Heafner Camp Bowie

C

Cliff Stamp

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Heafner Model 17 Bowie

The Model 17 Camp Bowie from Heafner knives is made by stock removal out of D2 tool steel. The bowie is a massive 0.275" thick with a 2.8 cm wide primary hollow grind on a huge 4.8 cm wide blade. The primary grind tapers to a fine edge ground to 0.024-0.031" thick and beveled at 19.7 +/- 1.7 degrees per side. The knife has a deep clip point which is very acute due to the hollow primary grind. A shot from the Heafner Knives website :

http://www.heafnerknives.com/Model17.jpg

As the camp bowie was used no comments could be made on new in box factory sharpness. There was however no problem in obtaining a razor edge on the knife with minimal effort. With the edge sharpened to a razor finish, push cutting 3/8" hemp required 24 +/- 1 lbs. Pointing sections of hardwood dowel the bowie was able to rough off the necessary wood in 11.6 +/- 2.7 slices and point a 2.5x1.5" section of birch hardwood in 10.5 +/- 0.3 cuts.

The point profile is decently acute given the hollow primary grind and clip point design, the point tapers from a thickness of 0.275" through a length of 1.2" on a angle of 6.5 degrees, the tip is 0.975" thick at the start of the tip. The camp bowie achieves 141 +/- 4 pages into a phonebook on a 50 lbs push and 839 +/- 28 on a hard vertical stab. The handle was solid in hand with no hot spots during the hardest stabbing and the guard precents slips even with compromised grips.

Runing the camp bowie against the Wildlife Hatchet from Gransfors Bruks on some sections of birch hardwoods, the bowie did well getting 83 +/-2 percent of the raw penetration of the hatchet. However due to the hollow grind it tended to bind more than the hatchet as well the blade tended to want to curve in the cuts which makes it more prone to glancing. The handle worked well though, its large length allowing for a high degrees of versatility in positioning.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/CliffStamp/Heafner%20Bowie/heafner_bowie_birch_choppin.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/CliffStamp/Heafner%20Bowie/heafner_bowie_birch_cut.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/CliffStamp/Heafner%20Bowie/pile_of_birch.jpg


Kitchen:

The bowie works well slicing meats, the blade can ride flat to a cutting board and since meat opens up when cut the thickness of the blade and edge doesn't significantly effect performance and as long as the edge is nice and sharp the knife cuts well. With a hair popping edge it literally floats through a thick roast, cutting through gristle just as easily as the tender cuts. The weight of the knife is an advantage as it aids in the knife pushing through the meats.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/CliffStamp/Heafner%20Bowie/lovely_steak.jpg

Obviously the sheer size and weight of the knife make it impractical for precision work in the kitchen, it doesn't work well for peeling potatoes, not that it can't actually handle the cutting, but the size and mass make the fatigue rate high. Similar issues hold when using the knife to cut up vegetables, especially larger ones. Slicing up a turnip for example takes 10-12 lbs with an efficient ktichen knife like the japanese utility from Lee Valley in contrast the Camp Bowie takes more than 30 lbs, and tends to split and crack stiffer vegetables rather than slice them.

Of course for camp work, delicate julienne cuts are probably not a large factor and the bowie cna easily back a few wild vegetables up for the stew pot.

Brush Work :

The bowie was used to limb out some small to medium woods, 3-6" at base. It had nice reach and decent cutting power, and was more effective than a GB hatchet on the smaller branches able to clear more of them in one stroke. It also was better able to cut grasses and other lighter vegetation.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/CliffStamp/Heafner%20Bowie/brush_2005.jpg

The bowie was also used to quickly assemble a small one man bough cave. This is a lean-to type shelter but covered in on all sides. The first step is to find a suitable location, you are looking at an area fairly covered in on all sides from wind, lots of suitable materials, decent ground to sleep on and something to either form one or more of the sides. The site :

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/CliffStamp/Heafner%20Bowie/bough_cave_I.jpg

The location of choice for the bowie primarily was chosen because the large group of Alders made a very efficient brnch point with all the forks, plus they would provide the framework for the shelter construction, being long, light and easy to cut, and as well someone had already lopped down a large tree nearby which would form the main ridgepole and much of the bough covering.

