Fun w2 mini camp sword/knife (knife testing question)

when you ask for ideas about testing, what do you want to see that it is capable of?
you could look at the journeysmith testing or watch some episodes of Forged in Fire.
I really like the looks of it!
 
fishface5 said:
when you ask for ideas about testing, what do you want to see that it is capable of?
you could look at the journeysmith testing or watch some episodes of Forged in Fire.
I really like the looks of it!
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I want to see if it's capable of being a good chopper. I tested it on 2x4 and random pieces of wood. My main question was if it can chop into 2x4s and be fine, is that all I really need to do? Will a 2x4 chop tell me everything I need to know or should I be chopping down dead trees or something along those lines? I don't need any crazy tests like coconuts and stuff haha. I was just curious to see if I had done enough.
 
I don't think a white pine or fir 2x4 is really sufficient to tell you much about how it will perform in real world chopping tasks. I have an abundance of black locust, and I keep dry stuff around to chop with as it's incredibly dense and hard in comparison to pine. I also "chop" antler cut offs as sometimes an edge that will shave and handle chopping pine will roll with light chops into antler. I say "chop" as I don't try to wail through it like a 2x4, just light, angled chops. Does the edge roll? Does the antler cut or does it split/fracture? Is it still sharp after? How many cuts into antler before it's lost it's primary edge?

I'm not using those materials to necessarily simulate real world use, but to find where the failure points are. So I would find a harder, tougher wood, a scrap piece of antler, or knotty pine and go through many pieces of it.

The ultimate question of "is that all I really need to do?" only you can answer. How much do you want to know? Right now, all you really know is it will chop soft pine well.
 
kuraki said:
I don't think a white pine or fir 2x4 is really sufficient to tell you much about how it will perform in real world chopping tasks. I have an abundance of black locust, and I keep dry stuff around to chop with as it's incredibly dense and hard in comparison to pine. I also "chop" antler cut offs as sometimes an edge that will shave and handle chopping pine will roll with light chops into antler. I say "chop" as I don't try to wail through it like a 2x4, just light, angled chops. Does the edge roll? Does the antler cut or does it split/fracture? Is it still sharp after? How many cuts into antler before it's lost it's primary edge?

I'm not using those materials to necessarily simulate real world use, but to find where the failure points are. So I would find a harder, tougher wood, a scrap piece of antler, or knotty pine and go through many pieces of it.

The ultimate question of "is that all I really need to do?" only you can answer. How much do you want to know? Right now, all you really know is it will chop soft pine well.
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Thanks kuraki, that sounds like some good testing. I never thought of using antler. I'll get some harder wood and some antler to test on. Thanks for the help
 
Here's the biggest thing: Define clearly what you want to learn(Edge stability, wear resistance, is geometry proper for task, etc). Choose a test that will give you data about what you want to learn(how you'll cut, what you'll cut, why cut that material). Do the test and analyze the results(how much before failure, or, after a set number of evolutions edge is still shaving sharp, or..) Change your process based on the results and repeat the test (last longer, better with different edge angle? etc)

Don't get me wrong, simulating real use is ok, but if you try to follow the above process when testing, I think you'll learn more about your knife.
 
kuraki said:
Here's the biggest thing: Define clearly what you want to learn(Edge stability, wear resistance, is geometry proper for task, etc). Choose a test that will give you data about what you want to learn(how you'll cut, what you'll cut, why cut that material). Do the test and analyze the results(how much before failure, or, after a set number of evolutions edge is still shaving sharp, or..) Change your process based on the results and repeat the test (last longer, better with different edge angle? etc)

Don't get me wrong, simulating real use is ok, but if you try to follow the above process when testing, I think you'll learn more about your knife.
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This helped a lot. I'll have to come up with a bunch of standard tests for each thing I want to test on my blades. Instead of just straight chopping and seeing if it's still sharp. You are the man kuraki, thanks
 
My comment was not supposed to be condescending. Maybe I should have explained better. If you're using a big chopping knife, eventually you'll get some small nicks in the edge. It might be purely accidental, like if you're chopping weeds and hit a rock or scrap metal that was hidden. Or it may be unavoidable, like if ya gotta chop a sapling out of your walkway at the roots, so you don't trip over it later. Or hit a varmint in the teeth. You might end up with a little damage, and some nicks that are, say, 0.3 millimeters deep, that need to be sharpened out. Use your blade like this nearly every day, and after stuff like that happening a hundred times, it adds up.
 
We have a whole subforum here devoted to testing, and you could get a lot of ideas there. Ya need thick skin to post there, because everything you do will be picked apart and denounced as unrealistic, no matter what.

