Elmax Sawback Coming This Wednesday, January 18, 2023 At 9:00pm Eastern . . .

[elof_alv]

Finally one we can all afford and get without having to stay sober!!

Unless you want to get a count like Mr Browns, then you only need to spend around four Grand.

Well, you folks in USA can afford that...
At the current exchange rate plus postage that'd get one (actually) delivered to my door in Australia...

CG TGLB delivered did cost me less...

 

[Don't drop it.]

Yeah that is a rough one. I bet they got talented makers in Australia…..

 

[Bob Denman]

Must resist... I will not be assimilated...

Screw that!!! Count me in!

 

[Anton41Beukes]

Why Elmax though.

 

[Bob Denman]

Why Elmax though.

Is there something wrong with it?

 

[David Brown]

Why Elmax though.

I have found Elmax excels in small cutting chores with Busse's heat treat.

Stays sharp and it really is pretty tough for only being .090" thick (that is the normal thickness I make my kydex sheaths by the way).

Some pics of what I did with a steak knife made by Busse

Same thickness

Same Elmax

Same Heat treat

Also it should be noted the way I dug through the 2X4 was I would stab the knife in and pop the wood pieces out.

Not what the knife was designed for but it took it.

Same knife has been in my truck box for years.

Holds and edge perfectly

Guess I should do some "testing" on the Sawback ?

 

[Anton41Beukes]

Is there something wrong with it?

Nothing wrong with it.... very surprised seeing that the newest kid on the block is Magnacut

 

[toker]

Nothing wrong with it.... very surprised seeing that the newest kid on the block is Magnacut

Probably didn't finish their testing on it yet. They kept teasing it in the Swamp, but nothing came up yet.

On a related note, has anyone tried to saw anything with the Sawback? I don't remember seeing any videos of it.

 

[Father & Son Traditional Sharpening]

I have found Elmax excels in small cutting chores with Busse's heat treat.

Stays sharp and it really is pretty tough for only being .090" thick (that is the normal thickness I make my kydex sheaths by the way).

Some pics of what I did with a steak knife made by Busse

Same thickness

Same Elmax

Same Heat treat

Also it should be noted the way I dug through the 2X4 was I would stab the knife in and pop the wood pieces out.

Not what the knife was designed for but it took it.

Same knife has been in my truck box for years.

Holds and edge perfectly

Guess I should do some "testing" on the Sawback ?

I don't believe the original Steak Knives from years ago were in fact the same heat treat they are using now. I recall the hardness on the old ones was 58-60 and on the newer Elmax Slicer Variants (Crab Shack Blind Grab bags and beyond) it was said to be 60-62 RC.

Which, of course, would suggest that the heat treat has been modified to increase the final hardness. Which in theory should help the edge retention and strength overall but without testing no way of knowing and they've never mentioned why they increased hardness. The other thing is the grind on these new slicers is quite different than the Steak Knives. You cannot simply say they are both 'saber grind' and assume it's the same. The newer Elmax has relatively thin edge thickness behind the edge compared to what I recall the original Elmax SK being pretty beefy behind the edge. This can definitely make for a thinner and weaker tip geometry which could suffer a small break at the tip if you're digging hard and really leaning into it.

I say all of that to state that I agree with you in general that the original Steak Knives were up for hard use in factory form. They certainly aren't intended for EXTREME USE as they have the INFI models for that with the appropriate geometry and design specs going behind it. I know I'll be in the minority here but I absolutely would say you can have a hard use knife at 1/8" thick or maybe a bit less if it's well made and you understand it's limitations end at hard use (and you're not going to cut a car or a toilet in half with it just for shits and giggles).

I'll be sitting these out but if I were in the market I'd be questioning the saw teeth on the spine for such a small knife. What sort of things would it come in handy for in actual use and carry? It seems like if anything it would become more of a hindrance at many things depending on what you're cutting but that's pure speculation. I'd say if i had to guess the main reason for the alleged interest in these is probably rooted in novelty and fantasy more than any real practical need to have the teeth there. I say this all not to ruffle feathers but merely add my perspective to the mix for others to consider and weigh against their needs and wants.

 

[David Brown]

I don't believe the original Steak Knives from years ago were in fact the same heat treat they are using now. I recall the hardness on the old ones was 58-60 and on the newer Elmax Slicer Variants (Crab Shack Blind Grab bags and beyond) it was said to be 60-62 RC.

Which, of course, would suggest that the heat treat has been modified to increase the final hardness. Which in theory should help the edge retention and strength overall but without testing no way of knowing and they've never mentioned why they increased hardness. The other thing is the grind on these new slicers is quite different than the Steak Knives. You cannot simply say they are both 'saber grind' and assume it's the same. The newer Elmax has relatively thin edge thickness behind the edge compared to what I recall the original Elmax SK being pretty beefy behind the edge. This can definitely make for a thinner and weaker tip geometry which could suffer a small break at the tip if you're digging hard and really leaning into it.

