im looking for a long blade

[ZippyDan]

i still cant find the blade i want

im interested in an approximately 20inch blade (18 to 25 inches say) high quality construction and steel and general all around performance for cutting random things in my way like underbrush, vines, small branches etc, probably some wood chopping, and maybe (but hopefully not) self defense all while hiking/camping. want to spend $200 or less with sheath

so far, here's what i've liked and didnt like. im hoping someone can use the following list to understand better what im looking for and help me find it. also, i think this list might make a useful reference for someone in the future looking for a large blade that might be less demanding than me

Chris Reeve's "Oversized Knife"
http://www.newgraham.com/images/CRKTOOTHPICK.jpg

My dream blade. Exactly what I want. Although lacking a large curve, the thickness and weight of the blade looks like it would be more than up to the task of chopping wood or cutting through vegetation. 18 inch blade, 27" overall length is perfect. The handle, grip, and handguard look excellent. The overall quality looks suberb. Too bad theres only 12 like it in the world, and none other with that exact tip shape. Too bad it sold for $3,000. Find me a blade like this.

Becker Patrol Machete
http://www.camillusknives.com/1mainframe.htm?bkt/bk6.shtml~main

Has a very nice look to it. curvature and weightier tip make it look like it would be a good chopper. ive heard some bad things about its durability though. and more importantly i want something longer... this is a 14 inch blade. if it was 20 inches it would seem nearly perfect

Ennis Entrk Destroyer
http://www.ennis-entrekusa.com/Full BG Lo res/Destroyer F sm.JPG

Heres a knife that would be beautiful at 18 inches

Cold Steel
http://www.coldsteel.com/machetes.html

For shape I like the Panga and the Bolo, but they arent long enough. I really dislike the look of a Kukri - and although I'm sure its awesome for chopping, I dont feel so great about how it would be for cutting through vegetation - and also I dont like the way it looks. The latin machetes are the right length, but are boring. Actually the whole line makes me think, too cheap, too boring.

Knives of Spain Aitor Bolo
http://www.knivesofspain.com/index....9776607&Merchant=knivesofspain&ExpandedDepts=

A very nice looking knife. Its overall shape is not much different from the Cold Steel Bolo for instance, but the look of quality in the steel and handle makes this a good option in my book. I like the sheath too and the price. Too bad its out of stock and its only 14 inches long. I would jump on an 18+ inch version.

Himalayan Imports
http://www.himalayan-imports.com/sword.html
http://store.yahoo.com/yhst-7333098713883/tarwar.html

Looks like these guys are big into khukuris. See above- I dont like them. So I checked the sword page. Nice pieces but mostly impractical. The Tarwar looks pretty close to what I want. Nice size, blade shape looks good for cutting and chopping. Perfect price. Don't know about durability. Only thing holding me back from this is that it looks too historical. I think I want something a little more utilitarian and modern looking. Something that wouldnt be mistaken for a sword per se but as a big quality blade.

American Kensei
http://www.bussecombat.com/knives/

A really nice looking blade with just about the right length. I'm not sure how it would fair chopping but as per the tests it seems really durable. Unfortunately the biggest drawback here now is the price -its outside my budget. Otherwise I might go for it.

Mineral Mountain Shasqua
http://www.plan-a.org/mmhw/sha.htm

Pretty nice blade. Too expensive.

Maddog
http://www.mdenterprise.com/popups/maddog/kyber.htm

Definitely good quality. Too short. Too expensive.

Cabela's (United Cutlery - could not find manufacturer link)
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...&parentType=index&indexId=cat20893&hasJS=true
edit: think i found it http://www.unitedcutlery.com/shop/site/productpopup.cfm?id=0F41C64E-1E37-4389-8FA69436623273EA

Similar to the Ontario Katana. I like its look but still a little boring, not good for chopping?

Ontario Machetes
http://www.ontarioknife.com/machetes.html

Lots of people mentioned Ontario as cheap but durable. Most of the Ontario blades seem to be in the 12" range, but they do sell a couple 18" and 22" blades. Now we are in my desired length, but my biggest problem with these blades is that they just look way too... boring

The Ontario Katana http://www.ontarioknife.com/blackwind.html is a little better to look at and has the right length. But while it would probably do fine for cutting through vegetation obstacles and self defense, i dont think id trust it for chopping, it just doesnt seem weighted right.

Martindale
http://www.ralphmartindale.co.uk/ralphmartindale/europe1.html

Similar to Ontario, these were recommended to me as cheap and durable. The problem again here is that all the blades struck me as boring or ugly or both. Although, not as boring as Ontario...

Barteaux
http://machete.com/prod01.htm
http://machete.com/prod02.htm

Like Ontario cheap and durable, but even MORE boring to look at. To me, looks are at least a little bit indicative of quality. So is cost. The economy machete looks better than the heavy duty one. Though i like the hand guard better than sans hand guard.

Tramontina
http://www.sworddepot.com/Tramontina_Machete_pid29073.html (couldnt find manufacturer website)

Uh, looks like an Ontario + 1 ... if that.