For this shelter a loose framework was used, in an area with really high winds which is open, the framework would need to be lashed, or a much stouter frame would be built out of thicker poles to allow for more roofing material which would eventually hold its onw shape due to its weight. But here the poles where just fixed at the top in the ready made alder notches :

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/CliffStamp/Heafner%20Bowie/bough_cave_II.jpg

The total time of construction was about fifteen minutes. The Bowie had enough heft to lopp off the poles in 1-2 hits easily shearing off all the branches in one pass and was much more efficient than a small axe due to the ability to clear several branches at one time, also it was much more efficient for similar reasons for cutting light vegetation for bedding, fire or insulation for clothing.

The final shelter was closed in on all sides with just a slight opening to get in, in really high winds or snow or blowing rain a layer of boughs would be extended right down over this as well and you would just push them out of the way to get in. The only thing that remains is to create the bedding as the ground is a little rocky. This can be done with boughs, grasses or even sods if you have the time.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/CliffStamp/Heafner%20Bowie/bough_cave_III.jpg

Utility tool :

The camp bowie easily opened and hack up a small can with no significant effect on the edge, just some dulling :

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/CliffStamp/Heafner%20Bowie/can_cut_hb.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/CliffStamp/Heafner%20Bowie/can_slice_hb.jpg

It also cleaved through some light cabling with no problems.

Moving on, it chewed through the top top layer of a small section of sod, it was a bit awkward to handle due to its size and weight, a small knife actually works better for that allowing the sod to but remove much like skinning, just cut through the grass roots and peel it back. The Agent from Dozier actually works very well for that stage of the work. Knives work much better than digging sticks as they can actually cut the grasses and roots.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/CliffStamp/Heafner%20Bowie/layer_sod_hb.jpg

On to the hole, a larger knife is much more effective than the smaller ones which easily peel back the sod. Primarily as the longer blade allows more leverage for popping out large rocks, as well as allowing a greater depth to be reached, plus a wider blade makes a better scoop. For most digging a poking motion is used rather than actual heavy swings such as used with a pick. In general since a knife has a much finer point than a pick it doesn't need as much force to break apart the dirt.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/CliffStamp/Heafner%20Bowie/hole_hb.jpg

The handle worked well during the digging, even when covered in muck (it was raining off and on), and dirt, there were no issues with slippage though of course it got abrasive with the rocks in the mud, but there is no way to avoid that. Your hands get dirty scooping out the dirt and it goes on the handle shortly after. After digging the hole, the bowie had a few minor chips through the sweep of
the tip and some slight impaction of the tip, all of which was removed after
the next couple of sharpenings.

Note for shelter construction sod makes an excellent bedding material and is a near optimal insulator from both rain and temperature so works very well for both the floor and roof of a shelter, as of course is the dirt. It however takes many times longer to gather than grasses and boughs and is more for a long term shelter. When used for a roofing material it also demands a lot more sturdy base for the shelter because it is way heavier than sheets of thin bark or boughs.

Edge retention :

The bowie was ran alongside a Paramilitary and Manix on some used carpet. The carpet was wet and it was raining at times so corrosion was also likely a factor in the edge loss as well as wear and deformation on the carpet. The blades were tested for sharpness after 64 and then 254 cuts into the carpet by cutting light cotton thread under 500 and then 1000 grams of tension respectively. The bowie had about 50% of the sharpness of the stainless blades after the cutting.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/CliffStamp/Heafner%20Bowie/mess_of_carpet_hb.jpg

I have some dry work done to compare this to, possibly repeating the carpet if I get more.

Sharpening :

The Bowie sharpens readily, the edge isn't excessively thick, there are no funky curves or sharp angles and even after extensive blunting such as on the hole digging, the edge is readily reset with a couple of minutes on a x-coarse SiC waterstone then taken up to razor sharpness with a series of finer waterstones and finishing on CrO lapping papper. The entire process only takes about five minutes.

Handle :

The grip for the bowie is a solid handle and a half length which makes it very versatile. It is contoured enough to allow a decently secure grip however not so much extensive grooving so that it lowers grip versatility.

Sheath :

The bowie comes with a solid leather sheath with secure stitching. The blade is however difficult to sheath without the edge contacting the sides as the fit is tight and the belt loop gets in the way. The leather sheaths that came with a couple of Randalls showed an easier draw while still maintaining a very tight fit around the choil, of course they were very broken in, one of the advantages to leather, it wears very well.

The above is just a quick overview, I have a Battle Rat on the way and will be using it and a couple of other tools for a more indepth comparison, hopefully getting a video camera off of a friend and clip some of the shots which would be of benefit like baton work, tip digging and so on to clearify issues like force applied, wedging and so on.

