Dedicated chopper

It is evident that even with the term "dedicated chopper" there is a breadth of perspectives of what that means to everyone. To some, this is a knife carried with their packs and others its at base camp or in the woodshed. In all honesty, those differences don't matter to me as I am enjoying the discussion of all these big knives, whatever your reasons for them. :)

I have been through numerous rationalizations of why I need a big chopper. My initial goal was for a SAR or survival kit. For that purpose I've gone to using a saw for its efficiency in sectioning logs and using my midsize knife for splitting, for exactly the reasons Will stated in his response. If I were packing in a big knife routinely, though, it would likely be the 1311 for me. Or basic 9. Man, I love those knives.

But lately, I'm trending more toward zmbhntr's perspective, where I am using this knife simply because I enjoy it. A fun tool for chopping, splitting and "general mayhem." Even so, chopping with a big knife can wear me out. I found my old custom shop MOAB to be a bit much (to some, this is more a problem with my fitness than it is the knife and that would likely be correct). If it were around 0.3" or so, it would have been a keeper for me (zmbhntr, I've thought many times about having the same custom work you did to yours!).

I recently retreated back to a CG FBM as it was my favorite back in the day. It's an amazing knife, but I realize that I am a different person now that I've used a MOAB. The CG FBM definitely sets itself apart from my TGLB in purpose, but didn't get me the comfortable heavy THWUMP as its blade bit into the wood I was processing. Perhaps the nmfbm will.

Keep the discussion coming gents (and the pics). What are your favorite dedicated choppers, whatever that means to you?

Because everyone loves pics of big knives:

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That's just one of them...but it sure makes for some nice firewood and wood for smoking brisket and ribs!!!

Here is the Pruning Tower...I use a hydraulic 6 foot chain saw instead of the clippers.
 
I can't hardly look at them anymore...:eek:
 
1311 no contest for me. As cool as the bigger choppers are I sure would not want to swing one around for very long.
 
BB13 CG, 1311, Basic 11 & Basic 9 in that order. I have fun using my heavier & more expensive ones, but I do so far less than those listed. I am still planning some mods to at least one of my BB13's when time allows.
 
Leonardo63 said:
I just lost 40 minutes watching pecan harvesting equipment LOL!
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It's dusty nasty and loud and the shakers will knock your fillings loose!! Cool Equipment because it's needed for harvesting:cool::thumbsup:
 
So there was a time when I would process a cord and a half of wood every fall to heat my house. I would use an axe, several khukuris and my shbm. I would chop for hours. I would always revert to my shbm because I could use it far longer than the heavier blades I had. If you are chopping for just a short time the huge blades are fun, but when you actually have to process lots of wood, the 14-16 oal blades will keep me from wearing out. So for me it is the SHBM sized blades.
 
zmbhntr said:
Perhaps I'm wrong, but I thought this thread was about a dedicated chopper (all other knife needs are satisfied and are therefore outside the scope of this thread). If this thread is about pack ability / weight considerations or performance per dollar spent, etc. than it is an entirely different story. Naturally, nobody in their right mind would pack a MOAB on a multi day hike into the wilderness. Also, a saw or an axe and a small knife is a much better survival tool than a large knife. I use a large knife to chop down trees for the simple reason that it is fun, and pack weight is not a concern for me in this scenario; this scenario, as I read it, is solely about a dedicated chopper.
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the only knife thats dedicated/faithful to me is the knife that I am using. If it's to bulky to carry, I won't be using it....therefore no dedication
 
My favorite it my 1111. I have that and a SHE2 and the Basic 8 for Busse stuff. The 1111 is a beast and chops better than the Carothers LC that I have. The LC cuts deep and is really good but doesn’t have the swing power that the 1111 has. The SHE2 is a really good chopper for its size. It has some good power and great handle. I bet the BME2 is probably as good as the 1111 but I’ve never used one. The Basic 8 cuts good but doesn’t have much weight. It’s a good all around tool for a big hike or just a lighterweight option. It chops but not like the others. For a dedicated chopper with my options it’s definitely the 1111.
 
I've given up on "big choppers" since I have not found a situation where a smaller hand saw like the Silky Pocketboy or the bigger Silky Gomboy doesn't excel 10 fold to a chopper. All I need for my purposes is a knife to skin the branches off the pines and baton my camp firewood into sections. For that, the ASH 2 is the only knife I need. Granted I had it fly out of my hand on my winter camping trip a week ago and hit me in the leg. Didn't cut me, but proved a point. In sub zero weather, working with gloves in the snow and trying to chop anything is potentially dangerous unless you have a d-guard, which I'm adding soon. Gloves get wet, hands don't grip as tight due to the cold, and then you have a flying Busse.
 
UNRL Ghandi said:
I've given up on "big choppers" since I have not found a situation where a smaller hand saw like the Silky Pocketboy or the bigger Silky Gomboy doesn't excel 10 fold to a chopper. All I need for my purposes is a knife to skin the branches off the pines and baton my camp firewood into sections. For that, the ASH 2 is the only knife I need. Granted I had it fly out of my hand on my winter camping trip a week ago and hit me in the leg. Didn't cut me, but proved a point. In sub zero weather, working with gloves in the snow and trying to chop anything is potentially dangerous unless you have a d-guard, which I'm adding soon. Gloves get wet, hands don't grip as tight due to the cold, and then you have a flying Busse.
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That is why there are plenty of lanyard holes in Busses. I don't like d-guards. I think lanyards give more security from loosing a knife.
 
Cobalt said:
That is why there are plenty of lanyard holes in Busses. I don't like d-guards. I think lanyards give more security from loosing a knife.
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Yeah, the paracord d-guard I make ends up running a loop through the back talon hole so you can wrap it around your wrist and get double duty. Pretty slick. Not sure why I hadn't put in on the Ash 2 yet. I put it on two Battle Saws already. Just got lazy with it I guess and could've ended up hurting myself because of it.
 
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