Originally posted by James Healy:
I like the looks of TOPS knives, but they use 1095 steel, which i don't like. I think they are somewhat overpriced, although that's probably going to get me flamed.
If you want a mega-chopper, i would think about a kukri.
...the Newt Livesay RCM (Recon Combat Machette) 12 inch blade, very nice....
The Livesay knife looks good (handle), I don't have experience with them though.
http://members.tripod.com/~Newt_Livesay/index2.html
(while on Livesay's site, note an example of why NOT to use red and green graphics on YOUR homepage. Whew.)
For me personally, the longer the knife gets, the more important it is that weight is kept reasonable for the size. I.e., a 12"-14" Bowie of 1/4" stock that isn't properly forged or ground into a good distal taper is going to be a real brute to deal with... unless you are a really big strong dude, in which case, never mind.
I have ordered a 14" machete from Ross Aki, the SBM Straight Backed Machete. We're into the $105-$140 range here. Ross lives in Hawaii and does machete's out of ATS-34! Yep ... he tempers the hardness down so they are tough enough. Does his own heat treating. Before you cringe at using a "stainless tool steel" for a chopper, read his homepage and the reviews first. I hear good things. Read the reviews of his machete vs. the Livesay RCM and decide for yourself which of these good pieces meets your needs. They fill different niches. You may need a heavier duty chopper rather than a brush clearer.
www.macheteman.com
Ross has a "Parang" out of thicker ATS-34 stock that he could make you to length of your desire. These are headed for $170+ real quick though.
Also, the more chopping you intend to do, the more important the handle comfort is, and the more important it is in how the handle slabs are attached to full tang knives to minimize rattle and vibration transfer to your hand (Busse Mistress!). Stag crown handles look great, but they are going to piss off the heel of your hand if you use one much, guar-own-teed, as Justin Wilson would say. If you get rubber/kraton, it needs to be high durometer or it'll wear blisters on your hands, perhaps. You want some kind of swell on the back side of the handle, the butt, or some kind of a mild hook shape (Busse! I own a Mistress myself) so you can hang on while chopping....for sure. Note the SOG Tech I, II, and Tigershark for big knives with a straight handle that is a problem to chop with (no butt/swell) unless you like a wrist thong/lanyard real well.
For an el cheapo that is a damned good machete in my book, check out Ontario D-Guard machete's designed by Blackie Collins. No frills. 1095, tough, fairly light, 12", 18", 22". I like mine a bunch for what it is, a cheap workhorse. We're in the $17 to $19 range from Knives Plus in Amarillo. No frills, comfortable, 18" develops lots of velocity and zips right through stuff with a low-rent bench grinder edge. And I don't care when I hit rocks and concrete.
The Kukri's are for sure bigass choppers. But they can be pretty heavy.
And 1095 is fine on a cheapo machete, but is just terribly overrated as a blade steel by people like TOPS who don't differentially heat treat like the real ABS 'smiths do. I mean, 1/8" stock, 26" long for an 18" bladed machete for $19! How much could the steel cost?
Flame me, but it's just one guys' opinion. 1095 is THE simplest steel. 0.95% carbon, 0.25% to 0.55% moly for deeper hardening, and iron. That's it. Nothing to make carbides.
The TOPS look pretttttyyy hype-y to me. And overpriced (compared to when you can have real innovation and real super steel with INFI/Busse.) TOPS is full of ... wicked cool grinds and holes and slots and bells and ... They look to have comfortable handles ... UNTIL time to chop, and then I don't want a index finger groove in the handle when it comes time to chop. It's just annoying, and in the way.
Livesay uses 1095 too, no differential heat treat. But it is cheap (see Ontario machete above). And the blades are fairly tough, just not the class of "tough" you get with a differential heat treat, where spine is left in spring range (Rc 40-48) and the edge is hard and wear resistant (Rc=60).
Ok, time for dinner.
