Recommendation? Please recommend a 7–8" blade for light chopping of wood

not so dull said:
Budget? Let's say $100.
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IMO the best choppers are convex grind. Knives like the San Mai III Trail Master and Recon Scout or Falkniven A2 and larger Northern Lights are examples. Bark River I believe offers 7" + convex blades. But these are all well above your budget. Even well regarded non-convrex like the BK-7 is above it.
If price is the issue I'd suggest the Ontario SP1.
 
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not so dull said:
I have quite a few knives I use periodically and interchangeably when going to the woods, but none of them is 100% adequate.
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Here’s some advice from someone who, like yourself, uses chopping blades outdoors.

In my opinion, you have a pretty nice collection of outdoor survival knives. You don’t need anything immediately, and based on your collection, my experience and the expressed experiences of others on this forum, I think it’s likely that you’ll end up going the custom route eventually. Doing it now could both give you more satisfaction in the short term and save you money in the long run.

Someone above suggested selling a knife or two, and I support that, as well as just slowing down/saving up just a little, and consider lurking around in the subforum below:

For Sale: Fixed Blades

www.bladeforums.com www.bladeforums.com
 
Admittedly, I moved away from the $100 and under fixed blades after I bought my last BK16 (on sale years ago for about $65) - perhaps to my loss; but I feel it was the right choice for me.
As such, I've got nothing to offer...but if, as others have suggested, you find a way to increase your budget, I definitely have some thoughts.
 
Not exactly what the OP was asking about but recently I’ve come to appreciate a good hatchet for chopping. I have this one on the way, a Hultafors mini hatchet. Just under $100 and should be as easy to carry as a big knife. Going to take it for an upcoming 3 week bike tour, see how it does. I’m pairing it with a Mora for feathersticking and a SAK for all around camp use.

IMG_1115.jpeg
 
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rlewpolar said:
20240218_111039.jpg
Not exactly what the OP was asking about but recently I’ve come to appreciate a good hatchet for chopping. I have this one on the way, a Hultafors mini hatchet. Just under $100 and should be as easy to carry as a big knife. Going to take it for an upcoming 3 week bike tour, see how it does. I’m pairing it with a Mora for feathersticking and a SAK for all around camp use.

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That is a nice hatchet.20240218_111039.jpg
 
Skrama. Had the 240 for years. Just got the 200, which seems a little closer to your apparent wishes. Can’t say with any certainty what you really want, because the blue type you use is illegible against the black background I use. Anyway, the Skrama jumped out before I even read through your thread. It has a lot of fans, for good reason.
 
oldmanwilly said:
Out of curiosity, what kinds of wood will you be chopping?
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Hard (maple, etc.) and soft (pine, etc.). Both live and dry.

justjed said:
Cold Steel Survivalist. Bowie style blade, 8" of 52100 carbon steel, Teflon coated for corrosion resistance, integral guard and handle, nothing to break. Takes a good edge without much effort, holds it like a good carbon steel. Nothing not to like, except the sheath.
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Good idea! I looked at the description of this knife and there is nothing I don't like :D It'll be at the top of my list.

Crag the Brewer said:
SP53
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Good idea, thank you!
 
scdub said:
Here’s some advice from someone who, like yourself, uses chopping blades outdoors.
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Thank you so much for sharing your experience.

scdub said:
In my opinion, you have a pretty nice collection of outdoor survival knives. You don’t need anything immediately,
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I just crave a new knife the moment I unboxed the old one :D

scdub said:
based on your collection, my experience and the expressed experiences of others on this forum, I think it’s likely that you’ll end up going the custom route eventually.
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This is very, very likely!

scdub said:
Doing it now could both give you more satisfaction in the short term and save you money in the long run.

Someone above suggested selling a knife or two, and I support that, as well as just slowing down/saving up just a little, and consider lurking around in the subforum below:

For Sale: Fixed Blades

www.bladeforums.com www.bladeforums.com
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Thank you very much again for your advice. Yes, it is a wise idea to slow down and save up!
 
not so dull said:
I have to admit I've never heard about Skrama before. Interesting! I'll read up on it!
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They are truly awesome. Great steel that holds up well but easy to get hair-popping sharp, very comfortable handles, nice sheaths, and great prices. The 240 is my favorite blade when doing outdoor chores at my remote cabin because you can chop with it, use it as a draw knife, process firewood, make feathersticks, etc, and it is light enough that it works for more delicate work. The grip allows it to be more effective as a chopper than the blade length would suggest. Every time I use it I find myself amazed how my ugliest knife is one of my absolute favorites- it just works really well….. and I am amazed how inexpensive they are.

Best of luck with your search.
 
I have a question about Skrama 200/240.
It has two options, with a leather sheath and a simple plastic sheath.
Does the plastic sheath have kind of a loop to attach it to the belt? Or is it just a plastic cover, not a sheath?
So, is it a cover or a sheath?
Thanks...
 
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not so dull said:
I have question about Skrama 200/240.
It has two options, with a leather sheath and a simple plastic sheath.
Does the plastic sheath have kind of a loop to attach it to the belt? Or is it just a plastic cover, not a sheath?
So, is it a cover or a sheath?
Thanks...
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It is just a cover so there’s no belt attachment. It has a small bit of retention and maybe you could add a belt loop to it somewhat easily. The leather sheath they come with is really nice and it also has a plastic sheath under the leather so you won’t cut the leather and it has decent retention (plus a strap you can use for second point of retention.) Those leather sheaths are totally worth the price if you have it to swing imo. Great quality
 
Antonymous said:
It is just a cover so there’s no belt attachment. It has a small bit of retention and maybe you could add a belt loop to it somewhat easily. The leather sheath they come with is really nice and it also has a plastic sheath under the leather so you won’t cut the leather and it has decent retention (plus a strap you can use for second point of retention.) Those leather sheaths are totally worth the price if you have it to swing imo. Great quality
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To the OP, get both the sheath and the plastic cover. I find the plastic cover very useful when wanting just to throw the Skrama into a backpack or duffel bag and as the poster above said, the leather sheath is really impressive, especially for what they are asking for it. On one of my sheaths, I also ordered it with a piggyback plastic insert which allows you to carry one of the smaller Tereva knives (Skrama 80, etc) along with the Skrama 240.
 
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