Scrap Yard Discussion Forums

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 1 of 6 1 2 3 4 5 6
Chop Off: M9LE, BK-9, RD9, NMSFNO #290254 05/14/09 08:35 PM
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 14,586
Horn Dog Offline OP
Junk Yard Dog
OP Offline
Junk Yard Dog
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 14,586
I know, I promised a chop off today. The rest of my yard will just have to wait until I take care of THE YARD. Thunder is all around, but as you can see, my yard needs rain, bad.
[Linked Image from i173.photobucket.com]
So out to the chopping stump we go. Starting with three well-known 9" choppers, the Becker BK-9 Combat Bowie, Ranger RD9, and the new Swamp Rat M9LE. The Becker is 3/16" thick 0170-6C, the Ranger is 1/4" thick 5160, and the Swamp Rat is 1/4" thick SR101 or modified 52100 steel. The Becker and Ranger have micarta handles and the SR has G10 scales. You would be hard pressed to find three more similar choppers. The M9 has the thinnest scales of the three. I already knew that the Becker and Ranger were top notch choppers.
[Linked Image from i173.photobucket.com]
I found some good dead but not dry Red Bay for the test. I chopped 22 chops into the wood, starting with the BK-9. This a comfortable knife to chop with.
[Linked Image from i173.photobucket.com]
Next was the RD9 with 22 chops. It is also comfortable to chop with, but not as much so as the Becker.
[Linked Image from i173.photobucket.com]
Finally, it was the M9s turn.
[Linked Image from i173.photobucket.com]
All chopped closely, but the M9 went just a bit deeper than the Becker, followed by the Ranger. The difference separating them was only about 1/8".
I did a little light brush thinning with the M9 and its speed made it work well for a bowie. Not a golok, but not bad.
[Linked Image from i173.photobucket.com]
Then I remembered the Busse NMSFNO. But it is an 8" blade, not a 9".
[Linked Image from i173.photobucket.com]
It's a chopping beast with that full convex grind, and the heaviest knife here. It almost went all the way through in 22 chops. No contest.
[Linked Image from i173.photobucket.com]
[Linked Image from i173.photobucket.com]
So there it is. My NMSFNO will out chop my M9LE, definitively.
Here is how they ranked, but the bottom three are very close. For all practical purposes, the three bowies chop about the same.
[Linked Image from i173.photobucket.com]

Last edited by Horn Dog; 05/14/09 09:14 PM.

Horned, dangerous, and off my medication.
Post deleted by Private Klink [Re: Horn Dog] #290255 05/14/09 08:41 PM
A
Anonymous
Unregistered
Anonymous
Unregistered
A

Re: Chop Off: M9LE, BK-9, RD9, NMSFNO #290256 05/14/09 08:52 PM
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 4,103
RN Offline
Junk Yard Dog
Offline
Junk Yard Dog
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 4,103
I'm off this week and now my day is complete! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Cool as always- gotta say I thought the Rat was gonna knock the Busse of it's perch.

Wrong!


JYD #109
"I came here for the knives and stayed for the people."
Re: Chop Off: M9LE, BK-9, RD9, NMSFNO [Re: RN] #290257 05/14/09 09:10 PM
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 14,586
Horn Dog Offline OP
Junk Yard Dog
OP Offline
Junk Yard Dog
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 14,586
I decided not to baton. What's the point? They all can do it, and all it would do is further scratch up my M9LE. I also decided not to include the 10" DFLE. It's a 10" blade. I already know that the RD9 chops about as well. The DFLE is my favorite chopping bowie, but my old DF CG would out chop it, as will my FBM. I felt that the three 9" bowies were alike in size and purpose. I threw in the NMSFNO because several have mentioned comparing it to the M9LE. The M9LE is the "fastest" knife in this chop off. It is less blade heavy than the RD9 and BK-9. The balance point is right at the end of the scales, like the NMSFNO, but the M9 is much faster in the hand for some reason. Maybe it's the thinner point, I don't know, but the two knives feel very different.


Horned, dangerous, and off my medication.
Re: Chop Off: M9LE, BK-9, RD9, NMSFNO [Re: Horn Dog] #290258 05/14/09 09:17 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 18,009
Magnum22 Offline
Junk Yard Dog
Offline
Junk Yard Dog
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 18,009
wow...so now i have to get the NMSFNO?


JYD #7 Preserve the Yard.
Re: Chop Off: M9LE, BK-9, RD9, NMSFNO [Re: Magnum22] #290259 05/14/09 09:19 PM
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 14,586
Horn Dog Offline OP
Junk Yard Dog
OP Offline
Junk Yard Dog
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 14,586
Quote
wow...so now i have to get the NMSFNO?

Yes. You must. Hurry, like Sham Wow, they can't make that offer forever!


Horned, dangerous, and off my medication.
Re: Chop Off: M9LE, BK-9, RD9, NMSFNO [Re: Horn Dog] #290260 05/14/09 09:22 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 18,009
Magnum22 Offline
Junk Yard Dog
Offline
Junk Yard Dog
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 18,009
if only i'd seen this chopoff before they went out of stock.

can't blow any more on bowies right now anyway.


JYD #7 Preserve the Yard.
Re: Chop Off: M9LE, BK-9, RD9, NMSFNO [Re: Magnum22] #290261 05/14/09 09:29 PM
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 14,586
Horn Dog Offline OP
Junk Yard Dog
OP Offline
Junk Yard Dog
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 14,586
Chopping isn't everything. I still prefer the feel of the M9LE to the NMSFNO just like I prefer the DFLE to the DF CG. Besides, you have a FBM. That's a heck of a chopper. But for an 8" blade, the NMSFNO kicks some butt. If I had to have just one knife in the boonies to survive with, I think I'd pick the NMSFNO.


Horned, dangerous, and off my medication.
Re: Chop Off: M9LE, BK-9, RD9, NMSFNO [Re: Horn Dog] #290262 05/14/09 09:42 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 18,009
Magnum22 Offline
Junk Yard Dog
Offline
Junk Yard Dog
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 18,009
i expected you to pick the lighter M9 or DFLE.


JYD #7 Preserve the Yard.
Re: Chop Off: M9LE, BK-9, RD9, NMSFNO [Re: Magnum22] #290263 05/14/09 09:45 PM
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 14,586
Horn Dog Offline OP
Junk Yard Dog
OP Offline
Junk Yard Dog
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 14,586
Quote
i expected you to pick the lighter M9 or DFLE.

I'm sure they would do fine, especially in machete mode, but the NMSFNO is such a tank, it could handle anything.


Horned, dangerous, and off my medication.
Re: Chop Off: M9LE, BK-9, RD9, NMSFNO [Re: Horn Dog] #290264 05/14/09 10:17 PM
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 4,103
RN Offline
Junk Yard Dog
Offline
Junk Yard Dog
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 4,103
Was the M9 Horn Dog sharp?


JYD #109
"I came here for the knives and stayed for the people."
Re: Chop Off: M9LE, BK-9, RD9, NMSFNO [Re: RN] #290265 05/14/09 10:20 PM
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 14,586
Horn Dog Offline OP
Junk Yard Dog
OP Offline
Junk Yard Dog
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 14,586
Quote
Was the M9 Horn Dog sharp?

All of the knives were of comparable sharpness. I touched up the edge on the M9LE.


Horned, dangerous, and off my medication.
Page 1 of 6 1 2 3 4 5 6

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.3