Help guys...important decisions!

O

Ombra

Joined
Dec 9, 2015
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Hey guys,

I need a chopper knife to complete my setup and I need your suggestions!

I currently have an outstanding Fallkniven A1 (that replaced my Esee 5) as main blade,
paired with a SAK Soldier.

I am planning to add a bigger knife for chopping task and I am considering:
-the Fallkniven A2 (that eventually will "replace" the A1).
-the Esee Junglas
-the Ka-Bar Grass Machete

I know, very different blades with very different features and price tags.

What do you think? Any other knife I can consider?

Cheers.
 
Just to add...the A2, being a bigger A1, is more a "can do all" knife than a chopper... eventually I would pair it with a smaller Mora, just for backup.
 
The ESSE Jungalas is pound-for-pound the best Chopper out there in my honest opinion for the money. It will chop and and do some finer work if you choke up on it if need be. It will also baton if you need it to with ease. Plus you don't have to worry about babying it because ESSE has a no-questions-asked warranty. But on the other side, if you have the money get a Busse Chopper. Any of thier bolos or larger knives. There's not much out there that can compete with INFI steel as far has giving steel a beating and it laugh and ask for more other than 3v which is my personal favorite all around steel for everything!

Other option is to go SURVIVE! GSO 10 in 3V Or if you're lucky enough to find one GSO 12 which I would love to get. Also rmj Kukri or really any of thier hawks perform excellently. But if you wanted to save a bit of money if going Hawk without sacrificing performance a swamp rat Kill Devil sniper Hawk or James helm wrecker hawk. That is what I carry Into the woods. Winkler belt knife or survive 5.1 or Busse Swatmandu and my rmj or helm wrecker hawk.. but you would be just fine with a larger Chopper like a Jungalas and a small fixed blade just as well. I just feel like hawks are a bit more versatile especially when paired with a smaller belt/companion knife. Just my 2 cents 👍

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awareunlikeu said:
The ESSE Jungalas is pound-for-pound the best Chopper out there in my honest opinion for the money. It will chop like a axe and and do some finer work if you choke up on it if need be. It will also baton if you need it to with ease. Plus you don't have to worry about babying it because ESSE has a no-questions-asked warranty. But on the other side, if you have the money get a Busse Chopper. Any of thier bolos or larger knives. There's not much out there that can compete with INFI steel as far has giving steel a beating and it laugh and ask for more other than 3v which is my personal favorite all around steel for everything!

Other option is to go SURVIVE! GSO 10 in 3V Or if you're lucky enough to find one GSO 12 which I would love to get. Also rmj Kukri or really any of thier hawks perform excellently. But if you wanted to save a bit of money if going Hawk without sacrificing performance a swamp rat Kill Devil sniper Hawk or James helm wrecker hawk. That is what I carry Into the woods. Winkler belt knife or survive 5.1 or Busse Swatmandu and my rmj or helm wrecker hawk.. but you would be just fine with a larger Chopper like a Jungalas and a small fixed blade just as well. I just feel like hawks are a bit more versatile especially when paired with a smaller belt/companion knife. Just my 2 cents 👍

Sent from my HTC6545LVW using Tapatalk
Click to expand...


Awesome advice!
 
SMBH said:
Consider the Becker BK9. I've heard it's a great chopper.
Click to expand...

It's a good one, but not as good as the Junglas. Once you add micarta scales and a kydex sheath it's not any cheaper than the Junglas either.

You can do without the kydex for the bk9, but for serious use, you definitely want the micarta scales. I'd just get the Junglas.

If you want to save a load of cash though, get a Condor Moonstalker.

condor-tool-and-knife-moonstalker-knife-60203-large.jpg


Under $60 for 9 inches of 1075 badness WITH micarta scales. Really tough to beat.
 
Cold Steel Gurkha Kukri. Cuts like a knife, smashes like a hammer, and chops like a sm forest axe. Good steel, holds an edge very well even with prolonged use, and sharpens easily after you get used to the recurve.

BK9 and Trailmaster are good choices if you are a straight blade person. The Junglas also has a big following but I have no experience with it.
 
For a pure chopper, consider the Condor Pack Golok and Village Parang. Both excellent. For something a bit more knife like in the Condor line, the Kumunga has a 10" blade and the Moonshiner has a 9" blade.
 
Hum...well...Moonstalker and Moonshiner are actually very interesting!
Definitely to consider for price/value ratio...I will check for sure.
Btw the Junglas seems.to be the best choice after all...
 
The bk9 isn't as good of a chopper as the junglas, but its still pretty good. And, its more useful in non-chopping/batoning tasks as well (in my opinion). I also disagree about the need for micarta handle scales. I find that I actually prefer the grivory for chopping. Some people think that the grivory is slippery, but for me its just enough grip, and without any problems with blisters. The shape of the handles makes it hard to loose control of the knife, even if it was slippery (in fact, there is a video out there where a guy coats the handles in olive oil, then stabs a stump and a tree without incident).

