Why do we need a 'chopper'?

I went out this weekend and with my SAK super tinker, or delux tinker(forget which it is) was able to cut through 1.5" limbs and sapplings very easily. I've heard many people talk about how a 'chopper' is a necesary survival tool, can someone tell me why people want such a heavy knife?

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"Dream as if you'll live forever, Live as if you'll die today"
-- James Dean
 
A

atc

Joined
Sep 19, 2000
Messages
98
A chopper isn't absolutly necessary,particularly in a backpacking situation where every ounce counts...but a good heavy knife can chop,split,dig,pry and generally work a lot harder. A quality khukuri like those from Himalayan Imports would be my choice. not necessary to survive maybe but definately makes life a lot easier around camp.also replaces your hatchet and is far more versatile. Busse "E" handles are also excellent choppers for about three times the $.
 
Because it allows us to spend more money on knives
smile.gif

 
A chopper can save time and energy. This can be important if you are busy with some other primary activity like hunting or trekking long distances. It is less important if you are idling around camp looking for something to do. If bad weather or other misfortune comes upon you suddenly, time and energy may be in short supply. Your chopper may allow you to quickly build an emergency lean-to or stretcher. I like to carry a small hatchet, but when I'm without I'll always have an SAK.
 
It's a question of reach. A large knife let's you cut through the rough while avoiding the worst of the bramble. Yes, I could cut through it with a SAK, but, I wouldn't want to.

A good SAK and machete can meet 99% of your needs for under $100.00.

[This message has been edited by not2sharp (edited 09-26-2000).]
 
Scouter27,

I agree with you that the saw on an SAK (Victorinox) is a very good one. I once used it to saw into managable pieces a 2" thick topical harwood sidepiece of a boat. I found it at the beach partly covered with sand.
This really stretched the capability of the saw on my SAK but it did the job, only about 1/2" of saw was left outside the wood.

Just last Friday I collected from a forest some wood for the fireplace and it consisted of leftovers of some very old cut down beech trees. The branches had dried for a couple of months and I wasn't allowed to use a chain saw in the woods.
I used a Martindale Jungle knife with a 12" cutting edge and cut through branches up to 4-5" thick.
It did the job, although a chainsaw would have worked 1000% faster.

I think that with that Martindale machete and a SAK (preferably one of the larger ones with locking blade) one could go a long way "surviving".

Cheers from Holland,

Bagheera

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Bagheera, I don't have one with a saw. I just bend the branches and push the blade through. By the end, it didn't shave anymore, but was still very sharp.

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"Dream as if you'll live forever, Live as if you'll die today"
-- James Dean
 
I was camping in the olympic rainforest in WA. with my wife during 4th of july. It rained the whole 3-4 days my wife wanted to leave early. all the wood in the area was soaked so I got out my busse steel heart 2 and started hacking all the wet parts off the log until I came to dry wood. then I made some shavings and started a fire with some magnesium sparks. once the fire was started I hacked some more wet parts off the logs and then the fire was really going I was able to encircle the fire with wet logs to dry by the fire. This all was done in a steady rain. Later on my wife was very happy to have warmed her feet on the fire.

I have also been in other situations where it was necessary to have a large knife.




[This message has been edited by chrisaloia (edited 09-27-2000).]
 
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