Was wonderng what the collective wisdom is on a big, heavyish duty bushcraft chopper is; hatchet, machete type blade or billhook kind blade? This is assuming you already have a bushy and all other things being equal (price, quality etc).
Big Choppers!!!
- Thread starter TallMikeM
- Start date
I think I need a bit more information. Are you doing your bushcraft in the arctic, the jungle, the desert, mountains, temperate forest, local woodlot, or the backyard? Winter, spring, fall, or summer? How many days out? Canoeing, backpacking, horseback, skiing, snowshoeing, car camping? Will you be above treeline or below? 
Where is the button "all of the above"?
It all depends on what I am doing, how much weight I am willing to carry, location, weather, climate, vegetation type and what my latest toy is....
I have yet to aquire a Billhook - but I am at the "drooling over the pictures" stage of deciding which kind to get and or trying to find an old one cheap....
It all depends on what I am doing, how much weight I am willing to carry, location, weather, climate, vegetation type and what my latest toy is....
I have yet to aquire a Billhook - but I am at the "drooling over the pictures" stage of deciding which kind to get and or trying to find an old one cheap....
Never got on with machete's in the UK, having done some vegetation clearance against tall grass, bramble, rhododendron and the like just didn't get on with them.
A two handed yorkshire billhook is the first thing I reach for. The 9" straight edge provides serious chopping power especially with a two hand grip. It is heavy though.
http://www.woodsmithstore.co.uk/shop/Products/Tools/Billhooks/Product/Morris+Yorkshire+Billhook/
A two handed yorkshire billhook is the first thing I reach for. The 9" straight edge provides serious chopping power especially with a two hand grip. It is heavy though.
http://www.woodsmithstore.co.uk/shop/Products/Tools/Billhooks/Product/Morris+Yorkshire+Billhook/
uses? Well, for the bushcraft side of things it'll be UK/ Northern Europe/Northern US type terrain. It would be good to have a tool that'll be of use in the backgarden for chopping up kindling and the like (I already have a splitting axe and wedges for the big stuff). Also undergrowth clearance.
EDIT: jarod, some of them billhooks look nice. When you say they're heavy, how do they compare to a machete or hatchet?
EDIT: jarod, some of them billhooks look nice. When you say they're heavy, how do they compare to a machete or hatchet?
without a doubt the billhook is the king of bushwackers!
I've been dooing a lot of clearing work lately and I've been trying out a bunch of tools for a week solidly at a time, to see how they work. I've been through a kukri, a few axes, a couple of styels of billhook, a golok and a machete. The billhook was the most efficient cutter and the most controlable for more delcate operations.
As it happens, I've just sent off an article about my trials, focussing on the billhook, kukri ang golok
If you plan to use it primarily for bushcraft, go for a billhook without a huge hook. Something like a Bristol or Newtown pattern, the former has littl hook and the latter is a short and sudden hook. A Devon hook has a much longer and more pronounced hook that is very good for coppicing and the like, but is can get in the way a bit when using it for bushcraft.
I've been dooing a lot of clearing work lately and I've been trying out a bunch of tools for a week solidly at a time, to see how they work. I've been through a kukri, a few axes, a couple of styels of billhook, a golok and a machete. The billhook was the most efficient cutter and the most controlable for more delcate operations.
As it happens, I've just sent off an article about my trials, focussing on the billhook, kukri ang golok
If you plan to use it primarily for bushcraft, go for a billhook without a huge hook. Something like a Bristol or Newtown pattern, the former has littl hook and the latter is a short and sudden hook. A Devon hook has a much longer and more pronounced hook that is very good for coppicing and the like, but is can get in the way a bit when using it for bushcraft.
cheers Dave, gotta say there's something about the aesthetics of the billhook that appeal to the Englishman in me
Paganwolf
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
I use a 8 inch camp knife or a 7/8" leuku full tang knife plus a necker when on expedition type courses, for bushcraft I think this combo is a must when traveling light, my large knife is used for shelter building and heavy jobs while my small necker is used for carving and food prep etc, id reccomend this combo if you was going out doing it proper, it eleviates the real need for an axe and a saw. If you use a 3 inch utility knife then either an axe or saw is probably needed but again horses for courses, in the jungle a machete is king and in arctic conditions may be an axe, as in either place you are less likely to be sitting around whittling spoons etc but either coud be used to improvise one. And if you was put in a survival situation a big chopper rules over small as it is more utilitarian. As has been said before each situation has its own merits. Just my take on the question
SimonM
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Well, apart from the GB SFA and Mini the Marbles Hunter the No2 Golock the MOD knife and a selection of other axes.