Bark River Knife and Tool (could not find manufacturer link)
http://www.dlttradingcompany.com/index.php?cPath=24_59_156
http://www.dlttradingcompany.com/index.php?cPath=24_127

Now I'm just getting picky. Don't like the square blade of the golok. The northwind has nice curves but appears almost too... elegant. Instead of the strength that I see in the curve of the Bolo, i only see art in the curve of the northwind.

Valiant (Golok and Parangs and more)
http://www.valiantco.com/

Just not a big fan of the curved handles... personal taste.

thanks

~Zippy!

 

[BalefireX]

A guy was selling a custom Dervish short sword (16" blade) in the for sale section earlier this month... Price started at 475 but he's dropped it to 350. There was some interest but no post as to whether or not it sold.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=348355

 

[Fiddleback]

Sounds to me like what you want to do is idealy suited for a khukuri. I don't understand why you are avoiding that obvious choice. If you read more about Himalayan Imports on this forum you may be convinced to go that way. You wont find a heavier blade or a better warranty.

 

[losangeles]

I second the comment on khuks! I've gotten into that kick recently myself and those are some cool knives. Collectible and very much functional at the same time. In a couple days, I ordered the Ang Khock and Malla, and will continue to check out those HI offerings.

 

[Crushenator 500]

If you want the busse AK, then you better order it pretty soon as it's going down in the not too distant future to be replaced by the newly named ''hell razor''

 

[Daniel Koster]

Interestingly, I agree with a lot of your aesthetic issues...and really like some of the knives you posted...


Let me see if I can be of help:

To sum up:


Blade

You do like a little curve and maybe some recurve, but not a bent blade like a khukuri. You also like straight blades as long as they are "interesting"...ie. not just a long spatula-ish machette. It's hard to judge thickness of the knife from pictures (which may be why you feel some knives look too "wispy" and others seem "artsy").


Handle

Straight handle preferred. Cordwrapped ok with you, but not necessarily the best. Judging from the pics, you don't mind handles with a "hook" at the back. You prefer some sort of "hand guard" in the handle, but not a real guard.

Cost
Under $200 including sheath




You obviously have some aesthetic values (tastes) and might even be a bit on the picky side (ok with me - I am too)....and you've clearly spent a lot of time researching and putting together this list - to be respected.



Give me your reaction to my assessment, and we'll take it from there. I have some suggestions.

 

[the possum]

Not sure if you'll like the handle, but Lutel offers a bowie-looking scramasax in their knife section, which has a blade just shy of 18". I am told the price in American dollars would be around $130. If it interests you, it might be worthwhile to contact the company & see if they have one with straighter stag.

I'm sure there are other sword makers who offer big blades that would suit your needs, but possibly not your taste.

Question-
Since you do seem rather particular about what you want (which certainly ain't a bad thing!), and it looks like you've researched a good number of blades on the market without satisfaction, would you be willing to modify a knife to better suit your tastes? For example, this golok is only half what you're willing to spend-

Fifteen minutes with a bench grinder, and you could have a better looking point. If you have reasonable skill, you could probably make a new, functional handle that's straighter.
Or on this one-

Just grind off the top arm of the guard, file off the gaudy handle carvings, and you're in buisiness and under budget. Maybe spray paint the scabbard if you don't like the traditional look, or cord wrap the handle if you botch the job.

The other route may be to just have something custom made. You might be hard pressed to stay under your budget this way, but at least you'd end up with exactly what you want. If you're willing to accept a rough working finish, you could probably save nearly half the cost.

Here's some more thoughts since we're on the subject-
I can understand that you prefer a straight handle, but I would strongly recommend having some kind of hook or large flare at the butt to keep your hand from slipping off. Knives this big have a lot of momentum, and if they slip during a swing, they will usually spin around and come straight back at you! It's happened to me several times already, so this is a realistic safety consideration.
Also, when blades get this big, balance becomes very important- more important than mass alone, in fact. I have no experience with any of the knives I suggested above, so I cannot say what their balance is like. Stay away from blades that were just ground from a flat bar without distal taper. This subject deserves its own book, so I encourage you to do some more research on it. Let us know if you'd like assistance.

 

[s0rce]

Check out the blackjack panga.

 

[Artfully Martial]

HI khukuri. Replaced my axe.

 

[GoodGuy]

I like my Blackjack Panga. It's a great long blade knife, but it's not much of a chopper. A Cold Steel LTC Kukri is a decent knife/chopper. Heavy, but not too heavy.

The CRK "oversize" knife is pretty cool, but it's awfully heavy.

 

[Walking Man]

I'm going to highly recommend that you avoid stainless steel choices. For the jobs that you'll be doing, you'll definately want something tougher.

 

[ZippyDan]

hi. i dont want a khuk

blackjack panga looks ok. a little boring. and no use to me if its not a chopper.

mr koster, that seemed like a pretty good summary of what im looking for. i could deal with a full handguard depending on the overall look. and i can also deal with a slight curve to the handle. especially if either/both of those things contribute to safety

thanks for suggestions so far...