Different grips for a chopper?

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kaizo

Joined
Oct 17, 2014
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Hi everyone :) when I go camping my weapon of choice is usually a 7 inch blade or below. But as I understand people like Ghurkas use only their kukuri to do a lot of there bushcrafting, ranging from starting fire, making shelter to filleting. I thought it would be a fun and useful skill to have and I wondered if anybody here could very kindly shed some light on that for me.

What grip do you use when using big choppers for various tasks? If you could share some pics for me that will be great too!

(I am so going to regret asking this when I end up buying a battle mistress or sykco 1111 :P)
 
Hi Kaizo,

I found myself liking the custom Sasquatch by Dan Keffeler, for Cliff Stamp.
Do yourself a favor by googling it.

It allows 3 grips for choke up, average work and heavy chopping. That is a well-thought out design with ergo straightened out.
 
Hi thanks for the reply I will do :)

So your grip position I assume is holding the blade near the tip, holding normally and choking down on the grip for chopping?
 
Hi Kaizo,

Check these out:
[video=youtube;G551-i77ydw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G551-i77ydw[/video]
[video=youtube;Sh1R3LKHegY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sh1R3LKHegY[/video]
[video=youtube;BwRs5alE8SA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwRs5alE8SA[/video]

Over the years, i picked up tons of pointers from everywhere but what i found most useful was to use a lot of choppers and soon you began to develop a pattern for yourself, like a template or a bias as someone might say. It is a dynamic process.
For now i like myself a thin spine, wide blade with good balance and a long sweet spot. Machetes are what i use most now.
To answer your question, all 3 grips are vital to what i usually do with big blades.
 
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Everyone needs at least one big knife and I'm not talking about a machete either... ;):D

Some of mine:

15495767435_7d45ea5d29_c.jpg


Better pic without the RTAK II for scale:

16442322642_368e606ee4_c.jpg


Almost a 10" x 2" high blade of 5160 with horse stall mat rubber handle. :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

14879545903_0b968c1101_c.jpg



I find the larger handles like on the RTAK or the custom by Brian Breeden (bottom knife in the second pic) soak up shock better than a smaller handle on a similar sized knife. Choils help for different grips but take away from cutting edge length so... :foot:;):D

The hammer grip or gorilla grip LOL is my most used with a larger blade; I find the rear pommel to be one of the most important aspects in handle design for a knife that's going to be used to wail on stuff as it keeps your hand from sliding off the rear of the handle. YMMV. Lanyards help, especially a forward one but that doesn't always work depending on sheath design.

That Scrapyard aka SYKCO 1111 would be an amazing choice; their Res-C handles almost eliminate slippage because they're so grippy and the steel is excellent in my experience. :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::cool:
 
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Thanks for the reply guys! :)

and damn you! I now have to get myself a nice chopper! XP

Thanks for the video JayGoliath!

Quite a collection you got there Czechmate! I think sykco 1111 looks amazing but I fancy a satin blade... is naked SR101 a really bad idea? I've heard that it has a habit of rusting but I've never seen a rusty one on this forum...
 
kaizo said:
Thanks for the reply guys! :)

and damn you! I now have to get myself a nice chopper! XP

Thanks for the video JayGoliath!

Quite a collection you got there Czechmate! I think sykco 1111 looks amazing but I fancy a satin blade... is naked SR101 a really bad idea? I've heard that it has a habit of rusting but I've never seen a rusty one on this forum...
Click to expand...
Yep they rust. They'll rust while you're using them. However, this problem still exists even with the coating. It rusts where the coating rubs off and it'll rust at the blade. All of this can be easily scrubbed off in a minute or in the case of the blade it'll rub off in use. I live in the PNW and I stripped the coating off my 711. I just prefer non coated blades and IMO they work better. Less friction. I really don't worry about rust anymore unless I'm doing food prep. It's really just a non-issue for me at this point. If I want to use my chopper for food prep and it has rust on it, I'll grab a piece of horsetail or usnea and give it a scrub. Works like steel wool. Comes off quick and leaves a patina. :D

