Need a good chopper!!!!

SEALman799

SEALman799

Joined
Aug 1, 2009
Messages
179
Hey guys,

I have a tree in my back yard that fell and I cut most of it up with a chainsaw, but I thought it would be a nice time to get a good chopper to clean up the smaller pieces :D any suggestions? I don't want to break the bank so anywhere from $120 and below would be awesome!

Thanks a lot!

Evan
 
GOOD choppers have min 9" blades 1/4" thick so I really don't think you are going to find much in that price range. :)

Something around $200 and your choices are much wider and better.
 
Do a search for KHHI in Nepal, I just bought a kukuri from them, 10mm thick and 2.5 lbs, like a hot knife through buttah. Durable edge too!
 
Check the Himalayan Imports forum under Manufacturers. they have blem khukuris under $100. Reflections of Asia has bolos for $30, they're rougher in finish than the HI khuks but they can chop withthe best of them. You might also check out the Ka-Bar heavy bowie and the Becker BK-9. They can be had for about $50 & $80. Ontario has a couple of big bowies for about $60. Condor is well respected if you want to go the machete route. If you're an axe man you might look at GB or Wetterling, Fiskars or Estwing. Good hunting.

Frank
 
Yup, get a Kukuri.
They are relatively inexpensive.
5160 steel is very tough, holds a reasonably good edge, and the Kukri design is chopping specific.

Or, just get an ax.
 
I really like the Crowell-Barker; cheap, awesome chopper, may be a little hard to find?

CB_01.jpg


For a little more than your $120 (OK...maybe a lot more), the Becker Brute is the beast:

BruteJune2009-1.jpg


Happy blade hunting :)
 
Last edited:
Ankerson said:
GOOD choppers have min 9" blades 1/4" thick so I really don't think you are going to find much in that price range. :)
Click to expand...

Becker BK9 with micarta scales will run you around $110. I don't think there's a better production chopper out of the box. The edge is thin and it holds the edge.
 
What a riot.

I have used and abused that Rough Use Knife from CTD and it performed amazingly well. I am not a huge fan of 440A but I must admit the knife did well in chopping and batoning tasks.

If you are going to get something for this task I would suggest the KaBar Large Heavy Bowie or a hatchet like the ones mentioned above. The Kukri would not be a bad addition either.
 
I would definitely look at the Cold Steel kukri in SK-5. I don't think you will find a more useful tool for the garden in that price bracket.
 
My convexed Outcast chopped the frons from a 12ft palm with ease this past weekend. If any of you have trimmed a palm tree you know how hard the stalks are to chop. Don't grab the spines :)

I will disagree that a chopper has to be .25in width. Thin is a good thing if the blade has the proper length and weight. The Outcast is a bit light, but it has all the weight in the bolo style blade, so it chops pretty darn well.

Also, Richard J said my Outcast was the hardest blade he has reprofiled to date. He guessed it above 63 RC, and I have shopped small pieces of sandstone without any edge failing. Wicked piece of steel for sub $80.
 
bk9 awesome chopper that also makes a good fleshing/kitchen camp knife as well. A modern day's mountainman's butcher knife.(I would know!).

kabar large bowie, underated and cheap....they are good choppers and nice retention bill on handle. I use mine for a couple years and now as the loaner camp knife for my brothers and friends.

the cheap 13in CSn kukri's are great cheap workhorse's, I cleared a lot of trail with them last year and limbing pine and fir. Thin but the deep belly gives a lot of weight behind it.
I use them for chopping roots among rocks landscaping as well, just grind and file which I would be loathe to do with my others.

too bad the CS trailmasters are more expensive now being all shiny and from taiwan. The chinese coated would have been in your price range.
If you can afford one the trailmaster is easily my favourite chopper and hard use trailknife. (bk-9 is a close 2cd)
 
I really like the BK9 so I might go with that with micarta handles for it.

I look at the kukris, and there awesome! I found one I really liked and wasn't too big, 9 in blade, ill post a pic because I found a few and I want to know what you guys think

ProductPicture_1.php


thats the 9, and this ones a little bigger, a 10

ProductPicture_1.php
 
BK9, baby! Made in the USA
Click to expand...

Very poor and way overpriced IMO. The $9 cheaperthandirt knives or the Cold Steel Kurkri machete $17, blow it away.

For real proof.......http://knifetests.com/ there's no arguing with real proof.

Now you'll say "we don't hit bricks etc...." but I say - in a real life chopping scenario you may encounter nails, stones, and other hard objects.

Now if you're attacking zombies or bad guys then it's great, otherwise I'm not buying one. :thumbdn:
 
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