cutting bone

[Steely_Gunz]

Please understand my intentions were not to make HI look bad.
I just wanted to explain what I did, get advice from more experienced users, and here about similar situations.
I do not want a replacment.
I do not want a refund.
I have recently bought four HI blades and I love them all.
They are all unique pieces of art and I have the highest respect for those who crafted them.
O-K?
O-K.

You fit right in, bro Welcome to the fold:thumbup:

 

[C.S. Graves]

Just buy a Busse and you can chop all the bone ya want with no damage..

If ya got the dosh and can grab one before they're gone.

 

[hollowdweller]

How about this one for you guys?

I was off work today and did a little hike.

First I cut a beech out of the way no problem.

Then I came to this oak. It's still green.

I've cut oaks this size hundreds of times. Thicker even.

As soon as the bonecutter edge hit the heartwood on this little branch it totally effed it up.

This really bums me out because this is a dynamic khuk cutting wise. Maybe the best model for penetration on a single swing of any HI makes. But this one is for sure too hard. I cut thru a dried white oak (much harder) with my Foxy Folly. Cut stuff with my ganga like this a million times. Have another ganga that will roll a little on oak but if it rolls you can hammer it back.

Take a look. The grain of the metal looks bubbly there's no grain. I've only had one other HI khuk chip like this and not as bad. Usually they are soft enough they just bend.

This is going back. Hope they make more 16"s

I might add I have chopped quite a bit of pine and maple with this but this is it's first meeting with oak and it failed.

 

[Yvsa]

Jacobitz thanks for posting the pic as it tells me pretty much what seems to be wrong, the best anyone can tell from a pic that is.:thumbup:
The best I can tell first of all it appears that the edge itself is a bit thin for a blade that size and secondly it appears that there is - or was - little convex to the edge. The edge also appears like you've already done a bit of work on it from the shadow I'm seeing just behind the small chip?
If it were mine I'd put a bit more obtuse edge all along the area where the chip is thereby removing the chip and properly sharpening the edge in one step.
My very first Ganga Ram Special not only chipped its edge similarly along its sweet spot it also knocked out a piece kinda like HD's but thankfully not nearly as large.
I ground, re-profiled, and sharpened the blade and it's been going strong ever since with nary a hint of trouble!:thumbup:

 

[john0270]

Deer bones are amongst the hardest bone you will ever cut(you get way less damage cutting mild steel), Cattle bones are like sponge comparatively. Some of the best katana's out there I am sure would be challenged by repeated cutting of deer bones. My paul chen didn't fair well, though It did sever the head (200lb doe)with almost no resistance, compleatly severing the torso took a decent chip out of it. Eventualy I wish to forge a sword that will cut without chipping or denting some dullness is acceptable yet still have the profile to fling hair and cut paper, and more importantly sever deer heads with ease. I keep testing mock cross sections of what I want to create, I think I am close, and I think differentially tempered 52100 is what I will use, and an edge geomitry that is between a flat grind, saber/convex.

 

[ilbruche]

How about a nice san mai? I always thought a core of 52100 surrounded by 5160 would make a great sword. :thumbup:

 

[Steely_Gunz]

Wow, HD Did you eat your Wheaties today, or something

Obviously Yangdu needs to see that one. I'd just shoot her an email around the middle of the month when she's expecting to return.

 

[bblake]

Holy Crap !!!!!!!!! that is BAD ..

I was going to buy my first HI blade but after seeing this F that !!!

Just buy a Busse and you can chop all the bone ya want with no damage..

The edge was unaffected, just slightly dull in a spor or two. I stroped it for a second and back to shaving sharp it was.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYLKj5AyZuE&feature=related

Well, I would encourage you not to go as far as the F that!!! stage.
I don't know what's happened here but I do have 5 or 6 Busse users and 4 HIs. All of the khuks are users. I do anything and everything with em and have NEVER had a problem. (around the farm and out in the bush usually)
Timber, animals, rope, tyres. you name it.

I think HI khuks are great and the forging and hardening on any I have had has really amazed me. Certainly better than most makers can achieve in a small workshop. (and for that matter, a lot better than the offering from Cold Steel a few years back and other similar factory produced rubbish.)

I've went out of my way one day, to really go hard with a Busse FFBM and a HI Chirawa AK. Both were very, very good. As far as toughness and edge holding went I couldn't separate them.

 

[Wolf_1989]

My 20" AK has very thin edge bevels.

It's my first H.I. and I've used it extensively and it has seen a lot of hard chopping.

The edge bevels are thin, and very slightly concave. I was dubious at first upon observing this but it's never failed me.

Maple, oak, locust, osage orange, pine, cherry; all sorts of woods, both green and dead.

The edge has never chipped or rolled.

I've landed full-force power chops into logs with it many times. I mean LOGS, as I've used it several times to chop logs of about 15" diameter. One was white oak.

It's still just as tight, sharp, and stout as it was when I bought it a few years ago. (I bought it right after Uncle Bill passed away and it's the only H.I. khukri in my collection without the U.B. initials on the blade.)

I test my Khukris hard when I get them. All have passed.

 

[Uncle_Jarvis]

Well, I would encourage you not to go as far as the F that!!! stage.
I don't know what's happened here but I do have 5 or 6 Busse users and 4 HIs. All of the khuks are users. I do anything and everything with em and have NEVER had a problem. (around the farm and out in the bush usually)
Timber, animals, rope, tyres. you name it.

