Building a compact/lightweight super-chopper

TheDandyLion

TheDandyLion

Joined
Mar 27, 2013
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I was talking with my one knife guy friend and we were talking about big ole chopping knives and it got me thinking.... Warning, this is the ramblings of a knife-crazed-mad-man so it might not make a lot of sense.:D

We were talking about chopping knives and how awesome and capable they are but soon then about how big they are. Chopping knives are massive! I mean the bigger the better unless you have to carry it for long periods of time then the weight gets obnoxious and I have to go to a saw or something. I was wondering, in a community of knowledgeable "Knife guys" what do you folks consider to be the most light weight chopping knife? What features in a blade makes it optimised for cutting large quantities of wood, and if you had to take a a knife with you in the woods for that purpose, what things would you want it to have in order to be efficient but easy to carry? Any existing designs/knives that are "perfect"? Here's what mine would look like.

-13" blade, swept back blade with a curved edge and a swell toward the flat tip
-Between 3mm and 4.5mm thick and about 50mm at the end of the blade (Widest point)
-Simple handle with a good shape like a traditional kukri
-Full tapered tang with skeletonization
-Fine but very convex sabre grind with a V edge

So what about you guys?
 
IMO the BK9 is the perfect balance between lightweight and chopping ability. It's a big knife that can do small things too!
 
hevnerknifereview said:
IMO the BK9 is the perfect balance between lightweight and chopping ability. It's a big knife that can do small things too!
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That's definitely one of my favorites, mine was stolen and I've been meaning to buy a new one. Personally prefer a bit more foreword balance and a thinner blade for just chopping
 
There is a new version, the BK39 iirc. Take a look for it in the Becker subforum.
 
I don't know about weight, but in this thread the BK3 was noted to chop as well as a 10" bladed knife given the mass. While it's not light, it's more compact than the BK9/39. Otherwise, I'd look at the Condor Eco Parang, which, while longer, is supposed to be fairly light but still effective.
 
Must it be a knife? A 'hawk with a relatively long, wooden handle would probably give you the best compromise of chopping power and light weight. Or if compact was more important, a hatchet with a short, wooden handle could do the same.
 
You can check out Charlie Mike's home defense chopper.

20150527_100754_zpsb3ck2x27.jpg
 
TheDandyLion said:
I was talking with my one knife guy friend and we were talking about big ole chopping knives and it got me thinking.... Warning, this is the ramblings of a knife-crazed-mad-man so it might not make a lot of sense.:D

We were talking about chopping knives and how awesome and capable they are but soon then about how big they are. Chopping knives are massive! I mean the bigger the better unless you have to carry it for long periods of time then the weight gets obnoxious and I have to go to a saw or something. I was wondering, in a community of knowledgeable "Knife guys" what do you folks consider to be the most light weight chopping knife? What features in a blade makes it optimised for cutting large quantities of wood, and if you had to take a a knife with you in the woods for that purpose, what things would you want it to have in order to be efficient but easy to carry? Any existing designs/knives that are "perfect"? Here's what mine would look like.

-13" blade, swept back blade with a curved edge and a swell toward the flat tip
-Between 3mm and 4.5mm thick and about 50mm at the end of the blade (Widest point)
-Simple handle with a good shape like a traditional kukri
-Full tapered tang with skeletonization
-Fine but very convex sabre grind with a V edge

So what about you guys?
Click to expand...

Dandy,it's the highlighted part which bothers me. There are many great choppers and slashers, khukuri being my favorite, but I haven't run across a knife with which I'd want to cut large quantities of wood. A good general purpose big knife (CS Gurkha, ESEE Junglas,Tora Battalion/Regimental Issue Khukuri, etc) is a good chopper which adds light weight capabilities and versatility. The ones listed are examples I found extremely useful for general use. The true "choppers" tend to weigh so much that, while they may cut deeper and throw bigger chips, they tire the user way too quickly. The axe is the chopping king world wide for a reason.

