Stainless chopper? Help!

FortyTwoBlades said:
Why are Condors not good stainless choppers??? :confused:

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Don't think they can hear you ... need to turn your volume up! :)
 
roninelh said:
I have decided that because where I live I will have a wet/winter set of tools(axe, large blade and puukko or bushcraft blade) and a summer/dry season set of tools. My question for the knowledgeable people of BF is what to use for a wet weather large/chopping knife? I have a fiskars x15 axe and an entrek forester to match it with so I would like it to be synthetic handled as well as stainless steel and 7-9 inch blade. Any suggestions? I would like to spend around $50-$75.
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When we are talking about practical tools, rust does not matter. The blade will color over time, but as long as you remember to wipe it down after use and store it in other than a wet sheath, there will be no real damage and you will end up with a nice attractive dark patina.

n2s
 
42 Blades - tells you the straight truth ! There is no reason a Condor Stainless Steel machete would not work well. Machetes are the most overlooked blade IMHO, yet are the best bang for the buck out there. Here is an example of a good machete with a proper heat treat. Look closely at the tip in the first pic, :eek: you can see how much it is bent. Yet it went right back to perfectly straight after i batoned it all the way through. :D This one is not SS, but you get the idea. :D

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not2sharp said:
When we are talking about practical tools, rust does not matter. The blade will color over time, but as long as you remember to wipe it down after use and store it in other than a wet sheath, there will be no real damage and you will end up with a nice attractive dark patina.

n2s
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Yep patina all the way. I haven't oiled my Izula in...well I can't remember. It has a nice dark patina but no rust. What kind of sheath are you sporting? Leather can be bad in our enviornment.
 
Condors and anything in 12C27 or 12C27M. You don't need carbide volume for choppers, so the expense and lack of toughness for a high carbon, high alloy would be wasted. Jerker from Sandvik posted that 12C27 tested three times tougher than D2.
 
I'm thinking my price range will have to go up. I guess a quality 4 inch blade goes for $150, so expecting to pay less for a decent large knife is wishfull thinking. You guys are awesome and have given me a lot to think about, what are some good options in the $200-$300 range?
 
I stand by my Condor suggestion, but those of you who know me probably already figured that. I'd save my money and put it towards other cool toys.
 
roninelh said:
I'm thinking my price range will have to go up. I guess a quality 4 inch blade goes for $150, so expecting to pay less for a decent large knife is wishfull thinking. You guys are awesome and have given me a lot to think about, what are some good options in the $200-$300 range?
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ohh that i think this will do than 440c
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I have a stainless kukri , of 440B which is quite appropriate for a chopper .But it's no longer made . There are other suitable stainless steels for the job.
 
roninelh said:
I have decided that because where I live I will have a wet/winter set of tools(axe, large blade and puukko or bushcraft blade) and a summer/dry season set of tools. My question for the knowledgeable people of BF is what to use for a wet weather large/chopping knife? I have a fiskars x15 axe and an entrek forester to match it with so I would like it to be synthetic handled as well as stainless steel and 7-9 inch blade. Any suggestions? I would like to spend around $50-$75.
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In my mind you are asking for the perfect storm of an;
- incorrect premise (stainless is better than carbon in wet weather)
- chopping what? Prolonged fire wood processing? Clearing vines on trails? Minor camp chores?
- 7-9 inch blade? Certainly not what most would think of as a good working chopping length. This is on the far small exteme for a chopper.
- $50-$75? Would any of you sheath guys even sell a sheath for that price?

Summary, you are looking for a chopping knife that is too small to do the job, waaaaaay out of the price range of anything worth looking at (in well made stainless) and you want to use a questionable sub-par steel for the job.

As mentioned, carbon steel is used all over the world for chopping and for good reason. It is universally available, relatively cheap, easy to sharpen in the field ( even by people that are not good at such things) it holds and edge well and because it is a softer steel, it flexes when it strikes hard objects like timber instead of chipping or shattering like hard steels such as stainless.

Carbon steel choppers are kept rust free mostly by being used. The act of chopping rubs off the surface rust. A very quick 2 second squirt of the very small and manageable 3oz can of WD-40 will be all that is needed in the field. A quick rub with a gun rag with silcon in it works just as well. People worry far too much about a coating of surface rust and treat it like deep rust found on a tractor part that has been sitting outside since 1920, its not the same. The rust that develops on a day hike or a 5 day camp is easily removed with WD-40 and a Scotch-Brite pad when you get home.

Of all the dedicated choppers none will go blow for blow with a hand made, differentially hardened, traditional carbon steel kukri. They are cheap, easy to find, easy to buy and easy to maintain. If you wear a good one out in your lifetime you should be proud of yourself! You can find very good ones at HI (on this forum) and good ones from any of the Khukuri Houses or you can brouse through the approx 550 ads daily on ebay. For a modern handle, go for the Cold Steel Gurkha Kukri. More expensive than you are asking for, but the best of the best in this category.

I know this isn't the answer you want to hear but you did start your thread with; "My question for the knowledgeable people of BF is what to use for a wet weather large/chopping knife?" It appears that most of the people that responded do not believe you are headed in the right direction...
 
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FortyTwoBlades said:
I repeat: Condor's stainless models will do great. And within budget. ;)

I advise against the SOG Jungle Canopy. I've seen WAY too many examples of those things breaking to even remotely trust them and the texturing wasn't designed with long term use in mind.
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I have the Jungle canopy and it works well for me. I think you may be confusing it with the Jungle primitive because I have only seen one review where the knife failed.... And it was questionable at best.
 
wroughndt said:
I have the Jungle canopy and it works well for me. I think you may be confusing it with the Jungle primitive because I have only seen one review where the knife failed.... And it was questionable at best.
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You know what? You're right! It WAS the Primitive that had issues with breaking. The texturing is still very poor for extended chopping, however, so the Canopy still far from my first choice.
 
i have a Boomslang that has been left outside overnight in the rain, abused enough to make me ashamed, and was used for over a week clearing trees from a fenceline.

still doesn't have a single spot of rust (a bit of discoloration but not rust)

stainless is not as good for hard use
 
I think 42 Blades suggestion of Condor's stainless models is right on the money. They are hard to beat for what you pay. A Good stainless machete will cost a lot, hundreds of dollars as opposed to the much cheaper Condor.


____________________________________

Custom machetes at http://www.akiblades.com
 
R.Aki said:
I think 42 Blades suggestion of Condor's stainless models is right on the money. They are hard to beat for what you pay. A Good stainless machete will cost a lot, hundreds of dollars as opposed to the much cheaper Condor.


____________________________________

Custom machetes at http://www.akiblades.com
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Though worth the investment for the serious machete enthusiast, am I right? :D:thumbup:
 
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