Choppers!!!

Dr Blazer

Dr Blazer

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Sep 7, 2018
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608
Slowly I've been putting together a decent mix of choppers to use, review, and do a big comparison/competition between them all. I'm moving into my van soon and I will need to chop up a lot of firewood for camping out at night. I figured, why not start a YouTube channel, film it, give my opinions on each, and then do a big comparison at the end. I know axes, hatchets, etc will do a better job at chopping but that's not the only thing that I will use them for.

So, I'm hoping you guys can give me some suggestions on some great choppers to buy. I pretty much want then to be somewhat common choppers like choppers by Condor, Busse & kin, Tops, Work Tuff Gear, etc. If there is a well priced competition chopper I'd be interested as well.

So far I have Tops El Choppo, Tops Cuma Kage, Tops Bestia, Work Tuff Apex, Work Tuff PWB9, Work Tuff Wilson, Work Tuff Grizzly, a Geidymens chopper (don't remember the name), a have several different Busses & Busse kin. I have a few other choppers that I can't remember right now.

I'd love to hear your recommendations.

Edit. I also forgot to say that my left arm is paralyzed so anything big enough that 2 hands are needed I won't be able to use.
 

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My three favorites are the Mini Duku, the Bushcraft and the Makara from Condor. The Golok would be fine with a higher convex grind.
 
Your El Chete will be your best one, would be my prediction.

One of my favorites is the Kabar Parangatan. It has the worst handle, but I put a Becker handle on it, and it's a laser now.
another favorite is the SYKCO 1311. It's the Best they made. Try to find one, or swap out what you have for one.

My favorite cheap, budget chopper/big knife is the SP53.
 
Just one suggestion: Get a decent quality hatchet as a basis for comparison; a control group, so to speak. The Fiskars one they sell at Home Depot is a good one and very inexpensive compared to these knives you're thinking about.

To me, a cheap machete and a cheap hatchet are better than one expensive chopper of a fixed blade knife, but I haven't messed with the big choppers much.
 
Drop bear said:
Skrama all day.
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Sorry for the late response, I've been extremely busy the last few days. Anyway, that's what everyone's been telling me for awhile now, so I still need to buy one of those. I saw they have the the 20th anniversary edition. I'd like to buy that one as well but will wait till I have more money before buying that if it's still available. I'd like to test out a few stainless steel choppers. I'd like to get the dpx heft 12 chop in both D2 and Sleipner to compare each other. I've had a buy order on knifecenter for awhile now on the Sleipner one. I'm going to start making shirt video review/views of all the little folders I have and then sell them. That should help me pay for all the other choppers. For now I'm still trying to put together a big list of all the choppers that I need to try. Luckily, the skrama is very well priced. Thank you for saying that, and I will buy one right now. I mean, they are so well priced that I might buy a Skrama 240 & and a200
 
ferider said:
You are pretty well equipped already :)

I suggest to trade in a couple against a CPK Behemoth(er).
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That was what I was hoping to get as a competition chopper. Everything they make is best there is in relation to the same knives from other makers. I've had a 3x kephart for about 4 years (back when they were a lot easier to get hahaha).
 
Drop bear said:
Cold steel do a competition chopper.
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I'll look into one of those as well. Maybe I'll try to get a few different competition choppers. I've wanted to try the CPK Behemoth but that's a bit pricy and hard to get. Not a competition chopper but I really wanted to buy a Busse MOAB but I couldn't afford that beast. But I'd love to swing that thing around.
 
kobold said:
My three favorites are the Mini Duku, the Bushcraft and the Makara from Condor. The Golok would be fine with a higher convex grind.
Click to expand...
Thank you for the recommendations. I'll definitely try to get at least one of them.
 
Crag the Brewer said:
Your El Chete will be your best one, would be my prediction.

One of my favorites is the Kabar Parangatan. It has the worst handle, but I put a Becker handle on it, and it's a laser now.
another favorite is the SYKCO 1311. It's the Best they made. Try to find one, or swap out what you have for one.

My favorite cheap, budget chopper/big knife is the SP53.
Click to expand...


Thank you for the suggestions. I've been trying to get a 1311 for awhile now. Whenever I see one for sale on here someone manages to great me to it.
I've been hoping to find a Kabar Parangtang. I've been thinking about buying a Condor Parang Machete (17.5") because I want to buy 3 or 4 Condors to add to the mix. Maybe I'll buy an Ontario SP53 and like to get choppers from many different makers/companies.
Thanks
 
Smaug said:
Just one suggestion: Get a decent quality hatchet as a basis for comparison; a control group, so to speak. The Fiskars one they sell at Home Depot is a good one and very inexpensive compared to these knives you're thinking about.

To me, a cheap machete and a cheap hatchet are better than one expensive chopper of a fixed blade knife, but I haven't messed with the big choppers much.
Click to expand...
I'm doing the chopper thing just for fun and to see and compare how well they'll chop. I know that a hatchet or axe will always do better. A lot of time a hammer/mallet and wedge is all I need to break down some kindling and firewood. I have an Estwing my father gave me 30 years ago that I use when I really need to make kindling and chop firewood. I also have been using an Estwing Fireside Friend to break down firewood for a long time. I have that in my van now. I actually bought a new special edition Estwing Fireside Friend and have my good old blue hammer grip one to my nephew.
 
fishface5 said:
You should throw a kuhkri into the mix!
But
Chopping firewood is really a job for an axe.
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I have a cheap cold steel kuhkri that I'll be using. Chopping firewood is not the only thing I'll be using the choppers for.
 
Dr Blazer said:
Thank you for the recommendations. I'll definitely try to get at least one of them.
Click to expand...

I just realized I didn't wrote the full name there - it's Bushraft Parang. Pic w/ the cat :-)

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