Heavy +10 Battle axe or Butcher knife

[Ribbit]

I'm new the Dark Souls franchise and i'm having some trouble deciding on weapons and such now i really like dual handing the Battle Axe but i've read about how it's not the best weapon in the game and should be swapped for something else, but if you like the move set use the Butcher knife
but i realized that it has higher damage at +10 heavy at the cost of a B level Parameter bonus, which isn't terrible. So is a +10 Butcher Knife better or a +10 Heavy Battle Axe

Battle Axe: http://darksouls3.wiki.fextralife.com/Battle+Axe
Butcher Knife: http://darksouls3.wiki.fextralife.com/Butcher+Knife

P.S. I've also CONSIDERED the great machete, it's a bit slow to my liking though

[Jaago]

Great machete might be your best bet. If you play only pve then I'd guess the knife, since it's the fastest.

[baelrune]

personally i'd choose the knife, solid hits restore health while it generally won't give you all your health unless the guy lets you beat up on him it'll help save estus and help you trade

[Speed]

2-handed, 50 STR, Millwood Battle Axe has 505 AR, while Butcher Knife has 435.
2-handed, 66 STR, Millwood Battle Axe has 538 AR, while Butcher Knife has 466.
Either case, Millwood Battle Axe has 15% or more AR than the Butcher Knife.

Millwood Battle Axe has a funny(and useful) weapon art, while Butcher Knife has a nice reach and fast swing, both of them are good.

edit: note that my Millwood Battle Axe is infused with heavy gem.

[Lolimancer]

Best axes are heavy millwood battle axe or lightning buffed raw dragonslayer's axe.

And rather than battle axe or butcher knife i would use a heavy broadsword, it's faster, ar is almost the same, and you got stance skill.

[Aryend]

If you got the dlc heavy millwood axe is the way to go.

[Crucerne]

The butcher knife has the longest range out of all the small axes but it only scales with strength and can't be buffed. If you are going to invest in dexterity as well, you might as well go with the man serpent hatchet instead of the battle axe. It has the same scaling as the battle axe but has better range and goes through shields.

The butcher knife, man serpent hatchet, and milwood battle axe are probably the best ones in the small axes category. The winged knight twinaxes' damage is good if you can land the combos, but the range is poor.

[Ribbit]

Thank you all for your replies!
So right now i have a lot of points in strength and the butcher knife would look to be the best as i don't have any dlc so i can't get millwood

Originally posted by Et Ca Repha:

Best axes are heavy millwood battle axe or lightning buffed raw dragonslayer's axe.

And rather than battle axe or butcher knife i would use a heavy broadsword, it's faster, ar is almost the same, and you got stance skill.

I believe i have the broadsword so it could definetley be a possibility, it's just the whole stance thing that messes with me i've never been able to use it effectivley and the butcher knife gives even more health per hit when sharpened.
Thanks for all of your replies! any other tips to help with a butcher knife build would be greatly appeciated,

[Lolimancer]

If you like the hp regen you could also use a blessed caestus in off-hand+sun princess ring.