I say all of that to state that I agree with you in general that the original Steak Knives were up for hard use in factory form. They certainly aren't intended for EXTREME USE as they have the INFI models for that with the appropriate geometry and design specs going behind it. I know I'll be in the minority here but I absolutely would say you can have a hard use knife at 1/8" thick or maybe a bit less if it's well made and you understand it's limitations end at hard use (and you're not going to cut a car or a toilet in half with it just for shits and giggles).

I'll be sitting these out but if I were in the market I'd be questioning the saw teeth on the spine for such a small knife. What sort of things would it come in handy for in actual use and carry? It seems like if anything it would become more of a hindrance at many things depending on what you're cutting but that's pure speculation. I'd say if i had to guess the main reason for the alleged interest in these is probably rooted in novelty and fantasy more than any real practical need to have the teeth there. I say this all not to ruffle feathers but merely add my perspective to the mix for others to consider and weigh against their needs and wants.

Guess the only way to know for sure is to test them.

Or ask Busse tp be 100% sure.

I will be "testing" one of my Sawback Custom shops here really soon.

and since I do have both the Sawback Elmax and an Elmax steak knife in my grubby hooves I will be able to do more than speculate.

I will be using the sawback for some more than novel or fantastical things

I will start a new thread and ask what kind of "testing" folks want pics of.

Woo Hoo testing

 

[Father & Son Traditional Sharpening]

Guess the only way to know for sure is to test them.

Or ask Busse tp be 100% sure.

I will be "testing" one of my Sawback Custom shops here really soon.

and since I do have both the Sawback Elmax and an Elmax steak knife in my grubby hooves I will be able to do more than speculate.

I will be using the sawback for some more than novel or fantastical things

I will start a new thread and ask what kind of "testing" folks want pics of.

Woo Hoo testing

Cool. If you can take some measurements with calipers at various point from spine to edge it would also help to get a sense of how much geometry may be a factor as well. Geometry often makes far more of a difference in performance than changes in steel, in general. Otherwise you could easily be making apples to oranges comparison if the geometry is quite different.

 

[Jerry Busse]

They work great for notching arrows and spears without splitting the entire shaft.

 

[Ironic]

They work great for notching arrows and spears without splitting the entire shaft.

Every time I have to make a bow and arrows from scratch to survive in the wild, I always dread that ticklish notching maneuver.
But I’d still prefer a straight spine to get a finger on for extra blade control on most cutting/slicing jobs. Is there no way to make the sawback optional? I like everything about this knife, including the price, except for the sawback.
Hopefully in another offering, then.

 

[dogboye]

I'm kinda betting the saw teeth would make MEAN fire-rod (whatever it's called) strikers.

Also good for scraping minute shavings from fat wood to take a spark quicker.

 

[Bob Denman]

Every time I have to make a bow and arrows from scratch to survive in the wild, I always dread that ticklish notching maneuver.
But I’d still prefer a straight spine to get a finger on for extra blade control on most cutting/slicing jobs. Is there no way to make the sawback optional? I like everything about this knife, including the price, except for the sawback.
Hopefully in another offering, then.

You could always put on a glove...

 

[Ironic]

Great solution!!! Thank you.
Just have to remember to take enough gloves with me to replace the ones that are shredded by the sawback.

 

[Bob Denman]

The shredding won't happen as long as you're not sliding around over the teeth...

 

[David Brown]

Every time I have to make a bow and arrows from scratch to survive in the wild, I always dread that ticklish notching maneuver.
But I’d still prefer a straight spine to get a finger on for extra blade control on most cutting/slicing jobs. Is there no way to make the sawback optional? I like everything about this knife, including the price, except for the sawback.
Hopefully in another offering, then.

Here ya go a quick search of the Blade Forums for sale section and one without those dreaded saw teeth

https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/price-drops—busse-custom-shop-elmax-slicers-sykco-ms221.1906707/

 

[Ironic]

Thanks for running that down for me, David, and to Bob for the suggestions. I like the price on the current offering, just not crazy about the sawback. Different strokes.

 

[Father & Son Traditional Sharpening]

Thanks for running that down for me, David, and to Bob for the suggestions. I like the price on the current offering, just not crazy about the sawback. Different strokes.

You could pay somebody here to grind off the saw teeth, that's a pretty simple mod to have done and should be cheap enough. Looking at the picture Jerry shared it seems you'd have no problems with that but it might crowd the logo a bit so maybe just request it to be made sterile if you're going that route.