If there is anything you would like to see just drop me an email, if it is kind of extreme, drop Dave an email first to get his opinion on it.

The passaround thread :

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=335257

and of course no review would be complete without a concrete block :

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/CliffStamp/Heafner%20Bowie/tunnel_vision.jpg




-Cliff
 
Interesting reading, a well written and comprehensive review covering a wide range of use.

I am interested to hear how this knife compares to the Battle Rat, specifically in what uses the hollow grind is better and in which the flat grind, espicially in brush work. Comparing the D2 to SR101 steels should be interesting as well.

While to be honest I don't care for the aggresive clip point blade style on this knife, the handle loos really secure, as well as offering protection from branches and such when limbing, making shelters, etc.

I really like the increased number of pictures in your review, it adds to the reading expereince. Video clips will be an excellent addition, it must be very time consuming conducting this extensive of a review and write up.

Thank you for your work and willingness to discuss it,
KT
 
Excellent review so far!! can't wait for the head to head stuff with the Battle Rat!

Thanks,
Darrell.................
 
Slaytanic said:
...can't wait for the head to head stuff with the Battle Rat!
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Yeah that takes a fairly different approach to a similar intended scope of work so it will be interesting to contrast them directly.

Andrew Lynch said:
You're becoming a fieldwork junky Cliff!!
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It is part of my training as a Newfie Seal, we are the first line of defence of the Canadian military.

knifetester said:
...the aggresive clip point blade style on this knife
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Yeah, a clip allows you to run the tip down towards the slimmer section of the stock, as well remove more material than a drop to thin it out more and as well give you an aggressive sweep for back cuts.

For light folder blades the first two properties allow a very slim and precise point like on many stockman patterns, and of course the last property is common on many fighting bowies.

On wood working blades I prefer drop point or better yet, on blades of this size and nature leaving the point in line with the tip and forming it from a gentle convex arc.

I really like the increased number of pictures in your review, it adds to the reading expereince. Video clips will be an excellent addition...
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Yeah, I host the reviews on an academic site so I could not put up pics in detail to so restrictions on space, that is why all the pics in the reviews are usually extremely compressed, plus my pictures are intended to just show the basics not showcase cosmetics.

Photohosting has come a long way though since the last time I checked, which was about ten years ago, and now it is trivial to upload a dozen files and most sites even give you prepared img links and even html tags.

Shots also help a lot out personally as they take the space of a lot of written notes and help out even the most detailed written observations, a shot of a hole and the dirt and rock is a lot more helpful three years later when you are wondering about a current blade.

Clips would be even better here as they would also show the method used, how much force was used in the picking, was the prying aggressive or light, did the soil break apart easily or was is hard, etc. .

...it must be very time consuming conducting this extensive of a review and write up.
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The majority of the work done is usually for a specific purpose, for example all the wood cutting is necessary as it is burnt for heat, the birch will be used for starting fires, the cardboard runs I do are first stage tinder and so on.

A lot of it is also done to practice wood working and various skills in general. Utility carving (traps, spoons, bowls), shelter building, fire construction and so on. Plus I like working with blades in general so while time consuming it is enjoyable.

I used to do writeups as part of my own notes to keep track of what I learned about blades and typing it up doesn't take that long as I can touch type fairly fast. The longest part is actually editing the grammar so it doesn't look like I am retarded.

-Cliff
 
More kitchen work :

While not a chef's knife, the bowie works well on a lot of slicing, it is heavy so you want to be used to working with large knives, if you are then the weight of it isn't a concern. It is light compared to most of my khukuris for example, and the heft actually enhances its cutting power on a lot of work.

Running it against a Meadowlark from Spyderco, an efficiently ground small folder, the bowie held its own in ease of cutting on salted pork. The slightly thinner edge on the Meadowlark was offset by the greater weight of the bowie which gave it similar overall ease of slicing. The well rounded guard also was comfortable with an overhand thumb grip :

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/CliffStamp/Heafner%20Bowie/hb_pork.jpg

Light vegetation :

The bowie cuts light vegetation well when sharp as will any blade. With a razor hair shaving edge it literally floats through the vegetation. The heft is again of benefit and allows it to plow through thick vegetation cutting a very wide swath with little effort on the swing :

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/CliffStamp/Heafner%20Bowie/hb_bed_swath.jpg

This vegetation has a wide multitude of uses, it can be used for bedding, to both provide comfort as well as insulation from the cold ground :

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/CliffStamp/Heafner%20Bowie/hb_bed.jpg

It can also be used for shelter construction, to pad or thatch out a roof, provide flooring, insulation for clothing, or signal material for a smoky fire, you can also of course just eat many types.

