Help select a 5 inch camp/field knife that can chop

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maximus83

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Looking for input on a specific knife design from folks who have used knives in this size class to do light-duty wood chopping for camping or backpacking settings.

The knife: the Ambush Alpha in 3V (made by Bark River), has a 0.187" thick, 5" long blade, weighs about 8.8oz acc to retail site.

What's the concern with this knife: Nice design and 3v is a plenty tough enough steel. But the issue is WEIGHT as it effects chopping: wondering if it's too light to be effective compared to other small camp knife choppers I've seen in this size class.

Examples of other small choppers in this size class that are nearly double in weight:

Background:
  • I have larger choppers such as ESEE Junglas that I have traditionally used.
  • But they are large and even more heavy with included sheath, looking for something smaller fixed blade 5" to 6" that's big enough to handle light chopping and batoning, and is a lot lighter than the ESEE. The Ambush has the design I want, but wondering if too light for these tasks.
 
Heavy is subjective. I have an Ontario Rat 5 (5") that is fairly heavy so it is a good chopper. It's 1095 and 1/4" thick.

A light saw and a small folder would be more practical for backpacking.
 
Take a look at Finnish/Nordic Leuku - made for exactly that type of work. Excellent camp knives.
Rich
 
Only way you could increase chopping performance for a given length and weight would be to try to put as much weight towards the tip of the blade as possible. Essentially, a stick tang. Otherwise, heavier blades chop better, lighter blades chop worse. You can't have both.

Actually, I recently thought about this same question. I then ordered an "eka axeblade w1". It has a 6 inch blade, weighs 11,5 oz and has a broad blade which should be very good at chopping. Can't wait to try it out and see whether it is as good at chopping as I hope.
 
maximus83 said:
Looking for input on a specific knife design from folks who have used knives in this size class to do light-duty wood chopping for camping or backpacking settings.

The knife: the Ambush Alpha in 3V (made by Bark River), has a 0.187" thick, 5" long blade, weighs about 8.8oz acc to retail site.

What's the concern with this knife: Nice design and 3v is a plenty tough enough steel. But the issue is WEIGHT as it effects chopping: wondering if it's too light to be effective compared to other small camp knife choppers I've seen in this size class.

Examples of other small choppers in this size class that are nearly double in weight:

Background:
  • I have larger choppers such as ESEE Junglas that I have traditionally used.
  • But they are large and even more heavy with included sheath, looking for something smaller fixed blade 5" to 6" that's big enough to handle light chopping and batoning, and is a lot lighter than the ESEE. The Ambush has the design I want, but wondering if too light for these tasks.
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When you say light chopping what do you mean? Like delimbing? Shortening small to medium sticks? Full on logs? What is this chopping for?

I generally don't chop much with my knives. I've got an axe or six for that. What I will do is delimb or shorten a small stick. For that most 4-5" fixed blade will work. I mostly use my com field knife or esee 6.

If weight is a concern something like the esee 5 should be off the table. It's not very good at being a knife. And as for chopping it carries an almost equal amount of weight in the handle as the blade which is not optimal for chopping. I've done what I said above with the esee 5 but other knives/tools work better.
 
craytab craytab , the ESEE 5 is not "on the table" for the very reason it's too heavy (I listed it and the Becker as common examples of short-bladed, heavy choppers in the 5" range). The Ambush knife linked in the OP, at about 9oz, is the knife I'm considering at the moment, where I like everything about it except I'm not sure if it's heavy enough to do the job. I do not want to use a hatchet in this case as I don't prefer hatchets for light chopping, I'm a knife guy and I only switch to axes when you get into larger ones for felling trees on my property, I do not carry them hiking, camping, or backpacking as I prefer to stay light and the amount of chopping I do is minimal. I want the lightest approx 5" knife I can get away with that will do an adequate job for light chopping duty, which in my case in the pacific nw, usually means chopping off small trees or limbs typically up to 5" in diameter, de-limbing, and batoning a few chunks for firewood. And after that, typical knife and wood processing tasks, so I want one blade that does all that fairly well. Not talking about building a shelter or a "survival knife", which is precisely why I DON'T want to go the route of the Becker or ESEE examples linked in the OP.
 
A Ontario TFI is a good tough 5160 steel option if your looking for a nice tough all round knife. The OKC RAK a 3/16 1095 if you don't mind the spike on the end.

For chopping weight is a plus. If your chopping is wood not chopping a fish.

