Heavy duty chopper?

There are many custom or production knives that fall into that category.


Check out the for sale area; I have one posted that may fit your requirements.
 
That's a beautiful knife Bigfattyt; gotta love the FBMLE's!

Here's my one and only "big" chopper from Busse, the NMBFM (top one):

.290+ thick of INFI awesomeness. I've yet to resharpen/reprofile it, it is still quite sharp even after cutting up an old aluminum toboggan... LOL! What a beast.

C360_2012-09-14-21-35-56_org_zpsfc9170fd.jpg
 
Last edited:
The BUSSEs are just top-notch. However, you can get a great chopper from Himalayan Imports (they make not only Kukris) at a much lower price. Not an essential topic, so far, but if we step into cost / performance territory, it gets really exciting.
I'm over-stoked by my Farm Knife. It's heavy but a definite killer and it even prepares food and stays up to smaller tasks.
Check out the site, appreciate the people and the quality. I own two, Farm Knife and Kumar Karda : both are my most precious !
 
OrdnanceBubbaUSMC said:
That Browning Competition knife is very interesting, surprised it isn't mentioned more.
Not being from a knife brand or the US probably keeps popularity down?
Click to expand...

Good question, and you may be right about that. They've been available for quite some time now, so someone must be buying them. You don't seem to see many used for ones for sale... I'm certainly not selling mine ;)
 
Monsterchopper.jpgI`ve got the Crowell Barker, it is one mean chopper, splitts well too.
Other than that, I made a 13mm thick ffg with a 13 inch blade, it chops like crazy, but problem is,,,, blade is so heavy it won`t stop when you go through
what you are chopping. Almost took my leg of last time I used it, haha....

Ontario has the Spec Plus Gen 2 line, they have great bang for the buck, I got the sp51 and 50 very nice sturdy blades.
If you go a little thinner you could get the Kabar grass machete, 13 inch blade 4mm thick. (Bad..s blade for not much money) good chopper and splitter too...
Sorry about the paper cut-out pic, seems the pic of the monsterknife itself was not on the `puter... ESEE 4 on the side for size reference...
 
BCB.jpg


Big Chris 3v Barong-
Light enough to carry, brush off light vegetation and tough enough for big log chops.
 
The original knife in this category is still a top choice. The Marble's Trailmaker with the carbon steel blade was designed to do the job and still does it over 100 years later.
 
Svord Von Tempsky Bowie fits the OP's requirements. I have that, the Crowell Barker, and the Cold Steel Trailmaster and recon scout. I'd place them at the Svord first, the Crowell Barker 2nd as far as quality, cutting and toughness. The Trailmaster comes in last. Just my guesses as I sure haven't tested any of them to destruction. The CB cuts best, the Svord is a beast that needs a thinner edge to cut with the CB, but is the toughest of all. The Trailmaster is the trailmaster. I have one in SK5 as well, and used to have the carbon V. I don't really see any practical difference in steels performance. I still have several other knives in "carbon V". It is/was a good steel, but SK 5 is just as good with quality knife production in my opinion.

Joe

I suspect the Crowell Barker is SK5 , and not really 1084/85. Unless Browning brought it in for the project, SK5 is much more accessible and commonly used in Taiwan from what I've read. Kind of like so many knives from China are called 440 when they really are 8C, 9C, 7C, etc.

There aree overlaps in the composition so they aren't really that far off. SK5 is a good steel in it's own right.
 
The Mastiff said:
I suspect the Crowell Barker is SK5 , and not really 1084/85... There aree overlaps in the composition so they aren't really that far off. SK5 is a good steel in it's own right.
Click to expand...

You may be right. I also agree that it wouldn't be a big deal. There's honestly not much difference as far as I can tell, between my Crowell/Barker, my CarbonV Trailmaster and the knives I've made out of Aldo's 1084 in terms of performance, toughness, corrosion-resistance etc. Not that you would notice in anything resembling normal use, anyway.

No, I do not get commissions from Browning or Cold Steel for saying all this. I'd much rather have people buy customs :p
 
Well, seeing as you have a few Busse's, I guess you have a decent budget? Take a look at Miller Brothers Blades. They work in 5/16" pretty much exclusively.
 
There are as many lower priced knives that are simply awesome, as there are high end ones. KaBar, BK&T, Ontario, Condor, etc come to mind. Heat treat is everything & those i mentioned have it down pat. Yet some still fall through the cracks occasionally. There is also a fine line between bombproof HDness & depth of cut & chopability. Thinner = lighter, which = more speed & less fatigue. Sometimes thin & fast will penetrate as deep or deeper than something as thick as your thumb. I have personally seen my $21 Ontario 12" machete out chop knives costing 10x as much. The owner of the $210 knife could not believe it. His would certainly take much more abuse though, such as batoning. So sit down & think realistically what you will be doing with it most of the time & make your purchase based on that.

I have knives from 1/16" - 3/8" thick. They all have their place & use. The ones i personally use most are 3/16" & 1/4" thick. You may want to base your decision also or at least partially on how well you can sharpen or thin the edges on thick knives. Not everyone can do it or even wants to do it. I bought 2 belt sanders to expedite the process for myself. I have a LOT of knives, mostly all choppers. What used to take me hours or days now takes me less than 5 min.

Enjoy your knife journey !!! :D
 
I went with the Ka Bar JAB Potbelly and couldnt be happier. The thing is a tank. I didnt like it at first but after using it extensivly, I can tell you that it is very well thought out and useful. The Shape of the handle affords a variety of grips. I can outchop knives that are 3"-4" longer with ease. It is seriously a workhorse. Add Ka Bar's 1095 cro van, and a decent sheath and for $80 bucks you have a 8" blade that chops like an axe.
 
I have owned and used almost all the knives mentioned. The Crowell is a great value but if you want something beefier go with a Busse or bigger Siegle, or for less $$ and rougher finish get a straight-blade chopper with a sabre grind from Himalayan imports. But you may have to shape the handle to make it more comfortable. Can't remember what mine is called but it has a 12" blade about 3/8" I gave it a convex edge with a belt grinder and it chops through wood like a bagful of beavers.
Svord makes a good blade but I would not want to do a lot of chopping with a straight handle like that, seems unsafe.
 
Knives are generally made for cutting, not chopping, so a lot of companies offer big knives with edges that are too thin for chopping. I've gone through a few "choppers" whose edges rolled and chipped on soft, green wood. I now use a BRKT Golok and it has done great so far. Will really get to know it this Summer....

026_zpsf64c54dc.jpg
 
There are MANY makers who can make what you want

Bryan Breeden &White Feather(Chad Hill)make Great Choppers for the $

Bill Siegle makes OUTSTANDING Choppers--and other smaller knives

Here are a few Siegles I have tested
Top 2 are Siegles

the below are all Siegles






 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top