RC-6 at chopping?

MW740

MW740

Joined
Aug 21, 2002
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732
SO... I have an RC3 that I love, and I am looking at the RC6. I have done a search on the RC6 and found alot of good info, but I would like to know how the 6 does at chopping. I know that the 6 is a relatively light weight blade due to the 3/16" stock that it is made from, but I also know from my own experience that a heavier blade is not always a better chopper. SO... how does it perform as a chopper? Pictures would be great. BTW the heat treat on these blades is superb. The Noss distruction test on the RC4 was amazing and gives me the utmost confidence in these blades.
 
I don't own any big choppers yet so I don't have a large range of knives to compare it to but IMO the RC-6 is not a chopper. I don't feel like there is quite enough heft behind the blade for it to chop very efficiently. My Becker BK7 chopped better but I preferred the RC-6 in every other way so I sold the BK7 and am getting a Ranger RD9 for my big chopper.

Don't know if that really helps.
 
Although I don't own an RC-6, generally speaking blades of that size are too short and light for chopping. Batoning, digging and general camp duties I think they would be good at, and I think you could chop with it in an emergency situation. But I think there are better tools out there for that. IMO, a knife gets to be a chopper about the same place it gets awkward to carry on your belt. Others may disagree, but thats my feelings.
 
If you use a wrist snapping cut they chop rather well for a blade their size and handle light limbs etc easily. However I prefer to use other methods myself as I prefer to have better control of the blade and where it is going. The RC6 works great when batonning and excels at every camp chore I'ver thrown at it. The heat treat is indeed amazing and the overall performance of this blade is just flat fantastic.

If it is just light chopping your thinking of then the knife will perform with no problems whatsoever. It'll even hack down small trees without any issues. Heavier work I'll reserve for my kukri.

My only regret is that RAT doesn't yet offer a leather sheath like they have for the RC4 for this knife.

If you get one you will be pleased and surprised.
 
The RC-6 is a pretty decent chopper. Don't go by the specs. If you haven't had this knife in your hand then it is difficult to convince you that the blade actually has some good weight to it, mainly provided by its wideness (1.5" wide).

Okay, comparing it to a 9" blade, it is not going to win a chopping competition. Yet at the same time it is something that is fully serviceable chopping 3" to 4" trees. You won't have any problem doing this. Chopping larger pieces of wood really requires specialized instruments - but then why do you need to chop large pieces of wood? If I were to stack firewood for multiple days - yeah I'd go big. I'd also have a full on axe.

You can snap cut 1" limbs with single chops and it is highly effective at limbing pine bows for example. While some people think - not a great chopper, I tend to look at it in reverse. For its versatility of size and weight it is a great chopper. Basically, I'd say you can chop anything with an RC-6 as you could with a 9" knife, it just will take you a little longer to do it. On the other hand, this thing handles at fine cutting chores much better than a larger knife.

One of the greatest attributes of this knife is its balance. The claim on the RC-website holds true in this case. As mentioned above, I also find that it serves better to use more controlled and accurate hits rather than power swings. This is more effective and safe than chopping wildly.

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Now yesterday I was chopping with a buddies Busse Sarsquatch. The Sarsquatch is a great chopper, no doubt about that. I still think my comment holds above though. I'm convinced the RC-6 will do anything (woods related) the Busse can do, it will just take more time to do it. Finally, putting a convex edge on mine did help significantly with the chopping!

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Thanks for all of the feedback. Nice pictures and info kgd. I have several knives in this size range, Siegel, Scrapyard, Swamprat, etc.., but I love the RC3 and after getting this feedback am definately going to get an RC6.
 
MW740 said:
Thanks for all of the feedback. Nice pictures and info kgd. I have several knives in this size range, Siegel, Scrapyard, Swamprat, etc.., but I love the RC3 and after getting this feedback am definately going to get an RC6.
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If you have the SOD (the only 6-7" scrapyward I've handled), then the RC-6 is considerably lighter than the SOD. The SOD will be a faster chopper than the RC-6. However, the SOD seems tip heavy to me. I like the balance of the RC-6 a bit better. The SOD is industructable, but I think the RC-6 is a bit more versatile. Just my opinion (I have a SOD on order and was handling one yesterday).
 
I have the Yardguard (two of them actually). They are indestructable, but imho not versatile.
 
I've only handled an RC6 a couple of times, however, I believe for its size, it would be a decent chopper. AN overall chopper, maybe not so great, but for the size, I think it wouldn't be to bad.
 
The key with an RC-6 size knife is that it's not great at anything, but can do just about anything well. Most of the time, if people want that elusive One Knife for all their wood chores they pick one in this size range.
 
Pppppssshhhh!!! One knive? One Knive? What good is one knife?!?!?!? I need one MEEEELLLLION Knives. Just ask my wife!

Seriously though, I am on the waiting list for the RC6 passaround and CANNOT wait. I have some big plans for my review. If I have enough time I might even do a head-to-head comparison with my Busse ASH1, which is my favorite go-to knife when I am heading for the hills.

Jarhead
 
Haven't used a knife for chopping before, but I thought I'd try out my Rat-7 and see what it's like. There's only a half inch difference in the RC-6 and the Rat-7 so I'd think the performance will be similar. Took a few chops at a 2x4 out in the garage. Was all over the place at first. Got great hits going one direction, but was a klutz swinging in the reverse direction. With a little practice, I think you could dust a 2x4 pretty quickly. I'd rather use a hatchet myself, but you could chop with the Rat-7 if you had to. No problems with the D2 edge after chopping. It was sliding effortlessly through a page of newspaper want ads.

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Good post Shunsui, I have found it is better to be controlled and accurate with your swings than wild + force. Use your swings to make a notch. I find, that aiming each swing to hit the inside of the notch about 3/4 deep into the V, as opposed to trying to hit the center of the V, works best for me. Also, use a lanyard with your knife and grab the back end of the handle helps with leverage. Finally snap your wrist downward about 3" from the surface of the cut.
 
9 out of 10 serial killers that own both the RAT7 and RC6 prefer the RC6 for chopping.:thumbup::thumbup:

Tyrantblade
 
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