The Real Deal; which is best?

[shortwinger]

The contestants are:



Top: The Nepalese Tracker
Middle: The TwoHawks Longhunter Tomahawk
Bottom: Nepalese BAS Kukri

Several years ago I began looking for an all-around tool that I could carry on a dirt bike, tractor or Polaris Ranger while working on a large wooded mountain property. I was tired of being an hour into it and getting stopped by a limb or tree blocking the trail. Many times when I had time to plan or remember I would carry a saw or chain-saw or an axe but lots of time I would have nothing. I started with several different hatchets, mostly store bought and they worked fine but I wanted something that also could work like a knife or machete when needed. I ordered the kukri and fell in love with it and since I have accumulated many different models. At some point I saw the Nepalese version of the Tracker and while I am not a fan of original Tracker (movie knife) I order this one but asked for a few modifications. I wanted a certain weight and handle and I didn’t like the saw tooth top so I had them X that out. Lastly I picked up the Longhunter hawk and since have added the WarBeast to the tomahawk collection. What these blades share is that they are all multi-role tools.

So my question is, which do you guys/gals think is the best overall tool?

For me it has changed over time but the one I go to most is the Tracker. Not the outcome I wanted, not what I planned and not what I would have guessed. The kukri is still a favorite and as a matter of fact I just used it a few minutes ago but for sustained work the Tracker works a little better at most tasks. As for the hawk, I have been using it more and more to get used to it but it could never hope to compete with the others in the knife role and to be honest, blow for blow it may even lack in the sustained chopping role. All chop well but the Tracker and the hawk edge out the kukri in pack ability. The Tracker with its big belly edged out the rest in chopping, including bigger material such as 6”+ limbs or trees. It also seems to be more nimble when doing finer chopping, cutting and camp chores. The kukri can do it all but the harder curve in the spine takes some time to get used to [in the knife role] and many never get to like it.

So for me, if I had to get dropped out in the middle of nowhere and could only take one of the blades mentioned it would be the Tracker or kukri. The Tracker edges out the kukri not only for the reasons mentioned above but also because it is full tang and if the handle fails it could be used without missing a beat. The rat-tail tang of the kukri would make it very hard to use or fix.

(I do have to add this, I do have other models of kukri that would beat the Tracker hands down in this test but in this case the Tracker does just edge out the BAS model.)

 

[killa_concept]

I've just found the whole "one tool for everything" mentality to be silly as I don't see any scenario where-in I'd actually have to do that (not talking a survival situation. If you ever found yourself in one of those, you'll just have to make due with what you have and any tool you happen to be carrying should be counted as a blessing). If we're being realistic, it really just comes down to thinking "what do I need for this outing?" and packing accordingly. Generally a 25-28" handled axe will do more than enough wood processing than I'd ever need and it can be strapped to a pack easily enough. A 24" collapsible bucksaw compliments the axe well, weighs next to nothing, packs well and is insanely efficient. As for a large knife, I can't really say I've found too many uses. I've brought along a bolo on an extended camping trip once before and it literally just sat in my pack the whole time. I loved the tool in the Philippines, but right now I don't live in a jungle and don't have to deal with bamboo, vines or any thin, elasticy vegetation where a large, thin knife really shines.

I also own a number of kukris and honestly, they're just too much of a jack-of-all-trades tool for my tastes so I've moved away from them. They're one handed, so you can never get as much chopping power as a proper axe (my interpretation being 24"+ and 1.75+ lb head). They're also quite thick (at least the ones I own), so while they can still slice through thin, elasticy vegetation, they can never do it as well as a thin-bladed bolo or machete. Lastly, the shape makes them somewhat awkward to baton with when compared to a straight bladed knife. Obviously an axe would more optimal for splitting wood.

If weight were the issue, I could still take all of these and be under 5lbs:
25" GB Scandi 2lb 10 oz
18" OAL bolo 1lb 2 oz
24" collapsible bucksaw 14oz
Mora Classic 3oz
A total of 4lb 13oz and I can easily wrap them together and sling them onto my back if needed.

Lastly, I'd have to disagree on rat tail tangs being harder to improvise a handle for. Sure, you can wrap the handle of a full tang but that's not exactly optimal. If we're talking actual repair then a full tang is much more difficult to fix. I have multiple bolos and have made the handles for a couple. They're all rat tail and it's actually a very simple matter of heating up the tang in a fire and driving it into a small round of wood then shaping it to suit. If you didn't have another knife, I guess you could just as easily shape the handle with the knife before heating and driving the tang. I've also made handles for several small full tang knives and trust me when I say it's much more arduous a task and I couldn't see doing it without some actual tools..

 

[shortwinger]

Hey killa,

Sorry to hear you have moved away from the kukri, you probably have a pretty impressive collection!

As for this thread, it was more about my search for a specific tool for work, something I use almost every day for this and that. For me the kukri (or Tracker, which I really consider just another kukri) has really impressed me and much to my surprise has be the go to tool for the last three years. I keep adding other things in like light axes, heavy hatchets and tomahawks but it seems like every time I leave the black-top a kukri ends up with me. But this last year I must admit I have added the Longhunter tomahawk to the daily kit as well. They are light and very easy to pack but that long handle does help out with the hand fatigue that has plagued me since my CT operations. For me whatever tool I pick has to be able to do anything needed and while I agree that there are better tools than a kukri for almost every specific task, few do all the tasks I need well and it is there that the kukri and hawk have excelled for me.