- Joined
- Jan 18, 2003
- Messages
- 3,734
I recently had the opportunity to test a couple of blades from one of our own makers, Walter Davis. I was much honored to be asked by him to help test out the heat treat and handle attachment. He had me at hello but when I found out these are forged pieces, I was all over it. He gave me the choice of a flat-ground Bowie or a convex Hudson Bay influenced design. I would test one and he would beat the tar out of the other.
I am all too familiar with Walts convex. This man knows his geometry and has come up with I believe an ideal angle for both detailed cuts and power cuts while maintaining an edge that seems to never quit. Ive had one of his knives for about a year now that is one of my main users. All I have had to do is some stropping on a leather belt after use and the edge shaves & slices free hanging paper non-stop.
It was a difficult choice because I was curious about Walters flat grind but the idea of a convex Hudson Bay was too much for me to resist and I told him so. A few days later I got a message from him that BOTH were in the post for me, along with that mesquite bushcraft that I couldnt resist buying from him (more on that one later).
I had no other clues on what to expect other than they are not quite perfect. What I brought out of that USPS box had nothing to do with not quite perfect.
Both choppers are full tang and forged form 5160. The full flat ground Bowie is 13 9/16" long and has an 8 3/4" satin finished blade with an 8 1/4" cutting edge, 7/32" thick at the spine with a distal taper. The nicely contoured handle and natural canvas micarta scales with hollow aluminum pins are 4 7/8" long, 1" thick and 1.5" wide at their widest. The balance point is right at the front edge of the handle.
The Hudson Bay comes in at 14 1/2" long and has a 9 1/2" gun blued blade with a 9" cutting edge, 7/32" thick at the slightly rounded spine that retains full thickness up to about 1 3/4" from the tip. This handle this...fruit of some heavenly serendipitous pollenization of inspiration in Walter's head
, made from curly maple and brass hollow pins is also contoured and reminiscent of his bushcraft design but with a slightly forward canted coffin end. It is also an inch thick and 1 3/8" wide at it's widest.
Well, I took them out back to our campsite and proceded to beat the tar out of them. I had a couple of old dried wooden pallets waiting to be brocken down. I figured that I'd use them for a nice fire for the kids. Now I have to admit that I had to be very careful not to be biased even though this was not so much a comparison to each other, but I did have a favorite at the outset.
I first picked up the Bowie with its falt grind and distal taper. It feels very quick and agile despite its size. First I did a couple of snap cuts with just the wrist.
I then commenced chopping away. It took deep bites into the old pallet.
The distal taper did feel a liitle awkward at first but I quickly found my groove.
Halfway there...
...and through, sort of. The wood split before I could get though. I inspected the edge and found no evidence of damage. I cut some AG Russell catalog stock with no hang up. I then whittled a few fuzzies with ease.
more to come.....
I am all too familiar with Walts convex. This man knows his geometry and has come up with I believe an ideal angle for both detailed cuts and power cuts while maintaining an edge that seems to never quit. Ive had one of his knives for about a year now that is one of my main users. All I have had to do is some stropping on a leather belt after use and the edge shaves & slices free hanging paper non-stop.
It was a difficult choice because I was curious about Walters flat grind but the idea of a convex Hudson Bay was too much for me to resist and I told him so. A few days later I got a message from him that BOTH were in the post for me, along with that mesquite bushcraft that I couldnt resist buying from him (more on that one later).
I had no other clues on what to expect other than they are not quite perfect. What I brought out of that USPS box had nothing to do with not quite perfect.
Both choppers are full tang and forged form 5160. The full flat ground Bowie is 13 9/16" long and has an 8 3/4" satin finished blade with an 8 1/4" cutting edge, 7/32" thick at the spine with a distal taper. The nicely contoured handle and natural canvas micarta scales with hollow aluminum pins are 4 7/8" long, 1" thick and 1.5" wide at their widest. The balance point is right at the front edge of the handle.
The Hudson Bay comes in at 14 1/2" long and has a 9 1/2" gun blued blade with a 9" cutting edge, 7/32" thick at the slightly rounded spine that retains full thickness up to about 1 3/4" from the tip. This handle this...fruit of some heavenly serendipitous pollenization of inspiration in Walter's head
, made from curly maple and brass hollow pins is also contoured and reminiscent of his bushcraft design but with a slightly forward canted coffin end. It is also an inch thick and 1 3/8" wide at it's widest.Well, I took them out back to our campsite and proceded to beat the tar out of them. I had a couple of old dried wooden pallets waiting to be brocken down. I figured that I'd use them for a nice fire for the kids. Now I have to admit that I had to be very careful not to be biased even though this was not so much a comparison to each other, but I did have a favorite at the outset.
I first picked up the Bowie with its falt grind and distal taper. It feels very quick and agile despite its size. First I did a couple of snap cuts with just the wrist.
I then commenced chopping away. It took deep bites into the old pallet.
The distal taper did feel a liitle awkward at first but I quickly found my groove.
Halfway there...
...and through, sort of. The wood split before I could get though. I inspected the edge and found no evidence of damage. I cut some AG Russell catalog stock with no hang up. I then whittled a few fuzzies with ease.
more to come.....
I sure understand why power hammers are popular with forgers
:thumbup:
