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Here is a pic I just found comparing the Taz Rat and Chopweiler, to me you can see how the Chopweiler has been modded to make the Taz Rat.


By pitdog2010 at 2010-10-09

Your picture indicates that they're a lot closer in size than I thought they were -- The Taz Rat felt much more compact than the Chopweiler to me, perhaps because it has a more neutral weight distribution.

I think they are very close. I actually like the smooth rounded contours of the Chopweiler. That flare in the handle actually works very well when chopping.

I agree, I'd take the Chopweiler over the new one.

I think they are designed for totally different purposes, the Chopweiler is an all round camp/survival blade and the Taz Rat a Fighting/survival blade. I posted the pic just to show that (I believe)they are from the same blank.

HD - I love my new Chopweilers. They simply feel "right" to me. I'm excited about testing one of them, and after having satisfied my curiosity...pressing them into "go to survival knife" usage.

Joe Fowler - held both at KC, and bought two Chopweilers.

Pit, the pointed glass breaker on the Taz is longer than the end of the Chopweiler. This isn't too say that the Chopweiler blank isn't "longer" before they start grinding on it, but that I didn't feel they were the same while I was comparing them. I've been wrong before though - at least someone told me that ONCE <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

I've been studying the photo above, and can completely understand why Pit thinks its cut from a Chopweiler blank. This wasn't my impression at KC, but as I stated elsewhere....

1) I was totally overwhelmed by the shear volume of Busse steel laying around everywhere.

2) ...and this is important... It was so dark in the room we resorted to using flashlights to see what was available! Literally too dark to tell the color of certain items.

The last point has me second guessing my dismissal of Pit's point.

I also think the "melted edge treatment" on the Taz has clouded my judgment a little. I was impressed by this, and it contrasted sharply with the two Chopweilers I was carrying around.

ETA: IIRC, the spine of the Taz is rounded off. This is what I meant by "melted edge treatment".

Yep, that thick curved spine with rounded edges is ideal for batoning -- the picture that was posted over on Bladeforums had folks speculating that the spine might be sharpened as a band breaker, but it's not. Also, I didn't really consider it as a fighter, but the glass breaker/skull penetrating pommel might argue otherwise -- honestly, I could have lived without the spike, but it might really appeal to some. My preference would have been a flat pommel, angled to use for pounding tent-pegs. Perhaps they tried to create a design to appeal to multiple markets, but I looked at it as a survival knife -- it should work well in that role.

It appears that the Taz Rat is a more military version of the Chopweiler. It's not a bad looking knife. I'm a big fan of Swamp Rats of all kinds, even though I spend more time on this forum.

That is what has me wondering to, the pointed end. Like someone pointed out, a modification can be done if desired.