Cutting contest!

Bigfattyt

Bigfattyt

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Jun 23, 2007
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So I decided to take a FBMLE and compare how it cuts vs my older Cold Steel Trailmaster Bowie (sanmai III steel) user.

I have had the CS for about 6 years I think. I have used it quite a bit.
The FBMLE has only been in my mits for a couple of weeks.

I started with a shipping tube I have been saving for something (like cutting into pieces):)
First a side by side photo (this was actually after some cutting thus the scufs on the blades)

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Next the target. An unsuspecting shipping tube (quite heavy, used to ship a large staff).

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now, I have never tried this type of cutting (so my form is dismal).

First Attempt with the FBMLE

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Next post the CS trailmaster attempt

(can't figure out why some of these photos went sideways?)
 
Next the CS trailmaster
attempt one

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attempt two

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No go on both attempts. I did swing harder with both of these, but both seemed to start at a good angle and then roll or twist mid cut.

I actually think that the edge on the CS trailmaster is a bit sharper.
 
second attempt by the FBMLE, a much cleaner cut

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side by side comparison of some less powerful swings by the FBMLE (I was trying to back off, to see how light a swing would make it through)

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Notice how mangled the two full powered attempts were by the CS Trailmaster

One cut attempt by the FBMLE, I made the cut too close to the handle, and the choil stopped up (still almost made it through, notice how the right side is clean cut, and the choil made a tear almost all the way through)

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Bigfattyt said:
(can't figure out why some of these photos went sideways?)
Click to expand...


are you leaning noticeable to one side? :p


nice pics, i suspect the weight of the fbm had quite a bit to do with its ability to slice the tube.

keep em coming!!! :thumbup:
 
next a chop against a back stop

the CS first (while the tube still had more structural integrity, trying to give it a helping hand)

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almost no cut at all, just a small line/nick

I figured it would be too springy and the FBMLE would not cut much either (wrong)
first cut
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second cut, almost through

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phone book chop

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look at the spine of the phone book for depth of cut (the FBMLE seemed to go about 3/4 inch deeper)

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push cut (the CS seemed to push cut easier, then I realized that the slice I took with the FBMLE was about 2 times wider......so not really sure which one was sharper).

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one straight sideways cut attempt with the nub end of the tube. The FBMLE powered through it, even though the second part stage of the cut is more of a tear.
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I was surprised with how really comfortable the handle of the FBMLE was over all. Every thing I tried I did not even notice the handle of the FBMLE, where as I noticed a lot that the CS handle was not as comfortable/confidence inspiring. I split a few pieces of wood, did some hammer fist stabbing (was very impressed with how deep the FBMLE stabbed considering the width and thickness, but was really impressed with how comfortable it was in any grip style stabbing, I did not have any discomfort with hammer style stabbing with the FBMLE(reverse grip on both). With a forward thrust into the target (ie stabbing forward, target directly in front of of the knife the FBMLE was down right comfy, while the CS was down right painful.



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I was not surprised with how much better the Busse did than the CS, considering the larger blade width, and 1/2 inch longer blade, but was really surprised how much better the ergonomics on the Busse handle made everything feel. How secure it was in the hand (even though it is significantly heftier). There was no twist with the Busse at all in any of the things I tried. I am sure the top clip made the stabbing penetration much better than it would have been otherwise.

Hope this did not bore anyone. There were lots more pics, but I though this was over kill as it was. When I get a tripod I will make these video's instead. It provided me with a bit of entertainment tonight to cut some stuff.
 
Nice job, a friend of mine has been banging on about a Trailmaster and this should silence him.

Will you be planning on some 2x4 action or is it time to simple batton the FBMLE through the Trailmaster just to add insult to injury?
 
If I had any 2x4's you can bet they would be in little pieces as of tonight. I need to find some (don't want to buy any just to chop them in half).

I think the Trailmaster in the carbon steel are a decent value if you find a good price, but in the same price range the Dogfather would be way more knife (that sanmaiIII one I picked up new years ago for $150 which was not bad....but I would rather have a a Scrapyard Dogfather). I think if I rehandled it with micarta in a more ergonomic handle design it would be more comfortable. I have used it for 6 years, so I guess I have gotten my money out of it. I can tell you for sure, that for the price the new ones are going for, I would head directly for a FFBM in a heart beat, or buy two Dogfathers, etc.

CS has lots of good products at decent prices for folders, hawks, throwers, etc, but the price of the larger fixed blades, especially in the laminated blades are too high.
 
that is tempting, think I would rather sell it on ebay or trade it here for something else. (Besides, I might roll the edge on my FBMLE and then have to steel it out)

but you can tell which one I would rather have while stranded in the woods, or in a dark alley for that matter.

I need to find some one with a deer carcas, and hang it up and try some cutting.
 
MORIMOTOM said:
are you leaning noticeable to one side? :p


nice pics, i suspect the weight of the fbm had quite a bit to do with its ability to slice the tube.

keep em coming!!! :thumbup:
Click to expand...

I think if I had been able to keep the handle of the CS from twisting in my hand it would have made the cut.
 
On the subject of bone cutting, I used a FFBM on a 1.5 inch diameter pig bone.

The bone had been dried out for a while (it was my dogs before I stole it from him) so when I cut it the blade only cut the first 1/4 inch then the bone smashed. It did roll my BMs' edge though, this was probably down to me putting an almost zero edge convex on it though.
 
Great report and pics! :thumbup: Is that FBM the one that had been modded by Bill Siegle? Did he do all the work, swedge, edge profile, handle?
 
Thanks for posting the Test:thumbup:

Bill did a great Job on the FBMLE! It looks as good as it cuts!
 
To be fair, this isn't really an apples to apples comparison. A FBMLE costs almost 4 times more than a Trailmaster. The LE is a top-shelf, "best in the world" category knife. Trailmasters are medium level, high production items at best.

Although this test was probably decided more by the LE's greater heft and slightly larger size than by anything else. The truly revealing test would be one that tested edge retention and brute strength. I would bet good money that it would take quite a bit more effort to destroy the LE than it would to break the CS.

I'm not the least bit suprised by the results of the test. Honestly, I would have been shocked had the CS not been thoroughly trounced.
 
Part of the reason the FBMLE did better is the size of the blade (mass) and the edge. INFI is better than SM3, but you'd have to test similar blade-sizes to really get a good comparison.

Either way - COOL TEST!!!! I'm chaffing that I sold my FBMLE now. :(
 
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