I really love this little chap.
PLEASE tell me that isn't hanging in your lounge!
Bet it puts off door to door salemen though!
Simon
PLEASE tell me that isn't hanging in your lounge!
Bet it puts off door to door salemen though!
Simon
Of course it is, where else would you keep your prize chopper.
i'm not going to take that bait
though a friend of mine did try to scare a couple carrying a bible away once by displaying his chopper
though a friend of mine did try to scare a couple carrying a bible away once by displaying his chopper
Hmm.. for me it depends on the season..
Machete for Spring and Summer. Perfect for thin saplings and green brush. My Tomahawk usually bounces off of the bark of such a springy brush, but the thin machete slices right through.
Tomahawk (aka handaxe, or hatchet), is best when the weather is cold enough to shatter such thin steel. I've used it so far to chop through moose bones, split aspen, and cut up frozen saplings, to make shelters.
I've never used a Billhook, but I'm sure it'd be a good blade.. but I chose Handaxe, my rifleman's 'hawk does me well most of the time when I'm in the bush (fall and winter).
Machete for Spring and Summer. Perfect for thin saplings and green brush. My Tomahawk usually bounces off of the bark of such a springy brush, but the thin machete slices right through.
Tomahawk (aka handaxe, or hatchet), is best when the weather is cold enough to shatter such thin steel. I've used it so far to chop through moose bones, split aspen, and cut up frozen saplings, to make shelters.
I've never used a Billhook, but I'm sure it'd be a good blade.. but I chose Handaxe, my rifleman's 'hawk does me well most of the time when I'm in the bush (fall and winter).
I tend to have so many different tools that can do the job that I just take whatever suits me at the time! I went round to Scruffs' house the other night to pick up two cheap knives that he had put on an order from Ragnars', one is a triflex mora and the other is another mora but with a whopping great blade! It is thin but long, a broad blade and rather leuku-ish, I think. I want to see if it can compare in its' use. I chopped some seasoned wood last night, it pointed the stick off beautifully with three swipes!
Hi all,
I'm generally a Machete / Khukri guy, but I believe in using the right tool for the job at hand. Since most of my time is spent in a Jungle / Rain Forest enviroment a Machete makes more sense, but when I'm in open forest I use a SFA, same same, when I'm up in the alpine forests too. And always have my folding saw with me too....
Look here to see my small selection of choppers... : http://www.bushcraftuk.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=2584&cat=507
Cheers,
Karl...
I'm generally a Machete / Khukri guy, but I believe in using the right tool for the job at hand. Since most of my time is spent in a Jungle / Rain Forest enviroment a Machete makes more sense, but when I'm in open forest I use a SFA, same same, when I'm up in the alpine forests too. And always have my folding saw with me too....
Look here to see my small selection of choppers... : http://www.bushcraftuk.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=2584&cat=507
Cheers,
Karl...
We are having a snowstorm here today so I thought I'd have a go at posting in the forums.
For about the last 18mos or so I've been using a Martindale No.2. I have chopped many shelter sized poles,split kindling,and firewood up to about up to wrist thick or so.Different woods included white birch,seasoned white oak,maple,and white cedar.The No.2 has not failed yet,though I have replaced the canvas sheath w/ kydex.Different tasks have included chopping {of course},draw knife use,splitting wood{with baton}.
It has proved it's worth and is a good companion to my Bark River Aurora and my sak farmer.
For about the last 18mos or so I've been using a Martindale No.2. I have chopped many shelter sized poles,split kindling,and firewood up to about up to wrist thick or so.Different woods included white birch,seasoned white oak,maple,and white cedar.The No.2 has not failed yet,though I have replaced the canvas sheath w/ kydex.Different tasks have included chopping {of course},draw knife use,splitting wood{with baton}.
It has proved it's worth and is a good companion to my Bark River Aurora and my sak farmer.
Hey what about a leuko?
The Leuko has almost replaced my axe for general use now. Loads lighter and it battons though an amazing amount of stuff.
The Leuko has almost replaced my axe for general use now. Loads lighter and it battons though an amazing amount of stuff.
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