CR Umnumzaan, rope and cardboard testing.

Ankerson said:
The ZAAN will cover all of what you stated above. :)

My video thread here pretty much sums it all up.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/860274-VIDEO-CR-Umnumzaan-EDC-Cutting-Series.
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Yeah I saw that and it was probably one of the best videos out there. The thing I've noticed some that have a sebbie may EDC a BM or some other blade, but now that the Zaan is around has that basically made it better for EDC than any other if you can front the cash? Obviously I'm probably gonna get a BM or two and a ZT and some other knives since I can't help buying em but I need to replace the primary spot in my pocket right now first. I need to find the new knife I reach for no matter what the task is. I've been calming down on the knife abuse (used my CRKT as a hammer, bottle opener, pry bar, screw driver, clear jams on my 1911, file metal and everything you should not use a knife for) and have even gotten a letherman to hopefully allow me to actually get a real knife now as opposed to my pry bar that can sorta cut right now of a knife. Granted I have now been trying to sorta even break my m16 since then it would be an easy excuse to my lady as to why I need a new knife but I cannot seem to break it. Just don't let her hear that haha.
 
PaulCep said:
Ok sorry if I sorta brought my own question off topic. In no way am I trying to get the best weapon or replace a fixed blade, so forgive me for misleading you guys. I would rather have a fixed blade on me at all times but I use my knife hourly and pulling a fixed blade out would terrify the sheeple, but for some reason my large folders don't. I am looking for a good edc between the three knives I listed and also open to a few suggestions. I will be using it for light bush craft when doing short hikes ie whittling, small branch chopping, gutting fish, fire prep and what you'd normally use a small fixed blade for. Also for urban use of going though lots of boxes, cutting rope, plastic ties, opening those stupid stiff heat sealed packaged that everything seems to come in nowadays, cutting paper, and whatever else you could use a knife for. SD would work with any knife I listed but I'm not planning on going into the ghetto whipping it out or going vigilante but in IL there is no concealed carry so my knife and my surefire e2d putting out 1100 lumens is my only defense if I ever (hopefully never) need it.


Also thank you for your quick replies so far and the great info, this is the most helpful sight for knives and anything related that I have ever been too.
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Don't chop with stainless blades, they're not made for it. At least not in a folder with a hollow ground blade:thumbdn:. You could probably do it with a FFG Strider SMF or one of their thicker fixed blades. But definitely not a hollow ground CRK knife.

And can I ask how you're getting a Surefire E2D to put out 1100 lumens? Mine is a custom 6P with 3 XPG LEDs mounted on a solid copper slug and it barely puts out 1000 lumens.
 
Noctis3880 said:
Don't chop with stainless blades, they're not made for it. At least not in a folder with a hollow ground blade:thumbdn:. You could probably do it with a FFG Strider SMF or one of their thicker fixed blades. But definitely not a hollow ground CRK knife.

And can I ask how you're getting a Surefire E2D to put out 1100 lumens? Mine is a custom 6P with 3 XPG LEDs mounted on a solid copper slug and it barely puts out 1000 lumens.
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Ok I shall resist the chopping best I can! Maybe I should just EDC my RAT 5... if only I could... :( Now I cannot chop anything at all or only small lil branches? Or should I just try and sorta whittle it off?

And about my E2D (not E2DL mind you but that does not really matter anymore) I have a small attachment that I put on it... ;D here is a link: http://www.oveready.com/moddoolar/moddoolar-l3-triple-head-black/prod_221.html
I spend too much time on here and on the flashlight forums... that's why I now have a $300+ flashlight and maybe soon a $400 pocket knife...
 
PaulCep said:
Ok I shall resist the chopping best I can! Maybe I should just EDC my RAT 5... if only I could... :( Now I cannot chop anything at all or only small lil branches? Or should I just try and sorta whittle it off?

