Favorite chopper dimensions

[Shotgun]

I'm an axe and tomahawk guy but I like the idea of a chopper knife or machete and was wondering what your preferred chopper is. Interested in blade length, blade thickness, and what location/vegetation you have.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

I typically like about a 20"-24" blade in 2-2.5 mm thickness. Up here in Maine you never know whether you'll be tackling dense grass, hardwoods, or anything in between! As such a machete needs to have reach, pack some mass, and yet be able to generate high tip velocity. I rather enjoy either using my Condor Viking machete thanks to the sharpened back edge that can be used like a hook on green vegetation. I often pair a long chopper with a shorter one as well for more precise heavy chopping action when rendering or building with wood.

 

[R.H.Clark]

I've been making a few of this design lately.http://

It's about 20" overall with 12" or so of blade.The blade is about 2" wide and it's forged from .262 stock tapering to about 1/8" at the tip.It's a big heavy blade for larger hardwood chopping.For me the design seems to reduce felt shock and IMHO a curved blade is a more efficient chopper.It's just sort of my twist on a traditional Golok.

 

[pitdog]

I've been making a few of this design lately.http://

It's about 20" overall with 12" or so of blade.The blade is about 2" wide and it's forged from .262 stock tapering to about 1/8" at the tip.It's a big heavy blade for larger hardwood chopping.For me the design seems to reduce felt shock and IMHO a curved blade is a more efficient chopper.It's just sort of my twist on a traditional Golok.

I like that one, very cool !:thumbup:

 

[PayetteRucker]

The largest blade I'll pack for chopping is my 15 inch blade Condor Bolo, though it is more of an allaround tool than some of Condor's other blades, like the 13 inch Khukri-which is significantly liter and bites MUCH deeper. It also offers alot more control. I picked up a HI WWII Khukri this week and although it's a beautiful piece and an obvious performer, I think the Condor Khukri takes the cake as my favorite chopper only - that blade shape has a useable working point but good luck trying to efficiently baton or drawknife with it. Whatever you do, pick up a 14 inch Tramontina. The tin blade and thin flat grind (everybody loves to convex these but they're obviously an extremely deep biting V grind tipe of blade) takes no more than gravity to take inch and a half V notches out of dry wood. I have two more choppers in the works, a really wide, thin grind hudson bay and a HI Annapurna Bowie. I'll post more when I get hands on...

PS, my Condor Khukri's balance and overall weight is almost EXACTLY like the balance and weight of my HB Forge Shawnee hawk. Swinging that thing was second nature after using a hawk as my primary chopper for more than a year.

Local vegitation is anything from extensive pine scratch, to cottonwood, locust, sagebrush, and the occasional desert overgrowth in the saddles.

 

[TheGame]

Dimensions of a chopper... I'll leave machetes out of my post.

I prefer something longer than 9 inches, and 3/16-1/4 inch thick (Or thereabouts) The handle lengths can very a lot, though. Long handles are better for some, short for others. I don't mind either, but I am not very picky when it comes to things that chop

 

[Mossyhorn]

I think the Entrek Destroyer is one of the best. It will chop and save your hide.

 

[WILLIAM.M]

I'm in Texas(Mesquite wood is VERY HARD)

For chopping I like 8" or longer and 3/16- 1/4"(or thicker)

I have tested the below--as well as at least 100 other choppers

You have to find the one that works for you

Handle,blade shape,length,weight,etc--all come into play---especially when chopping something hard like Mesquite.

 

[GingivitisKahn]

My best chopper currently is my Ka-Bar Kukri machete but as I rarely carry it, I'd say my favorite chopper is probably my BK-2.

 

[Zombie Zeke]

I love the BK9, HI Chunk Munk and Dogfathers...with that in mind when I go somewhere with a machete its usually a 22" Bladed Tramontina.

 

[kurodrago]

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

I like that 'hawk head rig!

 

[pitdog]

This is about as large as I'm prepared to carry, have not yet found the need for anything larger.

By pitdog2010 at 2010-09-02

By pitdog2010 at 2010-09-02

Shown next to a TOPS Tracker:

 

[Gossman Knives]

I prefer something in the 8 to 10 inch blade length, 3/16" to 1/4" thick, 1 3/4" to 2" wide. Handle length, 5".
Scott

 

[p moore]

Yea, somewhere around a 9" blade. 3/16 - 1/4" thick, with a little extra length in the handle.

I made this one for a customer, and really like the way it handles.

Paul