For hiking, I would chose the lightest of the three which is probably the Battle rat. For a BOB, combag grade Dogfather, tough as hell, chopping, prying, it will do it all and look at you like "is this all you got?" If you don't mind carrying the little extra weight of the CG Dogfather on hiking trips, he is a good choice.

I havn't handled any of the three, but I would say the DF CG or DF LE would work better because of the extra length and weight for chopping and batoning.

I really like the look of the DF LE.

DFCG for me.

hmmm. okay
I guess experience wins in this situation.
but I know scrapyards are the easiest knives to sharpened I've ever had.
and since someone mentioned the swamprat being at 62-64 rc I kind of made an educated guess.
<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

I have a DFCG and DFLE. I do not have a Battle Rat, so I cannot compare. I'd take the DFLE over the DFCG. The LE is more versatile and it chops just fine. It is fast in the hand, so it could serve as a weapon or as a machete better than the heavier CG model, imo.

I voted for the DFCG because that is what I own and I like it!! never held the others..

I have all three, and you would be fine with any of them! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> However, if I had to pick only one, I agree with Horn Dog and would choose the DogFather LE. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I only have the DFCG.. While any of the three would be fine (great), I think the DFCG is tougher than the BR (sr77 instead of sr101 and the DFCG has more steel in the handle than the BR) and more corrosion proof than the LE, so would get my vote..

I have the BR and the DFLE.

The BR and DFLE feel VERY similar in the hand to me.

The DFLE is a full height flat grind to a thicker spine vs. the BR is a sabre grind to a slightly thinner spine.

The only real advantage the DFCG could really have is more weight for more power in each swing. But, both the BR and the DFLE have plenty of power and good balance. More weight and more power might allow for fewer number of swing to cut through some materials. But, conversely, more weight will eventually lead to slower and less swings per minute. So, end results and work achieved would likely depend on what you are chopping and for how long.

I voted for the BR because of slightly better edge qualities. But, for a chopper, SR-77 is plenty good in my book.

Both SR-77 and SR-101 are PLENTY strong/tough for my chopping uses. For those who want to pry open tanks, the DFCG might have some advantages. Or you can buy a pry-bar for cheap and use your knife for cutting stuff. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

In hind sight, I probably should have voted for the DFLE as it was already satin - therefore a MUCH better bang for the buck - for my preferences.
And for chopping, as I chop, it is really mostly a wash between the BR and the DFLE anyway.

But, my BR has been satin for so long, I temporarily forgot I had to strip it and work on it for so long to make it satin. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" />

I would probably change my vote, but I don't know how.

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PK,
since you have all three,can you tell someting about how DFLE and BR compare?
Feeling in the hand,etc.
I often asked myself how these two compare,but got just the DFLE.

Greetings,Alex

P.S.:just noticed KnifeGuy's answered my question already))
Does the DFLE feel so much heavier than the BR?I wouldn't have thought that .

I've had a Battle Rat in the shop before and if I remember correctly, the BR is made of slightly thinner stock. That would account for the weight difference.

The BR and the DFLE feel VERY similar in the hand.
- The balance point for both is exactly the same at the front edge of the choil.
- They are basically the same weight with practically identical Res-C grips.
- The DFLE has a thumb ramp and a square choil so slightly less comfortable with a choked up grip
- The DFLE has a taller blade