Now, if you mean camp chores, light-medium chopping, delimbing, etc., then your specs seem pretty solid. I thing many production blades fill that niche quite well already. I have some assorted khukuri well adapted to this sort of work. I will again state that heavier does not mean more efficient. Chopping is about technique and speed, as well as mass. I think it's the combination of these, as well as a proper blade/edge design, which causes efficiency. My buddy purchased a 45+ oz. khukuri billed as a super-chopper. It was great for a minute or so, then it was like swinging a small sledge hammer. And, lest we be billed as weaklings and girly-men, we're both larger than average and are not couch potatoes;)

I've given my ideal specs many times before, but for general use, 22ish oz. and 17" OAL seems ideal. But, I won't be using that knife to build a cabin or heat it during a Canadian winter either. I would, however, be able to pack it all day long and use it for extended periods without undue fatigue or loss of control.

ETA: Pics, just 'cause:D
CSGurkha006_zpsa78d7b2c.jpg

10bc5768-f447-48f4-ac83-216f7feb059f_zpsb4eeeb31.jpg
 
Well, there is a lot of variation when talking chopping. Hard woods, vs soft woods tight confined areas or open areas. For me, the ideal compromise knives that does it all well would be a straight knife with a 12-13 inch blade machete style, but 5/32" thick. This would be light enough and yet thick enough to handle woods better than machetes. However, knives this large are a pita to lug around. A 9-10 inch blade of 3/16 to 1/4" thickness is almost perfect for everything except tall grass and weeds where reach is lacking, which is where a 12-13 inch blade makes a difference. Khukuris are awesome choppers but tend to be to heavy for simpler tasks. Bolos, parangs are also excellent choppers in a smaller package.
 
A good Nordic leuku has always been best for me. It's origins speak for themselves.

If you're wanting big, I prefer my bolo.
 
Cobalt said:
Khukuris are awesome choppers but tend to be to heavy for simpler tasks.
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Not all of them. The above posted traditional khukuri, bottom pic, is 19 oz. It handles like a dream and is very close to khukuri perfection. But, I agree many khuks are way too thick and heavy for my taste.
 
Hmm... lightweight and designed for wood... thats called a machete. Pick up a tramontina and you might be surprised how well it keeps up in chopping compared to "choppers".
 
jobasha11 said:
Hmm... lightweight and designed for wood... thats called a machete. Pick up a tramontina and you might be surprised how well it keeps up in chopping compared to "choppers".
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Agreed, but with the caveat that you do have to change your technique. I earned myself more than a few blister and a lot of frustration figuring that one out.
 
I feel as I wrote something wrong as I'm not looking to buy said chopper, for packing around I'll take a saw ad a machete and for camp work an axe covers all the bases. The origin of this thought came from a "Knives of The Apocalypse" talk. Purely brainstorming and very little actual desire.
 
jdk1 said:
Not all of them. The above posted traditional khukuri, bottom pic, is 19 oz. It handles like a dream and is very close to khukuri perfection. But, I agree many khuks are way too thick and heavy for my taste.
Click to expand...

I think that the 15" Ang Khola Khuk is almost an ideal blade for most any task. It is thick, but the weight is not bad.
 

The JEST bolo, either original or custom (I make 'em, couple other guys on BF do too-Bill Siegle makes some JEST inspired blades that are very nice) is light, pretty small (mine are no bigger than a BK9) and if they're ground right chop like mad-but you can still do small stuff with them. Here's one of mine, 5/16" to 1/8" distal tapered 5160:
 
I like choppers but have little need of them. So my opinion is just that, mine. My BK4 does very well and a HD Ontario machete is not bad ether. IMO, if you know you are going to chop bring a axe, if you know you are going to cut a lot of wood bring a saw. Choppers are for when you don't know what you might need or just want to have some fun. I can do about anything I want big or small with my BK4.
I would love to get a nice JEST bolo.
 
I've made a few large choppers. My latest small chopper can choke up for lighter tasks.
8OEhHY3.jpg


Some hard chopping test to see how far a sub 0.01" behind edge thickness can handle. Lost 0.1mm edge from edge rippled from pine pin knots. Not bad for a small 11.7oz 1/4" thick chopper :p
https://youtu.be/dFBM__wPCs8
 
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