As for the grips I use. Chopping I'll grip the handle. Fuzzies and such I'll use the choil so that the balance point is at my hand which lessens wrist fatigue. Fine work I use a pinch grip near the tip. For food prep I hold it like a cook would hold a chef's knife. Sometimes I'll hold the knife braced against something or stick it in a log and move the thing that needs cutting rather than the knife itself. Really though you just have to use it. All I would say is that with big knives, especially wide bladed ones, don't be afraid to grab anywhere on the knife blade. Just don't grab the edge. :D
 
Yup I'm on the same boat as you! I prefer the naked metal look. I'm all for patina and worn veteran look but I just prefer if its streaks down the raw metal :)

Thanks for the insight about the grip! Looks like I've got to get one and learn by experimenting... And yes that does mean that I will be buying one soon... :P
 
battle mistress is an excellent choice! i personally find the magnum grips much more comfortable on it. tried a friend's busse a month ago- and searched out the one i wanted

nmfbm:
image.jpg
 
My hoback zombie chopper and my alphahuntertactical warhorse fixed blade are my go to blades for all the jobs I need done in the woods. I just got the warhorse today though so I haven't had a chance to use it. Both of the grips are very comfortable and the warhorse is easy to choke up on for lighter tasks.
 

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The Khukuri does lend itself well to many various tasks from chopping wood, delimbing, batonning, draw cutting and the like.
Many times the grip used is the "snap cut" grip, where the user holds the khukuri with the index, middle finger and thumb and just before impact rotates the blade forward and applies the ring and little finger behind the handle ring.
For draw cutting, the user would use it just as you would any draw knife.
For batonning, the user would apply force to the handle to keep it down and the blade level while batonning the tip thru the material.

This video shows just how delicate a khukuri can be used in the kitchen.
Many thanks to "the Cook" for his impressive skill and video.

[video=youtube_share;0DHGlhFJH0g]http://youtu.be/0DHGlhFJH0g[/video]
 
Most knives sold (and parroted on the internetz) as "choppers" are poorly designed slabs of steel with a bad edge and a handle poorly suited to actual use.

Different handles work with different techniques. The best "choppers" were designed that way from the beginning, like Bark River's Grasso Bolo series. BRKT designs different knives for different uses, for example the Golok is designed for a "draw cut" when chopping, while the Grasso Bolo is designed for a "snap cut". You'll have to search for better descriptions of both techniques, I don't want to confuse you and Mike Stewart explains them very well.

I will say that the Grasso Bolo III works especially well, using the "snap cut" technique I can clear brush for a whole afternoon without wearing out my arm swinging a 2 lb blade.
 
Thanks for the reply everyone! and my god that chap uses his kukuri well. I really want a battle mistress but I will need to earn some £££ before I satisfy that lust :P

Yeah I think the comfort of the handle is imperative I'm thinking that a handle with a 'bloat' in the middle is best but what's people's opinion on this?
 
kaizo said:
Thanks for the reply everyone! and my god that chap uses his kukuri well. I really want a battle mistress but I will need to earn some £££ before I satisfy that lust :P

Yeah I think the comfort of the handle is imperative I'm thinking that a handle with a 'bloat' in the middle is best but what's people's opinion on this?
Click to expand...

It really depends. The variable nature of chopping methods and handling dynamics of chopping tools dictates their ideal handle forms...and then there are many routes to achieve the same result. Many excellent handles for chopping are actually thinnest in the middle, while others are thickest! :)
 
Fourth two blades do you have an example of the thinnest at the middle grips? I'm new to knives and I'm yet to see one like that and I would love to see one! :)

(I've seen tanto and katanad with a grip like that but that's about it)
 
Here's one (hard to tell from the pic as it's less pronounced) that I'm getting that has the hourglass shaped handle that tapers towards the center and the handle is long enough to wield two handed! :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::cool:

naga%20solid%20small.jpg
 
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