The bowie did crack into a rock during the cutting :

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/CliffStamp/Heafner%20Bowie/hb_rocks.jpg

which took a chip out, past the edge and up into the primary grind, ~3/16" back from the very edge in total. This is the main downside of hollow grinds and D2 for such knives.

In general I have been surprised with the performance of the hollow grind in regards to wedging as it hasn't been sticking significantly, though I have mainly been working on fairly easy to cut woods. I will be doing some direct comparisons to a flat ground blade and a hatchet when the Ratweiler gets here, had to switch the comparison blade from Swamp Rat due to a long wait for a Battle Rat.


Carving :

For traps and other fine work, while the bowie actually cuts well due to the fairly thin edge, it is more efficient to chop the notches, working with a choked up grind around the guard, to allow quick and light wrist pops to readily chisel out notches which can then be fine carved for detail :

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/CliffStamp/Heafner%20Bowie/hb_notch.jpg

More shelters, tree pit :

Find a large fir or similar tree with heavy coverage and a decent amount of low hanging branches :

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/CliffStamp/Heafner%20Bowie/tree_pit_1.jpg

The lower limbs are removed close to the tree and a basic framework built around the trunk using deadfall if possible or cutting live wood otherwise. Several designs are possible, the simplest is to just radiate outward in a circular pattern. If live wood is cut for the framework don't trim the branches too close, leave 2-3" of stub as this will make it easier to interlace sticks for the basic framework :

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/CliffStamp/Heafner%20Bowie/tree_pit_2a.jpg

This tree isn't ideal as it is a bit sparce on top, but decent, and some of the lower limbs had already been removed and there was a large amount of dead sticks around which would enable the basic frame work to be readily filled out :

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/CliffStamp/Heafner%20Bowie/tree_pit_2b.jpg

On top of the frame form the roof. In an urban enviroment this can be lots of material, in rural ones large branches work very well for the basic first layer, ferns and other light vegetation can be used but they demand a much tighter frame with much smaller holes so they mean more time spent on the frame. However once the basic layer has been formed with some large boughs smaller vegetation can be weaved in to fill it out :

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/CliffStamp/Heafner%20Bowie/tree_pit_3.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/CliffStamp/Heafner%20Bowie/hb_rocks.jpg

That is a really big shelter, you can stand up inside it, it would hold a half a dozen people easily.

Grip :

The bowie worked well in a variety of grips and was especially flexible for woodworking where three main grips were used. Far back when maximum power and reach was required, for both heavy felling and general machete work which effectively gave it a 12" blade :

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/CliffStamp/Heafner%20Bowie/hb_end_grip.jpg

This functions really well. A lot of knives can be used in such a manner, but this one actually does it quite well for extended period of time. There are no ergonomic concerns and the dual sweep at the end of the hand really locks in a partial grip with the index and middle finger and thumb, with the upper curvature resting nicely along the base pad of the thumb.

A full hammer style grip does the majority of wood work, most chopping and medium limbing :

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/CliffStamp/Heafner%20Bowie/hb_hammer_grip.jpg

A forward grip around the guard when the chopping was light and most cutting could be done with light wrist flicks, light soft fir and most alders :

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/CliffStamp/Heafner%20Bowie/hb_forward_grip.jpg

The guard is really well contoured and one of the first I have seen I would not simply cut off, it actually serves a purpose as a thumb rest and you can work around it effectively as it is very well radiused.

-Cliff
 
Interesting reading. I enjoyed seeing the increased depth and breadth added. One aspect of your reviews that is particularly nice is that you keep them fairly well updated. Most reviews I read are simply initial impressions, then they stale out.

an efficiently ground small folder, the bowie held its own in ease of cutting on salted pork.
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Yes, this is an example of a material where overall balde geometery is not as significant, just basically edge profile. Though the fat sticks to the knife pretty good, it is adhesion not binding. Therefore, a sharp knife will cut solid fats well even though it has a thick spine.

