- Joined
- Jun 6, 2000
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- 3,625
Well after being told that a 15" overall 10" (blade) in CPM 10V would not have the strength to take a real pounding I can confirm that this knife performed with aplom in the field.
To recap it is a CPM10V knife of a spearpoint design made from just over 1/4 stock. It has black G10 handles and a leather sheath.
I used this knife in the wet yesterday. I used it to chop wood branches up to 3" thick and cut them up into managable sections. I used the knife to chop up a fallen hardwood branch which was at least 7" thick to get wood chipings and I striped it of its bark and made a large number of wood shavings from this thick branch to use as kindling. I then used the knife to chop some kind of vine/tree hugging growth to use as more fuel for the fire and cut some more dead wood on the floor (I was amazed with my first chop as the knife stuck right into the tree! Following chops were rather less forceful yet still chopped into the tree! This is one knife who's weight and edge require careful and gentle chops or you hurt the tree!). I was very easily able to quarter this wet wood and even the occasional dry thick section of wood. I also used the knife to chop downwards into a dead tree to strip bark from it to use as a cover for the kindling as it was raining. I made a full force chop at an angle of about 20 degrees and then used a branch to hammer the knife down the tree to create long strips of bark to use.
The tip proved immensly strong and would go 1" into a tree trunk with moderate force and stay put! I twisted it out a number of times with no sign of damage or any problems.
Even after using this knife to split and hammer through wood as well as shave, I was able to with medium force chops to cut 1" thick branches with a single swipe! With full force I could cut nearly 2" with no problems! I finished with using the knife to create feather sticks, which soon caused problems as the knife is to darn big for this! Ah well I went to the Starmate in the leather pouch!
Result? Fire lit, extra fuel provided by damp wood on floor, but dry wood gained by chopping wood logs with my Gerber Sport Axe (the knife would have done the job, but lets be honest an axe is faster than the best 10" knife...)
After all this, I was warm, then I lit the fire! No blisters on hands and no fatigue at all! I wiped the blade with water and a tissue to remove the marks and dirt. With no more thought I placed it in the sheath (which I soaked with Tuf-Glide weeks beforehand).
I examined the knife when I returned from the day and after another examination and proper wipe down with a cloth, no rust and no visable damage! After very close inspection I saw a small section of edge about 2mm long that was slightly dulled and showed as a section of light under the light bulb test. The rest of the blade was still shaving sharp! Several passes on the white sticks at 20 degree per side and about 15 passes on a strop with chrome polish and the blade is 100% perfect again!
CONCLUSION
CPM10V from Doug Mondt, heat treated by Paul Bos is not weak in any way shape or form. I finished the test by doing some light chops with my Spyderco Starmate (CPM 440V) into some wood and the edge is very noticably impacted and dulled (not chipped, just rolled and dulled).
If this edge held up this well with a full days use, I would imagine in the field it would hold up to a weeks use with little problem and still function. I was harder than I would ever be with my main knife to prove to myself it is a knife I can realy trust to prove its worth its weight and cost. As far as I am concerned this knife passed my expecations and tests with flying colours. I honestly think the only problem I will have with this knife is rust, thus I will carry a Tuf Cloth and have soaked the sheath in Tuf Glide. No problems as of yet. Another concern I had was with ease of sharpening, which was very very easy! None of the CPM 440V habits! What a relief! Finaly the concern of toughness was proven in this knife to be a fable. Perhaps if I started chopping steel bars or nails, then it might prove a problem? I realise this is possible when cutting wood, but all I can say is this edge held up far better than I expected and I am very happy with my first Custom knife.
Thanks Doug for getting me the knife and sheath (I in perticular wanted a holder for my AA Mag-Lite and pouch for my Leatherman S T) I wanted. Doug made it simple and very elementry to get exactly what I wanted in a knife, while at the same time enhancing my ideas with a true mastery of knife producion! Well thats my opinion and I stand by it!
Cheers!
To recap it is a CPM10V knife of a spearpoint design made from just over 1/4 stock. It has black G10 handles and a leather sheath.
I used this knife in the wet yesterday. I used it to chop wood branches up to 3" thick and cut them up into managable sections. I used the knife to chop up a fallen hardwood branch which was at least 7" thick to get wood chipings and I striped it of its bark and made a large number of wood shavings from this thick branch to use as kindling. I then used the knife to chop some kind of vine/tree hugging growth to use as more fuel for the fire and cut some more dead wood on the floor (I was amazed with my first chop as the knife stuck right into the tree! Following chops were rather less forceful yet still chopped into the tree! This is one knife who's weight and edge require careful and gentle chops or you hurt the tree!). I was very easily able to quarter this wet wood and even the occasional dry thick section of wood. I also used the knife to chop downwards into a dead tree to strip bark from it to use as a cover for the kindling as it was raining. I made a full force chop at an angle of about 20 degrees and then used a branch to hammer the knife down the tree to create long strips of bark to use.
The tip proved immensly strong and would go 1" into a tree trunk with moderate force and stay put! I twisted it out a number of times with no sign of damage or any problems.
Even after using this knife to split and hammer through wood as well as shave, I was able to with medium force chops to cut 1" thick branches with a single swipe! With full force I could cut nearly 2" with no problems! I finished with using the knife to create feather sticks, which soon caused problems as the knife is to darn big for this! Ah well I went to the Starmate in the leather pouch!
Result? Fire lit, extra fuel provided by damp wood on floor, but dry wood gained by chopping wood logs with my Gerber Sport Axe (the knife would have done the job, but lets be honest an axe is faster than the best 10" knife...)
After all this, I was warm, then I lit the fire! No blisters on hands and no fatigue at all! I wiped the blade with water and a tissue to remove the marks and dirt. With no more thought I placed it in the sheath (which I soaked with Tuf-Glide weeks beforehand).
I examined the knife when I returned from the day and after another examination and proper wipe down with a cloth, no rust and no visable damage! After very close inspection I saw a small section of edge about 2mm long that was slightly dulled and showed as a section of light under the light bulb test. The rest of the blade was still shaving sharp! Several passes on the white sticks at 20 degree per side and about 15 passes on a strop with chrome polish and the blade is 100% perfect again!
CONCLUSION
CPM10V from Doug Mondt, heat treated by Paul Bos is not weak in any way shape or form. I finished the test by doing some light chops with my Spyderco Starmate (CPM 440V) into some wood and the edge is very noticably impacted and dulled (not chipped, just rolled and dulled).
If this edge held up this well with a full days use, I would imagine in the field it would hold up to a weeks use with little problem and still function. I was harder than I would ever be with my main knife to prove to myself it is a knife I can realy trust to prove its worth its weight and cost. As far as I am concerned this knife passed my expecations and tests with flying colours. I honestly think the only problem I will have with this knife is rust, thus I will carry a Tuf Cloth and have soaked the sheath in Tuf Glide. No problems as of yet. Another concern I had was with ease of sharpening, which was very very easy! None of the CPM 440V habits! What a relief! Finaly the concern of toughness was proven in this knife to be a fable. Perhaps if I started chopping steel bars or nails, then it might prove a problem? I realise this is possible when cutting wood, but all I can say is this edge held up far better than I expected and I am very happy with my first Custom knife.
Thanks Doug for getting me the knife and sheath (I in perticular wanted a holder for my AA Mag-Lite and pouch for my Leatherman S T) I wanted. Doug made it simple and very elementry to get exactly what I wanted in a knife, while at the same time enhancing my ideas with a true mastery of knife producion! Well thats my opinion and I stand by it!
Cheers!
