- Joined
- Feb 28, 2002
- Messages
- 13,348
ABS Cutting Competitions
For those of you that have yet to attend an ABS cutting competition, I highly recommend the experience. It is a unique showcase of makers and their knives that provides a memorable visual spectacle. I attended my first cutting competition in Dallas this past September at the Spirit of Steel show and watched the likes of Reggie Barker, Dickie Robinson, John Fitch, Dan Farr, Jim Crowell, Dan Winkler and Ron Newton, to name a few, have at it in a series of cutting challenges. In these competitions, certain events are known (2 by 4 chop, rope cut) and others are surprises (such as the pick your number water bottle cut introduced at SOS). As such, the challenge for the makers is to forge out a knife that will be able to meet series of varied challenges and, of course, to execute those tests as they arise. A knife that is designed to do one thing only will not take you far in these competitions. And as an added requirement of performance and durability, each contestants blade is closely inspected after each event. Any wrinkles, rolls, dips, chips or dents in the cutting edge and the maker is disqualified.
Dan Farr chops up a 2 by 4 at SOS, while Master Smith Joe Flournoy looks on.
ABS-sanctioned competitions are held nationwide at various shows and hammer-ins, with the top five competitors earning the right to compete at the World Championship Cutting Competition in Atlanta at the Blade Show. In the aftermath of Dans win at the ABS Spring Hammer-In (Washington, Arkansas) Jerry Fisk suggested that he might want to think about attending more events and trying to qualify for the finals. Dan credits Jerry with providing him with much assistance and guidance throughout his career, and accordingly, gives any suggestion of Jerrys very careful consideration. The next several months would see Dan compete with such consistent success that he comfortably earned a spot in the final five.
Which brings us to the knife shown above: Dans fifth generation competition cutter. Dans competition knives have gone through a number of evolutionary design changes over time as the maker learned more about what worked, what didnt and why all in the heat of competition. This knife, accordingly, represents Dans best thinking on the subject. I was fortunate to be able to pick up this knife from Dan at the Blade show it was his backup-blade in the event that some misadventure befell his blued competition knife, shown below:
THE BLADE
ABS rules specifiy maximum dimensions of a 10 blade, 2 wide with an overall length of 15. For safety, there must be at least one visible pin in the handle going through the tang, with a lanyard hole at the back of the handle. This knife takes full advantage of the dimensional allowance sporting a 10 blade of forged 5160, 2 wide at it widest point, with an overall length of 15: Though it was constructed for hard use, Dan nonetheless graced the knife with a beautifully executed hand-rubbed satin finish.
The heat treating process takes about 3 days total for this knife and goes something like this:
· After the blade is forged to shape it is annealed heated in a computer-controlled over to 1425F then allowed to cool to room temperature for 6 to 8 hours.
· The blade is then rough-ground and normalized three times.
· It is then fully quenched and oven-tempered for 2 hrs.
· Next, it is placed in liquid nitrogen overnight for 12 hours.
· The spine is then drawn 3 times with the edge in water.
· This is followed by two more 2-hour tempers in the oven.
· It is then ground and hand-sanded.
The blade is fully flat-ground, then given a very slight convex profile with a rotary platen. Dan has tried the full convex grind on past knives, and found that while the resulting weightier blade made for a powerful chopper, it also made for a slower blade. Slow does not win cutting competitions. The past designs had their genesis in Dans desire to address what he feels is his weakest event: the two-by-four chop. The result was heavier blades with significantly dropped handles to ramp up power for the chop. But and heres where the real practical value of these competitions shines through Dan found that the further he went down the path of powerful mass the worse he did overall in the competitions.
For this generation, Dan wanted to ensure that he had a quick blade, and gave much thought to putting weight where it would do the most good - without resulting in a slow, blade-heavy knife. The blade shape - with more width forward is a result of this design philosophy. As is the most striking design feature of the blade: the nearly full length fuller. This feature reduces mass and allows for a broad, powerful blade that is surprisingly quick in the hand. Dan even went to the extra step of implementing a slightly recessed spine for reduced drag. it is slightly thinner than the area above the fuller, but still thicker than the area below (edge side) the fuller.
Perhaps the second most striking feature of the blade is the gentle and graceful recurve of the cutting edge. Such a design puts weight a bit more forward for chopping and Dan has found it to be more resistant to twisting which is a good thing.
THE HANDLE
(Lanyard hole is barely visible, recessed into the flared, concave butt.)
