Axe V parang V machete V kukri V leuku V bill hook (thanks Robbi)

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Dark Horse Dave

Full Member
Apr 5, 2007
1,739
71
Surrey / South West London
If you fancy looking into the parang / "survival tool" thing a bit deeper you may be interested in a series of Youtube videos, starting with this one:
[video=youtube;JiLhkH4o3R4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiLhkH4o3R4[/video]

They are done by a nice guy called Mark (Lupus on here), and may be a bit long, but contain plenty of good detail and real life applications for the various tools.
 

dwardo

Bushcrafter through and through
Aug 30, 2006
6,451
475
46
Nr Chester
Brambles are horrible to clear and the best tool I have used is one of the long handled slashers above.
The extra length handle is great for keeping your hands and arms well away from the thorny blighters. Nawt worse than a bramble whipping round on a shorter tool and covering you in thorns that take months to come out.
My bill hook is used a lot for splitting out full length bow staves and roughing out profiles.
I have taken just a hook to the woods camping and missed my axe, nothing beats the axe for processing firewood.
 

Samon

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 24, 2011
3,970
44
Britannia!


Machete!


I've played with them all and machetes are always my favourite.

They are the Mora's of the big tool world imo. Something like a £12 tramontina latin or bolo will cut, chop and hack well above it's weight and cost comapred to any of the other options, while still being packable in size unlike the hooked slashers.

Axes and billhooks are good at their jobs but slashing weeds and thick brambles they will suffer, particularly an axe.

Another option people often don't consider is the Cold steel Bushman knife, with the socketed handle. It's a light weight uber tough knife that can be transformed into a hard working weed/bush whacker with the addition of a longer handle/haft! (bottom right of the pic, the black one is the bushman).

You are welcome to borrow my bushman if you like, give it a beating and try it out. :)

In summary, a cheap machete or about "18 will be ideal.. imo.
 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,709
1,947
Mercia
It's densely packed thin (<1") branches - last time we tried with a chainsaw it clogged frequently (although it wasn't the worlds best chainsaw it has to be said.)

That thin a petrol hedgecutter might be more the mark - 1" is about the "crossover" for me - under an inch is hedgecutter territory
 

sargey

Mod
Mod
Member of Bushcraft UK Academy
Sep 11, 2003
2,695
8
cheltenham, glos
So thinking of getting a multipurpose big blade for hacking and slashing any pros and cons to the above? I have an axe already but note some folks still prefer axes to other options.

pm me your address and i'll post you a billhook for a play.....

cheers, and.
 

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