Re light vegetation:
The heft is again of benefit and allows it to plow through thick vegetation cutting a very wide swath with little effort on the swing :
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My perspective is a little different. While light vegetation is very "edge senestive" in that the primary grid is not real significant, see machetes where they are full stock behind the edge grind, I really could not use a knife of the Camp Bowie's size, weight and balance for that use. It would simply wear out my arm strength much too quickly, as well as be very stressful on my wrists.

which took a chip out, past the edge and up into the primary grind, ~3/16" back from the very edge in total. This is the main downside of hollow grinds and D2 for such knives.
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Ouch. Grinding out that chip will remove a lot of good metal, but failing to do so may result in crack propogation, what will you do? Personally, I would use a small file, chamfer (round out) the chip as much as I could to reduce the stress riser, and give it a good sharpening, full edge reset. What chip was left would have to stay there for me, taking it out would just reduce the blade life too much.

This is why I really prefer simpler, tougher steels for a big knife. I really don't have any need for the additional abbrassion resistance that D2 provides, don't care about the higher chromium contents higher corrosion resistance, etc. I like D2 in smaller, much thinner knives where I want the attributes it has (high wear resistance primarily) and am not concerned about its drawbacks (brittleness compared to tool and spring steels).

As you know, with a good tool or spring steel blade with a good HT and grind, hitting a rock usually just results in edge roll, on a really hard knife you miht see some chipping but it would be limited to the edge grind, not running into the primary grind. For me, edge roll is much easier to fix, just steel the displaced metal back into shape. It will probably be weaker than before, but usable.

In general I have been surprised with the performance of the hollow grind in regards to wedging as it hasn't been sticking significantly
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That is interesting. I have not used many large blades that had hollow primary grinds, usually I select large knives with flat or convex grinds.

I have one of the special run Livesay RCM's on order (it is that special hollow grind rapid deployment run) but have low hopes of ever receiving it. I have a standard flat ground RCM right now, and it is a fine brush knife but not ideal for hard woods, and I was really hoping to compare the hollow to flat grind in otherwise identical knives over a broad scope of work. Binding in thicker wood was the primary concern I had with the hollow grind. Given Newt's delivery schedule this does not seem like it will happen any time soon.

This knife is called a camp bowie, but the steel, grind and blade profile rather point to a fighter style knife. What did the Maker describe its intended use as?
 
knifetester said:
Therefore, a sharp knife will cut solid fats well even though it has a thick spine.
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Yes, there are a number of things in the kitchen which are just sharpness based, soft fruits and vegetables and meats. For them the performance of the knife is mainly just based on how it handles, it is comfortable in the required grip, can it work to a cutting board, how is the weight and so forth. Whatever knife I have on me at the time usually works much better on these media than any kitchen knife at most peoples houses because it is usually 5-10x sharper.

It would simply wear out my arm strength much too quickly, as well as be very stressful on my wrists.
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Yeah, everyone has their limits, some of my larger khukuris would wear me down quickly. I could make enough for a bed readily, but I would not want to have to thatch out a roof for a full sized shelter. Ideally you want something which has just enough weight that a steady swing carries it through the vegetation, which changes depending on what you are cutting of course.


I would use a small file, chamfer (round out) the chip as much as I could to reduce the stress riser, and give it a good sharpening, full edge reset. What chip was left would have to stay there for me, taking it out would just reduce the blade life too much.
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Yeah that is exactly what I did for exactly why you said it.

...on a really hard knife you miht see some chipping but it would be limited to the edge grind, not running into the primary grind.
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Yeah the nature of the primary is critical here, you can't get that penetration on flat or convex grinds, well you can but it takes really extreme impacts. Hollow grinds keep the thickness the same which is great for fine cutting but if the edge is overstressed so is the primary. You have to ask yourself here what are you going for, how do you want the tool to behave, both in general as well as unfortunate situations.

Lots of people run them this way though, Robertson used to push Brends for years and he ran very similar blades, D2, hollow grinds on large blades. I don't know how the guys use them, maybe they just have much better luck than I do. They do tend to get upset if you ask them what happens if you hit a rock though which tends to have me not be that impressed by performance claims in general.

Funniest thing in this regard was when I spent an afternoon thinning out an Iltis, got it exactly where I wanted and on the first piece of fir I blew out a huge piece of the edge, it just bent and actually tore mm''s deep. I cut the front notch perfectly but hit a huge knot I didn't see on the back due to almost perfect bark camouflage. The damage really didn't bother me, I knew it was likely on a knot, but damn, at least give me one tree.

