I've never handled a Ka-bar knife like the one you describe, but I have done a fair bit of chopping with a knife.
Looking at pictures of those knives, I would say that I'd probably do what Cesar suggests.
Chopping with a knife is a safe enough activity if common sense is used. Think about where the knife will go when you miss or when it glances off the job. Chopping at something you are holding in your hand can be very dangerous.... as is chopping at anything when there are other people or pets around.
I don't know if 'guard' is the exactly correct word to use, but I'm not particularly keen on having guards on a general purpose 'bush' knife. If I used the knife a lot for sticking pigs or maybe if I were a serviceman wanting a knife as a weapon, then I'd probably opt for a guard. But I find that they get in the way when I'm doing jobs relating to hunting, fishing, food preparation, carving or generally playing about in the bush. A nicely shaped handle and an awareness of how slippery it might be in certain conditions is sufficient to keep me safe in most of my knife-using situations.
For a chopper I like a knife with its weight forward, a slightly longer blade than some, and maybe a broader blade made from thinner stock. In fact, a light handle and a thinner blade are a preference of mine for many knife jobs. A thinner blade should slice and penetrate better (were talking about common wilderness tasks here, not cutting open car bodies).
I've lugged khukuris around in the bush. While they chop rather well, I found that the extra weight simply wasn't worth it. When setting traps, for instance, I often need to cut pegs or clear small twigs away from the set. A knife like my BRKT Gameskeeper is fine for occasional work like this even though it has a thicker blade than many knives its size. And if I need a bit more 'chop', then I might carry a short machete (much lighter and less bulky than a khukuri and scabbard). If I have a serious need to chop, then I might carry an axe. A favorite axe configuration of mine is a light hatchet head on a slightly longer handle.
Good topic though. I reckon if you just think about what you are doing you should stay safe. And if you try chopping with your Ka-bar and other knives, you should find out what works for you. If you perform your chopping experiments on dead seasoned wood you may get frustrated at times. Green, fresh wood is generally a heap easier to cut.
Looking at pictures of those knives, I would say that I'd probably do what Cesar suggests.
Chopping with a knife is a safe enough activity if common sense is used. Think about where the knife will go when you miss or when it glances off the job. Chopping at something you are holding in your hand can be very dangerous.... as is chopping at anything when there are other people or pets around.
I don't know if 'guard' is the exactly correct word to use, but I'm not particularly keen on having guards on a general purpose 'bush' knife. If I used the knife a lot for sticking pigs or maybe if I were a serviceman wanting a knife as a weapon, then I'd probably opt for a guard. But I find that they get in the way when I'm doing jobs relating to hunting, fishing, food preparation, carving or generally playing about in the bush. A nicely shaped handle and an awareness of how slippery it might be in certain conditions is sufficient to keep me safe in most of my knife-using situations.
For a chopper I like a knife with its weight forward, a slightly longer blade than some, and maybe a broader blade made from thinner stock. In fact, a light handle and a thinner blade are a preference of mine for many knife jobs. A thinner blade should slice and penetrate better (were talking about common wilderness tasks here, not cutting open car bodies).
I've lugged khukuris around in the bush. While they chop rather well, I found that the extra weight simply wasn't worth it. When setting traps, for instance, I often need to cut pegs or clear small twigs away from the set. A knife like my BRKT Gameskeeper is fine for occasional work like this even though it has a thicker blade than many knives its size. And if I need a bit more 'chop', then I might carry a short machete (much lighter and less bulky than a khukuri and scabbard). If I have a serious need to chop, then I might carry an axe. A favorite axe configuration of mine is a light hatchet head on a slightly longer handle.
Good topic though. I reckon if you just think about what you are doing you should stay safe. And if you try chopping with your Ka-bar and other knives, you should find out what works for you. If you perform your chopping experiments on dead seasoned wood you may get frustrated at times. Green, fresh wood is generally a heap easier to cut.