Busse Stealth Hawk??

sunnee · Dec 10, 2000

My neighbor is waiting for a knife order from Shomer-Tec. A Busse Stealth Hawk. Its a synthetic laminate knife of a new material. Not G-10, carbon fiber, kevlar or reinforced plastic. Any one know what it is and how its made. The write up in Shomer-Tec say that it is a "synthetic damascus".

querious as heck,
sunnee

Dec 11, 2000

If I am not mistaken the Stealth Hawks are made of MP45. It was a material Busse Combat made by hand. But they had to stop making it because they could no longer get some of the ingrediants that made MP45 so damn tough. I hope Busse is doing some research on making a newer tougher Stealth Hawk made from easier to get materials. If you can find one get it. they are hard to come by.

sunnee · Dec 11, 2000

thanks Ryu.

one more question. what is the process of manufacturing? why is it a "damascus" and not a laminate?

sunnee

Cliff Stamp · Dec 11, 2000

Generally put : a damascus steel is a mixture of steels (and/or other materials), simply stated the bits are all mixed together in the final product. A laminate refers to discreet slabs joined together, they don't intermix.

-Cliff

sunnee · Dec 12, 2000

thanks for the info cliff. all this time i thought that damascus was just layers of steel, similar or not.

sunnee

Cliff Stamp · Dec 12, 2000

What are commonly called laminate blades have an edge formed by one steel. For example, a core of high carbon steel at 62+ RC surrounded by a much softer steel to make the knife more durable. Cold Steel does this for example.

However Damascus steels, while also made from several materials, are "intermixed". This is probably why they can be fairly aggressive in slicing as you get in effect a macroscopic condition similar to carbides in a homogenous steel.

However outside the knife industry Damascus would be called a laminate (its just a particular type of one) as it fits the common defination.

If you really want to know more about Damascus steels then there are a number of knifemakers that make their own. They would be the ones to ask, Darrel Ralph for example.

Tim Zowada also makes his own Damascus and I think has also forged INFI.

-Cliff

[This message has been edited by Cliff Stamp (edited 12-12-2000).]

DonL · Dec 19, 2000

For those that are curious, the Stealth Hawk (or mine, anyways):

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Don LeHue

Rome did not create a great empire by having meetings...they did it by killing all those who opposed them.

Bronco · Dec 19, 2000

Don,
I was thinking that the functionality of my Stealth Hawk might be improved if the front half was double edged. I would think that the increase in penetration would more than make up for any potential loss of strength, but I'd be curious to get your view.

------------------
Semper Fi

-Bill

Cliff Stamp · Dec 20, 2000

Can you actually cut anything with that blade, a seat belt for example? How durable are they supposed to be? Could you stab it through a piece of 1x4" pine?

-Cliff

Bronco · Dec 21, 2000

Cliff,
I believe Andy has had some experience working with MP45 and or the Stealth Hawk. Hopefully he can shed some light here. I haven't done any real testing to speak of as of yet. Based only on handling one I would imagine, however, that a Stealth Hawk could be pounded through a 1x4 pine board with little or no damage. I'm not as confident that it could be stabbed straight through by hand.

------------------
Semper Fi

-Bill

David Roberson · Dec 25, 2000

Cliff,

In answer to your question and to provide some additional insight to the Stealth Hawk, Jerry was able to cut through a piece of 1/2" hemp rope, in a sawing fasion.

We also took the Stealth Hawk to a junk yard, drove it into a car door and through the lid of a 55 gallon drum, using a 2lb sledge hammer. This was done to test the tip strength using the MP45 material.

Penetration was made and the tip did not break!

Sincerely,

David Roberson
Vice President, Sales
Busse Combat Knife Company

DonL · Dec 29, 2000

Apologies for mot being around more often.

I haven't done any sort of hardcore testing with mine, since this is the only one I've ever seen, and I've been reluctant to start pounding on and hacking away with something that seem to be on the rare side.

Call me a "coward", but shy of tearing up some paracord and cardboard, this one's sat in my knife box except for rare occaisions.

I mean, geez, if I'm gonna go medieval on something, that's what I bought my SH and DWMS for.

------------------
Don LeHue

Rome did not create a great empire by having meetings...they did it by killing all those who opposed them.

sunnee · Jan 17, 2001

hey yall,

my neighbor's steath hawlk finally arrived.
picking up the box you'd think it's empty. at first sight, your estimations of weight would be wrong. it is big, thick and black. even a piece a g-10 of that size would have considerable weight. at a 1/4 of an inch thick, it seems to be as heavy as a 1/8th inch piece of carbon fiber. i am most likely wrong but that is the impression that this knife gives. it's has a beveled chisel ground edge with 90 degree serrations. it is sharp enough to cut flesh with a little pressure. when used to slash or thrust, the serrations will cause serious trauma. it's victim would be ripped up more then cut up.
this is one serious covert blade. good thing it'll be in a glass case hanging on the wall.

see ya
sunnee