At the homestead one Saturday, I’d finally grown tired of the overgrown shrubbery in the front yard, and the time for trimming and clearing out weeds that didn’t belong there was long overdue. I let Layla out for supervision, then grabbed the Spetsnaz Survival Machete Chopper that I’ve been using for the past few weekends, which I’ve found very useful for most jobs around the yard involving cutting or digging vegetation.
About the Chopper
This Chopper was purpose-designed for the Russian Spetsnaz as a multi-purpose knife for cutting, chopping, sawing, pulling nails, hammering, and digging among other things. It’s overbuilt from 1080 high-carbon steel, weighing 2 pounds with a curved pommel, broad 10-inch blade, and ribs running along its spine. It’s a beast of a knife to handle but it gets the job done, almost no matter what the job is. The Spetsnaz used it over 40 years in every environment and operation and the knife proved to be equal to anything they threw at it, and warriors around the world still use it today. I’ve used it almost every weekend for two months now and I’ll say my shoulder doesn’t like it, the vegetation is scared of it, and I’ve added it to my work belt for use when I’m working and on the tractor.
You can find the Chopper here, at Swordis.
Back to the Shrubbery
The shrub trees in front of my house needed trimming, some weed types have been trying to overtake and choke them out, a good job for a saw and lopper normally but I thought it a great test for the Spetsnaz Survival Machete Chopper.
The first task was to get close to the shrub trees so I had to dig out some of the weeds. A few minutes of digging and trying to hack at the roots yielded success and I pulled the first of the weed trees out. Next, chopping away at lower branches so I can mow around the shrubs, easy stuff.
The end of the row was a different matter, there I had to use the ribs on the spine as a saw which worked well due to the branches being alive and wet. I’m not sure it would have been as easy had they been dead since the ribs aren’t really a saw. I’m guessing you can get a file and or grinder out and do some modifications to make the ribs more “saw like” if you wanted though.
More digging, chopping and finally the last errant tree to be removed was the largest of course when my shoulder was at its worst. I can’t blame my shoulder much, I did shatter it in three places last year so I’m still working it back into shape.
But attack the last “weed” I did and when it finally succumbed to my somewhat less than stellar efforts I had quite a pile of limbs, all courtesy of the Spetsnaz Chopper.
FINALLY, Ben Gay Time
I enjoy using this chopper, it’s a bit heavy but that lends well to it’s purpose, destruction. I’ve used it on pallets and vegetation with no problems and found it to be extremely durable and serviceable. The 1080 steel holds up well to the punishment I give it and sharpens up again when needed for it’s next use with no issues. It’s full name is a mouthful but the Spetsnaz Survival Machete Chopper Knife will serve you well if you need a good chopper.
Garfield out.
