Koster Monster Nessie as a chopper

D

DocGP

Joined
Feb 22, 2009
Messages
586
OK, just couldn't pass up one of these knives but wanted to get opinions on using it as a chopper.

MonsterNessieKoa.jpg


I am no worried about the mass or the edge, but after seeing under the handle, would it be prone to bending/breaking at the relief cuts?

Updates1026-04.jpg


I don't need this knife for a chopper and have plenty of solid full tang blades to use for that, but just looking for the consensus as to how tough it would be in 3V steel. Would it be likely to stand up to the pounding of a heavy chopper?

Thanks
Doc
 
I wouldn't have any qualms about using it as a chopper. The tang is still plenty strong even though it is skeletonized.
 
Tang would hold up perfectly fine. Be carefull about the high-grind ones, the grinds are very thin. Someone posted a review at WS&S about the grind completely chipping out.
 
Zhang,

Thanks, I will probably reserve this one for lighter camp work and use the Tankbuster for chopping if the need arises for a knife to chop.

Doc
 
I am sure my Koster Survivor is built the same way and it stood up to some good pine bashing during the summer. Doubt you will ever have a problem with that Nessie.
 
Didn't Dan say in a recent thread these were designed more for kitchen work?
 
When a thin blade hits wood grain that is running at an angle to the point of impact, the blade will typically break out as shown. I had a Cold Steel Aus 8 Voyager x2 do the say thing, just from whacking small branches over the trail. I even rolled the edge of a super thick khukri from de-branching big leaf maple branches. A GB carpenter's hatchet was not affected. Thin is better for cutting, but it isn't as strong and sometimes strong is what you need.

I have a smaller Nessie from Koster with a lower grind that I'm sure can take anything I throw at it. It's a lovely knife. But the edge of the high-grind Monster Nessie is a little light in the butt for heavy chopping against contrary grain.

I'd love to see how the Bushwhacker Battle Mistress does, which is a beast with a thinner profile.
 
The Monster Nessie was made for chopping. I went through 3 - 8" sections of dried oak with one before I released it on the market. 5160 is a spring steel made for taking a beating. And if you want some "insurance" get one in CPM3V - that would be darn near indestructible.

Don't forget about the testing and write-up it got at the PWYP outing (Practice-What-You-Preach):

http://www.tactical-life.com/online/tactical-knives/the-monster-man/

Dan
 
zhangmaster12 said:
Tang would hold up perfectly fine. Be carefull about the high-grind ones, the grinds are very thin. Someone posted a review at WS&S about the grind completely chipping out.
Click to expand...

Yeah, it outchopped a lot of it's knives because of it's thin profile, but then a huge chunk of the edge completely tore out while chopping wood.
 
That grind looks more like a vegetable cleave than camp knife, I wouldn't wreck something so nice when there are 22.00 machetes lurking in every store.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top