Becker 2014 Spring Gathering Pics

[mountainmist]

No one here again!!!

Dex's masterpiece's:

My Dad found this little gut in camp:

This stuff was awesome! I forgot what it was called though....

The times for the chopping contest:

In English:

Psy: 14 Seconds
Hawk: 15.6
The Kid: 23
pong: 27.2
Gutsy: 27.2
My dad: 37.9
Phillip: 41.5
Zulu Ninja: 1.013
Jerry: 1.02
Dex: 1.1
Colonel: 1.33

What a blast.......

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

It was very cool. It got stuck a lot!! We were chopping on live pine though, I think it would've performed better on harder wood, and vegetation. It was a bit heavy for actual Machete work.

To answer your question: Not very much.

Just some pointers if you get your hands on one again.

To prevent sticking in live softwood just use a very slight drawing action to the stroke and don't over-power it. The extra depth of penetration is handy for when you can use it to clear stuff in a single blow, but if it's going to take multiple blows letting the tool do the work is better and prevents over-penetration. For "actual machete work," again, let the tool do the driving--point and release it and let it go to town. In the event of sticking, like with any machete, a light tap of the palm to the handle during withdrawal knocks it free with little effort.

 

[mountainmist]

Just some pointers if you get your hands on one again.

To prevent sticking in live softwood just use a very slight drawing action to the stroke and don't over-power it. The extra depth of penetration is handy for when you can use it to clear stuff in a single blow, but if it's going to take multiple blows letting the tool do the work is better and prevents over-penetration. For "actual machete work," again, let the tool do the driving--point and release it and let it go to town. In the event of sticking, like with any machete, a light tap of the palm to the handle during withdrawal knocks it free with little effort.

Cool, thanks! That all makes sense!

 

[tradewater]

Just some pointers if you get your hands on one again.

To prevent sticking in live softwood just use a very slight drawing action to the stroke and don't over-power it. The extra depth of penetration is handy for when you can use it to clear stuff in a single blow, but if it's going to take multiple blows letting the tool do the work is better and prevents over-penetration. For "actual machete work," again, let the tool do the driving--point and release it and let it go to town. In the event of sticking, like with any machete, a light tap of the palm to the handle during withdrawal knocks it free with little effort.

I really liked it. It bites deep and is very efficient. It's not a thousand chop per minute flailer.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

Cool, thanks! That all makes sense!

Anytime! It's got a lot of "application features" built into it and some of them don't jump right out at ya' if you haven't already experienced the technique with another machete. Not as many people have used deep-penetration chopping machetes so those techniques aren't as commonly known but they work well with heavy machete patterns of all types--not just this one. Try it on long pangas and tapangas--works great!

I really liked it. It bites deep and is very efficient. It's not a thousand chop per minute flailer.

Glad you enjoyed it!

Looks like a wicked cool gathering, as always. You guys know how to party.

 

[TBL]

Great pictures MM & Dad!

Showed my wife the pictures and depending on timing we may make next years gathering!

 

[Bobber]

I just want so bad to go.to one of these gatherings, but I think the cost of travel would be a little too yhigh, as I'm in Norway,lol...
But I'll have to check when I get home to my 'puter....

Better of trying a gathering of Vikings up here maybe...
That will happen this fall me thinks...

Edited to add cost: looks like the gathering will remain a wet dream, lol...
Plane from Oslo, Norway alone to Knoxville,tn would amount to about 1350 USD, holy cow, I didn't realize it was so expensive...
I'll just have to drool over all the nice pics and the good stories for now...

 

[dynamicmoves]

Got there and told myself I was going to take a ton of pictures. Here is everything I got.

My choppers, including a new 4.

A crummy picture of an amazing dinner and cook.

A picture of a 4 and trail hawk for a friend who was wondering about the angle on the 4.

Yup. That's it.

 

[dynamicmoves]

Amy gearing up for Saturday nights after hours party..........Sadly, she was never seen or heard from again, lol.

What's worse is, neither was the bottle.

 

[Guyon]

This was the exact moment that I encouraged Moose to assume his standard "interview pose," and he was looking left and right and considering it.

 

[Psyop]

I didnt take any pics, but I had a great time!

 

[gmoneyluv]

I didnt take any pics, but I had a great time!

Did the trousers stay on this time. (couldn't help myself)

Man, I'm so disappointed that I missed this one.

 

[james terrio]

This was the exact moment that I encouraged Moose to assume his standard "interview pose," and he was looking left and right and considering it.

I just noticed that even though Vik made a point of standing uphill from me so he would look taller... it still didn't work...

 

[mountainmist]

I just noticed that even though Vik made a point of standing uphill from me so he would look taller... it still didn't work...

Didn't work with me ether.....

 

[sofa_king_amy]

What's worse is, neither was the bottle.

I survived...barely. Took a while to sleep it off- that was one hell of a night. Boyfriend is worse than me though- as soon as we got in the car he declared, "I don't want to drink another beer for at LEAST 14 hours." I think I reached my max alcohol limit for the year. Beer and knives and good people, what a freakin fantastic weekend

 

[Zuluninja]

well, I did take some... late night arrival on Friday, met by a toasty fire

Good morning postcard view from the treehouse's balcony

knives...lots of them, go figure

waiting for breakfast

shop time!

Uncle E's shop looks exactly like my garage

 

[Zuluninja]

one of my grail knives, it was just laying there in a box...Uncle E, if you ever decide to part ways with this one, remember it has my initials on it!

one piece Reeve

looks legit

The Boss

Hey Psyop, how did that one came out?

sweeeet belt sander

Can't believe more pics of THE CLAW have not been posted

 

[james terrio]

That dang claw... Psyop, you are a sick, sick man!

(not only did he keep that freshly-killed chicken foot with him at all times, he kept sneaking up on people and spooking them with it. At one point he was using it to eat popcorn :barf

 

[Zuluninja]

The Kid, watching...

...a Moose, being stumped by wet wood

hot blown coals for forging

Uncle E making a quench tube for my brute, I thought I had but I didn't take a pic of the finished product, it held perfectly

Chop time

my "brute" getting treated by Tackett

Tackett's forged piece, wrapped by me

That loin was sooooo good...and the veggies...and the taters...and next morning's bacon...and the boudin...

my broken tip forged piece after initial profiling

...and almost done, sitting next to the one I ground on Saturday and the TBS (Tactical bamboo Spoon) I carved at the ranch. The forged piece was ground at home this morning, the brute was tempered last night. I think I have steel fever

and last one, a shameless plug had a post office notice in the mailbox, went and picked up this box and my knives are back from Peter's, awesome cherry on top to cap a wonderful weekend!!!

 

[gmoneyluv]

Wow. Speechless.