Chopping knife ?

Revolverrodger

Revolverrodger

Joined
Jul 23, 2007
Messages
3,889
Hello I'm just wondering what chopper I should get...
There are many out there but I want to know which one is better and why
thanks
 
Whats your price range? I just picked up the last generation(the one with black coating) Condor Hudson Bay for like $30 shipped on one of the big auction sites. I LOVE this thing, I was playing with it in the back yard for hours yesterday.
 
But while you're holding out for the kukrat I'd say get a dogfather. Its the best chopper out there for the price by a country mile. And if not that get a junglas. The cold steel SK 5 kukri is also a solid performer for the price but it doesnt have the warranty of ese or scrap yard.
 
You should get a few cheap ones over the next few months and begin finding out what works for you with the most efficiency and comfort. It's better than getting something over-priced and over-hyped only to find out that it really isn't designed well for actual use.
 
my favorite at the moment: ESEE Junglas
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Becker BK9 is easily my favorite chopper and it won't cost you a month's rent to buy one either.

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Beckerhead #42
 
Revolverrodger,

Hard question without details such as; chopping what? How are you carrying it? What other tasks will it do?

One quick answer is a kukri. They are hard to beat as pure choppers but can be a bit much for a day hiker to carry. They also take some time to get used to for cutting and slicing duties due to the angled blade but after some time they work out fine. You can find great ones from HI, Tora, Cold Steel and from the so called Khukuri Houses in Nepal.

Other good choices as mentioned above, the BK9 and ESEE Junglas but I wouldn't rule out the CS TrailMaster & Recon Scout. They are both incredible all around knives capable of standing up with any of the others mentioned for chopping but their added appeal is that they are also great outdoor/utility/belt knives.

But again, without knowing the extent of your chopping duties it would be hard to narrow that down further.
 
KalEl said:
But while you're holding out for the kukrat I'd say get a dogfather. Its the best chopper out there for the price by a country mile. And if not that get a junglas. The cold steel SK 5 kukri is also a solid performer for the price but it doesnt have the warranty of ese or scrap yard.
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Dogfather is good. I've got a satined one right here and it does the job.

Also consider the Becker line. The 9 is a reliable chopper, the 7 is also pretty good. Both have good-sized, hand-filling grips and nice, reliable edges. Weight distribution is a compromise between full-on chopper and a bushcraft-type knife, where you want to do some detail work with tip and edge.

ESEE has also made the Junglas. If you can find one (no easy task), it has a reasonable price and performs quite well.

If you want a truly powerful chopper, consider any khukri by HI (there is a sub-forum for this maker right here on BF -- and the regulars are great folks, full of spot-on advice). I've got a few of those very reasonably priced khukris and there isn't anything they can't cut. You do need some training on the proper way to take advantage of the blade shape, but the regulars here on BF will provide all the information you could ever need.

Finally, for some kinds of chopping, a very inexpensive machete can be very useful. The Wilderness sub-forum here has lots of information on this. And there are many good sources of very inexpensive machetes. I particularly like the Fiddleback machetes (I have several), because the grips are just spectacular -- tremendous ergos and never a hot spot even after hours of brush cutting and limbing. Fiddleback also has his own sub-forum here on BF.

At higher price levels, there are a LOT of excellent choices. Ranger, Fehrman, and Busse come to mind -- but you don't have to pay a lot to get a good, solid chopper.

Best of luck in your search.
 
I'm mostly chopping small 2 to 3'' trees but also doing some battoning.
I have a Busse FFBM :D but it's kind of heavy to bring along for long hikes plus I don't like the vibration from the G10 handle.
The kukrat would be great but who knows when it will be made.
What steel would be best for a chopper... I see people using 1095 - 1095crovan - 5160 - SR101 - Infi - S30V and I'm wondering what is the actual difference between these steel types.
 
SemiproZombie said:
maybe a Buck 120
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With that! I own one, it is a great hunting knife, but no chopper. You have limited reach. Maybe a Buck Woodsman.....

Anyway, a great one I own is an Imasca Macete. Costs around seven bucks, and can hold a nice edge. A step up would be the Esee Junglas or Lite Machete. Just my two cents.
 
I would try the CS Recon Scout or the BK7. Both are relatively light, compact and can do the job you described with ease.

For the job you described, the Junglas/BK9/Trail Master would all be overkill and less comfortable to carry while hiking. Even a very small kukri would be overkill.
 
Revolverrodger said:
I'm mostly chopping small 2 to 3'' trees but also doing some battoning.
I have a Busse FFBM :D but it's kind of heavy to bring along for long hikes plus I don't like the vibration from the G10 handle.
The kukrat would be great but who knows when it will be made.
What steel would be best for a chopper... I see people using 1095 - 1095crovan - 5160 - SR101 - Infi - S30V and I'm wondering what is the actual difference between these steel types.
Click to expand...

I know what you mean about carrying a really heavy blade. I just sold my KZ II because it was just too heavy for the trail. I think for the 2-3 inch trees you will want either a Becker, a Dogfather, a Busse Basic 11 or the junglas. What is your budget?
 
To the OP, many great suggestions have been made. IMO, you simply can not do better than the Ontario SP8 Spec-Plus Machete. 10" blade, 1/4" thick, 1095 high carbon steel, comfortable handle & great sheath, Made in the U.S.A. (not the sheath) & all for $49.99. Bang for the buck is VERY HIGH. Has 2 cutting edges (main blade & tip) sawtooth side is worthless as a saw but makes for good jimping when choking up on the blade (which you can do with 2 fingers instead of one).

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All it needs is a little neatsfoot oil on the leather parts of the sheath & a proper sharpening. Mine is scary sharp. Took about 30 min. If i could only have one of my knives for everything, this would be a strong contender, if not THE one. :D
 
Plenty of great knives already metioned here so far! I'll throw in one more, I'm really liking the Crowell/Barker Competition knife by Browning. Excellent chopper, and not too expensive IMO. :)

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I used a Rajah II yesterday to chop 2 -3" saplings and branches ( mostly softwood) in my yard, it did an excellent job and still retained a sharp edge after I was done ( no chipping , deformed edge etc ).

Fixed blades in tool steel make the most sense, but if you want something you can put in your pocket , this might be an option.
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I have several choppers, some have been mentioned, but for an affordable chopper I like these...

Ontario Cutlass Machete, convex the edge, and modify the handle, and then you have a great chopper, all for $20 and some effort.
Ontario SP8, thick, strong, but doesn't bite like thinner blades, but very good.
Ka-Bar Cutlass or Kukri, good edges, come shaving sharp, and both bite in very deep. The handles are fatter than the Ontario rubbers.


More pricy options, that I have used are...
Junglas, just great, light, and has an excellent handle, and sheath. A good handle makes all the difference.
Bark River Golok, pricy, but has a thick spine, lightweight, very sharp, and will slice like crazy. It's handle is a bit long and skinny, but is comfy. The golok is not the most powerful, it's a good choice for many.

My favorite is my Culberson Bolok. 13/64" thick 5160, 12" blade came shaving sharp, and still is. Bruce makes excellent blades, handles, and sheaths.
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