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Tell me about your Big Fixed Blades. Cold Steel?

I don't really need a big bowie, but I kinda fancy having one to play with. The Becker knives do appeal to me, plus they seem to provide reasonable value for the money involved. I found a place that would ship a BK9 to New Zealand, but the shipping cost really pushed the price to a level that was hard to justify here at home. Maybe a second hand one will turn up when I'm next in the market for a big blade. I bought the kukri for just a few more dollars than I was going to have to pay for the Becker. The BK9 would have been a novelty for me, plus it would have been easier to carry. But the kukri with its 13 to 14 inch blade will chop better and make a better club. And the fact that it is a hand-made, traditional knife really appeals to me.
 
That Bay de Noc looks very nice. Probably not the heavy knife I had in mind, but very appealing. It would be nice to be able to buy one of every kind of knife that looks good just to try it.
 
i'm with coote, gotta have a kukri
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maybe not this big though :eek: my 25" CAK :D
 
Please. I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the undisputed king of large fixed blades. Busse Battle Mistress owns all comers.
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This particular one isn't mine, but I have one just like it. (Image ganked from Google photo search). I also have a FBMLE and a NMFBM. They're all serious business.
 
Coote

Yangdu has posted several Tamang Kuk's over the last several months on the H.I. forum as Deal of the Day. Let us know how ya like the one from Tora. I've been tempted to purchase a blade form them for a while now. Though I'm really sold on my H.I. M-43's.

I have one of the old CarbonV Trailmasters it is a good knife. But like you I really dont like guards, especialy double guards that much. I just had a bowie made for me by G.L. Drew that works real well.
 
i use a SOG seal revolver knife when trapping here in arkansas. knife and saw in one package. i can cut and sharpen stakes right on site.
 
Cold Steel's short machetes are very handy. I have the 12" barong machete and have used it for everything from rattlesnakes to chickens to heavy bushcraft.
 
Wildmike. I already have a Tora kukri. I believe it is called a British Service Issue. Well-priced and great quality. I have used it on my trap line and for other tasks. It chops really well and it has a relatively useful point for knife-like tasks. It has a better finish than other kukris that I own, but that is not a fair comparison because I bought the others as 'blems' or villagers (although I didn't have to pay a premium price for the Tora). The temper of the Tora's blade pleases me compared to other blades that I have. And it came with a relatively good sheath. Tora were great to deal with too.

That isn't to say that I don't appreciate my H.I. khuks. I found my 15" Ang Khola to be too heavy and wide for practical use, but I frequently pack my little 12" Ang Khola when heading into the countryside. I have enjoyed my dealings with Yangdu, and her prices were fair. If H.I can supply a Tamang style of Khukuri then it would be well worth looking at. I must check them out myself. Up until recently I didn't know that this style existed. I would happily purchase from H.I. again.

I don't think you'd regret purchasing a kukri from Tora. You should find that they will be straight up in their dealings and they will look after you. And right now I think if I had to pick just one of my khuks to depend on, it would be the Tora.

Best wishes.....Coote

PS: Im attracted to the cheap Cold Steel machetes too. I realize that they are probably just stamped out by the hundred, but I am really impressed with the toughness of my CS Bushman and I've read some good things about the Cold Steel machetes. Unfortunately with our currency exchange rate, and high shipping costs to NZ, these things arent so cheap for me down here. If I lived in the USA I'd have several of these already.

I like the look of many other knives that are sold in the US like the Busse and SOG just mentioned. But, not being a millionaire just yet, I have to be content with checking them out on the 'net. Plus I already own more knives than most people I know.
 
You might look at a Ka-Bar large bowie for heavy duty work. It comes in 2 sizes, approx 13 in. and approx 15 in.:D
 
That's a big knife at 15". Just about have to carry it in the backpack. It would be nice to have one though.
 
I'm just too lazy to check: anyone mentioned the Becker/KaBar BK9 bowie? Great blade. Full tang, very comfortable handle, takes a really solid edge. Good sheath and comes with a smaller blade for finer jobs. Nice knife.

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Well, yeah, SpookyPistolero.... Becker BK9s have been mentioned already. But it doesn't hurt to give them another vote. And I gotta say your photos are excellent. They really seem to have captured the essence of the knife.

The possums do look a bit like a muppet. Actually I think it might have been our buddy Pict who saw a likeness to an Ewok.

Just thinking about Beckers again. Those photos, SpookyPistolero, have probably been the best bit of marketing for a Becker I've seen. They really have grabbed me. Now that I have the Tamang kukri coming, my initial desire for a chopper with a pointy end has been satisfied. Maybe my next goal could be the slightly smaller Becker BK7.

Recently I've seen some opinions on Becker that hint that there may have been some quality control issues in the past. And I've also seen one being tested to death on You Tube. They certainly look like they should be strong, but maybe some have been tempered a bit too hard if I'm to believe what Ive read.

A knife is not a crowbar or a hammer. However a big utility knife should be able to be used for sensible chopping (eg wood or an animal carcase) and a bit of light levering (eg digging in an emergency, or splitting a sapling for a bow stave etc).

Are people here confident that they could buy any Becker BK7 or BK9 and then use it for the above tasks without having it snap? I'd really appreciate hearing some first-hand evidence on the forum I love and trust.

Thanks in advance.... Coote.
 
I've got a few more floating around here somewhere...

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I've pretty much beaten the snot out of mine, if it helps. I've batoned it through wood of a thickness that no intelligent person would try to split with a knife. Lots of chopping, slashing, etc. No prying (except to help along a split after batoning, I guess) or digging, as I don't use knives for those things. Honestly, not a bad answer to the 'one knife' question that pops up so often.
 
I'm with Spooky on this on...Best bang for your buck in a Large Chopper is the BK-9 :thumbup: Like he said they are tough as nails :thumbup: here is mine -
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I also like my Khukuri, I got mine from KhukuriHouseOnline...It's the Jungle model -
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Nice knife and kukri pics. Thanks.

I think that one of the things that caught my fancy in those earlier photos was the fact that the coating had been polished off the blade. Didn't really notice that at first glance. I like to see good honest steel.
 
Cold Steel Trail Master is a nice choice. If you wanted to resolve some of the issues with it discussed here and move into the semi-custom mod category, you could have the following done (Justin of Ranger knives has been known to do this work, and do it well at a reasonable price): Take the Kraton off, and replace it with Micarta or G10 slabs. File down the top of the guard and remove the weld to the tang (no real need with heavier slabs). Ka-boom, semi-custom knife with all the trimmings of a Trail Master.
 
Wow. I would not have suspected the corrosion problem on the tang as shown in that britishblades link. And the tang seems kinda small. It steps down suddenly in size from a wide blade. The customized version looks beautiful though.
 
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