Thursday, January 22, 2009

Riverwalker's Gear - The Corn Knife



One of the items that is a part of my survival gear is the corn knife. This corn knife is several ounces heavier than a standard machete but is better for clearing heavy brush and cutting down small trees. Corn knives have been around for a long time and, as the name suggests, were used extensively to clear corn stalks from farmer's fields.

The particular one I use has a 6 1/2 inch natural finish hardwood handle with a 15" tempered steel blade. This type of knife falls into the knife category of heavy machetes. This corn knife weighs approximately 18 ounces or just slightly more than a pound. Most standard machetes weigh slightly less at around 12 to 14ounces. The blade on a corn knife widens quite a bit towards the tip for maximum cutting and chopping power. This is ideal for those bigger jobs where you need the extra cutting power.

They are relatively inexpensive and the cost will generally be in the $10 to $12 range, They are a little heavier but are more practical to use than a standard machete when cutting heavy brush. This is due to the fact that most of the extra weight is in the actual blade itself. They are rugged enough that you can cut small diameter trees down fairly quickly with a minimum of effort. The blade on this type of corn knife is extremely sharp and holds an edge extremely well. They are also relatively easy to sharpen.

If you are looking for something that is a little heavier duty than the standard machete, this is the knife you may want to consider. It is a very handy tool and is well made.
Staying above the water line!
Riverwalker

10 comments:

HermitJim said...

Looks a lot like the "cane knife"...reckon they're cousins?

The nephew and I were just talking about getting some big knives like these, just in case!

Anonymous said...

Yeah, the heavy machete sold by Cold Steel is somewhere in that price range as well. They even make a longer axe handled version of this for brush hook work - blade a little thing for chopping and will get stuck if you really give a thick branch a good whack.

Another good model I'd consider is the SP8 machete by Spec Plus. Has a saw back, and a blunt pry bar front that is really useful.

Another winning post Riverwalker - you are on fire!

riverwalker said...

To: HermitJim

Pretty similar to the sugar cane knifes. I personally like the way these feel in my hand. Very comfortable to use. Thanks.

RW

riverwalker said...

To: anonymous 1:04

Thanks. I actually prefer this over the lighter machetes. I usually deal with some pretty thick brush and this corn knife works well for that. I also have a tendency to be a little hard on my equipment by pushing it to its limits inorder to get the job done faster. Thanks.

RW

Anonymous said...

A little extra heft to a blade can come in handy for the momentum it gives during the swing.

riverwalker said...

To: SurvivalTopics

Very true! These corn knifes work well for small timber to build a shelter or debri hut. Thanks.

RW

Whit Spurzon said...

I have a very similar blade that works very well until the temperature gets below 20* F. At that point chopping branches will turn or roll the edge.

It is my weapon of choice vs. Himalayan Blackberries.

riverwalker said...

To: Whit Spurzon

At 20 below, I'm going to be as close to a very good source of heat as I can find!

I use mine against poison ivy vines. They get as big as the grapevines around my neck of the woods! Thanks.

RW

Unknown said...

What do you use to sharpen this big guy? I am trying to find a cleaver sharpener and your blade is large enough that you might use a sharpener I could use. Any recommendations? Thanks!

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