Start out with the jobs you expect your blade to perform. I suggest testing it against a cheap machete, and a decent quality factory made knife, so you have a rough idea how well compares. You may want to do this before the knife is completed, so you can still sand out little scuffs and scratches. I also believe you should do some semi-destructive testing just so you know what will happen in some of those "what if" scenarios I mentioned above. I.E., if you're clearing weeds and didn't see that steel fence post, will the knife just need to be sharpened, or thrown in the trash? (I've had both happen.)
 
the possum said:
My comment was not supposed to be condescending. Maybe I should have explained better. If you're using a big chopping knife, eventually you'll get some small nicks in the edge. It might be purely accidental, like if you're chopping weeds and hit a rock or scrap metal that was hidden. Or it may be unavoidable, like if ya gotta chop a sapling out of your walkway at the roots, so you don't trip over it later. Or hit a varmint in the teeth. You might end up with a little damage, and some nicks that are, say, 0.3 millimeters deep, that need to be sharpened out. Use your blade like this nearly every day, and after stuff like that happening a hundred times, it adds up.
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Oh don't worry the possum. I wasn't referring to your comments as being condescending. I was referring to Stevens first post that was a very strange couple of paragraphs about how my knife sucks. Apparently if you post asking a question about testing a knife some people feel the need to critique your whole knife in a negative way out of no where haha.
I understand all the points you've spoken about and will definitely use those ideas. Thanks possum you helped me a lot.
 
Paul, STeven does not need me (or anyone else) to defend him, but I just wanted to say, give him a chance. He doesn't pull punches, but over the years I've seen that he cares a great deal about good knives, and the knife community. He also knows a thing or two. So even if you decide to go a different direction, his ideas are worth consideration.
 
the possum said:
Paul, STeven does not need me (or anyone else) to defend him, but I just wanted to say, give him a chance. He doesn't pull punches, but over the years I've seen that he cares a great deal about good knives, and the knife community. He also knows a thing or two. So even if you decide to go a different direction, his ideas are worth consideration.
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I understand. I can tell he's very knowledgeable and cares a lot about knives. I dont hold grudges and have no problem with Steven. All is well. Thanks
 
the possum said:
Paul, STeven does not need me (or anyone else) to defend him, but I just wanted to say, give him a chance. He doesn't pull punches, but over the years I've seen that he cares a great deal about good knives, and the knife community. He also knows a thing or two. So even if you decide to go a different direction, his ideas are worth consideration.
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While it's undisputable that STeven really can provide a wonderful critique of a knife and I enjoy the knowledge he brings to the table, if I may, I always hate to see his rudeness defended. If you substituted wife for knives and family for community, I still wouldn't want my daughter's husband talking to her that way, regardless of the knowledge or caring.

Knowledge, including his, speaks for itself w/o a harsh tone to accompany it. And if someone doesn't want to listen to or can't see good advice for what it is, isn't it a waste of time to put them in their place anyway?
 
Camber said:
While it's undisputable that STeven really can provide a wonderful critique of a knife and I enjoy the knowledge he brings to the table, if I may, I always hate to see his rudeness defended. If you substituted wife for knives and family for community, I still wouldn't want my daughter's husband talking to her that way, regardless of the knowledge or caring.

Knowledge, including his, speaks for itself w/o a harsh tone to accompany it. And if someone doesn't want to listen to or can't see good advice for what it is, isn't it a waste of time to put them in their place anyway?
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Thank you for the compliments.

Sometimes I am rude, and sometimes just direct.

In reading and re-reading what I wrote, rudeness was not the intent, and I'm not seeing it.

Direct speaking is not necessarily harsh, either. I write to the point...this community is comprised of mostly hardened men (and women) who are fully capable of gleaning useful nuggets of wisdom/advice from the general commentary without getting their panties bunched up.

Am very much NOT rude to my wife....and not usually rude to maker's wives either.

If you have read any of my rants, lately they are usually centered on the substandard execution(yes in my opinion, but colored by the gorgeous hamon examples that the Japanese have been producing for about 300 years or so) of "Westernized" hamon. While it may fall on deaf ears to an individual, it is my hope that eventually, makers will do the research and push themselves to develop more refined hamon, resulting in a massive gain to the knife community.

It's a very worthwhile pursuit, and that's why I keep at it.

(edit.....I'll add that if I didn't think Paul had some extreme talent and ability, wouldn't have posted commentary at all, and my track record confirms that, thank you very much!)

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
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STeven,

I didn't mean to imply anything about real life wife's...just that how I would talk to my own or more particulrarly how I would hope someone would talk to my daughter is a way of identifying for me if I am being too direct / rude.

And again, I believe you bring a lot to the table, and I especially like your comments on proportion and flow, often materials too. I guess, just like you with hamons, I don't see any harm in always striving towards a greater degree of civility with each other.

At any rate, I've said enough. I look forward to further contributions from you.

Collin
 
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