I think HI khuks are great and the forging and hardening on any I have had has really amazed me. Certainly better than most makers can achieve in a small workshop. (and for that matter, a lot better than the offering from Cold Steel a few years back and other similar factory produced rubbish.)

I've went out of my way one day, to really go hard with a Busse FFBM and a HI Chirawa AK. Both were very, very good. As far as toughness and edge holding went I couldn't separate them.

Well said.:thumbup:.I have never handled a HI blade but have always been curious in them. It seems like it works for you and other very well. Since the prices are very resonable I will be hard pressed not to pick one up and try it out.. I guess you have to be a bit selective on what types of wood gets chopped with it..

 

[Steely_Gunz]

I guess you have to be a bit selective on what types of wood gets chopped with it..

No, you don't have to be selective as to what kind of wood you chop with it As has been stated, multiple times in this thread, either the edge was profiled too thin for such heavy duty chopping (many HI's come with a thinner edge for cutting utility rather than chopping through hard bone) or the edge was overly hardened. Keep in mind that each of these are made by hand with the edge being hardened with water poured from a teapot. In my opinion, the edge was too thin for such work. Reprofiling it with a nice thick convex edge will probably solve the problem 100%.

HD's is a what I would consider a blade failure. He is one of the HI customers that heavily uses his khuk. Because of that, if anyone is going to find a failure, it's HD Now ask him how many khuks he's handled and how many of those have failed. Edge failure, or really any kind of structural failure, on an HI khuk is the exception and certainly not the norm.

 

[Darteres]

I don't think the type of wood matters at all. Get a good convex edge put on that baby and let her rip! I babied my M43 for about 2 months after getting her. Now she's put through the paces every time I pull her out. Only thing is, now with my YCS, I'm having a bit of guilt for not using my M43 all weekend...

 

[Uncle_Jarvis]

OK cool . If type of wood does not matter there should be no problem . I'm still an ultra noob to the HI section of the forum. First hand experience is always key. I have had well over 60 Busses pass through my hands in a year period (sold off most, down to about 12 now). Now that I am basically content with my infi collection I feel it is time to expand out to other great makers, hence is the reason I am taking out the time to post here.

I'll try one out in the near future and see how it compares with my infi choppers..

If ya got the dosh and can grab one before they're gone.

It's really all about knowing people.. When I first got into Busses, it was nearly impossible for me to get anything I wanted. Once I got used to this non traditional system I found there were more goodies available to me than I can afford..

 

[Wolf_1989]

Here's the thing, Uncle J... these khukuris are well made, but they are also hand made, and we can all make an oops.

H.I. will replace your khukuri if you happen to break it under normal use. (meaning chopping wood as opposed to chopping bricks and crowbars). This means when you get one, you can feel free to test it thoroughly before taking it off into the wilderness or into a "situation" where your life may depend on it.

I test every single khukuri I obtain from H.I.

There is a downed oak tree in the woods behind our house. I take my new khukuri out there and strike it repeatedly against it; with the edge, with the back of the blade, and with the sides. I start out with light blows and gradually work up to full strength blows. Then I sharpen the khukuri to the edge I desire and test the cutting ability and edge retention.

And I'm not cuttin' pine or balsa wood either. I put them up against locust, osage, hickory, and oak. Not just live wood, but also tough, seasoned dead wood.

So far, every khukuri I've bought from H.I. has passed with flying colors.

 

[Cpl Punishment]

Yep, I do the same, except I start right out with hard swings -- on fallen pine, then move on to the fallen seasoned hardwood.

I still just get suxh a kick out of HI recommending you do what would void the warrantee on just about any other blade as their recommended testing procedure. I mean, how many makers recommend beating the sides of a blade as hard as you can on wood, or especially drive the tip in and pry back and forth? LOL. I love it, HIs are the pitbulls of the knife world.

 

[Bladite]

most of the HIs here get used, and hard. they are backed by a lifetime guarantee for the original owner.

you can buy a many, and quite the variety of HI compared to a single other pricey safe queens. heh heh.

yah, they're all good, but HI probably sees more wood than most.

when was the last time you bought a wholly handmade blade for this kind of money?

bladite

 

[j_jacobitz]

I did not do any work on the edge of my bone-cutter before I used it, just took it out of the box and started swinging.

I think I am going to get me a stone and learn how to put a proper edge on. I really like the idea of learning how to fix and maintain my blades with no power tools, you know stick with "old technology" the same way the blades were made. This seems like a fun hobby to get into. Hollowdwellers' pictures got me a little concerned but whatever, I will get a new edge going and see what happens next time.

So it sounds like deer bone is very hard and cow is pretty soft, anyone know where human fit in the bone hardness spectrum? Just curious...

-j

 

[hollowdweller]

Just my opinion but the other Sgt K khuk I have also sounds "tinny" like it's really hard but the edge is fat.

The BC design may not be the best for his harder tempering since it's claim to fame is the thin edge that really penetrates.

 

[C.S. Graves]

when was the last time you bought a wholly handmade blade for this kind of money?

HI blades got me turned on to the handmade aesthetic... spring/carbon steel with wood or horn handles. With an exception for folders, of course.

Just my opinion but the other Sgt K khuk I have also sounds "tinny" like it's really hard but the edge is fat.

The BC design may not be the best for his harder tempering since it's claim to fame is the thin edge that really penetrates.

Hmm, there's another consideration. My Khadka Samsher has a relatively short primary bevel that's stood up nicely against numerous trees and an accidental ding or two on stone. A longer, thinner bevel + either bad steel, bad hardening, or both=disaster!

Unfortunate about those chipping Bonecutters.