My M43 Gets Its Share Of The Fenceline

Big Bob

Big Bob

Joined
Oct 13, 1999
Messages
1,732
I was planning to do this yesterday but a schedule switch came up at work. Anyway...

Earlier today I took my M43 out back and proceeded to clear several trees, saplings, branches, and a vine or two from the fenceline. The thickest tree I chopped down was actually a waist-high stump about 4". The rest of the trees were from 1" to 2.5".

Due to my encounter with thorns (and Poison Ivy) :mad: when I was using my GS, I donned on old pair of bicycling gloves before going out. The gloves protected my hands, but made it somewhat difficult to keep the M43 from twisting in my hands while I was chopping with it. Except for the twisting tendency, the M43 did pretty well today. It didn't tire me out to chop with it (though dragging all the trees and saplings to heap on the burn pile did), ;) while the edge came through with no problems and was steeled back to its previous sharpness.

There are still two or three larger trees in the back part of the fenceline. I'll let my 22" GRS take care of those some other time.

Bob
 
I read it too quick and thought it said "My M43 Gets it's Share of the Feline" :eek: :eek:

"I bet it would," I thought. Poor cat... good choice for cats tho. Heavy chopper.

Congrats. Khuk no cats.


Ad Astra
 
My M43 twists a bit as well, but I think that have more to do with the application it was intended for. It is a wartime blade. That particular design is probably more well suited for chopping people than trees. How often does twisting come into play when you're hacking on a person?:D I know they were used for other things as well, but I don't imagine clearing a field of sapplings was not the highest priority to the Gorka;) However, that mean forward curve will cut really deep into a tree. I really like mine. My M43 is going to be my rough and tumble version of my YCS. The YCS is going to become a wall hanger unless I'm going on a "real deal" camping/hiking trip where I think a bigger blade and Yvsa's wisdom in blade design will come in handy:) I'm sold on Sher making the best M43s. I can't find one thing wrong with mine. The edge is the most flawless edge I have ever seen on a khuk. Not a bow, not a wobble. It's a better edge than what came on my Kumar YCS. Razor sharp right out of the box:)

Jake
 
HD, I've used my M43 without gloves and it still has a tendency to twist. The handle's lack of a main ring (or any rings for that matter) is the main culprit behind this IMO. Pretty comfortable to use though.

Thanks for the chuckle, AA.

Bob
 
I have not experienced this twisting phenomena, although I have heard of it from others. I always figured it was due either to bad technique or malformed blades.

It seems a number of people are experiencing it with the same model, a model I do not have. Does anyone experience this with other models? For those of you experiencing twisting, is the blade twisted at all? Also, when you chop is the velocity vector of the blade in line pointed the same direction as the sharp edge, or is there a slight difference?
 
Howard, i think my main problem with the M43 twisting has to do with the overall curve of the blade. All of my other HI products are pretty straight handled and longer in length from bolster to buttcap. Therefore, i think it has to do with my wrist being broken more so than with the other khuks when i chop hard with it. Of course, i have no idea what i'm talking about and this is just a guess;)


jake
 
I'm now doubting the M43. There's only one way to deal with this: I must buy an M43 and try it out for myself. Another khuk to add to the list...

UB paying you a finder's fee, Bob? ;) Good report. From the shape it looks like a mean chopper.
 
Satori, you of all people should get a M43. They handle quite differently, IMO, due to the higher curve ratio. They go through things... get a Sher 29 oz. and chop up a telephone pole... like to see the pix.

Saved your "Pond" pic from the other post- woods scenes are good wallpaper. Tx.


Ad Astra
 
Ad, I do have a M43...problem is, I think it's from 1945 and I don't want to thrash it. ;) It's the one I used in the video demonstrating a "dull" cut on a can.

An M43 or a GRS - whichever lists as a special first and doesn't get sharked before I see it - is the next planned purchase. (Assuming a Tibetan sword or Uddha doesn't come up first, in which case...well, I'm sure you know.)

Glad you liked the photograph. I enjoyed taking them.
 
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