In need of a Chopper.

Z

Zander131

Joined
Jul 7, 2009
Messages
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Ive been looking at the woods blades i have and noticed i dont have much in the chopping/wood processing department thats still easy to carry. (I usually go into the woods with a minimum of equiptment) Only thing is that i cant spend more than about $50.

Ive been looking at a trail hawk for a while, and the condor hatchet. As well as the Condor Kukri. Im pretty much open to anything from big fixed blades to small axes.
 
Tramontina Bolo and Condor Khukri would be your best bet. You will be sorely disappointed for the Trail Hawk, its design is that of a fighter and thrower, and the bit is way too thin to be practical for wood processing. Maybe the Cold Steel Frontier... you can pick up a Frontier, a Khukri and a Bolo all for less than 50 dollars combined.
 
Zander131 said:
Ive been looking at the woods blades i have and noticed i dont have much in the chopping/wood processing department thats still easy to carry. (I usually go into the woods with a minimum of equiptment) Only thing is that i cant spend more than about $50.

Ive been looking at a trail hawk for a while, and the condor hatchet. As well as the Condor Kukri. Im pretty much open to anything from big fixed blades to small axes.
Click to expand...
Why not a folding saw (especially if you already carry another 4 to 6 inch fixed blade)??? It's faster, lighter, easier, and maybe cheaper than a big chopper...
 
Go with the Tramontina 14" for $8, and a Wetterlings hatchet, for around $40-60. You cant kill either one, and they wont let you die....
If you must buy from Cold steel (and I love them, and have quite a few) I wouldnt buy the trail hawk..its cool, but not enough size to chop. I like the shovel they make...now that comes in handy.
 
PayetteRucker said:
Tramontina Bolo and Condor Khukri would be your best bet. You will be sorely disappointed for the Trail Hawk, its design is that of a fighter and thrower, and the bit is way too thin to be practical for wood processing. Maybe the Cold Steel Frontier... you can pick up a Frontier, a Khukri and a Bolo all for less than 50 dollars combined.
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Im under the impression that tramotinas are pretty thin (but i could be mistaken), and i already have a thin machete. Also, im not planning on splitting logs or the like, just cutting up branches and small trees.

Ive also taken a like to the condor Hudson Bay knife too. EDIT: Ah yes the CS shovel looks fun to play around with but i dont see myself doing much digging out there, so id end up just using it for its blade
 
Zander131 said:
Im under the impression that tramotinas are pretty thin (but i could be mistaken), and i already have a thin machete. Also, im not planning on splitting logs or the like, just cutting up branches and small trees.

Ive also taken a like to the condor Hudson Bay knife too.
Click to expand...

the hudson bay is great, if you can spread some money i would do the condor Golok.:thumbup:

the golok would do better for the tasks described.
 
I am sorry..why the love for Condor..I mean, they break alot. Am I crazy here..do we just WANT them to work...so we look the other way. Or is it that when they break..we can get another. I have Tram's that I paid $6 for at Smoky Mountain, years ago..that I cant kill. And I chopped Spruce trees down with them, in the north woods. I grew up here, so I know about chopping tough trees.
I dont want a knife that is gonna break...I mean, any knife CAN break..but one DESIGNED to CHOP..shouldnt break easily.
Sorry to hijack, but people constantly defending a product that fails...it just irks me.
And before I get gang jumped...point out to me all the threads that show Trams and CS machete's breaking while chopping. I will leave it alone after that.
Edit...Condor designs a great bunch of tools...so does BArk River..but I will never buy another Barky. And it has nothing to do with anything other than out of the 20 or so that I owned..5 handles came off. How can 5 handles come off.....come on. Junk.
There are tons of good companies out there..that arent custom..just production..that make TOUGH products. Why the tunnel vision.
 
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gunknifenut said:
I am sorry..why the love for Condor..I mean, they break alot. Am I crazy here..do we just WANT them to work...so we look the other way. Or is it that when they break..we can get another. I have Tram's that I paid $6 for at Smoky Mountain, years ago..that I cant kill. And I chopped Spruce trees down with them, in the north woods. I grew up here, so I know about chopping tough trees.
I dont want a knife that is gonna break...I mean, any knife CAN break..but one DESIGNED to CHOP..shouldnt break easily.
Sorry to hijack, but people constantly defending a product that fails...it just irks me.
And before I get gang jumped...point out to me all the threads that show Trams and CS machete's breaking while chopping. I will leave it alone after that.
Click to expand...

I just like the look of their designs. I wasnt aware that people have been having condors fail on them.
 
Reorx said:
Why not a folding saw (especially if you already carry another 4 to 6 inch fixed blade)??? It's faster, lighter, easier, and maybe cheaper than a big chopper...
Click to expand...

Faster? Easier? Not in my experience. More precise, yes. Lighter, yes. But I haven't found a log out there I couldn't chop through faster with a good forward-weighted machete. Not unless you plan on carrying something with a similar blade length.
 
gunknifenut said:
I am sorry..why the love for Condor..I mean, they break alot. Am I crazy here..do we just WANT them to work...so we look the other way. Or is it that when they break..we can get another. I have Tram's that I paid $6 for at Smoky Mountain, years ago..that I cant kill. And I chopped Spruce trees down with them, in the north woods. I grew up here, so I know about chopping tough trees.
I dont want a knife that is gonna break...I mean, any knife CAN break..but one DESIGNED to CHOP..shouldnt break easily.
Sorry to hijack, but people constantly defending a product that fails...it just irks me.
And before I get gang jumped...point out to me all the threads that show Trams and CS machete's breaking while chopping. I will leave it alone after that.
Click to expand...

