- Joined
- Jan 12, 2009
- Messages
- 3,198
Maybe it is a difference of perspective and personal definition. I understand what you are saying about how the knife if sharp, but not a good slicer. I think of the DB Barlow as a good cutter, but no necessarily a good slicer. In actuality, as far as good slicers go in my traditionals, the DB is good, but not great. I have an old CASE copperhead that has hollow ground blades on it that will shave the hair off a gnat's behind when it is sharp. It has a fine, thin edge that will slit through the toughest stuff. I have an old, old Puma Stockman that is the same way. The DB will never slice as well as either of those knives due to the blade profile. But that super thin slicing edge with little metal behind it is great for rope, apples, whittling, and any other slicing chores you put a knife through. The edge is thin and somewhat fragile, and although they have both seen a mountain of work I have been very careful with them.
A harder working knife for me has a more obtuse edge. If cut down a box that has a hidden staple in it and I go over with the the coppehead or Puma, it will damage the edge. I have chipped edges on my knives that have fine, slicing edges when something unexpected occurs. Not so with a knife profiled like the DB. A few weeks ago, I pulled out the DB to cut off a paint drip on some trim I was painting. I cut slowly, and thought the reason I couldn't get knife through the drip was because it was old oil base paint. No, I was trying to cut through a trim staple that caused a paint drip because it didn't sink properly so it caught paint.
The D2 blunted back evenly and there was no chipping or deformation. Too much meat behind the edge. After lunch I got a piece of 400g paper out of the truck and "sharpened" the knife to cut off the blunt edge. I found a scrap of 600 wet/dry and polished it up a bit. No damage at all to the blade, and it went out of rotation when I got home until it could get a proper sharpening.
I use the DB for all kinds of cutting needs that don't need a finely sliced outcome. Since I have a razor knife in my tool belt, that job falls to that tool.
But I think I understand what you are saying. The closer the blade profile gets to that of a razor, the better at slicing it is. However, I wouldn't think of using a razor to strip wire. If I had my DB in my pocket and nothing else handy, I would (and have) use it in a blink without a second thought to do just that. But I wouldn't shave with my DB, either. Back the correct cutter, the razor for that. Both cut, both are sharp, but they are designed with two different uses in mind.
In light of thinking of knives as tools, I think of them as cutting tools like a chisel. There are many grinds, styles, sharpening profiles, etc. Each one has a purpose, and some chisels just won't slice well even when they are sharp. They make good material removing choppers, though. So maybe a razor sharp crowbar is all the DB will ever be. Sharp as heck, but not a slicer.
Just my 0.02.
Robert
