Short Machete

[JimStC]

Nem,
Where I grew up "whittling" meant making a piece of wood smaller. No figurines included.
Definitely a cultural dialect misunderstanding going on here.
Dayhiker is way beyond my concept of whittling. He is actually making something other than a spear or club:banghead:

 

[22-rimfire]

I suspect my idea of whittling closely mirrors JimStC's. I might well do something like Dayhiker did, but I would use a knife. But he is demonstrating that it can be done and I believe that, but it is not the tool for the job for most people.

 

[dayhiker]

But he is demonstrating that it can be done and I believe that, but it is not the tool for the job for most people.

You're right, it is not. But there are people out there who use big knives and machetes that can do things with them that would make me hang my head in shame.

I live in New England, axe country, so ya I can use an axe as a knife If I have too. It all boils down to picking the right tool for your environment. And learning to make it work beyond its "normal" functions.

 

[AStone]

^ Well said.

Part of my motivation for buying this big knife is simply to explore what it can do. I used a machete as a kid in the south, building forts with it in the woods. I've used axes and hatchets also, more in my adult years than big knives, mostly for chopping fire wood.

Now, with that experience, and other experiences with knives with 3" to 7" blades, I want to explore what this one can do, how it differs from hatchets, pros, cons, etc.

If I was chopping trees, or any wood bigger than 3" diam, I'd have a hatchet or ax with a saw.

But as stated in my OP, this one has far limited intentions. I'll see what else it can do, too.

 

[JimStC]

Went to the back part of my place today where I have a 225 yard rifle range. There is a locust tree about 12" diameter that had been used as a back stop. Finally the wind took it down. I'll harvest it for firewood.
Anyway I took my Ka Bar 1248 with me to get some limbs for whittling. What a cutting tool! It is a very effective tool. Several determined strikes and I have some limbs to whittle.... Very pleased

 

[AStone]

Jim, post some pics of you whittling with it!

 

[JimStC]

Nem,
I will. Just need to get my photographer (wife) to do the techinical stuff

 

[hso]

Wes Byrd and I were yakking with Mike Sastre at Blade (Mike and his wife could use some supportive energy sent their way) about big bowies and carrying them concealed. Mike did his standard trick of pulling a 10" bowie out of the waistband of his river river shorts (it is one of his favorite stunts to comfortably conceal a BIG bowie in shorts and T-shirt while listening to someone explain how it can't be done) and Wes recounted how Bill Bagwell skinned and dressed a mouse with one of his 12" bowies to demonstrate that if you know how you can use a big knife for fine work. If it was being told by anyone other than Wes I'd be skeptical of the accuracy, but in his case I take everything he says as fact.

Of course, as pointed out "can" and "can easily" are two different things. I have seen people actually use small axes and hatchets to do very fine work.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

hso I watched my dad skin out a squirrel with a BS Hatchet to show us boys it could be done. I have no doubt about what your friend can do with a Bowie.

 

[AStone]

I put the reviews of the Ontario SP 53 over [thread=666488]here[/thread].