Did me some chopping (but got bit)

C

Claudiasboris

Joined
Aug 23, 2010
Messages
143
Hi,

So I decided to see how well the MOD knife performed but figured that I needed something to compare it with. The fair comparison would've been with a BK2, but I wanted to chop so I used my BK9 instead (are the results going to be a surprise?).

Anyhow, I had last year's Christmas tree in the garden

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Here's the competitors

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Once all of the branches were off I wanted to see how well they went through the trunk

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Guess who chopped best...

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Then chopping it all up for kindling

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Well, the BK9 was much better, but the MOD knife can certainly chop

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She bites too!

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Shortly after that I got a nip from the BK9 as well. Between them they chopped everything up nice and easy. How good are they at other bushcraft skills though?

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I got a few curls made with the MOD knife, but I think I was more limited by my own skills rather than by the knife. Despite her size the BK9 was surprisingly easy to use too.

I don't know if it's my lack of ability making fuzz sticks or the dampness in the air from days of rain, but it was really difficult to start fire, even with a fabulous misch ferro rod showering gobs of flame everywhere. A little bit of tissue did the trick,

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but it didn't take, besides, I really wanted to use natural tinder :grumpy:

Ultimately the MOD knife does what she was made for, chop stuff, even with the factory narrow edge, which wasn't very sharp. I have had a few minutes sharpening her today but I think it's going to be a longer-term project; there's no 1095 in there. I was quite surprised with the handles though: despite the overhang and edges I didn't have the blisters that I expected.

Unsurprisingly the BK9 was much better at chopping. She's longer, thinner and sharper, a pure joy to use. I thought the grivory may be uncomfortable or slippy but it was just fine. Not as pretty as micarta but works well. Disturbingly though, after a few chops there was a definite rattling noise. I left it to see what would happen and shortly after one of the screws fell out of the handle, the others being loose! Glad that I tried this at home. I've seen posts on gluing the bolts on but I fancy some of those lovely micarta handles so I just gave them all a tighten. A tool to do this needs to be added to the sheath pocket.

Did I mention that I got bit?

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Claudiasboris
 
Thats not a cut, thats just a nick ! LOl :D It's never fun to get cut. But, it could have been MUCH worse. Glad your OK. :thumbup:
 
Thanks TwinStick! Yeah it could've been much worse: there's a reason why I always take a first aid kit with me whenever I go out and about. Of course in this case I let it bleed out a bit, sucked it clean and spat out the blood and dirt like a real man. I only cried later.

Claudiasboris
 
GOOD POST!!!!!

Nice pics of the "Big Nueve", and MOD knife. I was never much of a fan of the MOD Survival knife, the handle just feels, wrong, I guess, to me. The edge isn't going to slice tomatos, but I will chop some wood. My money's on Beckers.

Sorry for the nick, gotta fee that thing wood, not flesh, LMAO. Glad you're alright, could have been bad, bad, bad. Seems to be a rash of cuts lately, these Beckers are blood thirsty.

Once again, good post, and thanks for taking us along.

Moose
 
Thanks Moose. You're spot on: the MOD can't really compete with the Beckers. That been said, I've got quite a soft spot for the big girl, I guess that I like big chunky knives (one of the reasons I like Beckers!). She does what she was made to do as well. The BK2 is a definite improvement, but one with a wider set of design parameters.

It was my first time using the BK9 and I'm REALLY impressed. She's comfortable, capable and not too heavy. I wouldn't need something like this in the British "wilderness", but I wish that I'd be able to legally take her out on trips.

Claudiasboris
 
kinda always wanted a MOD knife but well, never quite got around to it :)
 
Not glue, loc-tite. Removable! (the blue stuff, not the red). It's like a little sticky rubber gasket fluid inside the threads.

Nice work!

-Daizee
 
Not glue, loc-tite. Removable! (the blue stuff, not the red). It's like a little sticky rubber gasket fluid inside the threads.

Nice work!

-Daizee

Thanks Daizee! I'll look out for the loc-tite, I was a bit unsure about fixing them in completely, that sounds much better.

You're right Grim 62, there was virtually no edge on the MOD knife but I wanted to see how well she'd perform out of the box. I'm sure that with a good edge she'll perform a lot better, but having started on that project, I think it's going to take some time: she's not made of 1095.

Claudiasboris
 
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