How to "chop" with a Kabar?

S

Slayer

Joined
Aug 13, 2000
Messages
6
I've got a 7 inch bladed Kabar (like used in WW2) for a general purpose outdoor knife. I've heard of chopping tree limbs and such with camping type knives but don't know how to do it. I don't want to get hurt doing something stupid but would like to get full utility from the knife. It also seems to be a standard test for larger knives. Is there any special grip or technique? How big of a limb is too big?

One bad thing about the knife is the top portion of the guard interferes with my thumb. I'm thinking about cutting off the top portion of the guard with a dremel tool so that it will be like the newer generation kabar fixed blades and the cold steel SRK. Is there a good reason to keep it?

thanks
 
The way I typically chop with my KaBar (and for those that think this is a dangerous or the wrong method please let me know ASAP so I can still have 10 and 10) is I choke down (not up) on the knife meaning that I am grasping the bottom knob somewhere in between my middle and ring finger.

Be sure that no limbs or your body is in the way in case you miss. Also, (probably obvious) going at an angle is easier.

The knob/pommel makes it easier to grip than my Strider WB which has no knob. Good luck and be careful.
 
I would use the knife to whittle a mallet, then use the mallet to strike the spine of the knife to drive the blade edge into the wood. You will chop much more quickly this way and save your hand.


------------------
Hoodoo

Why dost thou whet thy knife so earnestly?

The Merchant of Venice, Act IV. Scene I.

[This message has been edited by Hoodoo (edited 08-21-2000).]
 
I agree with Prof Hoodoo, the baton method is the easiest and safest manner to chop wood with a knife (except a big kukhuri),
in my experience even a relatively light knife, such as a Frost Mora #1 can be used to chop through suprisingly large pieces of wood. The edge (even a fairly hard one) will not be as apt to chip or roll using the baton (whack the spine) method, Cliff Stamp could explain the technical aspects of impact and compression stresses far better than I.
Be safe,
Chad
 
Slayer, if the knife is close to neutral in balance it is difficult to chop with it in the normal sense because you cannot generate high enough impact energies to allow decent penetration into the wood. The only solutions are as Cesar said hold onto the blade further back (to effectively make it blade heavy) or go as Hoodoo suggested and use a mallet and cut the wood out. I would suggest that you simply buy a better knife. There are lots of them in the 7" range that have enough mass and the required balance to allow a decent ability to chop. The #7 Busse Basic, the Project from Chris Reeves, or the Busse Combat Steel Heart to name a few.

How to chop with them :

Light techniques.

The lightest method is to use a loose grip and rotate your wrist to accelerate the blade. Slightly stronger chopping can be accomplished by using your elbow to provide the force which accelerating your forearm. You use a tight grip and keep your wrist straight. This will allow you to use a large amount of force while keeping your wrist protected from the shock. You can also use a much looser grip and piviot from your wrist, in effect adding the first method as an enhancement. You can move the knife quicker this way but it loses support after impact as well it does not allow smooth progression to the heavier chopping techniques.

Heavy techniques.

Use a firm and secure grip , keep your wrist tight, and use your shoulder to provide the force, your elbow should move just slightly. A step above this is to use your back to provide the force keeping your grip, wrist, elbow and shoulder all relatively tight and twist from the waist using your body weight to chop. The last addition is to come up slightly on one leg and add your falling body weight to the power of your lower back/waist to the chop.

You should be at near 100% on your hits on each of these methods before moving up to the next one as its gets harder to control the hits each time. The more force you are using the more dangerous it is as well. Chopping with your wrist could easily lead to a bad cut or a lost finger, a glance from a waist supported chop will easily shear though your wrist as if it wasn't there.

-Cliff
 
Thanks for the info.
smile.gif


Slayer
 
Looks like it is :D Hugh, did you forget to post something there?

Anyways, I think having the ability to chop with your mid-size utility knife like the BK-2 adds a lot more versatility to the way you use your blade. It may not be super efficient, but I'm happy to know how to chop with my knife if the need arises.
 
Yeah to chop with the BK2 I slide my hand down low on the butt of the knife and wrap a paracord lanyard around my wrist.

KA-BAR_ZK_Logo_INFO.jpg
 
Last edited:
Great photos, Kahn! Are you using a lanyard in these pictures? It looks like you don't. Watch out, we don't want anyone to get injured!

ETA: The whole forum must think we're going nuts.
 
maethor said:
Great photos, Kahn! Are you using a lanyard in these pictures? It looks like you don't. Watch out, we don't want anyone to get injured!

ETA: The whole forum must think we're going nuts.
Click to expand...

I'm not. Grivory is plenty grippy, but if I lose control of the knife, I'd rather it fly away from me than be attached to a rope around my tender young wrist. There's blood and stuff in there. :p

---

Beckerhead #42
 
Ive seen a vid online where a guy chops with a brand new Kabar USMC model maybe 6-8 times and bends the handle due to it only having a "Rat tail" tang. Id keeping the chopping to a minimum (making a baton) and then using it to baton the blade to reduce your risk of damage.
 
A KABAR (important distinction from ther clones) has a 3/16" x 1/2" x 5" tang Clamped in a vice at the leves of the blade with the handle removed, I put an eyebolt through the pomel pin handle and it took nearly 300lbs to put a bend in it. As a knife maker I have duplicated this test over and over, (and over and over) again on many different steels, both heat treated and not. A common 60 penny nail ( 60d = 5 1/2 x 3/16) clamped in a vice at the half way mark took from 280 to 320 lbs to bend to a 45 degree angle. I have collected and restored hundreds of vintage Kabars and found them in every state of disrepair you can imagin. But never found one bent.

Just a rant from an old Marine
Semper Fidelus
Mike
 
should move this to the becker forum :)
 
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