removable handle extension for 7-8" bladed knife.

K

KarlSG

Joined
May 3, 2016
Messages
9
yeah I think Im gonna get lampooned pretty hard here but sometimes you just have to dive right in. Just clarifying Im ex army and in my 40's and do hikes in rainforest, aka tropical jungle in my part of the world, not some kid who has played to much world of warcraft...

I'd like to carry a knife I can add an extension to for whacking more troublesome foliage as required. Machetes are too conspcious at times here whereas , a hunting knife fits in a 12" long day bag.
If I had a hunting knife + handle extension I can clip/slip on or off to give me an extra 7-8" reach that would be great. I only need about 20" total, just enough to keep my face away from the worst stinging nettles and thorns we get here. Doesnt need to be ultra heavy duty, I wont be trying to baton wood while the extension is on, just slashing vines and green material.

Where I got the idea something like that might have merit is I saw one of Condors old offerings which was a blade where the handle is actually a hollow haft you can insert a staff or stick into.

Thats the concept basically, but dont think they are made anymore, also i assume thats not something you can quickly break down and put away again. If there is a way to add an extension to a regular handled knife that would work . No idea how to do it though, whether I should be considering another option altogether, whether I need to eat more fruit and spend less time on the internet.
 
As jux t said, the CS Bushman is the ticket. However, you could lash a skeleton handled fixed blade to a walking stick as well.

Something like the Buck 636BKS PakLite Processor Select could work for lashing and it doesn't break the bank. CS Bushman is still less expensive, but older models are claimed to be superior to the China made ones of today.
 
Last edited:
shinyedges said:
Hmm.

Gerber double down doesn't quite have the 20in you are looking for but otherwise fits the bill. Personally I'd figure out a way to make a machete fit in some how or get another bag.
Click to expand...
If neither of these options work, perhaps a Cold Steel XL Espada will do. Not exactly a folding machete, and you probably wouldn't want to whack it against anything bigger than a thin sapling, but looks suitable for grasses and light vines.

Otherwise a Cold Steel Bushman (or similar) coupled with a compatible walking stick is probably the most cost-effective option. You can loop a length of paracord through the lanyard hole in the handle and temporarily lash the knife to the end of your walking stick to handle whatever thrashing you need to do.
 
A socket billhook would be my choice. A Harfington 9" blade, 13" OAL is twenty bucks, add a stick of your choice of length, sharpen until it cuts grass. Carry a screw to give a mechanical connection, maybe a wind of duck tape on it if it's going to get taken down a lot and the wood starts getting reamed. A Bushman would probably work, but that's levering a lot of lateral force onto a Sold Steel product--I don't know if they are still as "hard use" as they are advertised, and the Bushman has had snappy batches QC failures at times. Billhooks are thicker at the spine and more forgiving of a bad hit even if you put a racing edge on it.

The large, blunt tip is also nice for pushing stuff out of the way where you would be stabbing with a point. It also screams "I am an agricultural tool" so people don't give you the Mall Ninja or Halloween Slasher fisheye. I used a billhook at a community clearing event, and nobody batted an eye. The custom sheath of a cardboard sandwich taped together is also economical and non-threatening.

Whatever you decide, I would stick with a socket. Lashing takes longer to get a really solid connection, and not spending that time increases the risk of the blade flying off (which would be fun finding in a rainforest) or coming loose and floggling around doing whatever it wants inches from your hand or head. Take a look at Southeast Asia, and the socket sickle on a stick is a common tool for people who deal with rainforest on a daily basis.
 
BitingSarcasm said:
A socket billhook would be my choice. A Harfington 9" blade, 13" OAL is twenty bucks, add a stick of your choice of length, sharpen until it cuts grass. Carry a screw to give a mechanical connection, maybe a wind of duck tape on it if it's going to get taken down a lot and the wood starts getting reamed. A Bushman would probably work, but that's levering a lot of lateral force onto a Sold Steel product--I don't know if they are still as "hard use" as they are advertised, and the Bushman has had snappy batches QC failures at times. Billhooks are thicker at the spine and more forgiving of a bad hit even if you put a racing edge on it.

The large, blunt tip is also nice for pushing stuff out of the way where you would be stabbing with a point. It also screams "I am an agricultural tool" so people don't give you the Mall Ninja or Halloween Slasher fisheye. I used a billhook at a community clearing event, and nobody batted an eye. The custom sheath of a cardboard sandwich taped together is also economical and non-threatening.

Whatever you decide, I would stick with a socket. Lashing takes longer to get a really solid connection, and not spending that time increases the risk of the blade flying off (which would be fun finding in a rainforest) or coming loose and floggling around doing whatever it wants inches from your hand or head. Take a look at Southeast Asia, and the socket sickle on a stick is a common tool for people who deal with rainforest on a daily basis.
Click to expand...
Do this ^. It's a much better answer than mine.
 
Um. Secateurs?

Yeah. I know captain boring over here.

The idea is, especially for tropical jungle you can cut things like wait awhile vine without it springing Back and getting you.
 
Last edited:
I have a couple Bushman standard models, both are factory seconds bought directly from Cold Steel in 2021.

Both are seconds because the blades have a slight curve. I use them like garden tools (digging, hacking) and throw them into stumps. They seem tough to me, no issues so far. They have 7” blades and do seem to fit OP’s use case in particular. (Edit: the bowie model is available too, and weighs more).

Might be easy to drill the screw hole larger and through to the other side of the handle to fit a pin for a wood handle extension.
 
Last edited:
great replies thanks fellas, Im busily working through and googling the various suggestions so far.
 
I’ve reported this thread for the lack of lampooning.

This isn’t exactly what you’re looking for, but I think they’re cool.

byxco.com

Rinaldi "Scansano" Slasher

A socketed sickle-like billhook intended for pole-mounting, the "Scansano" slaher makes for a heck of a vegetation clearing tool. Great for high-volume removal of tall reedy grasses, thick weedy growth, and shrubs. Just pop it on a 1.5" diameter pole of your chosen length and get slashing!If...
byxco.com byxco.com
 
Drop bear said:
Um. Secateurs?

Yeah. I know captain boring over here.

The idea is, especially for tropical jungle you can cut things like wait awhile vine without it springing Back and getting you.
Click to expand...
Well I cant sharpen things, baton, pry oysters off rocks or stab a hog with secateurs. btw Im not actually knocking your suggestion. Secateurs and basic snips can be very handy to handle vines.

Other good suggestions for the billhook/sickle like implements above, they look very useful, but yeah I need the utility of a knife for this one.

Looking at the Bushman at this stage thanks fellas for that suggestion, 6.5-7" is a good minimum for stabbing hogs held by dogs too.

Can someone tell me how tough the opinel 13 is though, I might grab one just for general novelty, are they of a decent quality
 
Last edited:
any knife with plenty of holes to attach to a pole you worked and carved a bit previously... like this one: sorry can't put the copy of that knife anyway it' on this forum!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top