And about my E2D (not E2DL mind you but that does not really matter anymore) I have a small attachment that I put on it... ;D here is a link: http://www.oveready.com/moddoolar/moddoolar-l3-triple-head-black/prod_221.html
I spend too much time on here and on the flashlight forums... that's why I now have a $300+ flashlight and maybe soon a $400 pocket knife...
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I think the act of chopping itself puts stress on impact toughness, which isn't a good idea for thin hollow ground edges. Now I've never attempted to remove a branch from a tree before(disappointing I know:D), but couldn't you try and pull it off? If the fibers still hold the branch onto the tree, couldn't you cut them once the branch is bent enough to expose them? Just a thought, but I think the RAT 5 would be better suited to bush/branch whacking than a folder. In fact, if you ask me to choose a tool for that task, my mind automatically goes to a machete:thumbup:.

I don't think whittling would be that easy on a branch still attached to a tree, but maybe I'm just lacking in imagination. Technique makes a world of difference. I was using my super thin Phil Wilson South Fork to cut some corn, and I was having problems doing it with ease as 1 in 2 tries the knife would be "stuck" in the stalk. After a little experimenting, I found that my knife(as well as my R.J. Martin Overkill) would cut MUCH easier if I paused for half a second and applied slow but steady pressure to allow the edge to "bite" in before continuing on with my stroke.

With the right technique, I'm sure you could whittle the whole tree down:D:thumbup:. Just gotta watch out for those knots.

Btw, I think you're still doing okay in so far as knives and lights. I've seen the Moodoolar lights before, but I still think I prefer my Milkyspit custom. It's set up to run at nearly full power on one cell(with a runtime of about 60 minutes+ on full power), compared to the required 2 cells of the Moodoolar, which either means short runtime in a compact package, or longer runtime but with a gigantic length flashlight in my pocket.

That bugger cost me about $400+(can't recall exact amount). And my R.J. Martin Overkill was $675 from another member here. Getting scared for your wallet yet:D? Also have this titanium chain with titanium tritium pendant for about $250 swinging on my neck. Honestly, sometimes I feel a bit twitchy about walking around with that much valuables. Not to mention whoever manages to mug me would probably turn around and sell it all for 50 bucks:barf:.
 
Noctis3880 said:
I think the act of chopping itself puts stress on impact toughness, which isn't a good idea for thin hollow ground edges. Now I've never attempted to remove a branch from a tree before(disappointing I know:D), but couldn't you try and pull it off? If the fibers still hold the branch onto the tree, couldn't you cut them once the branch is bent enough to expose them? Just a thought, but I think the RAT 5 would be better suited to bush/branch whacking than a folder. In fact, if you ask me to choose a tool for that task, my mind automatically goes to a machete:thumbup:.

I don't think whittling would be that easy on a branch still attached to a tree, but maybe I'm just lacking in imagination. Technique makes a world of difference. I was using my super thin Phil Wilson South Fork to cut some corn, and I was having problems doing it with ease as 1 in 2 tries the knife would be "stuck" in the stalk. After a little experimenting, I found that my knife(as well as my R.J. Martin Overkill) would cut MUCH easier if I paused for half a second and applied slow but steady pressure to allow the edge to "bite" in before continuing on with my stroke.

With the right technique, I'm sure you could whittle the whole tree down:D:thumbup:. Just gotta watch out for those knots.

Btw, I think you're still doing okay in so far as knives and lights. I've seen the Moodoolar lights before, but I still think I prefer my Milkyspit custom. It's set up to run at nearly full power on one cell(with a runtime of about 60 minutes+ on full power), compared to the required 2 cells of the Moodoolar, which either means short runtime in a compact package, or longer runtime but with a gigantic length flashlight in my pocket.

That bugger cost me about $400+(can't recall exact amount). And my R.J. Martin Overkill was $675 from another member here. Getting scared for your wallet yet:D? Also have this titanium chain with titanium tritium pendant for about $250 swinging on my neck. Honestly, sometimes I feel a bit twitchy about walking around with that much valuables. Not to mention whoever manages to mug me would probably turn around and sell it all for 50 bucks:barf:.
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BTW sorry for thread jacking!!

And I don't use it like an axe, more of cutting it on an angle, and I try and break the branch before as well. And I don't always have the RAT 5 when I get into the branch cutting and whittling mood haha.

