Which of these big knives should i get for outdoor use and bush clearing

Z

Zakkaery

Joined
Mar 27, 2016
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37
i guys I'm looking for a big fixed blade knife for some bush craft work, specifically clearing bushes and chopping and batoning. Right now i have narrowed it down to three options and would like your opinion which would be ideal and any other suggestions you might think would be a good fit.

So the contenders are
a Steel Will 230 Druid https://steelwillknives.com/our-knives/outdoor-series/druid-230.html ~124.47 cdn

Ka Bar Parang http://www.kabar.com/knives/detail/203 109.99 cdn

Condor Golok http://www.condortk.com/productos-detalle.php?producto=102&cat=73 86.73 cdn

Tops Machete 230 https://www.topsknives.com/machete-230 126.70 cdn

Any help is greatly appreciated
-Zakk
Edit 1: After some helpful recomendations I am no longer interested in the Buck Hoodlum and am now also thinking about the ka bar parangatang and esee junglas

Last Edit 2: Adding Tops machete and Condor Golok and removing the junglas (about $300 cdn) and the kershaw camp 18
 
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Steel Will

They look good and have good reviews.

Buck Hoodlum is a stupidly designed, laser-cut overpriced tacticlol knife.

The handle of th Kershaw looks like mallninja crap.


I strongly suggest one of these though...

Basic11s.jpg
 
Somewhere I read the Buck has broken at that notch. Pretty expensive too.
So I'd grab the Kershaw out of your choices.
Another suggestion would be a Ka-Bar Parang. I have one and use it clearing trails. Used it building a bridge last season. Batoned with the grain right through hardwood to make treads for the bridge. Pretty tough.
 
I don't know anything about the first one, but it may be the best option. The buck tends to break at the notch in the spine and I have broken a kershaw camp at the tang, due to the holes being a stress riser that the did not fix. I have another kershaw camp knife that I have not used, kinda afraid to, lol. Out of those three I would go with the one I have never owned which is the steel will. Sorry, not the best advice.

For that money, my choice would be this hands down
comp1a.600.jpg
 
DPC Which model are those Busses they look right up my alley? and what are the steel and length specs?
 
Barman1 said:
Somewhere I read the Buck has broken at that notch. Pretty expensive too.
So I'd grab the Kershaw out of your choices.
Another suggestion would be a Ka-Bar Parang. I have one and use it clearing trails. Used it building a bridge last season. Batoned with the grain right through hardwood to make treads for the bridge. Pretty tough.
Click to expand...

Sounds like a great recommendation to me. :thumbup:
 
The camp 18 is only $39 at Knifecenter and the one I have has held up pretty well in clearing brush and chopping, the handle feels good to me.

The Steel Will looks like a good knife but I've never handled one.

For a few more dollars than the Hoodlum you can get the Becker BK20, BK4 and BK5 package from Kabar's website and have all your bases covered. I believe if you call them direct, they will ship to Canada.
 
Is that the crowel/barker from Browning that is a mean chopper I would pick that for brush any day.
 
Cobalt that advice is helpful I would rather not buy a knife then have it break :D, also I usually stick to Canadian retailers (my work carries the buck and kershaw so I would get discount on top and Steel Will is on amazon.ca) and as for the steel wills i have some at work and they F&F is absolutely amazing i would recommend trying some out. But right now im leaning towards the druid for price reasons or the junglas as its seems perfect plus i love micarta
 
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Are you looking for a blade that simply functions well? Or a blade that functions while being bad@ss? A decent machete will do just about any slashing and chopping, thought won't function as well to baton. I'm a huge fan of the junglas. It's heavy enough to chop, yet balanced well for slashing. Another great option is the Becker bk9. If you like the machete option, check out some fiddleback machetes. Pricey, but fantastic blades.
 
Zakkaery said:
DPC Which model are those Busses they look right up my alley? and what are the steel and length specs?
Click to expand...

Busse Basic 11, INFI steel. 11 inches from handle to tip. VERY light for the size... 14.something oz and indestructible.

Dont let ebay prices scare you, lurk around for good deals here on the forums.

You may want to look at the ScrapYard 1311 too.
 
jaycooks1 said:
Is that the crowel/barker from Browning that is a mean chopper I would pick that for brush any day.
Click to expand...

yup and it is in the same price range as the others. The busses will cost a lot more. You can get the Junglas for about 190 ish. all great knives
 
I want something that functions well but also if it looks mean that's always a plus :D but yeah i was considering a machete for a while but definitely prefer a more slimmer blade, but i will give the fiddleback machetes a check out you never know they might be the ones and i don't have any experience with INFI steel but i do like trying out new steels definitely one of the most interesting things about collecting knives.
And 190ish Canadian or American
 
Which begs the question, what price range do you wanna stay in
 
The junglas is proof that a simple steel with an excellent heat treat can do everything you could ever need to do. The browning is 1084 steel so very similar and also has a great rep. But the sheath on the junglas is much better.
 
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