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- Feb 4, 1999
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I was bored, so I did some chopping and stabbing tests ona block of woods comparing many knives of various types and sizes.
The tests: I only did three (Cliff Stamp I'm not). The first was stabbing the knives into a block of well-seasoned and very hard pine 4x4. I stabbed them straight in using a saber grip, and I guess I did the same with an icepick grip, but the results did not change. The other two tests were chopping tests. The first battery of tests featured a medium strength chop in the corner of the wood, so perpindicular to the grain. The second chopping test was on the end, with the blade entering the wood parallel to the grain. Needless to say, in general every knife chopped better with the grain.
The fixed blades used (customs and kits can be seen at my webpage): Spec-Plus Fighter Sp-10 (7" blade 1095 steel w/ hollow grind and clip point blade), Sean Perkins Seraph (4"OAL, 2" blade w/ Scythe Grind, A-2 tool steel, drop point), SEan Perkins Scaetha (A-2, Wharncliffe blade, 2" blade, 5" OAL, Scythe Grind), Simonich Custom Knives Cetan Tanto kit knife (ATS-34 American tanto, 3" blade, flat grind), Madpoet Custom Knives drop point hunter (4" drop point, D-2 steel, flat grind), Madpoet custom kit knife Chinese Utility Knife (4" blade, flat grind, traditional Chinese pattern, D-2, 5/32" thickness), Madpoet custom tanto #1 (Japanese tanto pattern, 6" blade, D-2, flat grind, 5/32"), Madpoet custom tanto #2 kit (6" blade, D-2, 5/32", flat grind, slight drop point). The Sean Perkins are both 1/4" and the two Madpoet tantos have slightly dropped points. The Tanto #1, Tanto #2, and CUK are based on drawings done by yours truly.
The folders used are Spyderco Calypso (4" blade, VG-10, flat grind, spear point), Spyderco Endura pre-'98 (4" blade, hollow grind, AUS-8, clip point?), Buck XL-Ti (4" blade 560+?, clip point, hollow grind).
Whew...next one'll have to have fewer knives in it! :-0
So, the basic results were the larger, heavier knives were better choppers. The best chopper from the fixed blades was the Tanto #2, followed by the CUK, then Tanto #1. The Madpoet did okay, but is too light for chopping. The Spec Plus did okay, but tended to glance off the edge and not bite in. The Cetan didn't do well at all, nor did the two Perkins, which were just too small to get much momentum. The Buck performed well, and the Endura performed as well as the 4th place fixed blade. The Calupso did pretty nicely, too, but it's cuts are so narrow and blade is so thin it would not hold up to chopping for very long.
In stabbing, The Spec-Plus came in first, although the Buck did well, the two tantos were right up there with the Spec-Plus, and most of the knives penetrated quite closely in depth to one another. The Perkins knives were the only ones I felt confident enough to pound into the wood, which they did with no damamge whatsoever!
Bottom line? I dunno. I was just having fun. Best all-around knife was probably the Tanto #2, followed by CUK. Of the folders the Endura and XlTi tied, and the Calypso did well but is a little fragile for this type of work. The knife I was least pleased with was the Cetan, but these tests were not really its forte. I've used it for everyday utility and it performs well. If I could choose three knives to be stuck in Timbuktu with, it would be my CUK, Tanto#2, and SP Scaetha. Are the conclusions fair? Probably not. Look to Cliff Stamp for really scientific testing!
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My Custom Kydex Sheath pagehttp://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/Lab/1298/knifehome.html
Palmer College of Chiropractic
On Two Wheels
The tests: I only did three (Cliff Stamp I'm not). The first was stabbing the knives into a block of well-seasoned and very hard pine 4x4. I stabbed them straight in using a saber grip, and I guess I did the same with an icepick grip, but the results did not change. The other two tests were chopping tests. The first battery of tests featured a medium strength chop in the corner of the wood, so perpindicular to the grain. The second chopping test was on the end, with the blade entering the wood parallel to the grain. Needless to say, in general every knife chopped better with the grain.
The fixed blades used (customs and kits can be seen at my webpage): Spec-Plus Fighter Sp-10 (7" blade 1095 steel w/ hollow grind and clip point blade), Sean Perkins Seraph (4"OAL, 2" blade w/ Scythe Grind, A-2 tool steel, drop point), SEan Perkins Scaetha (A-2, Wharncliffe blade, 2" blade, 5" OAL, Scythe Grind), Simonich Custom Knives Cetan Tanto kit knife (ATS-34 American tanto, 3" blade, flat grind), Madpoet Custom Knives drop point hunter (4" drop point, D-2 steel, flat grind), Madpoet custom kit knife Chinese Utility Knife (4" blade, flat grind, traditional Chinese pattern, D-2, 5/32" thickness), Madpoet custom tanto #1 (Japanese tanto pattern, 6" blade, D-2, flat grind, 5/32"), Madpoet custom tanto #2 kit (6" blade, D-2, 5/32", flat grind, slight drop point). The Sean Perkins are both 1/4" and the two Madpoet tantos have slightly dropped points. The Tanto #1, Tanto #2, and CUK are based on drawings done by yours truly.
The folders used are Spyderco Calypso (4" blade, VG-10, flat grind, spear point), Spyderco Endura pre-'98 (4" blade, hollow grind, AUS-8, clip point?), Buck XL-Ti (4" blade 560+?, clip point, hollow grind).
Whew...next one'll have to have fewer knives in it! :-0
So, the basic results were the larger, heavier knives were better choppers. The best chopper from the fixed blades was the Tanto #2, followed by the CUK, then Tanto #1. The Madpoet did okay, but is too light for chopping. The Spec Plus did okay, but tended to glance off the edge and not bite in. The Cetan didn't do well at all, nor did the two Perkins, which were just too small to get much momentum. The Buck performed well, and the Endura performed as well as the 4th place fixed blade. The Calupso did pretty nicely, too, but it's cuts are so narrow and blade is so thin it would not hold up to chopping for very long.
In stabbing, The Spec-Plus came in first, although the Buck did well, the two tantos were right up there with the Spec-Plus, and most of the knives penetrated quite closely in depth to one another. The Perkins knives were the only ones I felt confident enough to pound into the wood, which they did with no damamge whatsoever!
Bottom line? I dunno. I was just having fun. Best all-around knife was probably the Tanto #2, followed by CUK. Of the folders the Endura and XlTi tied, and the Calypso did well but is a little fragile for this type of work. The knife I was least pleased with was the Cetan, but these tests were not really its forte. I've used it for everyday utility and it performs well. If I could choose three knives to be stuck in Timbuktu with, it would be my CUK, Tanto#2, and SP Scaetha. Are the conclusions fair? Probably not. Look to Cliff Stamp for really scientific testing!
------------------
My Custom Kydex Sheath pagehttp://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/Lab/1298/knifehome.html
Palmer College of Chiropractic
On Two Wheels