HG55 - CBT or No CBT?....Thoughts and Input

zombieassassin

zombieassassin

Platinum Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2015
Messages
4,931
I am drooling over certain HG55 blades. I have my eyes on one with large CBT and Satin finish or one without CBT and DCBB finish. Both are very nice IMO, especially the satin CBT one. I am wondering if the CBT actually helps in everyday cutting and doesn't prevent other things? All input is appreciated....thanks guys.
 
I owned a Non CBT one and still think they are sexier than the CBT versions. I believe it would be a better slicer too as it was full flat grind.
 
Don't click on you PayPal until I post up some pics, hahaha! ;)

Gimme a couple min. :cool:

I got you bro!

If CBT's only job was to sit there as look SEXY as h . . . -- wouldn't you agree it's worth it? ;)
9IR1DV3.jpg


Nobody, I mean NO BODY, crafts anything like this anywhere!
vibX4Lw.jpg


HG55 variety of "vertical" CBT, from top, "small" CBT, competition finish "large" CBT, comp. finish large CBT with "bomb-proof" tip, stripped Military Overrun with bomb proof tip:
kSpaler.jpg



"BUSSE" + competition finish + large CBT detail:
9AEfX2D.jpg


Large Regular CBT vs. large CBT on "bomb proof tip" convexxed by me:
323x5Hb.jpg



"Small" v. Large CBT detail pic:
jme7DkM.jpg


stripped bomb proof MO with tubes drilled out:
vuqhJZr.jpg



detail pic of spine in Ben Piatt custom taco:
Y0EE9y8.jpg
 
Last edited:
I've heard somewhere that CBT can overall boost strength and lower mass....can't remember where just now. :confused:

But even if it weakened the shank, I doubt you'd be able to snap it. If you do, "you're a better man than me, Charlie Brown!" :thumbup:

I can't even flex my MO without a cheater pipe. :eek:

I don't know if it's designed to stab / retrieve from semi-viscous material without undue drag, but I could see that as a property of CBT.

One of my favorite characteristics of the HG55 is the handle shape, that trapezoidal, fat on the end design is really comfy to pull from the sheath. Also serves as a natural way for me to index the blade correctly.
 
You nailed the reason why I love the CBT look brother....those blades are SEXY! Now you have me thinking again. This will be an edc blade.
 
LE's are sexy. You sayin' that loooong smooth blade that goes all the way up to her Tigerhide handle ain't sexy??? :eek: ;) :D:D

0903151626_1_zpsvclc9rya.jpg
 
I miss my DCBC HG55. It would make a very sweet EDC. Good choice.

I agree with Bacon, I think the Full Flat would cut better. IMHO.

Lawrie
 
I vote NON CBT all the way.

If you, as do many folks here, like the aesthetics of cbt, then go for it, nothing wrong with purchasing based on aesthetics.
As an engineering feat, the vertical bevels just make no sense!
Even the traditional CBT is kinda a gimmick imo, it increases cutting resistance and does not decrease weight all that much, but at least the theory is sound. The traditional cbt with longitudinal bevels minimally decreases strength in the blade relative to the weight and volume of metal removed because a knife, when stressed, never splits longitudinally from tip to handle. The bevels on the HG55 however are vertical and create weak points along the same plane in which a knife will be prone to break when stressed. Under normal use the HG 55 is so thick that it won't be an issue, but why go to all that trouble to weaken a knife.

Consider an "I"-beam used for a load bearing support.
A solid bar of steel with the same dimensions as the I-beam will be stronger, but prohibitively heavy and expensive. The I beam is slightly weaker, but it does retain a relatively high proportion of the strength relative to the greatly reduced volume of steel. This I beam would be most analogous to traditional longitudinal CBT.
Now imagine that you take a solid bar of steel and instead of making an I-Beam we just put a bunch of vertical notches through it, that significantly weakens the bar. The weakness introduced is greater than the weight savings, so bad choice.

My 2 cents
 
PeteyTwoPointOne said:
I've heard somewhere that CBT can overall boost strength and lower mass....can't remember where just now. :confused:
Click to expand...

Sorry just read this after my long winded post above. This is a common misconception; I hear it all the time from guys about their fluted barrels. You can NOT increase strength by removing material. A fluted barrel and a CBT knife will always be weaker and less stiff than knife or barrel of the same dimension without steel removed. If it is done right you can keep MOST of the strength while removing some of the weight (which is the goal). It could be correctly said that you can increase the strength to weight ratio. A fluted barrel or knife of the same WEIGHT can be stronger, but it would also have to dimensionally larger (even thought the weight is the same). As per my previous post, imo the vertical bevels are not the best way to reduce weight.
 
Last edited:
Thanks Mach5. I too see how that can be perceived. But I feel the way the CBT on the HG55s isn't less material. I look at it like they left extra material. Like the "hills" and "valleys" or lands and grooves. What if the hill part is on a higher plane than a standard flat grind?
 
zombieassassin said:
Thanks Mach5. I too see how that can be perceived. But I feel the way the CBT on the HG55s isn't less material. I look at it like they left extra material. Like the "hills" and "valleys" or lands and grooves. What if the hill part is on a higher plane than a standard flat grind?
Click to expand...

You are a "half full" kind of guy ;) If the "Hills" are indeed higher then strength should not be affected, though then you would have added weight and cutting resistance for no gain in strength. It seems unlikely to me that the hills are higher anyway, more likely just extra stock removed to create the bevels, but I don't own the CBT type so I can't say for sure. I do like the HG55, it is good knife. Either variety will serve you well.

To drive the point home, why do you think they took the bevels off the tip in later models?
answer... The bevels made the tip weaker where the metal is at its thinest and likelihood of prying is hightest. :eek: but the same mechanics affect the rest of the blade.
 
Get one of each then you won't have to worry!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Speaking as an engineer (which it seems Mach 5 is as well), he is spot on. The CBT on the HG55 weakens the blade in the plane where it is likely to take the most stress.

That being said, I'd get the CBT with the bomb-proof tip, if available, just because the CBT looks BA! Just recognize its weaknesses (if INFI can ever be called weak at all).
 
I think Adian gave me the answer I needed....lol. Thanks guys so much for your help. HOGs ROCK!
 
zombieassassin said:
I think Adian gave me the answer I needed....lol. Thanks guys so much for your help. HOGs ROCK!
Click to expand...

Glad I could help brother! Sometimes, when you can decide between things, you just have to get both! Fixes the whole dilemma!!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top