Bigfattyt
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2007
- Messages
- 19,199
Well, I hit some rocks with my FBMLE a while back getting some fat wood. I found some pea sized stones on the chopping block. I swear they weren't there before!!!. I know I made contact because several were cut in half, and I had some very small rolls in my edge. I steeled them out first, then started convexing on sandpaper/mousepad (I usually wait till I damage the edge a bit before taking on the hand convexing beast).
Doing the FBM by hand took some time. I left the angle robust, so I should stand up to heavy use better than the edge that was on it already (a really sharp edge put on by Bill Siegle).
I took the FBMLE out and did a tiny bit of chopping, just to feel how the convex worked. I also used my Ash1 cg (also convexed the edge after I let another guy use it while butchering an elk made repeated contact with the concrete table).
I know this is just a branch, but it was what I had that was comparable thickness to test more than one blade. the hawk is a CS rifleman, and has been my thrower for 7 years or more.
close up of the convex edges.
FBMLE took nice deep bites, not much wedging problem at all. The cutting would have been much much quicker, if the piece had been fixed (ie in the ground) or had been longer and not moved around so much.
The Ash1 cg did better than I was expecting. It did give me some pinky bite, but I never felt like the handle was going to slip through my hand either, which was good because I had no lanyard.
You will notice that the cuts are much less less deep and there are many more than the FBMLE (to be expected of course). I went at this more piranha style, with less emphasis on well placed powerful blows, and quicker chops.
Next up was my rifleman hawk. I expected much quicker chopping with this due to the mass (32 ounces all concentrated in the head, and the 19 inch handle giving more speed). The hawk bit nice and deep, which was expected, but it took longer than either the FBMLE or the Ash1 surprisingly. The problem was wedging. Every bite went deep, but I had to set the branch back on the ground and put a foot on it, and pull to get the hawk to release. the results would have been different if the sucker had been bigger/longer or still in the ground.
you will notice the large chips missing.
here is a side by side shot of the cutting results.
notice the clean, large chops of the FBMLE, and the smaller but still cleaner chops of the Ash1cg. The mangled piece was the same width, but big chips came off top and bottom. Notice how much less clean it looks. (the edge on that hawk is still chopping sharp, but not shaving sharp as it has been thrown probably 2000 times since last sharpening).
I don't think I need to tell you which ones were the FBMLE/Ash1cg/hawk it is pretty evident.
Then my modded SS wanted in on the action. I decided to baton it. I have removed the reverse curve, convexed the edge, and stripped the finish off of this one, so I guess you could say it is a user.
The skinnier branch is the battoning subject, and the fattie above is the uber thick "baton" or as I liked to call it Thor's hammer.
I really smacked the spine on the ss with that big old fat baton.
notice the removed skin from the area the big baton that was primarily used on the spine.
Then I took it and split another piece length wise, that was about the thickest I could do and still make any contact with the tip to batton the front of the SS.
I did some prying with the SS to break the chips loose, and un bury the blade after bashing it in. I though I was able to get the The SS to take a set, but it did not. It got some good flex, but as soon as I pulled it out, and looked closely it was true. I would definitely not try that with a similar thickness blade out of most steels I own.
Doing the FBM by hand took some time. I left the angle robust, so I should stand up to heavy use better than the edge that was on it already (a really sharp edge put on by Bill Siegle).
I took the FBMLE out and did a tiny bit of chopping, just to feel how the convex worked. I also used my Ash1 cg (also convexed the edge after I let another guy use it while butchering an elk made repeated contact with the concrete table).
I know this is just a branch, but it was what I had that was comparable thickness to test more than one blade. the hawk is a CS rifleman, and has been my thrower for 7 years or more.
close up of the convex edges.
FBMLE took nice deep bites, not much wedging problem at all. The cutting would have been much much quicker, if the piece had been fixed (ie in the ground) or had been longer and not moved around so much.
The Ash1 cg did better than I was expecting. It did give me some pinky bite, but I never felt like the handle was going to slip through my hand either, which was good because I had no lanyard.
You will notice that the cuts are much less less deep and there are many more than the FBMLE (to be expected of course). I went at this more piranha style, with less emphasis on well placed powerful blows, and quicker chops.
Next up was my rifleman hawk. I expected much quicker chopping with this due to the mass (32 ounces all concentrated in the head, and the 19 inch handle giving more speed). The hawk bit nice and deep, which was expected, but it took longer than either the FBMLE or the Ash1 surprisingly. The problem was wedging. Every bite went deep, but I had to set the branch back on the ground and put a foot on it, and pull to get the hawk to release. the results would have been different if the sucker had been bigger/longer or still in the ground.
you will notice the large chips missing.
here is a side by side shot of the cutting results.
notice the clean, large chops of the FBMLE, and the smaller but still cleaner chops of the Ash1cg. The mangled piece was the same width, but big chips came off top and bottom. Notice how much less clean it looks. (the edge on that hawk is still chopping sharp, but not shaving sharp as it has been thrown probably 2000 times since last sharpening).
I don't think I need to tell you which ones were the FBMLE/Ash1cg/hawk it is pretty evident.
Then my modded SS wanted in on the action. I decided to baton it. I have removed the reverse curve, convexed the edge, and stripped the finish off of this one, so I guess you could say it is a user.
The skinnier branch is the battoning subject, and the fattie above is the uber thick "baton" or as I liked to call it Thor's hammer.
I really smacked the spine on the ss with that big old fat baton.
notice the removed skin from the area the big baton that was primarily used on the spine.
Then I took it and split another piece length wise, that was about the thickest I could do and still make any contact with the tip to batton the front of the SS.
I did some prying with the SS to break the chips loose, and un bury the blade after bashing it in. I though I was able to get the The SS to take a set, but it did not. It got some good flex, but as soon as I pulled it out, and looked closely it was true. I would definitely not try that with a similar thickness blade out of most steels I own.
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