Dan has long been known for his superb handles they are as beautiful as they are functional and exhibit a high level of finish. As some of you may know, Dan earned his Bachelor of Science degree in the field of wood products engineering and the knowledge gained there has certainly served him very well. Dan selected English walnut for the handle of this knife, which he sourced from a supplier of custom gun stocks. Dan favors this wood for working knife applications as it is hard, strong, durable and stable. (Not micarta-stable, but very stable as wood goes). Of course, as with any Farr knife, putting function first does not mean that aesthetics are ignored the handle is inlaid with gold wire and extensively stippled giving both a beautiful contrast and added texture for a secure grip. The stippling of the gold wire gives it a very striking nugget-like look.
The handle itself is an evolutionary signpost, representing the makers current best design for this application. Dan relates that his handles have evolved in cross section from round, to progressively more egg-shaped, to egg-shaped with a sharper point. The cross-sectional shape has a significant impact on resistance to twisting during aggressive cuts. Stability is key, and Dan finds this cross-sectional shape to be very twist-resistant. The degree of drop in the handle has also evolved. As Fisk describes it, a handle with more drop gives more power, while a straighter handle gives more speed. A competition knife cant be a one-trick pony, so striking a proper balance between the two is essential. Dans earlier knives had a more pronounced handle drop, but as with the blade design, Dans knives have evolved from all-out power to a more balanced blend of power and speed. And this most recent handle design, while still dropped, is less so than its predecessors. Dan said that if he had an extra half-inch to play with within the rules, hed probably add that half-inch to the handle but properly designed, a 5 inch handle is all that is needed. As Dan describes it, you dont want your hand moving around on the handle while cutting. The subtle curves and contours are designed to lock your hand in place and comfortably so. Youd have to pick up this knife or any Farr knife, for that matter to appreciate how well Dan has accomplished this goal. This is a true ergonomic success. Your hand take hold and locks in place, all the better to feel the terrific balance and lively quickness that belie the blades substantial size.
IN SUMMARY
Overall, this knife presents an aesthetically pleasing blend of curves: curved blade, curved plunge cuts, curved handle. It also provides a pleasing blend of form and function a hard-working knife that look good while going about its business. As shown below, the knife is complemented by one of Dans beautiful, durable and water-resistant leather sheaths:
Dan values his experience in these events for the important lessons he has learned both at the competitons themselves, and through interacting with so many talented bladesmiths at hammer-ins and shows across the country. And the exposure given to the makers and their knives as well as the education of the public as to the capabilities of these knives is all to the good as well.
My thanks to Dan Farr for this fine knife and for taking the time to explain its many design features. I look forward to seeing the continued refinement and evolution of this knife design in the months and years to come.
Roger Pinnock
For those of you that have yet to attend an ABS cutting competition, I highly recommend the experience. It is a unique showcase of makers and their knives that provides a memorable visual spectacle. I attended my first cutting competition in Dallas this past September at the Spirit of Steel show and watched the likes of Reggie Barker, Dickie Robinson, John Fitch, Dan Farr, Jim Crowell, Dan Winkler and Ron Newton, to name a few, have at it in a series of cutting challenges. In these competitions, certain events are known (2 by 4 chop, rope cut) and others are surprises (such as the pick your number water bottle cut introduced at SOS). As such, the challenge for the makers is to forge out a knife that will be able to meet series of varied challenges and, of course, to execute those tests as they arise. A knife that is designed to do one thing only will not take you far in these competitions. And as an added requirement of performance and durability, each contestants blade is closely inspected after each event. Any wrinkles, rolls, dips, chips or dents in the cutting edge and the maker is disqualified.
Dan Farr chops up a 2 by 4 at SOS, while Master Smith Joe Flournoy looks on.
ABS-sanctioned competitions are held nationwide at various shows and hammer-ins, with the top five competitors earning the right to compete at the World Championship Cutting Competition in Atlanta at the Blade Show. In the aftermath of Dans win at the ABS Spring Hammer-In (Washington, Arkansas) Jerry Fisk suggested that he might want to think about attending more events and trying to qualify for the finals. Dan credits Jerry with providing him with much assistance and guidance throughout his career, and accordingly, gives any suggestion of Jerrys very careful consideration. The next several months would see Dan compete with such consistent success that he comfortably earned a spot in the final five.
Which brings us to the knife shown above: Dans fifth generation competition cutter. Dans competition knives have gone through a number of evolutionary design changes over time as the maker learned more about what worked, what didnt and why all in the heat of competition. This knife, accordingly, represents Dans best thinking on the subject. I was fortunate to be able to pick up this knife from Dan at the Blade show it was his backup-blade in the event that some misadventure befell his blued competition knife, shown below:
THE BLADE
ABS rules specifiy maximum dimensions of a 10 blade, 2 wide with an overall length of 15. For safety, there must be at least one visible pin in the handle going through the tang, with a lanyard hole at the back of the handle. This knife takes full advantage of the dimensional allowance sporting a 10 blade of forged 5160, 2 wide at it widest point, with an overall length of 15: Though it was constructed for hard use, Dan nonetheless graced the knife with a beautifully executed hand-rubbed satin finish.