I find the RD6 and BK2 are fine for chopping and camp tasks. The RD6 has the edge for the finer bushy woodsy stuff due to choil, but both knives are what some obsessed packers call "TO HEAVY!"
 
maximus83 said:
craytab craytab , the ESEE 5 is not "on the table" for the very reason it's too heavy (I listed it and the Becker as common examples of short-bladed, heavy choppers in the 5" range). The Ambush knife linked in the OP, at about 9oz, is the knife I'm considering at the moment, where I like everything about it except I'm not sure if it's heavy enough to do the job. I do not want to use a hatchet in this case as I don't prefer hatchets for light chopping, I'm a knife guy and I only switch to axes when you get into larger ones for felling trees on my property, I do not carry them hiking, camping, or backpacking as I prefer to stay light and the amount of chopping I do is minimal. I want the lightest approx 5" knife I can get away with that will do an adequate job for light chopping duty, which in my case in the pacific nw, usually means chopping off small trees or limbs typically up to 5" in diameter, de-limbing, and batoning a few chunks for firewood. And after that, typical knife and wood processing tasks, so I want one blade that does all that fairly well. Not talking about building a shelter or a "survival knife", which is precisely why I DON'T want to go the route of the Becker or ESEE examples linked in the OP.
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Yes, I get that. I was just explaining why that knife is so heavy and is not optimal.

Seems to me you are asking a very subjective question. I'd advise buying the knife you want. You are a gold member here. If it doesn't work like you want you can sell it for not much of a loss. I call it the cost of finding what you like. Well worth it imo. I've been through hundreds of knives to find what works best for me.
 
I use the RAT Cutlery(ESEE) 6. Its about as small as I am willing to go for light chopping and it performs well. Batons well also. 12oz

I wouldn't consider 5" trees to be light chopping:)
 
GB940Rookie said:
I use the RAT Cutlery(ESEE) 6. Its about as small as I am willing to go for light chopping and it performs well. Batons well also. 12oz
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ESEE 6 is one I'd consider. Quite a bit lighter than the 5, better blade geometry for general knife use, and setup in such a way that you can get a good swing and force for light chopping of the type I need. I've seen a few YT videos of folks effectively chopping off trees/branches in the size range I'm talking, and larger, using ESEE 5 and 6. So, it's definitely possible to chop with a 12oz knife if it's set up right.

On the Ambush I'm considering, it is only about 9oz, but it does look like the blade profile and handle are correctly setup that it could chop. I may just go ahead and get one and test it out, see if it's too light to chop effectively or if I need to back to the ESEE 6 or the even the Becker BK22.
 
maximus83 said:
The Ambush knife linked in the OP, at about 9oz, is the knife I'm considering at the moment, where I like everything about it except I'm not sure if it's heavy enough to do the job. I do not want to use a hatchet in this case as I don't prefer hatchets for light chopping, I'm a knife guy and I only switch to axes when you get into larger ones for felling trees on my property, I do not carry them hiking, camping, or backpacking as I prefer to stay light and the amount of chopping I do is minimal. I want the lightest approx 5" knife I can get away with that will do an adequate job for light chopping duty, ....
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Wait. So you want the lightest possible knife that is heavy enough for light chopping, correct?

:confused:

craytab craytab is correct...it sounds like your "wheelhouse" is going to be within a few ounces, and we cant tell you what that is.

To me, any 5 to 6 inch knife will chop the stuff you want OK, and slice the stuff you want ok, but do neither (particularly chopping off small trees or limbs typically up to 5" in diameter) particularly well. Get the Fallkniven S1. I dunno. Or fet an F1 and a folding saw and slice and "chop" really well.

One knife cant do everything.
 
Ran a quick backyard chopping test when I got home using some deck lumber, my Junglas 1, Junglas 2, and 2 heavy Schrade fixed blades I have 5" and 7". Bottom line I think I'll need to stick with the 2-knife solution I'm using now, basically a Junglas and a small fixed 3.5-4.5". Anything smaller than the Junglas 2 just doesn't seem like efficient chopping to me, too light and too short no matter how good the knife.
 
maximus83 said:
You're kidding, REALLY? Thanks for the tip....:rolleyes:
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It is sound advice in my opinion for someone wanting the lightest possible knife that is heavy enough for light chopping. You want one knife to do everything. Many will, but they don't do anything particularly well.

Many people are seduced by the "do it all" concept (that is a survival knife), and cannot see past that they do nothing very well.

If that is no concern to you, so be it. Good luck with your search and enjoy your knife.
 
Larry in Bend said:
A light saw and a small folder would be more practical for backpacking.
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Totally agree, and I often carry a similar kit. I have 2 configurations, depending how much chopping and brush-clearing I expect to do on a given trip: a heavy 2-knife setup (Junglas + small fixed), and a light setup (folding Silky saw + small fixed).

Here's the items I typically bring, the fixed blade always comes, and then it's either the Junglas 2 or the saw. The Bradford G4 is a new fixed for me, look forward to testing that one on a trip, so far only used around home. That Silky saw I have there is the most amazing small saw I've ever owned, and I've had a number of them. That thing can whip through tree trunks/branches up to 6" diameter in under a minute (blade is 8.3", and the whole kit saw + nylon pouch is 13oz, less than half the weight of the sheathed Junglas 2, and more compact to carry). I actually have a smaller Silky saw that's lighter and more compact, but I find the pictured one is just about the right trade-off in terms of size/weight and how efficiently it can process wood.

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