Speaking of Ka-Bars, this is the stainless version of the old Marine Combat or Mark 2. It handles light and while it can chop, it isn't really a chopper. It is one of those combat/utility knives that can do most everything a knife is supposed to do.

The sharpened swedge really ate up my baton while splittig wood with it. I beat on the knife pretty hard, but didn't see any damage.



The swedged point is good for sticking, and it did baton pretty well.

Ok, now this is a KNIFE! This heavyweight makes some of the others tested so far feel like fillet knives. 19 oz of 52-100 steel and a great handle, make this a real chopper. This is the Ratweiler.

This wood gave the others fits trying to split it. The RW makes it look easy!


This may well be my most powerful chopper in this review. It is heavier than even the Chopweiler. And it has that nice bowie clip point. I love this knife!
This knife can do it all. No brag, just facts. It makes work easy, and that makes survival easier, right?

One of the non-Busse made brands that impresses me is the Ranger RD series.
This is the RD7. It actually has an 8" blade. This knife will out chop the Becker BK-7 or the Ontario RAT-7. It is comparable to the Camp Tramp and SOD in chopping. It's a beast. Maybe not quite the chopper the Ratweiler is, it is no slouch. The handle is not the best, but surely not the worst.


This knife can baton with the best of them, and the clip point works well for drilling. The 5160 steel is pretty tough. I'd say the RD7 is a serious survival knife. No gimmicks. No nice fit or finish like the Bark Rivers. Just a hard working affordable knife.

Great job Vic!!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />

I have to agree on the Ratweiler. I picked up a first gen Ratweiler recently in a trade and I just love it. I figured it'd be similar to my Chopweiler, but there's just something about that Ratweiler. Right now it's become my favorite!!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />

Along with my DFLE, NMSFNO, SOD and........ <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

It has got to be the King Kong of this size knife review. I'm back from a little celebration in town. Let us continue.....

Now we have another combat knife that is usually considered to be a survival type knife, The Seal 2000 from SOG. As one might expect, it has a good strong point, to pass the Navy's point strength test.

This 1/4" thick knife did well splitting wood with the baton.

It also chopped surprisingly well. Maybe a bit better than the Ka-Bar.

And this is the best thrower so far today. Thunk, first try!

The zytel handle is not my favorite. Until I tried the Schrade knurled steel handle, I thought this was the worst for comfort. Navy seals are used to pain, though, so SOG copied a green pine cone for the handle design. But it is a rugged and tough knife with good balance and reasonably good cutting. It also passed the salt water immersion test, so this is a good choice for wet environments.

Nice, Vic. Enjoyed.

Next up is the Entrek Destroyer. This knife got a good review in Tactical Knives. I don't know why. Until I completely reground the edge it was a very disappointing chopper for its size. The handle is a bit small for me. With the thick 1/4" blade, it splits wood well enough.


It will even chop, now that I've reground the edge. It will do just a bit better than the narrower combat knives tested so far, but not up to the SOD, CW, RW or RD-7 performance.

I can't really recommend this knife when there are so many others in its price range that do better. It looks cool, but is a disappointment.

Here is a retro survival knife, a blast from the past. Mountain men and trappers carried knives like this from 1700s into the 1900s. It is the original "Camp Knife" design. And it still works.

Bark River's version is a joy to use. That wide convex ground blade is a superb chopper and splitter, right up there with the Ratweiler. This knife can chop, split kindling, skin, slice, and even do some more delicate notching and bushcraft. It has enought point for sticking and defense. It is superbly balanced. Its A2 steel is plenty tough for these tasks. This is the original prototype of all the camp type knives that followed, and it is a serious survival knife. BRKT got this one right and it is a great all-around knife.

This brings us to a modern version of the camp or survival knife, the British MOD-4 Survival knife. I don't care much for the balance on this one. The thick full tang puts too much weight in the handle for a chopper. It just doesn't feel right for some reason. The steel is soft for easy sharpening, a bit too soft. It dulls easily. It will chop, but for such a thick broad blade, I expected better. It is only marginally better than the Ka-Bar and SOG as a chopper.

Its thick blade does make it a good splitter.


But the point, if you can call it that, is pathetic. It bouced out of the log after a solid point first hit when I threw it.


But the knife is tough as nails, and it would be a realiable, if clunky, survival knife.

Now I know some of you have looked forward to me beating up and maybe even breaking this Chris Reeve Green Beret knife.I gave this one a good workout!
It chopped fairly well for this type knife.

I pounded it throught this hard maple. The swedged point chopped off my baton!


The tip of the baton went flying off, but I retrieved it for your viewing pleasure.

I got a bigger baton and hammered the S30V blade on through the log.

It took me three tries, but I finally stuck it. I thought the Seal 2000 threw better.

The GB survived it all just fine.

This brings us to the last two knives in the monster review, the Swamp Rat Chopweiler and the Busse SARsquatch CE.

As you might expect, the chopweiler is a heck of a chopper. That funny shaped handle just works for me. This is a serious survival knife.

And it is a splitting machine, just like the RW, CT, RD7 and SOD.
It has enough point to stick, but I like the clip point on the Ratweiler better.

At 17+ oz, its not all that heavy to carry around. I can't figure out why the Ratweiler is so much heavier, but it is.