Used a brush hook or chainsaw in my younger years but switched to a Coos Bay Knife, a machete blade attached to a length of axe handle, and a boys axe, for trees. Feds had a length requirement so you wouldn't be into your legs.
The brush hook was almost unbreakable, could dig holes, chop trees and brush, and I believae the best all around tool for the working in the woods in a survey setting. You did have to spend time to keep them sharp.
Chainsaws allow you to go anywhere in the woods and gets more brush out of the way than any other tool. If you use a chainsaw buy a good quality one, stihl or huskey. The only problem is a saw only does one thing. A good chainsaw man is invaluable and will clear more line than 2 people using hand tools. He does all the heavy work so pay him accordingly.
The Coos Bay Knife is the best brush cutting tool I ever used. It wood cut brush like a hot knife threw butter. The only problem is the handle length allows it to reach the ground and rocks, which leads to chips in the blade and blade breakage.
Anything sharp will cut you. Take a break if you get tiered. When things get wet they get slick and your hands get soft and are easily cut or banged up. Always have gloves for the crew.
Stay safe out there.
As others have said, in the Pacific NW a machete is king when it comes to blackberries and other vines. I like my woodsman's pal for larger limbs. It is like a short, thick, wide and curved machete that gets some good momentum for cutting hard wood. Some times you just need to go with a little power. When I know I will be cutting a lot of line I break out the Stihl pole saw with a hedging head for seas of blackberries. For the big stuff I break out the chainsaw, if allowed on the site.
Merry Christmas
johnbo, post: 350492, member: 8695 wrote: Used a brush hook or chainsaw in my younger years but switched to a Coos Bay Knife.......
What is a Coos Bay Knife? i googled it and came up empty.
Thanks
Ken
Ken Salzmann, post: 350539, member: 398 wrote: What is a Coos Bay Knife? i googled it and came up empty.
Thanks
Ken
I thought it was just me....
I had a Bolo, back in the day; that was a nice knife....
Machete, small chain saw, ratcheting loppers.
We mainly use machetes. On occasion we will use loppers as needed, and if blackberries are really, REALLY thick we use the gas-powered trimmer.
Tried them all. Machetes are fine, but they don't have enough reach, and my arm gets sore shortly. Chain saw are good. But you have to haul them to use them, along with gas and oil, and if they don't run or the chain messes up every body is standing there looking at it. Ditch bank blades, aka brush hook, joe blade, k-blade, ect, have been my stand by for ever. One exception, I've stepped down to the 36 inch handle blade. The last few years I started using loppers more. Found that out by chance. I was working a ohp line survey with a couple of useless gents from the engineering firm I was working for. They couldn't cut squat with the brush hooks even thou they were trying to please me. At lunch looking out the window there was a home and garden center. I asked John if he had a company credit card. Yep! After lunch we went to the garden center to get them a pair of loppers. Back at the site they went to town clearing line. My thoughts are if it's bigger then what 3 whacks of the blade to down it, I'm going around it.
I can't use a machete. Heck I fixed a dining chair yesterday which involved some hammer work to tap it back together, it took some persuasion to get the chair back together (tight new dowel pins). Now I have pain under my right shoulder. I took one of the huge Ibuprofen pills they gave me when I strained my calf which is helping.
Coos Bay Knife is a machete blade attached to a length of axe handle. The name came from the town we got them from Coos Bay, Oregon. The machete handle is unriveted from the blade and bolted to an 18 ins. length of axe handle. A piece of metal, I think its called a blade guard, keeps brush from getting into your hand. The only problem was the axe handle allowed you to over stress the blade which made them prone to breakage. I don't know if they are still available but they look easy to make. It was the best brush cutting tool I ever used.
johnbo, post: 350651, member: 8695 wrote: Coos Bay Knife is a machete blade attached to a length of axe handle. The name came from the town we got them from Coos Bay, Oregon. The machete handle is unriveted from the blade and bolted to an 18 ins. length of axe handle. A piece of metal, I think its called a blade guard, keeps brush from getting into your hand. The only problem was the axe handle allowed you to over stress the blade which made them prone to breakage. I don't know if they are still available but they look easy to make. It was the best brush cutting tool I ever used.
Thanks for the explanation. Sounds like a good tool; a smaller, lighter version of the brush hook, but real sharp.
I used a brush hook for years, still do. Never liked a machete. I always have a pair of Felco pruners on my belt, which work great for clearing small stuff, or the discrete clip that lets you see through a residential area.
This summer I had to get through some dry, brittle shrubs that were interlaced with vines. The brush hook did it, but it was tough going, so I got some Fiskar ratchet loppers on Kent's recommendation and they are amazing.
Another tool I use sometimes, when in upland brush, is the Svandik axe. I know some hate it, but it works for light clearing, is not too heavy and rides on my belt. No good for phragmites and greenbriars, but in the woods it is great.
Different tools for different situations.
Ken
I too use the Felco pruners (riding on my belt) for 95% of my clearing line. They handle up to 1/2" limbs and brush one-handed. Depending on the species of the victim usually a second hand is needed to put some tension to allow for cutting up to around 1-1/2" diameter hardwood saplings and branches. A folding Felco saw generally handles most bigger obstructions and can make pretty quick work of them--they are quite sharp. For briars and multiflora rose, etc. a 1" x 1" a 4' hardwood lath's blunt end swung back and forth does a pretty decent job of beating them into enough submission to provide reasonable travel. The rose might require some further persuasion from the pruners.
In my early days it was always a machete. I never much cared for the sapling spears left behind -- they seemed like under the wrong circumstances someone could get hurt really bad. My right shoulder now would never tolerate that kind of activity.
Loppers and chainsaws get occasional use but it's been years since I picked up either. I probably should investigate a good set of loppers.
It's hard to beat the pruners and about once every year or two I replace the blade. The saws last for years usually. They are both quite easy to carry and have available all the time without needing to be carried by hand.
Pruners: http://www.felco.com/assets/pdf/FELCO%207_EN.pdf
Saw: http://www.felco.com/assets/pdf/FELCO%20600_EN.pdf
Licensed Land Surveyor
Finger Lakes Region, Upstate New York
I carry a Fiskars 18in geared loper, Ontario 22in machete, youth size double bit axe and an 18volt sawsall with a limb blade on my ATV.
A Harris, post: 350688, member: 81 wrote: an 18volt sawsall with a limb blade on my ATV
Interesting, never thought of that and was unaware of the limb blade
Licensed Land Surveyor
Finger Lakes Region, Upstate New York
dms330, post: 350705, member: 2118 wrote: Interesting, never thought of that and was unaware of the limb blade
Scrub and line cutting for me entire has been courtesy these.
The axe is an ex racing (chopping) axe.
The slash hooks are amazing tools. Will cut anything from ferns, blackberries any scrub our bush can throwthrow at us, including 6" small trees.
Obviously first one has done a fair bit of work and now put out to pasture.
Even the others are well worn.
(the adze and hammer are just accessories)
