is a good suggestion also. They work well, and have great handles. But, between the two I mentioned, I'd go with the basic 9. The handles are VERY comfy while chopping, and the blade just won't quit!
 
I tend to agree with Maurice. That Becker is a huge piece of steel and if it can't handle what you want to cut you should probably buy an axe.

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Jason Cadden
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Webmaster
Smoky Mountain Knife Works, Inc.
jcadden@smkw.com
 
Take a look at Ken Warner's Big Country Kampr at www.knifeware.com

It's well balanced, razor sharp, and is reasonably priced.

Interesting carry system as well although I still prefer belt carry myself.

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Malcolm
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To know is to know that you don't know.
 
I have a Cold Steel Gurhka Kukri. It was not
cheap but it hacks through smalls trees, and large vines like butter. Carbon V blade is sort-of stainless finished. No rust problem but I don't store it in the leather sheath and I keep it lightly oiled. Compared to other kukris I have seen the CS is awesome. (I never handles an Himma Knife Works, so don't flame me please.
 
Outstandng info people! I think I'll start looking at the Busse offerings but I was suprised not to see any "kudos" for the Livesay RCM or RTAK. By the way anybody know where to get the best prices on the Busse hackers?
 
Hello Everyone!
This is a very interesting topic. Infact I really like discussing Big blades cause I like them and have owned a few. I got a Basic 9 by Jerry when they first came out about two years ago. I used that thing a lot and it was a great knife. I tested it against I knife that I made out of 1095 and they performed about the same. The M-INFI had better edge holding capabilities than 1095 but my knife(which looked like a SH) out cut it. So in my opinion the reason to Busse is because the high quality and super tough blades they make and the way they back their knives with their warranty. I used their warranty once when I damaged my BM-E so it was bent and they replaced it with no questions asked. I doubt that you get that level of warranty from other companies. However any of the knives previous mentioned by Maurice, Antdog,Will York, and eaisaacs which include Newt's knives(which are great blades from my experience!) anything by becker, and Busse ofcourse. Those knives will certainly out last any of us and will serve you well. The key to it is finding of what works well for you and sticking with your blade choice. I now own a Bm-e (i got rid of my little busses cause they aren't really useful to me) and I use it. I have my gripes obout it but I figure it best to have a few good tools and know how to use them well rather than have a bunch of blades that I don't use much of need.
To sum it all up, decide what you want in a blade, search and study for it, talk to other folks who know and then get something that will do what you want(and maybe a bit more blade than what you need)
Take it easy,
Luke
 
Monster,

If BIG is what you want, you've GOT to get the RTAK. Dollar for dollar, it'll be pretty hard to beat the value represented by the RTAK.

It's bigger than a BM and the thinner stock (3/16" vs. 1/4") improves slicing ability. I just can't say enough good things about the RTAK. I actually BEAT the coating off of mine and it still works like a champ and sharpens pretty easy.



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Brian_T
brianthornburg@home.com
 
If you are looking for a knife that is specifically for chopping, I would go with the RCM. If general purpose chores that include chopping are what you plan to use the knife for, then the RTAK is great. I sent Newt a tracing of my hand on a sheet of paper, faxed it to him. He custom made the handle slightly larger and put thicker Micarta slabs on it just for me, and at NO extra charge! That is customer service.
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Lukers:
The M-INFI had better edge holding capabilities than 1095 but my knife(which looked like a SH) out cut it.</font>
Click to expand...

At one time, I thought cutting efficiency was a good measure of one steel's properties against another. After doing many kinds of cutting tests, I've learned that comparison of cutting efficiency, between blades made of decent cutlery steels, is usually much more a matter of edge geometry and edge finish than anything else--and how geometry and edge finish are matched to the cutting task performed. Thinner, more acute edges will generally cut more efficiently than thicker, more obtuse edges, regardless of blade steel. Polished edges will push cut most efficiently, while a lower-grit finish will slice most materials much more efficiently.

Just an observation, for what it's worth.

-w

 
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