I've used my Condors a LOT and I have yet to have as much of a chip in them. Batoning and chopping is the majority of what I have done with them.
 
gunknifenut said:
I am sorry..why the love for Condor..I mean, they break alot. Am I crazy here..do we just WANT them to work...so we look the other way. Or is it that when they break..we can get another. I have Tram's that I paid $6 for at Smoky Mountain, years ago..that I cant kill. And I chopped Spruce trees down with them, in the north woods. I grew up here, so I know about chopping tough trees.
I dont want a knife that is gonna break...I mean, any knife CAN break..but one DESIGNED to CHOP..shouldnt break easily.
Sorry to hijack, but people constantly defending a product that fails...it just irks me.
And before I get gang jumped...point out to me all the threads that show Trams and CS machete's breaking while chopping. I will leave it alone after that.
Click to expand...

There have been only a few cases of that happening, and it seems to have mostly been with a few early runs of models that all stem from the same period of manufacture. I've never heard of someone having one break on them AFTER they received a replacement. I own around 7 Condor pieces and beat the **** out of them and haven't ONCE had a problem--that includes chopping frozen pine knots in the middle of sub-zero Maine winters. Maybe I'm using them wrong? :p

I'm not jumping on you or anything, but I figured that I'd throw that out there. Trams and Cold Steel machetes (actually made by Lasher tools) run on the softer side. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but you end up having to touch up the edge a lot more frequently in the field. I've never once had to field sharpen any of my Imacasa/Condor pieces, or any of my Hansas for that matter. Both companies run their steel a little bit harder, and I personally have never had a problem with either. :)
 
Reorx said:
Why not a folding saw (especially if you already carry another 4 to 6 inch fixed blade)??? It's faster, lighter, easier, and maybe cheaper than a big chopper...
Click to expand...

Nada... my Tram is still lighter than my folding saw, and it is definitely faster and easier than even the Wyoming Saw and Fiskars Woodzig. I spent all weekend sailing through 6 inch treetrunks and it took seconds. Two V notches, another one in the middle, a good thwack with the spine and SNAP! Another one bites the dust. The funny part is you don't even need to give it a full swing-just the short wrist motion, all speed no strength... just the motion causes that thin flat ground blade to bite inches into the dry stuff around here. I love it.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
Faster? Easier? Not in my experience. More precise, yes. Lighter, yes. But I haven't found a log out there I couldn't chop through faster with a good forward-weighted machete. Not unless you plan on carrying something with a similar blade length.
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Have you ever used a saw? i am not being a smart ass..seriously.
I just cant believe your statement..yeah..a 1inch branch, sure...but a log..no way.
 
gunknifenut said:
Have you ever used a saw? i am not being a smart ass..seriously.
I just cant believe your statement..yeah..a 1inch branch, sure...but a log..no way.
Click to expand...

Ok well i have a few saws, but im not really interested in them. A saw would be my choice for cutting logs and larger trees, however i dont do much of that.
Im not wanting this thread to turn into a "saws vs machetes" thread
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
There have been only a few cases of that happening, and it seems to have mostly been with a few early runs of models that all stem from the same period of manufacture. I've never heard of someone having one break on them AFTER they received a replacement. I own around 7 Condor pieces and beat the **** out of them and haven't ONCE had a problem. Maybe I'm using them wrong? :p

I'm not jumping on you or anything, but I figured that I'd throw that out there. Trams and Cold Steel machetes (actually made by Lasher tools) run on the softer side. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but you end up having to touch up the edge a lot more frequently in the field. I've never once had to field sharpen any of my Imacasa/Condor pieces, or any of my Hansas for that matter. Both companies run their steel a little bit harder, and I personally have never had a problem with either. :)
Click to expand...

I have to sharpen any tool when used..if you dont have to sharpen it..you were playing with it. I call an apple and apple..I dont beat on anything, I use tools. If I chop with one tool, and it works, well...it works. I another doesnt, well, it doesnt. Honestly..the Condor golok was , in my eyes..the best design for a production company in years...I love mine. But, I am honest. The treat sucks. Or...I just have really bad luck.
This is from a guy who has chopped with the best of them. I have tested a bunch of blades. I am not saying your input doesnt matter, but I dont have tons of choppers..just the ones that work for me (and my kukris:D) and thats what I got.
Anyways..like always..buy what you want..its your money.
I just get irked by the lack of variety around here...I have to leave WSS just to see whats going on in the knife world..this should be THE place to come and learn about the outdoors and knives...or maybe I am just sleepy:p
 
Zander131 said:
Ok well i have a few saws, but im not really interested in them. A saw would be my choice for cutting logs and larger trees, however i dont do much of that.
Im not wanting this thread to turn into a "saws vs machetes" thread
Click to expand...

I dont blame you..knives are cooler. just not faster
 
Maybe you don't see such variety is hear because we use what works for us, and Condors happen to be something that work for us?
 
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