And now that you mentioned the R.J. Martin I noticed that they have a flipper on it... sorry but I know nothing about them besides what google images showed me and that they're more $ than CRK it seems, but they just sparked my interest... damn you... just when I almost got happy with the Zaan you bring up something else....

And I love my light and it's endless amount of run time on the other 2 modes. At 100% I can only run it for 2 min before I risk frying it, but at medium and low mode I can run it for at least 100 hours.
 
I've finally managed to find one and placed my order. And is that second Umnum really S35VN? Some sellers I've contacted said that CRK didn't get around to switching over to the new steel and so the Umnumzaans are still S30V.

I was going into full steel head mode when I thought back and realized that I never chipped S30V before, so I went ahead and got one:thumbup:. I was looking at the Startac version, but the texturing on the back looked like it would shred my pockets. Plus I just wanted one now:D.

I think I'll break in my new purchase by cutting down a small tree with it:thumbup:. I was going to do it with my Strider fixed blade, but that thing cuts like a brick.
 
Noctis3880 said:
I've finally managed to find one and placed my order. And is that second Umnum really S35VN? Some sellers I've contacted said that CRK didn't get around to switching over to the new steel and so the Umnumzaans are still S30V.

I was going into full steel head mode when I thought back and realized that I never chipped S30V before, so I went ahead and got one:thumbup:. I was looking at the Startac version, but the texturing on the back looked like it would shred my pockets. Plus I just wanted one now:D.

I think I'll break in my new purchase by cutting down a small tree with it:thumbup:. I was going to do it with my Strider fixed blade, but that thing cuts like a brick.
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It's S30V, it will be a few more moths before the change yet.
 
Being a true nut, the first thing I did with my Zaan was to stick it in the papaya tree in my backyard. Much to my surprise, it sank in almost all the way to the handle:eek:.

IMG_0131.jpg


Actually I just did the same thing with my BM 581, so I guess it isn't that big of a surprise. The papaya tree seems almost completely fibrous, almost like corn stalk. Still, it's nice to know that harpoon shaped tip isn't just for show:thumbup:.

Had a bit of a burr on the left side, but that was easily polished off with a 3 micron belt. I get the feeling this steel would sharpen up like butter. Have to try this out at work to see how the edge retention is like.
 
Noctis3880 said:
Being a true nut, the first thing I did with my Zaan was to stick it in the papaya tree in my backyard. Much to my surprise, it sank in almost all the way to the handle:eek:.

IMG_0131.jpg


Actually I just did the same thing with my BM 581, so I guess it isn't that big of a surprise. The papaya tree seems almost completely fibrous, almost like corn stalk. Still, it's nice to know that harpoon shaped tip isn't just for show:thumbup:.

Had a bit of a burr on the left side, but that was easily polished off with a 3 micron belt. I get the feeling this steel would sharpen up like butter. Have to try this out at work to see how the edge retention is like.
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Cool. :D

I sent my blade off to get HRC tested (Sent just the blade), carrying my 2nd one until I get it back.

Will find out what they are running them at for sure... ;)
 
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Thanks for all the work Ankerson. I truly wish you would ease up for a while man your killing my pocket book!

Les
 
Thanks for a great 'zaan-review! I love mine, a StarTac Umnumzaan from Wilson Combat. I just wasn't as fond of the regular handles. Besides, when I decided to celebrate my first SS retirement payment last September by buying one the local pusher and everyone else were out! Well, except for Wilson Combat - had mine in two days! They won't be changing the 'zaan to S35VN for a few months yet - as if they need to apologize for S30V in the 'zaan - great blade. Below you'll see it with something I feel is a bit better for SD...

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Here is my other CRK - a Nyala fb of S35VN. At $230, it's a bargain for a CRK. Great hand fit & feel - super sharp, too. Decent sheath as well. Like the other CRK's, it's just covered in writing - not! It has one CRK logo - period. Still, it's an available/affordable way to try CRK in S35VN.

IMG_4572.jpg


Stainz
 
In the past you have said CRK runs their S30V too soft. Do you still think that? How does this compare to other S30V? Would it fall in your 4th group for edge holding based on what you have seen so far?
 
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