Destruction test

Nathan the Machinist said:
Cool man, lets do this thing. :thumbup:




The op wants to know what it takes to break one. So this is what I'd like to see:

What does it take to snap the tip?
What does it take to blow out into the primary grinds?
What does it take to actually break.

Lets start with normal rough knife usage, meaning extreme batoning, scraping, stabbing, rough chopping (all done very hard) and other very rough use that a knife user might do to a knife if they had to.

You'll dull it, but it won't break.

Then progress into use a knife user wouldn't normally do like baton through things with a heavy hammer, throw it hard tip first into concrete, drive over it with a car etc.

But to see what it's going to take to break it, I think you might need a cheater bar. I do.


The knife I'm sending is a blem. If you can break it just discard the pieces. If you don't break it I want it returned so a blem doesn't end up "out there".

The particular specimen I'm sending you is sharpened 20 DPS, measures .026" behind the edge, and measured HRC 61.5

It is not the geometry or the lower hardness of a "rough use indestructible knife" but I don't think you'll be able to break it without tools. We'll send it out to you today, I can't wait to see what you come up with. :thumbup:
Click to expand...

You got it, Nathan. Yes, it's going to be work, but if you love what you do...:thumbup:

rodriguez7 said:
It just chipped on the edge, I'm guessing it was probably over hardened, I have a swamp rat m6 and did the same, and it just dented.
Click to expand...

Hit Gravelface (Jason) up about a Camp Tramp that he accidently broke. Well, I should say a piece of military equipment accidently broke it. I don't know if he still has the pics, but he's got a hell of a great story. It's the only broken CT that I've ever heard of.
 
rodriguez7 said:
Just for the hell of it I guess. It wasn't really that hard of a chop, but it was with my camp tramp, which should have held up fine. Just checking to see how durable the edge was. I did it with a few different knives to see, and sr101 chipped out pretty bad.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the explanation. Are any of your upcoming tags bull tags? Where you could duplicate this test with the field knife next month? Some of the worst chipping I've seen has been against bone, but maybe this optimized 3V can take it.
 
Yes, 2 bull tags. But I have a bunch of sheds laying around. I could possibly try this. But I'm kind of worried about damaging my knife before my hunt. I may give it shot and see. I tried it with my fehrman peacemaker, and it held up well, but the edge is much thicker than my field knife. I did chip my custom in z-wear, but it was a minor chip, I batonned into an antler, and I think the only reason it chipped was because the antler twisted a bit, and changed the angle quite a bit.
 
rodriguez7 said:
Yes, 2 bull tags. But I have a bunch of sheds laying around. I could possibly try this. But I'm kind of worried about damaging my knife before my hunt. I may give it shot and see. I tried it with my fehrman peacemaker, and it held up well, but the edge is much thicker than my field knife. I did chip my custom in z-wear, but it was a minor chip, I batonned into an antler, and I think the only reason it chipped was because the antler twisted a bit, and changed the angle quite a bit.
Click to expand...

Maybe consider sending a piece to Chris?
 
Casinostocks said:
The most classic test idea being put forward was from Rodriguez who wanted to see as to how it would stand up if it was to be shot ! :D
Click to expand...

So I've seen this done on youtube before, is it just for entertainment? I mean, would it tell us anything about the steel or heat treat or any other attribute?

Regardless, I'm as interested in the test for educational purposes as I am for entertainment value :D
 
SN: when are you gonna take your CPK plunge? Can't just tippy toe forever, son! Perhaps the Missus would like to treat you to a very nice Christmas present? ;)

Now go target practice with that Miller.Bros of yours ;)
 
Nathan the Machinist said:
The op wants to know what it takes to break one. So this is what I'd like to see:

What does it take to snap the tip?
What does it take to blow out into the primary grinds?
What does it take to actually break.
Click to expand...


