HEAVY duty chopper

Razorsharp1986

Razorsharp1986

Joined
Feb 23, 2009
Messages
991
Why Don't we have a thick bladed chopper from Becker's line from KABAR yet??
I'd love to have a 9 inch chopper like the BK9, but as thick as the BK2.
Who's with me?
Will we see one like it anytime soon??
 
Look on the sale forums for a BK-9 from Camillus. They were .210 thick, instead of .190, which is what my new Kabar is. I have two Camillus BK-9s, & one Kabar BK-9. all of them are great knives & chop well.
 
I've heard that before. I also think that the handles of the Camillus models were a bit chunkier.
However, I'm asking if there is a chance for a chopper like that in the nearest feature.
 
Well personally I'd prefer to just see the MachAx put back into production - I'd really like to handle one of those :D
 
Razorsharp1986 said:
Why Don't we have a thick bladed chopper from Becker's line from KABAR yet??
I'd love to have a 9 inch chopper like the BK9, but as thick as the BK2.
Who's with me?
Will we see one like it anytime soon??
Click to expand...

Apart from the BK7 & BK9 there is also another chopper that is available from KA-BAR:
IMG_8360s.jpg

And some more pics:
http://www.gigatech.co.nz/Knives/Camping/IMG_8361s.jpg
http://www.gigatech.co.nz/Knives/Camping/IMG_8363s.jpg
http://www.gigatech.co.nz/Knives/Camping/IMG_8364s.jpg
http://www.gigatech.co.nz/Knives/Camping/IMG_8377s.jpg

With an 11.5" blade with a lot of belly on it you can really chop & baton wood very well with that sucker.

Unfortunately my BK9 hasn't arrived yet so when I tested my Kukri I could only compare it to the BK7 which was no contest at all (surprise, surprise!). But I think the Kukri will do OK against anything of a similar weight - you would need a heavier axe to really outdo the Kukri!
 
That kukri is a serious piece of steel, but I think its tang is weaker than that of the BK9.
Also, I find the BK handle more comfortable, works better for me.
By the way, good pictures! Thank you!
 
Switchblade61 said:
That kukri is a serious piece of steel, but I think its tang is weaker than that of the BK9.
Click to expand...

Since the tang is hidden I just have to trust that KA-BAR have made it strong enough to handle the stresses - I haven't heard of any failures, is there a reason that you doubt it?
Obviously the BK9 has a strong tang since it is obviously a full tang - but I am not so sure that you can conclude that any knife with a hidden tang is likely to fail.

Still, a Becker Kukri would be cool to see.
 
Gadgetaholic said:
Apart from the BK7 & BK9 there is also another chopper that is available from KA-BAR
Click to expand...

I actually purchased a kabar kukri-machete as a heavy duty chopper to compliment my BK-2. The thing I didn't realize about it was that it was hollow ground which really shouldn't even be considered for choppers - the thing ended up getting stuck in everything :mad: After spending several hours with a file and sandpaper reprofiling it into a convex edge, the knife did actually impress me...

Sadly, I bought it with the intentions of replacing an ax and machete for camping. While it outperformed the machete, it wasn't thick enough for me to abandon the ax altogether. I eventually ended up buying an authentic kukri (Himalayan Imports) and the difference was night and day! My 18" Vojpuri and BK-2 are the only knives I take with me camping now :D (though that could change if the MachAx is reintroduced *cough* *cough*)

Just for reference, here's a spine comparison between the kabar khuk and a real one. While I still use the kabar around the yard, it's lack of thickness just cripples it for ax-oriented chores :(:
P1020014.jpg
 
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I want a bk9...1/4 inch thick...non-skeletonized handle...and some loctite on the handle bolts. I think the skeletonized handle is cool for reducing weight and for cord wrapping, I am just concerned that it might weaken the knife. What do y'all think?
 
Gadgetaholic said:
Since the tang is hidden I just have to trust that KA-BAR have made it strong enough to handle the stresses - I haven't heard of any failures, is there a reason that you doubt it?
Obviously the BK9 has a strong tang since it is obviously a full tang - but I am not so sure that you can conclude that any knife with a hidden tang is likely to fail.

Still, a Becker Kukri would be cool to see.
Click to expand...

I did not say it's likely to fail.
Let's put it this way, in my opinion the BK series have a stronger tang, thus I think probably they will be able to take more abuse/stress.

Hopefully the hidden tang is better in the Kukri and Heavy Bowies than this (and I'm talking about the size of the tang).