Since you have the grass machete in the list, check out the Johnson adventure blades (made by kabar) parangatang. Its a screaming deal right now. Its 14in of 1/4in thick steel, and is a great chopper. Also look at the condor golok (quite similar to the parangatang actually). Then, also consider the svörd kiwi machete (12in of L6, needs a real sheath though).

Alternatively... Have you thought about a folding saw instead of a chopper? I typically find a folding saw to be much more effective than a chopper. They're also cheap, lighter, and easier to pack. Just a thought.

Good luck finding something you like :).
 
Ombra said:
Hum...well...Moonstalker and Moonshiner are actually very interesting!
Definitely to consider for price/value ratio...I will check for sure.
Btw the Junglas seems.to be the best choice after all...
Click to expand...

The Junglas is a good chopper. BUT, I think the Junglas is over priced for what you get. That I is why I advocate the Condor stuff.

I also advocate the folding saw option, a medium sized knife, and folder for the pocket for a functional woods trio. (All you need is the saw.) I only carry the Pack Golok or Village Parang when I know I will doing some chopping versus just having it along for the ride on a "what if" basis. They will out chop the Moonshiner or Kumunga but less convenient for knife tasks. I have all of the Condors I've mentioned.

Added: However, I understand wanting to explore various kinds of options if for no other reason than it's fun. I know I have done so.

My question is "how much do you actually chop in the woods when you're there for pleasure?" That's why a lot of people favor things like the BK-9 because if you want to you can drop the medium sized knife entirely. The Moonshimer and Moonstalker are in the same vein as the BK-9. Might be a little clumsy to use for smaller tasks, but you can adapt the folder choice to what you actually do. That aside, I like to have a big chopper car camping and that essentially is 75% of the camping I do anymore.
 
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Murray Carter Cultery although it's in a higher price bracket it'll probably never need to be replaced and will slice and cut better then most .One of the best slicers I've ever owned .
 
Thank you!

Yeah, I saw that video as well...also I am a proud owner of a BK7!
Will check the parangatang for sure!
 
The BK-7 is a good one..... Not much of a chopper as you know, but you can use it for little stuff.
 
You are right, in fact I also carry a Laplander quite a lot.
My previous setup was quite on the bushcraft side, with a small gransfors, a Mora Bushcraft Black and the aforementioned Bahco...but now I am exploring other ways...also I found a big blade to be more versatile than a small axe (I am not that skilled with the axe btw).
About chopping: no real need man, usually I collect my firewood easily even without using the folding saw...but I do like this technique as I usually can create pointed poles for shelter building in the same moment I cut the wood...also is quite fun!!! Honestly...fun is the major reason...
 
Fun is just as valid of a reason as anything else :).

I'd decide first if you want a big knife, or a machete/golok/parang type object. The big knife will chop, potentially as well as a small hatchet or hawk, but should also be able to do more typical knife tasks. The machete like object should chop quite noticeably better, but might not be useful for say... Skinning a squirrel (which, is on the brain because in the Becker subforum someone used their bk9 for that).

Once you know what type of tool you want, then you can narrow down from there.

If it means anything, my trio for a while has been my folding saw, bk9, and Mora (for non backpacking anyway). Been quite happy with it. I don't chop much, and my batoning "need" has gone down a bit as well. So I've been considering downsizing it a bit, but that's neither here nor there.

Good luck :).
 
I know what you mean about "fun". Only recently bought a tomahawk for the fun of it (CRKT Chogan). I went through exploratory phases with woods knives and cutting options. I have quite a pile of un-used or retired cutting stuff. At first, it was axes car camping mostly, but I don't care much for chopping dead wood. This was like 20 years ago. A saw works better. With car camping, I like big diameter logs for the fire if I can find downed timber. This is when I'm staying put for a couple days and will burn up the wood. I have a cross cut saw that sometimes goes with me in these situations now. It is WORK to use it. I can cut most anything given enough time in an emergency. My vehicle and I have been trapped behind fallen trees in the woods and had to cut my way out more than once.

I have settled into a three cutting system for the woods (hiking). The knives keep changing but I have become pretty satisfied with the BK-15 for general purposes and it's easy to carry. A Silky saw and folder in the pocket completes the package. I don't really find a lot of joy carrying around a really big knife, but I could easily see a large 9-10" knife and folder for woods carry. I have carried my 10" Condor Kumunga in the woods as it is easy to carry. I would rather carry it than say a 12" Ontario machete. (Hate those things.) Have yet to carry the Moonshiner and only have played with it. But if things go as they normally do, I seldom really have need for the big knife, hence the smaller BK-15 gets carried a lot or something similar in size. I could see some hiker freaking out seeing me pull out the Moonshiner to use. It however is very cool! The Kumunga seems to just blend in somehow.

I just love to get these blades and use them, even occasionally is okay.
 
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