FTR-14c
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- Jul 24, 2011
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This is a mini chopathon of a few knives in the ten inch range. I'm doing this mostly for fun and to get an idea of how each knife performs.
The idea is to count the number of swings it takes to reach a depth of two inches into a 2x4.
I did this a few years ago with several knives of various sizes. Because the specs were so different and I wanted to get a feel for each knife, I used controlled swings and let the weight of each blade do the work. This resulted in an exaggerated number of swings to hit the mark.
With these knives being so similar I used a bit more force but kept it as even and controlled as possible.
All blades started out shaving sharp cutting clean through Phone book paper.
These are the players:
Over all length, Blade length, Grind, Thickness, weight, Handle, Number of swings
RTAK II in 1095 - 16.75, 10.5, Flat, 3/16, 21.8oz, Modified, 16
Junglas in 1095 - 16.5, 10.375, Saber, 3/16", 22.5oz,Original,14
BWM in INFI - 16.25, 10.25, convex, 3/16",22.4oz, Modified, 14
GSO-10 in 3v - 15.5, 10, Saber, 3/16",20oz, Modified, 14
SP-53 in 5160 -15, 10, Saber,1/4",18.4oz, Original, 14
As you can see, no knife really had any advantage over another. I honestly expected there to be a wider margin between swings but there wasn't. They all performed about the same with the RTAK sticking a few times. It was the only blade that did stick.
Here are the knives with a few thoughts on each:
The RTAK has the thinnest grind and edge of all these. I'm guessing that is why I had a little trouble with the blade sticking. It is a good knife for the price and excels at medium to light vegetation. It is also a great camp knife. The handle is fine but a little large. I small bit of contouring does wonders. It remained very stable while swinging. They now are sold in 5160 which is said to be tougher than 1095.
The Junglas is an all around great knife. I didn't get a lot of use out of it before I gave it to my son but I can say the handle and sheath are fantastic. The high saber grind and slightly thicker edge should hold up under some hard use.
The Bushwhacker Mistress is pretty much a Junglas on steroids. The blade is full convexed and tapers down to a robust edge. Thin for Busse standards but still designed to take a beating. This knife felt the best right at the point of contact. It didn't want to deflect or bounce in the slightest. I did a little work on the handle to fit my personal grip. It felt a little tall in its original form. This BWM is fairly new to me but I did get a lot of use from a previous one I owned. This one is a keeper.
I really like the GSO-10... maybe because its different. Its a little more compact than the others but that spear point blade still packs a punch. The handle in its original form did not really fit my grip very well. The removable scales made it easy to add liners and with a little stock removal it now melts in my hand. I was lucky enough to get on the per-order list and got it for an incredible price. The sheath could be trimmed down some but it has a nice fit and is functional.
I feel that the SP-53 is probably the best bang for your buck in a severe duty heavy chopper. You can tell by the look of this knife that I beat the crap out of it. I have done some unmentionable things to this knife and it just laughs and asks for more. It splits wood considerably better than any of the above. The sheath is well made and I have zero complaints with the handle, it is very comfortable.
That is it for now. I may add some wood splitting and detail work down the road.
The idea is to count the number of swings it takes to reach a depth of two inches into a 2x4.
I did this a few years ago with several knives of various sizes. Because the specs were so different and I wanted to get a feel for each knife, I used controlled swings and let the weight of each blade do the work. This resulted in an exaggerated number of swings to hit the mark.
With these knives being so similar I used a bit more force but kept it as even and controlled as possible.
All blades started out shaving sharp cutting clean through Phone book paper.
These are the players:
Over all length, Blade length, Grind, Thickness, weight, Handle, Number of swings
RTAK II in 1095 - 16.75, 10.5, Flat, 3/16, 21.8oz, Modified, 16
Junglas in 1095 - 16.5, 10.375, Saber, 3/16", 22.5oz,Original,14
BWM in INFI - 16.25, 10.25, convex, 3/16",22.4oz, Modified, 14
GSO-10 in 3v - 15.5, 10, Saber, 3/16",20oz, Modified, 14
SP-53 in 5160 -15, 10, Saber,1/4",18.4oz, Original, 14
As you can see, no knife really had any advantage over another. I honestly expected there to be a wider margin between swings but there wasn't. They all performed about the same with the RTAK sticking a few times. It was the only blade that did stick.
Here are the knives with a few thoughts on each:
The RTAK has the thinnest grind and edge of all these. I'm guessing that is why I had a little trouble with the blade sticking. It is a good knife for the price and excels at medium to light vegetation. It is also a great camp knife. The handle is fine but a little large. I small bit of contouring does wonders. It remained very stable while swinging. They now are sold in 5160 which is said to be tougher than 1095.
The Junglas is an all around great knife. I didn't get a lot of use out of it before I gave it to my son but I can say the handle and sheath are fantastic. The high saber grind and slightly thicker edge should hold up under some hard use.
The Bushwhacker Mistress is pretty much a Junglas on steroids. The blade is full convexed and tapers down to a robust edge. Thin for Busse standards but still designed to take a beating. This knife felt the best right at the point of contact. It didn't want to deflect or bounce in the slightest. I did a little work on the handle to fit my personal grip. It felt a little tall in its original form. This BWM is fairly new to me but I did get a lot of use from a previous one I owned. This one is a keeper.
I really like the GSO-10... maybe because its different. Its a little more compact than the others but that spear point blade still packs a punch. The handle in its original form did not really fit my grip very well. The removable scales made it easy to add liners and with a little stock removal it now melts in my hand. I was lucky enough to get on the per-order list and got it for an incredible price. The sheath could be trimmed down some but it has a nice fit and is functional.
I feel that the SP-53 is probably the best bang for your buck in a severe duty heavy chopper. You can tell by the look of this knife that I beat the crap out of it. I have done some unmentionable things to this knife and it just laughs and asks for more. It splits wood considerably better than any of the above. The sheath is well made and I have zero complaints with the handle, it is very comfortable.
That is it for now. I may add some wood splitting and detail work down the road.
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