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=625936
 
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Switchblade61 said:
That kukri is a serious piece of steel, but I think its tang is weaker than that of the BK9.
Also, I find the BK handle more comfortable, works better for me.
By the way, good pictures! Thank you!
Click to expand...

well, you could get an HI Khurki :) thick as you please, and choppier than anything but an axe...

the TacTool is .25 inch thick and pretty choppy :> also it's a pry bar :)

you should be able to pick up a Camillus BK9 for decent money these days, if you need/want something thicker, as i'm going to guess that KaBar isn't going to be making the super thick choppers for a bit (steel stock being what it is)


Bladite
 
Bladite said:
well, you could get an HI Khurki :) thick as you please, and choppier than anything but an axe...
Click to expand...

Depends on what sort of axe we're comparing it to ;)
I'd say my HI Khuks chopped as well as or better than the hatchets and camp axes I've previously used while still maintaining the versatility of a large knife... of course a felling axe or other two handed implement would out-perform it, but I don't know if that's exactly a fair comparison.

That all said, I'd really like to see the MachAx brought back into production next. I'd say as of now, the Becker line pretty much has a knife for every niche except heavy, HEAVY chopping.
 
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killa_concept said:
Just for reference, here's a spine comparison between the kabar khuk and a real one.
Click to expand...

That HI Kukri would obviously chop better - it must weigh over twice as much for a start! Just like a larger heavier axe will chop better than a smaller lighter one. If only the HI Kukri didn't cost 3 - 4 times as much as the KA-BAR one, I certainly wouldn't mind one for when I am willing to carry the extra weight.

Maybe when I can spare the money I might consider buying a nice M43 or 18" Ang Khola - they look like pretty sweet chopping tools to me.
 
Gadgetaholic said:
That HI Kukri would obviously chop better - it must weigh over twice as much for a start! Just like a larger heavier axe will chop better than a smaller lighter one. If only the HI Kukri didn't cost 3 - 4 times as much as the KA-BAR one, I certainly wouldn't mind one for when I am willing to carry the extra weight.

Maybe when I can spare the money I might consider buying a nice M43 or 18" Ang Khola - they look like pretty sweet chopping tools to me.
Click to expand...

with thickness comes weight :> even more so if you want full-tang ;)

3-4 times as much? no way. if'n you're spending much more than $100 y'all doing it wrong :) just gots to watch your bargains, or wait for a good used one. plenty out there. yes, certain specialty models do fetch a pretty penny, but patience...

consider the Bonecutter model too. it's the best chopper in the lineup. a 16 model model chops like an 18 inch C/AK, imho. much keener edge, and it's a good slicer and better camp knife, imho. the 18 inch BC is a *beast* and would be great for a tree feller... make sure you get a Sgt Khadka made one; best fit and finish. price should be about $80-110.


Bladite
 
killa_concept said:
Depends on what sort of axe we're comparing it to ;)
I'd say my HI Khuks chopped as well as or better than the hatchets and camp axes I've previously used while still maintaining the versatility of a large knife... of course a felling axe or other two handed implement would out-perform it, but I don't know if that's exactly a fair comparison.

That all said, I'd really like to see the MachAx brought back into production next. I'd say as of now, the Becker line pretty much has a knife for every niche except heavy, HEAVY chopping.
Click to expand...

there's a certain point where the axe is just more energy efficient (for me anyway). i'll handily limb a tree i've felled with the khuk better than the axe, but certain trees, it just feels like i'm nibbling, when i should be shooting plate sized chips out. so, as you say, it depends :> i have/had a LOT of khukris. they're still my goto blades, but i love me my axes too ;)

Magnum Camp is coming soon...

MachAx is around the corner, pretty much :> i'd LOVE to see both before Blade show :>


Bladite
 
Gadgetaholic said:
That HI Kukri would obviously chop better - it must weigh over twice as much for a start! Just like a larger heavier axe will chop better than a smaller lighter one. If only the HI Kukri didn't cost 3 - 4 times as much as the KA-BAR one, I certainly wouldn't mind one for when I am willing to carry the extra weight.

Maybe when I can spare the money I might consider buying a nice M43 or 18" Ang Khola - they look like pretty sweet chopping tools to me.
Click to expand...

Haha yeah, they're certainly hefty - my 18" Vojpuri weighs in at ~2.3lbs!

Surprisingly, they're not as expensive as you might think - I managed to procure a 15" AK for $65 shipped. If you check the DotDs, they're only about 1.5-2.5x the cost of a ka-bar one (I'm factoring in shipping of course - HI ships free :D)

When you get the $ together, I definitely recommend trying one out! While I still find my kabar kukri-machete to be an awesome tool in it's own right, it really just can't quite compare to an an authentic kukri when it comes to heavier chores :)
 
I haven't had problems with the tangs of either of my Kabars that I use outdoors. That includes my large USMC, smaller USMC and Big Heavy Bowie. I've abused those knives in almost any way possible, yet no failure has occurred, and I honestly don't see it in the horizon...
I do, however, prefer the full tang. IMO it just feels better to me.
 
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