Nice piece of wood though, clear as crystal aside from that one knot, which made it that much worse.


This knife is called a camp bowie, but the steel, grind and blade profile rather point to a fighter style knife. What did the Maker describe its intended use as?
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Don't know, I fired off an email when this started way back when the request was to compare it to a TOP's and Rat, never got a responce.

-Cliff
 
Hey Cliff! just wondering about any "eta" news regarding the Ratweiler You have coming?


Thanks :D
 
This isn't a camp use, I was giving a friend a hand hauling some wood and given the chance was curious about a more "tactical" use of the knife. Several years ago Kevin McClung used his knives to open a hole in the roof of a car as a demonstration of the toughness of his knives, plus showed an emergency use of the knives.

The bowie was used along with a section of stick to open up such a hole. The cutting took less than ten minutes, it could be done in less than five easily, I spent some time exploring a few techniques and periodically stopped to check the edge for damage, as well explored stabbing and chopping to make the cuts aside from batoning.

Stabbing and chopping and not very effective, batoning works best if the knife is held at about a 45 degree angle and used to chisel cut the roof, it works easily twice as good as just trying to pound it through with the knife held vertical and you can easily get a half inch or more of travel with each impact, it is kind of hard to make straight cuts, which makes it harder on the blade.

In terms of damage, there was none on the cutting, just blunting, except when I cut through the support accidently and the blade twisted and took out a notch about 1/8" deep, the steel fractured from one side of the blade. A shot :

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/CliffStamp/Heafner%20Bowie/hb_roof.jpg

After the cutting the knife was easily sharp enough to cut wood, I trimmed the end off a small stick in 5 chops :

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/CliffStamp/Heafner%20Bowie/hb_roof_stick.jpg

It easily cut light weeds, it functioned similar to a saw, I could feel more aggression than you get on a freshly sharpened blade, but there would be no difficulty cutting enough for thatching, bedding, insulation or food :

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/CliffStamp/Heafner Bowie/hb_roof_weeds.jpg

Back to the SUV, I used the one inch section of edge which did the batoning to cut through the seat belts and some poly rope. It took 4-5 back and forth passes to cut the belts and ropes, compared to less than one pull when freshly sharp, so it was blunted, but far from useless.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/CliffStamp/Heafner%20Bowie/hb_roof_belts.jpg

Sharpening took about two minutes with a SiC hone, it took about 30 s to clean up the bevels and remove the metal from the roof. This left some small chips in the main baton area, just visible by eye. They were removed in the next minute or so. The blade was then raised to a fine polish through a 1000 grit waterstone, fine chinese waterstone then CrO, entire time was less than five minutes. I used a dremel to round out the larger chip turning it into a serration.

I have been doing a lot of wood work with it lately, it works *much* better than other hollow ground blades for wood work, I am going to run some direct trials with it vs a small axe and long falt and convex ground blades in the next few days.

-Cliff
 
Recent update, I used it for some wood working, specifically digging through a piece of spruce 2x4, can't use pine for this (no one would anyway as it is too expensive) because the wood will just breaks/split if you try heavy prying. With 1/4" penetration into a clear section the blade when to horizontal and cleared the wood, on 1/2" penetration it did the same, on 3/4" penetration it went to about 45 and then popped out and the tip had a slight bend of a few degrees through its length (the hollow taper). The 3/4" was repeated (I was just hammering it in with a small baton, light impacts, ten to get it that deep), and the tip snapped losing about 1/4" inch :

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/CliffStamp/Heafner Bowie/hb_2x4_break.jpg

That is the 2x4, the hole was dug with the Ratweiler, that piece of spruce was about average, they get about twice as soft and twice as hard, lots of variety in woods, even of the same species. The Ratweiler digs ok, no chance of damaging it, but the penetration is a little shallow as the tip is a bit too thick and the longer blade reduces precision.

The tip on the Heafner was reground in a couple of minutes, you could easily just file it with little effort, I used a belt sander, it was only slightly reduced in length :

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/CliffStamp/Heafner Bowie/hb_tip_reground_side.jpg

and taper :

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/CliffStamp/Heafner Bowie/hb_tip_reground_top.jpg

No surprise given the hollow sweep to the tip that it could not clear the wood, you want much more steel there to do that, and a hollow profile should be avoided as it will just focus the stress instead of distributing it.

-Cliff
 
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