Not too long ago there was a guy on youtube that tested knives to destruction, some people called him the "hockey mask guy" because he wore a hockey mask during the tests. The tests were crude but still interesting to watch, and there were bits of useful information in there. He did some stabbing through sheet metal then levering the tip out. This shows if you have a really strong tip although I don't know what real world activity might be like this. He also would dig a hole through a 2x4 board using the tip- stabbing the tip into the wood and levering it out to pull out chunks of wood. Digging a hole through a piece of wood might be a real world use for some reason.

Actually I read a book where a guy said he was trying to escape from a building during a fire and found a locked metal door. He stabbed his knife into the door then batoned it to cut an opening through the door. So if this is a true story then stabbing a knife through a metal door might be a real world use.

Other things I've found while reading-
Someone was splitting a log by batoning their knife the length of the piece. As the knife went through the log it followed the grain which did not go in a straight line and eventually the blade was bent sideways significantly. A situation like that could test the bending stiffness of a blade.

Someone was chopping chicken parts for food prep and was chipping their edges.

So maybe some tests could be devised from these situations.
 
They are using cast lead, so lame.

A better match for the D3V would be...

.50 High-Explosive Armor-Piercing-Incendiary (HEIAP), Mk 211 Mod 0.

A so-called "combined effects" cartridge, the Mk 211 Mod 0 High-Explosive-Incendiary-Armor-Piercing (HEIAP) cartridge contains a .30 caliber tungsten penetrator, zirconium powder, and Composition A explosive.

I have some still sexy but less cool .50 BMG kicking around, pretty sure I can make this shot off hand. Don't need all that fancy setup.

Maybe it would be safer with a 9mm or a solid copper 5.56 though. I'd do it. Nathan, want me to try the test LC? I am not gonna be able to get a slow mo video though. Maybe I'll put some water jugs behind it instead and see what I can catch. I don't have a camera for this kinda stuff.

We shoot steel plates all the time that are barely thicker than the LC, I don't think the bullet would piece it.
 
there's a famous story in the cutlery world of a guy who was shot and the bullet hit the knife he had on im and saved his life...can't remember the deets ???
but, don't do that. That kind of testing is stupid, particularly when it comes to riccochet!

seriously, put the knife in the freezer overnight, and then chop at some kind of bone...antler or whatnot.
knife testing should never focus solely on tasks, environment is at least as important, particularly for a knife designed to be used in any environment.
 
Lorien said:
...
seriously, put the knife in the freezer overnight, and then chop at some kind of bone...antler or whatnot.
knife testing should never focus solely on tasks, environment is at least as important, particularly for a knife designed to be used in any environment.
Click to expand...

Good point, very true - real world arctic is different than real world jungle
 
I'm just curious what these things can handle, I read where a couple guys rolled a truck somewhere out in this hills and used a swamp rat to baton through the roof with a rock and were able to get out. Usually I'm way out in the wilderness, either on horseback or riding the quads, or my Toyota. No cell service, and I always have a knife on me, hell you never know what will happen. On the edge, I'll look around tomorrow and see if I have any solid antlers laying around, I'm sure I could saw off a chunk and mail it to you, your about 4 hours down the road from me! Maybe if we're successful on our elk hunt I'll have an elk leg to test my field knife on. That's some extremely dense bone right there.
 
rodriguez7 said:
I'm just curious what these things can handle, I read where a couple guys rolled a truck somewhere out in this hills and used a swamp rat to baton through the roof with a rock and were able to get out. Usually I'm way out in the wilderness, either on horseback or riding the quads, or my Toyota. No cell service, and I always have a knife on me, hell you never know what will happen. On the edge, I'll look around tomorrow and see if I have any solid antlers laying around, I'm sure I could saw off a chunk and mail it to you, your about 4 hours down the road from me! Maybe if we're successful on our elk hunt I'll have an elk leg to test my field knife on. That's some extremely dense bone right there.
Click to expand...

Let me know either way. If you don't have something laying around, I might try hitting up the local butcher for a cow femur or hip. As a hunter, I am sure you have met folks who will try to split the sternum or hip with a knife. Not really a great idea, but surprisingly common.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top