Just got a United Cutlery Hibben 5026 survival bowie. For the fun of it.

Tip broke off.... now you understand why many here recommend a bit higher priced knife. Yeah, you can break the point off on those too, but not as common. Breaking the point off a fixed blade is really irritating. Hope they replace it for you. I realize you just got the knife for the fun of it, but still point breakage is irritating. I just don't buy United Cutlery stuff regardless of price.
 
Bill1170 said:
Professional woodworker here. What you wrote is correct, but the terms were a little off. The term you want to describe teeth bent to each side is "set." The teeth are bent to lean alternately left and right so that the slot in the wood (AKA the kerf) is wider than the body of the saw so that the saw (knife in this case) does not bind in the cut. The kerf describes the slot formed in the wood being cut; the set describes the lateral tooth displacement that prevents binding in the cut.
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Poor labeling. Source meant to convey the same ideas.
 
22-rimfire said:
Tip broke off.... now you understand why many here recommend a bit higher priced knife. Yeah, you can break the point off on those too, but not as common. Breaking the point off a fixed blade is really irritating. Hope they replace it for you. I realize you just got the knife for the fun of it, but still point breakage is irritating. I just don't buy United Cutlery stuff regardless of price.
Click to expand...

Many excellent knives show up on ePrey with reground tips.

When thinking about "common sense" use of tools, recall that our society is one that often nicknames the largest kid in class "Tiny."
 
For sawbacks what to look for is for knives with no straight "saber-ground" flat surface below the teeths.

Ideally the knife should be flat ground entirely in one flat tapering surface on its side, so the teeth tops are actually wider than the rest of the blade, sitting at the base of a long triangle...: Original Liles are like this, and they still have the best working sawback in my experience: I compared that to the RJ Martin with a Parrish-style saw, and that is still a close second, even with a longer stroke.

Avoid United or Master Cutlery...

The performance I expect from a sawback, from my Lile sawback experience, is a 1.25 inch notch on diameters over 3" (it stops dead), and a maximum cut-through diameter of about 2 inches (small diameters really hugely help sawbacks). I never tolerate much time wasted, or much effort expended, so that is with not with a huge amount of effort at all...: Saws should work immediately with little effort...

The Martin Knives MCEII has a much enlarged Lile-style sawteeth pattern, and the performance I heard for these was an ability to saw through over 4" in diameter...: That required using a "rope-pulling" technique with a rope into the guard holes: I can't say I get it, but the claims are credible...

The TOPS "alternate leaning" teeth tops usually have performance-killing flat sabre-grind surfaces on the blade sides, but somehow they are aggressive enough to nearly match the Lile saw, similar in this to the Parrish/RJ Martin style, also sitting on top of performance-killing saber grind flats... The flats simply increase friction on wood, and eventually stop things dead...

A peculiarity to always watch out for, even for quality and reputable custom makers: Is the top of each sawteeths individually "dipped" towards the front? My Lile "Mission" was, but, to my astonishment, my Lile "Sly II" was not, and I had to have the work done by a sharpener for the saw to work...: Many custom makers "forget" this step: Some Steve Voorhies have it, some don't, the Andrew Clifford Sly II doesn't, and some of the "good" custom First Blood reproductions also "miss" that step: Without the "dip", a sawback will not even strip bark...

One weird alternative to "dipping" I saw was one teeth up, one lower, one up, one lower... I don't know if those work...

Gaston
 
Hello,

The ACK survival knives I have, aka Andrew Clifford Knives...the saw teeth serrations tips slant and point Towards the handle. I've had No Problem with sawing small trees and limbs with those knives.

And I have one that he made in memory and honor of my Dad who died in 2010. Andy gladly answered my knife build request when other makers turned me down and some were even rude about it! That rudeness towards something so meaningful to me pissed me off Royally. And I have Boycotted those knife maker's!

Anyway, Andy made is originally designed full round tang survival knife...Big and Badass!! I call it the BW_21...BW are both my Dad and my initials...the 21 stands for his 21 years in the US Army Special Forces.

Andy's full round tang design is a full tang knife which the handle is round, resembling a hollow handle knife. The blade/handle is made with ATS 34 steel and is one-piece, and the guard is also made with ATS 34. Andy said he wanted to make me a knife that would last 10 lifetimes, LOL. Well, the 10 Lifetimes is my wording. Andy just stated the Lifetime part. But bottom line is he made me a true beast if a knife and one that has proven Well!!

And the serrations on that knife are single ones, tapered down, and angled. And they work extremely well!! I just love Andy's work. I own 5 of his knives and have another one being made.

I also own several handmade First Blood knives..A very rare Bill Schiller one and a high end Ray Matton handmade one as well. I also own the MCE II from Martin Knives as well as several TOPS high end knives...the latest ones being the Anaconda 9.5" Hunter's Point knife and most recently, the SXB Xtreme Tracker knife. And I just LOVE that one!! Thanks For reading!!
 
I got a Gil Hibben years ago, think it was called 'Warhawk'. Anyway I though it looked really cool like a piece of art. I don't think anyone would seriously use it, you'd have to see it, it was made to look good in a display rack, specifically the one I never got around to building. I recall it was awesomely sharp though. Shortly after getting it I heard how most felt about Hibben knives. Didn't bother me though, that thing could cut you just looking at it , just really cool looking. Ended up giving it away.
 
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