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Cutting Through the Briar & Privet Quickly

I want a swedish brush axe now so I can clear brush and go Borq Borq Borq.....

But seriously I see fiskar has a 13" billhook saw combo thing. Looks pretty compact and versatile. Saw on one side little chopped on the other. Looks like could make quick work of some small brush..
Screenshot_20251002-073115.png
 
gcr0003 said:
I have used a Silky Pocketboy saw, and at times some fiskar pruners and they both have helped while hunting in different areas cutting through the thick stuff, making paths, cutting shooting lanes, bypassing limbs etc. I recently picked up some corona pruners to try and they have been great as well. While both are effective means of going through briars/privet/etc. they’re both fairly slow. At one point I had a cheap camilus one from Walmart. It was a thicker and shorter blade but it was an absolute laser beam if you needed to cut a quick path. Quick single swipes for multiple small limbs and vines and only a few quick hacks to get through significantly sized brush/sapplings privet etc. I’m tempted to get another one or at least something similarly effective at getting through stuff fast. It can be such a time suck with just snips. Recommendations? The one below is very similar to what I had. It’s somewhere between a large knife and a small machete and does well with quick short slashes.View attachment 121068

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Ontario Knife Company out of NY is my favorite for sturdy big blades that you’re going to abuse. I have a 13” machete and a 10” Bowie that would both be excellent for your application, $25 and $60 respectively when I bought them 10 years ago. Only had to sharpen them one time after countless batons through firewood and bushwhacking. I also use them to remove heads from rabbits and squirrels that I shoot. One or two chops is usually all I need. Great for splitting briskets and pelvic bones on deers too.
Cold Steel honorable mention.
 
DelaWhere_Arrow said:
Ontario Knife Company out of NY is my favorite for sturdy big blades that you’re going to abuse. I have a 13” machete and a 10” Bowie that would both be excellent for your application, $25 and $60 respectively when I bought them 10 years ago. Only had to sharpen them one time after countless batons through firewood and bushwhacking. I also use them to remove heads from rabbits and squirrels that I shoot. One or two chops is usually all I need. Great for splitting briskets and pelvic bones on deers too.
Cold Steel honorable mention.
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I could be wrong, but doesn't OKC make the K-Bar? I thought I remembered seeing that name on one of mine.
 
-CRASH said:
I could be wrong, but doesn't OKC make the K-Bar? I thought I remembered seeing that name on one of mine.
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Ka-Bar knives are made by Ka-Bar, Inc. which is a subsidiary of Cutco actually. OKC does make “marine” knives though and tactical style blades, which a lot of people just started calling the “Ontario ka-bar” kinda like every tissue is a Kleenex and every copy is a Xerox.
 
gcr0003 said:
I guess I should add that I am looking for something on the smaller side. I don’t need a full size machete, im not trying to cut shooting lanes nor walking paths, just small stuff in the way to keep myself moving and not tangled up. It would be something I can flick and keep moving. Even just swinging the pocketboy some cut through most small greenbriar and privet. Single snips at a time works fine but it’s slow and I’m there to scout and cover ground or hunt not prove how resilient I am against briar, thorn and weed :tearsofjoy:
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For a smallish option with only occasional use I would recommend the Cold Steel Bushman, I've abused one pretty heavily for 15 years and it's still easy to sharpen back to shaving sharp. The only downside is the straight steel handle is less than ideal for all day use, but 20-30 swings over a mile hike,no issue there. a paracord wrap on the handle may help significantly too.
 
gcr0003 said:
I have used a Silky Pocketboy saw, and at times some fiskar pruners and they both have helped while hunting in different areas cutting through the thick stuff, making paths, cutting shooting lanes, bypassing limbs etc. I recently picked up some corona pruners to try and they have been great as well. While both are effective means of going through briars/privet/etc. they’re both fairly slow. At one point I had a cheap camilus one from Walmart. It was a thicker and shorter blade but it was an absolute laser beam if you needed to cut a quick path. Quick single swipes for multiple small limbs and vines and only a few quick hacks to get through significantly sized brush/sapplings privet etc. I’m tempted to get another one or at least something similarly effective at getting through stuff fast. It can be such a time suck with just snips. Recommendations? The one below is very similar to what I had. It’s somewhere between a large knife and a small machete and does well with quick short slashes.View attachment 121068

Edited:
Click to expand...

