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"Chopper" category?

jac_solar

jac_solar

Joined
Sep 1, 2013
Messages
842
While there seems to be quite a bit of "choppers" being made by custom makers (At least that is my impression.), there does not seem to be a lot of production choppers.

Is this a relatively new concept in the knife world or something? I don't think any of the sites that sell knives have a "Chopper category. I really like the Chopper style of knives, but, outside of Bladeforums, or in the gallery of custom knife makers, where are they? A separate category for "Chopper" style knives on websites would be very helpful.

The very first result for "Chopper Knives" search on Google is a thread on Bladeforums. Chopper Knife results seem to be mostly about Kitchen choppers, outside of the forum results.

But.. what is a chopper in this context? To me, it's basically a 20 inch and below, very thick and slightly wide, Machete. A Bowie for the woods. An axe with the versatility of a knife.

I'm of course talking about these kinds of choppers:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/681316-Show-me-your-custom-camp-knife-chopper
 
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Simple economics. They're expensive to make well, and the market for them is relatively small. A factory (or independent maker) can build and sell 2-3 small or medium knives with about the same resources it takes to build one really large one.
 
They didn't existed earlier, because there is no real need for them. :)

There are many historical knives of similar sizes, but they are mostly large buther knives.

There are many modern designs that evolved strictly for "disposable income knives" market :D
 
spydercobenchmadekai said:
BK9, SYKCO 911, many from Bark River, ESEE Junglas all come to mind.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I've looked at some of those, but there does not seem to be many more.

So, what you guys are saying is that you have to go custom if you want one, besides the ones listed by Spydercobenchmadekai?

Could anyone recommend me a custom maker who does choppers? Ie, who's cheapest, who's most expensive?
 
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I don't know what you are talking about. There are a ton of production "camp knives" designed to process wood out there. In addition to the ones mentioned there is Ranger, Fallkniven, Condor, Cold Steel, etc etc etc. Heck, Marble's was making large outdoors knives back in the 19 teens.

Look up camp knives. And camp knives are not Bowies. Bowies are fighting knives.
 
idaho said:
They didn't existed earlier, because there is no real need for them. :)
Click to expand...

Sure they did.
All around the world.

The internet just lets people yak about them easier now, whether with praise or scorn.
 
Oh yeah--Swamp Rat and Busse. I have a Swamp Rat Battle Rat, (now discontinued), and Swamp Rat also makes a Rodent 9 and a Rodent Rucki CG.

From Busse's current line you have the Battle Mistress and the Team Gemini LB.

Then there's the Ontario RD-9 and RTAK-II...

And then a few from the regular Kabar (not Becker) lineup come to mind. (Swabbie, etc.)
 
Is this a joke?

The type of tools you describe predate human history, and different versions/designs are available from MOST knife manufacturers. Ever heard of the khukuri? Cutlass? Bilhook? Short/combat bolo? Woodmans Pal? Yes, the bowie-knife is a version. There have been near 1/4" thick 20" long cutting tools forever. They are NOT a recent invention nor are they by any means RARE among blade makers.
 
chiral.grolim said:
Is this a joke?

The type of tools you describe predate human history, and different versions/designs are available from MOST knife manufacturers. Ever heard of the khukuri? Cutlass? Bilhook? Short/combat bolo? Woodmans Pal? Yes, the bowie-knife is a version. There have been near 1/4" thick 20" long cutting tools forever. They are NOT a recent invention nor are they by any means RARE among blade makers.
Click to expand...

yep they are used all over the world and a lot of custom knife makers make them. And the seax is very close to a bowie knife that was used for chopping.
 
I think that every knife company that makes outdoors knives has a few "choppers" in their lineup. Even Spyderco that focuses on folders and medium/small fixed blades had a couple.

Khukuri House, HI, Bark River, Swamp Rat, Busse, Ka-Bar (including Beckers), ESEE, Cold Steel, Ontario, Condor, Buck, and so on.
 
chiral.grolim said:
Is this a joke?

The type of tools you describe predate human history, and different versions/designs are available from MOST knife manufacturers. Ever heard of the khukuri? Cutlass? Bilhook? Short/combat bolo? Woodmans Pal? Yes, the bowie-knife is a version. There have been near 1/4" thick 20" long cutting tools forever. They are NOT a recent invention nor are they by any means RARE among blade makers.
Click to expand...

I'm talking about the specific kind of choppers in the thread I posted. ie

orig.jpg


I'm not saying they are rare, I'm saying there aren't very many of these kinds of "choppers" on the retail market.


marcinek said:
I don't know what you are talking about. There are a ton of production "camp knives" designed to process wood out there. In addition to the ones mentioned there is Ranger, Fallkniven, Condor, Cold Steel, etc etc etc. Heck, Marble's was making large outdoors knives back in the 19 teens.

Look up camp knives. And camp knives are not Bowies. Bowies are fighting knives.
Click to expand...

Camp knives is a very wide category of knives - choppers fall under them currently I suppose, but it'd be nice to have a separate, or at least sub "chopper" category. I didn't say camp knives are bowies, I said choppers (The ones I'm talking about.) are "bowies for the woods" - as in, long, thick, but made for chopping.
 
spydercobenchmadekai said:
BK9, SYKCO 911, many from Bark River, ESEE Junglas all come to mind.
Click to expand...

spydercobenchmadekai said:
Oh yeah--Swamp Rat and Busse. I have a Swamp Rat Battle Rat, (now discontinued), and Swamp Rat also makes a Rodent 9 and a Rodent Rucki CG.

From Busse's current line you have the Battle Mistress and the Team Gemini LB.

Then there's the Ontario RD-9 and RTAK-II...

And then a few from the regular Kabar (not Becker) lineup come to mind. (Swabbie, etc.)
Click to expand...

Add to these Condor, Fallkniven, and Imacasa/Tramontina you have just about a complete list...
 
Franciscomv said:
I think that every knife company that makes outdoors knives has a few "choppers" in their lineup. Even Spyderco that focuses on folders and medium/small fixed blades had a couple.

Khukuri House, HI, Bark River, Swamp Rat, Busse, Ka-Bar (including Beckers), ESEE, Cold Steel, Ontario, Condor, Buck, and so on.
Click to expand...

I'm familiar with most of the "choppers" these producers make.

Anyhow, my point was, if I wanted to do a general search for a chopper -- a large knife that can be used for cutting down trees -- there isn't any easy way to do so. So, a chopper category (Which could be defined as an activity.), would be helpful.
 
Keep an eye out in the knifemakers for sale fixed blade forum.
Best deals to be had from custom makers there.
I recently picked up an Ontario knives SP51 heavy bowie.
9 1/2" long 1/4" thick 5160 blade, 15" oal. Hard to beat for $80.
 
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