I'd rather use an axe or saw for a 3 inch or larger tree; they're a LOT less work.
I only use my knife for cutting/slicing things, cleaning game and fish, and whittling, which is what a knife is for.
If you insist on chopping/splitting with a knife, please consider a froe. They are made for that kind of work.
This kind of recommendation (that essentially denies that big knives have their place) always ignores the same things: That you might need to go off-trail, and thus clear a trail, and that a felled tree needs de-limbing... The only tool that does both slightly better than a big knife is the machete: Some will then say bring all the other tools, then add a machete! Bring your living room too while you are it...
Most machetes are badly made junk that are too bulky to hide inconspicuously on your person, or even in a small pack.
I doubt that most saws are less work than 4-8 chops all around then breaking a 3" branch.
As to the INFI stuff: I found my Busse Battlesaw (in INFI) to be well-made but thick edged to the point of being useless: Even with its Disney movie prop factory edge, it still suffered minor damage on wood:
When thinned into a very nice 15 dps convex, it did not hold up that well: Perhaps a micro-bevel would have massively improved things (as it did for the thinner 5160 Voorhis below)... The Micro-bevelled (12 dps main-18 dps micro) 5160 steel below held up far better yet felt "thinner" overall, biting slightly deeper.
With a micro-bevel the Busse might have done better for sure, but it already started with 15 dps, while the other ended at 18 dps. Ideally 15 dps main with 18-20 dps micro should be enough for chopping wood.
On a tight budget I would recommend the SP-52 or 53 ($50-60):
But these are obtuse at the edge, and the recurve does not help sharpening on top of that. To combine chopping with cutting finesse and with budget not a consideration, go for the Randall Model 12: Its advantage over most cheaper options is the stick tang (thus better balance) and the stainless steel, combined with a magnificient "toughened" -slightly convexed near the edge- hollow grind that allows deeper bites with less effort and yet no damage:
It is also the only forged stainless steel around. It is incredibly durable.
I don't recommend the Becker Bk-9 or Cold Steel Trailmaster, as the Bk-9 handle vibrates badly and the Cold Steel handle is far, far too thin, sinking backwards violently into the thumb forefinger web, and wasting all your effort. The CS convex SMIII edge is far too thick as well.
The Esee Junglas, or similar RTak-II, are good choices, but the thin 3/16" stock full tangs probably vibrate a bit, and they are carbon steel. It should be noted that every inch beyond 9" adds huge dividends: Never go under 10", the Randall Model 12 being a rare exception due to its balance and geometry: The 9" Randall will almost double your chopping depth over a 9.5" Trailmaster...
One budget blade that probably will do well could be this: Shrade schf 45:
It appears to have done well with other testers, and is dirt cheap.
Another interesting choice is the Fallkniven Thor:
How is it better than the Trailmaster? Well the handle is a little more substantial,
less prone to deforming under loads, and the blade is 10". Most important it sports a thinner convex from samples I saw. The black leather sheath is of exceptional quality, and that is important as well.
I found the handle slippery on mine, but it was not enough to disqualify it completely, just a little scary. The old beige sheath scratched mine like a railroad map etched on the blade, this to an unbelievable extent, no matter what I tried to "soften" that mineral-like beige leather... That was the main reason I sold mine: Avoid the older beige leather models like the bubonic plague... The beige snap loop was a pathetic design also. They must have known about the issues to change the sheaths to the new ones.
Another I would mildly recommend is the GSO-10: I did not find the steel great, but the blunt point design does hit with great authority, and despite being slim, the handle is comfortable and really flawless. It really felt at home chopping, more than other "pointier" knives. I found the steel was outperformed in edge holding by the 420J of a cheap Rambo clone, but it did chop better owing the blade heft of the wide blade and blunt point, and, unlike 420J, the cold did not affect its CPM 3V!:
My own favoured choice is still some of the cheap Rambo II copies, particularly the discontinued United Cutlery (Master above, but that has a somewhat dubious handle assembly): I found them better ground/finished than the original Liles I had (both UC and Lile with similar invulnerable resin epoxy handle assemblies), the Taiwanese 420J steel being superior to an
overwhelming extent, while chopping Maple, to everything else I have tried (except when it is -34 C!)...
The pointy Rambo II design is not the best for chopping (but still 50% better than a Trailmaster, owing to the much greater handle bulk), but the cheap 420J was so obviously superior in fine edge holding (and even more dramatically so in ease of sharpening) to everything else that there was really no other choice to combine chopping with fine slicing... I wish all my knives were made in this 420J...
Gaston
