yeah, you'll be like "this thing can't chop" and just kind of whack it on the wood some and not really go your hardest. (even though you may not notice it)

(I'm pretty sure thats exactly what I just said anyway but <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />)

vox: now I can't wait to see the SARsquatch even more!

it's freaking killing me!
I really want one.

I have found my CW very technique dependant. I believe this comes from it having a lot of its mass out at the ends like a dumbell. I really noticed this while dropping some 6" trees that were growing right where I plan to build, back to back with a DFCG, YH and Browning. The CW responded best to fair bit of flick and a strike out near the tip. At its best if could stay with the DFCG, but it was also easy to fall behind.

I figure this comes from its high rotational moment of inertia which I checked by measuring the period of oscillation of a CW and a FFFBM free swinging from each of their handle rivets. Averaged over ten swings the CW got 1.29, 0.84 and 0.85 seconds from front to back whereas the FFFBM got 1.09, 0.93 and 0.95 seconds. This makes the ideal point of impact with the FFFBM with the blade moving in a dead straight line something like 9.5" from your index finger holding it hard up against the front guard or 8.5" from your index finger with a two finger grip on the butt of the blade. Not hard in either case. The CW would be just off the tip of the blade in a normal grip and only 7" from your grip if you are just holding the butt of the handle. This is a dramatic movement which makes it easy to miss getting the best out of your swing. It also means that you need a certain amount of spin or flick to bring that ideal impact point back to the tip of the blade if you are holding it towards the front of the handle. But when you do, it can really bite deep right out near the tip and transfer all the energy it has.

This is dead opposite to the Browning for instance which is light at both ends and I find has a center of impact much nearer the handle. Hence I find it takes about a third longer to chop hardwood than a DFCG or the CW at its best, although it is still my most used for clearing brush and vines.

The heavy rounded butt to the CW handle, acting like a swords pommel, combined with a CoG near to the front finger is also what I think gives it such a satisfying feeling just to spin in the hand to a variety of grips where it slams home with conviction but still feels easy to spin. I won't be letting mine go anytime soon.

I think the machete flicking technique might come more into play when I do the comparo with free-standing saplings and palmettos. The Chopweiler is quite effective in that mode. This was just straight on chopping against a block with a hammer grip. I'm not selling my chopweiler either!

that's valuable info, sand man.

vic, get back out there and use the extended stopper grip on your CW.

Ha! It is too dark now. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Good to hear the Sarsquatch doing well. I may try and score one at for the gannzzaa. I'm going to a Busse meet today (my first one) and there will be a chopping table and plenty of SARSq and other kins knives. I'll take a lot of pictures.

I saw a CT in the BF exchange. In tan too! But it was pricey.

I figured just from seeing the pictures of it that it would be a chopper.

Along that line of thinking, I've offered to Horn Dog to let him borrow my Battle Rat to do a chop-test/comparison. I think that it would be good to have a direct comparison done (with results) between the larger choppers.

+1!!! Very cool indeed! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

This is getting better and better! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Yes, so much testing to do......thank God I now have plenty of wood. What I really want to do after the 7" chop-off is a wide open no holds barred machete-golock-kukri-bowie chop-off. First the machetes, then the goloks and kukris, then the big bowies. Then the winners in each category in a final chop off. This would be straight chopping only, no overall evaluation. I have no idea which blade would win.