Chopper, Kabar Parangatang, Condor Village Parang or Browning Crowell Barker

R

Rowan McDirk

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Aug 16, 2013
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I a thinking of acquiring a low priced dedicated chopper. I have some Kukris, axes and machetes but want something in between.

I am in doubt between these three, the Condor Village Parang, Kabar Parangatang and Browning Crowell Barker Competition knife.

I know the Condor Village Parang is a very good chopper for it's price but is outchopped by more expensive knives ( Tops Power Eagle and several Busse knives).
Over the years I developed a preference for flat ground knives, I like the looks of the Browning Competition knife but it might lack length.
I lean towards the Kabar Parangatang, flat ground, good length, but I don't know how it chops (hard) wood compared to the Condor Village Parang.

Thanks for your help and advice.
 
I cant comment on anything but the parangatang, but the parangatang is a beast for the price. I have been beating the holy hell out of it since I got it. I won it in a contest, so I decided to do things to it I normally would use an axe for and it has chewed up everything I have thrown at it. The only knocks I would give it is the sheath is very plain jane, but I don't really worry about sheaths. If I really like a blade I resheath it anyway. The other knock I would give it are the crappy handle scales don't give much traction at all, they are pretty ergonomic though and I am starting to appreciate the ergos. The 1095 holds a great edge for a long time and is easy to sharpen.
here is mine with my BK9
 
The Village Parang is something of a hatchet replacement. Usually needs the edge thinned and refined but it's a hefty chopper for its short length once that's addressed.
 
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I would lean toward the Kabar Parangatang since it is 1095 steel IF you like the handle. I don't. So, I use either the Condor Pack Golok or Village Parang as my choppers. As 42 says, the edge probably needs thinned a bit on both the Pack Golok and Village Parang and both of these are hatchet or small axe replacements vs an axe substitute. The difference is that either are probably better with smaller branches than a hatchet. Don't know anything about the Browning. I've only handled the Parangatang in a store.
 
paul'ie said:
I think the Ka-Bar Parangatang and the Potbelly make a awesome Combo.
Click to expand...

I have both. True hard-hitting blades. I can only recommend them both. I used to carry a 12in. Khukuri as my hard chopper.
I prefer my Parangatang now. That one, paired with my Salt 1, the LM Wave and my Mora Companion are an absolutely perfect woods combo to me.
They cover everything, and I feel the Parangatang chops as efficiently as my Kukri or better.

When can't carry the Parangatang due to size and length reasons, the Potbelly handles chopping and batoning like a champ.
It feels like a small hatchet.

You can't go wrong with any of them, at least not if you are looking for hard use choppers.
Easy to sharpen as well (I use DMT) and they hold an edge for a while!
 
Now that's apprciated, Thank You, I'm pulling tge trigger on both the Potbelly and tge Parangatang, I made a mistake by buying the Ka-Bar Zomstro it's a chopper all right, but on zombies and not so much as a good bush tool, I find it to be too wide of a blade with alot of wood drag, but it's OK it's paid for, but the Swabbie is a little different and adds to my BK-17, BK-7, and the Swabbie all match (tips), I should of waited and put the money into my new set, anyhow Thank You for your imput.
 
paul'ie said:
Now that's apprciated, Thank You, I'm pulling tge trigger on both the Potbelly and tge Parangatang, I made a mistake by buying the Ka-Bar Zomstro it's a chopper all right, but on zombies and not so much as a good bush tool, I find it to be too wide of a blade with alot of wood drag, but it's OK it's paid for, but the Swabbie is a little different and adds to my BK-17, BK-7, and the Swabbie all match (tips), I should of waited and put the money into my new set, anyhow Thank You for your imput.
Click to expand...

The Parangatang sheath is really crappy, but I love the one that comes with the potbelly. It has a pouch where I store the full kit: fire starter, Salt 1', leatherman and other small things.
The knife that comes with the Potbelly won't hold an edge for nothing but it is incredibly lightweight and an excellent food prep blade. Very stainless also.
I suggest improving the grip in both choppers by modifying or changing the scales, or using hockey tape like I did.
Then you'll have two 6 and 14 inch unbreakable chunks of KaBar's 1095CroVan steel that will last a lifetime.
Great choices!
I hope you like them as much as I do
 
Thank You very much, you helped more than you realize, although, again I have almost the whole line of Swamp Rat's and a nice set of Busse's for the bush, I like the CroVan check it out go to zknives.com , they say it's the same steel that the CarbonV was made of I think it's just the tempering C.S. uses the Zero Quench which sounds similar to S.O.G.'s Cryo, but also Camillus use to make tge U.S. made knives fir C.S. When Camillus went belly up that was tge end fir the CarbonV. It was the long strike the steel company that caused Camillus to go belly up. Enjoy that website and you can also download the Knife Steel Compositions App from Google Play or find the App on the website. Thank You.
 
I have used the Kabar Parangatang in the backyard, and it works fine. It is not an ax, but will do what you need. I wear work gloves while using it. It is a great machete.
 
I've gotta' say I really don't care for the handle on the Parangatang. Some folks profess to love it, but I can't for the life of me figure out why. I can't find a comfortable way to hold the thing and it puts the fingers in weird positions when it comes to the use of the tool.
 
The handle design is probably more important than the steel in a machete since you have to use it.
 
It's the "flesh interface" of the tool and the user. Indeed, extremely important.
 
Thank You, I am getting the Parangatang and the Potbelly as a combo, I feel as long as I multi carry knives, I like to match them, I use to be a 3knife carry guy now in warmer weather a saw, and hatchet and a knife, I guess it's still a 3knife carry but different kind if knives, my go to set was my Rodent 9, Ratmandu, and the Rodent Solution, slowly I got just about ALL the Rodent Series (the new Rodent), then without trying I started to notice I had a similar Busse set, then I found out about the CroVan as being the CarbonV (zknives.com), and noticed how the vintage knives made out of that same steel (0170-6C) and what their being sold for, I got almost the complete line of Becker's, one of my favorite set's beside my BK-10 paired with the BK-9 and BK-14 as my neck knife with the slabs puts it in another demension as a full use knife, but my BK-17, the BK-7, and the Ka-Bar Swabbie makes a very nice matching set and very functional, now my new set I'm getting because of good recommendation like yours, I'm getting the Parangatang and the Potbelly, Thanx much, this set will be my summer Long Knife in my State (Ohio), the brambles are pretty tough so a long knife is needed, light would be the way to go, but I've used my Woodsman Pal and my Rodent Rucki which is my favorite, but what the heck I want to give the Rodent Rucki a rest so the Parangatang is it, I also seen some very large Mora's that may work (Mora 333, Mora 739), but I think the Parangatang is more versital since you can baton wood with it better and it can carry into the colder weather too, again, Thank You.
 
Have a look at this PARANG . it's hand made in Malaysia by a company called MY PARANG and distributed by Mora . here is a picture of mine . and I believe Blade HQ are stocking them if you interested ..
 
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