Brute BK1: Test Chopping

[SkunkWerX]

Had the day off from work yesterday, and it wasn't 101° , so I did some vine chopping in my backyard (woods). ivy, posion ivy, and anything with some gnarly stuff growing on it.

No sugar coating, my 18" Ontario Machete is much better for this kind of chopping and slashing. There are 2 reasons for this that I can tell: Speed and sharpened edge thickness/angle.
Since the machete is longer, the speed is greater. The edge on the Brute is Fat, a thick angle. I can bury the machete so deep, that it takes a seesaw action to free it. The BK1 worked better using a hatchet action, hit at an angle, then attack at the reverse angle to "chip" a section out. Sheer penetration by the BK1 wasn't even 50% of what the machete can do.

Can the Brute chop? yes it can. The Brute is certainly beefy enough and reminds me of using a hand-axe (hatchet).

After using it, I think there is going to be a changing of the angle, make it a bit more acute. On my Lansky jig it appears the BK1 is about 30° per side, making it a full 60° angle. I think, for my purposes, this is not acute enough.

I will probably go for a 50° (25° per side) which should give it better ability both slicing and chopping.
The 1095 should be able to handle it, in terms of the edge holding ability, at that angle.

 

[RedEdge77]

The 1095 should be able to handle it, in terms of the edge holding ability, at that angle.

The steel isn't 1095.

 

[SkunkWerX]

oops... my mistake, had the Ontario machete on my mind, should have said the "0170-6C".


Anyway, the 0170-6 steel it is made from should be able to handle a slightly more acute angle.

Any comments or suggestions?

 

[Mountainwind]

Hmmm, I would say the machete is better than the brute... for some things.
Knives, made especially for their specific jobs, are better than others knives, that can do the job, but are not made for that job.
But I think the brute is a great over all knfe, that can do most jobs with no problem.

 

[SkunkWerX]

Update:

I was lying, well, to myself at least. Thinking the BK1's edge was 30° each side , in stock form, was a dream!

When I got eveything set-up on the workbench, and actually hit it with a stone...wow...it was off the richter scale. Using the Lanksy, with the guide rod in the 30° slot I wasn't near the edge. So I put the guide rod on the top of the jig, probably a 35° + angle of attack, barely hitting the edge.

No wonder I couldn't slice into anything.

I worked on it before and after dinner, for a good long while, and have a 30° final cutting edge (30° each side, 60° total) on it now, what a difference!
I can sever a good cigar sized vine with one medium slash, and at close to a 90° angle of attack.

Not perfect, it is going to take a few relieving/sharpening sessions to dial it in, but, it's about a 200% improvement.

Now where are those micarta scales?? [tapping fingers on desk waiting]

 

[icy27]

I worked on it before and after dinner, for a good long while, and have a 30° final cutting edge (30° each side, 60° total) on it now, what a difference!
...
Now where are those micarta scales?? [tapping fingers on desk waiting]

What are you using to sharpen your Brute? I have had trouble sharpening the recurve and could use some advice.

Also, where are you getting the micarta handles from?

Thanks.

 

[SkunkWerX]

icy,

I used a combo of things to grind/sharpen the BK1.
I have a variable speed bench grinder, with a rounded off stone wheel on it, that helps a lot with re-grinding angles on curved edges.
(Rounded off from years of use, not made that way).

In terms of just sharpening it, my Lanksy system has narrow stones, so they can handle the recurve with a some re-positioning along the way.
Any of the crock-stick systems would work fine for the recurve, if all you are doing is sharpening/touching it up. Most everyone swears by the Spyderco Sharpmaker.

A lot of companies make narrow diamond hand-held stones, as well.

What I was doing was changing the relief angle, which called for more drastic measures (ie; grinder). Grinders, in the wrong hands, can obliterate a knife, even worse heat build up can remove the temper, so, I am not advocating a power grinder unless the person understands what is happening.
Once the relief angle was changed, I could then sharpen the edge to the angle I was looking for.
What I was doing is depicted pretty well here: (credits to MikeCasey's knife sharpening tutorial for the image).

The dotted line represents the original profile on the BK1.
I ground a new relief, in order to achieve a slightly more acute sharpening angle.

The micarta scales come from Camillus Co., themselves. (still waiting, sigh).

 

[hikeeba]

I just started working on my BK1's edge (from the Acquired BK1 - Edge = Yeesh thread). I'm using a variety of files, stones, and ceramics to reprofile the edge. The 0170-6 cuts relatively easily. The BK1 isn't exactly a radical recurve, so I haven't had problems using the files. I'll post up pics in the Yeesh thread when I'm finished. I hope to complete the BK1 project this weekend.

 

[Fiddleback]

Anyone ever compare one to a khukuri?? Bladite??