Thats exactly what I use. Otherwise it's a gas powered hedge trimmer.
 
Maybe not the safest weapon but I feel pretty handy w/a corn knife, machette that was brought back from Haitti for me. Way quicker than a pair of trimmers.
 
krub6b said:
For a cheap machete I would look into Cold Steel. All kinds of styles available and their steel has always been good for the money IMO.
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the axis model jumped out at me immediately. compact, handy. looks good and you can dance to it.

i've used all sorts of stuff from snips to bushhogs. you do have to watch yourself with a full-sized machete, especially when you're tired and sweaty ... but then most of us already know that, lol.

i like the potential of the camillus posted above and a few other items mentioned. i don't get the utility of some of some of the bellied blades out there---for us here--- but maybe someone can educate me.

but i say again ---when ratchet pruners are in the mix ---florian, baby...
 
Interesting thread. I like all the different options. There's a main access path and old logging road I've thought to clear on the NWR; trees have fallen, yuapon and briars choking it out, etc. But it would make for easier access for my competition, too, so.....
 
mschultz373 said:
Interesting thread. I like all the different options. There's a main access path and old logging road I've thought to clear on the NWR; trees have fallen, yuapon and briars choking it out, etc. But it would make for easier access for my competition, too, so.....
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Start your entrance at an angle not easily noticed and/or don't start trimming till you're 15-20yds in.
 
I’m almost certainly doing it wrong. But after killing something like 100 75lb plus critters in all manner of vegetation and topography, it hasn’t crossed my mind to cut through a thicket with a tool.

I just go around, or I get thorns and torn up.

Out of curiosity, what percentage of your woods time is spent cutting through thicket?
 
Are you talking day of hunting needing to clear a path? Or setting up for season wacking a few paths in? If it's a once a year off season thing might as well rent a brush hog. If it's day of I stand by machete, I have the 16" version, cheap, strong, surprisingly good sheath for the $.
 
I've tried a lot of different tools for trail maintenance. Used to build and maintain single track for the local dirt bike club, and clearing out raspberry/blackberry cane was a pain. The gas powered weed wackers never did a great job, even with a brush blade, being heavy and awkward to swing for many hours. Finally settled on 3 hand tools as a combo, when I don't want or need to pack a chainsaw

1. Full-sized scythe. Was using it today to clear overgrown trail on a property I have permission to hunt. It's very light and cuts a wide swath. If you get the technique right the swing cuts and tosses the cut pieces off to the side in one smooth swing. Anything up to maybe a 1/4", though I have cut larger with it.
2. Fiskars compact snips...these are the two hand model and a bit over a foot long. Can easily cut up to about an inch thick. Live in a welding rod pouch on my belt for easy access.
3. Full-sized, non-folding Silky saw, in scabbard on belt. It's the Sugoi model I believe. Can easily do 6" wood fairly fast and have done almost a foot in diameter when I didn't have a chainsaw handy. Goes through 1-2" saplings in seconds.

I've found this combo takes the least effort, clears trail fast and isn't too tiring or heavy to use. Obviously for pre-hunt prep...not something I cart in when hunting.

For hunting, I have an ultralight saw with a Silky pull-saw blade on it in my pack...can do 6"easy with it. Use it for clearing shooting lanes when on a watch or hunting and need to clear a bit of stuff.

I have machetes, and a woodsman (like the billhook shown earlier), just found they took too much effort and weren't very efficient.

YMMV.
 
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