The heat treating process takes about 3 days total for this knife and goes something like this:
· After the blade is forged to shape it is annealed heated in a computer-controlled over to 1425F then allowed to cool to room temperature for 6 to 8 hours.
· The blade is then rough-ground and normalized three times.
· It is then fully quenched and oven-tempered for 2 hrs.
· Next, it is placed in liquid nitrogen overnight for 12 hours.
· The spine is then drawn 3 times with the edge in water.
· This is followed by two more 2-hour tempers in the oven.
· It is then ground and hand-sanded.
The blade is fully flat-ground, then given a very slight convex profile with a rotary platen. Dan has tried the full convex grind on past knives, and found that while the resulting weightier blade made for a powerful chopper, it also made for a slower blade. Slow does not win cutting competitions. The past designs had their genesis in Dans desire to address what he feels is his weakest event: the two-by-four chop. The result was heavier blades with significantly dropped handles to ramp up power for the chop. But and heres where the real practical value of these competitions shines through Dan found that the further he went down the path of powerful mass the worse he did overall in the competitions.
For this generation, Dan wanted to ensure that he had a quick blade, and gave much thought to putting weight where it would do the most good - without resulting in a slow, blade-heavy knife. The blade shape - with more width forward is a result of this design philosophy. As is the most striking design feature of the blade: the nearly full length fuller. This feature reduces mass and allows for a broad, powerful blade that is surprisingly quick in the hand. Dan even went to the extra step of implementing a slightly recessed spine for reduced drag. it is slightly thinner than the area above the fuller, but still thicker than the area below (edge side) the fuller.
Perhaps the second most striking feature of the blade is the gentle and graceful recurve of the cutting edge. Such a design puts weight a bit more forward for chopping and Dan has found it to be more resistant to twisting which is a good thing.
THE HANDLE
(Lanyard hole is barely visible, recessed into the flared, concave butt.)
Dan has long been known for his superb handles they are as beautiful as they are functional and exhibit a high level of finish. As some of you may know, Dan earned his Bachelor of Science degree in the field of wood products engineering and the knowledge gained there has certainly served him very well. Dan selected English walnut for the handle of this knife, which he sourced from a supplier of custom gun stocks. Dan favors this wood for working knife applications as it is hard, strong, durable and stable. (Not micarta-stable, but very stable as wood goes). Of course, as with any Farr knife, putting function first does not mean that aesthetics are ignored the handle is inlaid with gold wire and extensively stippled giving both a beautiful contrast and added texture for a secure grip. The stippling of the gold wire gives it a very striking nugget-like look.
The handle itself is an evolutionary signpost, representing the makers current best design for this application. Dan relates that his handles have evolved in cross section from round, to progressively more egg-shaped, to egg-shaped with a sharper point. The cross-sectional shape has a significant impact on resistance to twisting during aggressive cuts. Stability is key, and Dan finds this cross-sectional shape to be very twist-resistant. The degree of drop in the handle has also evolved. As Fisk describes it, a handle with more drop gives more power, while a straighter handle gives more speed. A competition knife cant be a one-trick pony, so striking a proper balance between the two is essential. Dans earlier knives had a more pronounced handle drop, but as with the blade design, Dans knives have evolved from all-out power to a more balanced blend of power and speed. And this most recent handle design, while still dropped, is less so than its predecessors. Dan said that if he had an extra half-inch to play with within the rules, hed probably add that half-inch to the handle but properly designed, a 5 inch handle is all that is needed. As Dan describes it, you dont want your hand moving around on the handle while cutting. The subtle curves and contours are designed to lock your hand in place and comfortably so. Youd have to pick up this knife or any Farr knife, for that matter to appreciate how well Dan has accomplished this goal. This is a true ergonomic success. Your hand take hold and locks in place, all the better to feel the terrific balance and lively quickness that belie the blades substantial size.
IN SUMMARY
Overall, this knife presents an aesthetically pleasing blend of curves: curved blade, curved plunge cuts, curved handle. It also provides a pleasing blend of form and function a hard-working knife that look good while going about its business. As shown below, the knife is complemented by one of Dans beautiful, durable and water-resistant leather sheaths:
Dan values his experience in these events for the important lessons he has learned both at the competitons themselves, and through interacting with so many talented bladesmiths at hammer-ins and shows across the country. And the exposure given to the makers and their knives as well as the education of the public as to the capabilities of these knives is all to the good as well.
My thanks to Dan Farr for this fine knife and for taking the time to explain its many design features. I look forward to seeing the continued refinement and evolution of this knife design in the months and years to come.
Roger Pinnock
We now have a new category of knives to consider. I like it!