Patience please. I am still trying to get the pics thing down.
One test that I did not get photos of was de-barking oak limbs. I stared with 2 pieces of seasoned oak 2 feet long and about 3 inches in diameter. I first used the Scandi to strip the bark from one log. As expected, once I got the angle right, it took the bark off in long even strips using a normal push cut. I started at the middle of the log and had it clean in about 25 strokes. Then I started on the other end, and my learning curve with the Scandi allowed me to improve to about 20 strokes.
My surprise was when I switched to the convex. It tore through that oak bark like crazy! The thinner profile allowed to zip off long strips of bark effortlessly. It was so easy that a 3 inch piece to me no more that 15 strokes to completely debark. Fearing an anomaly, I selected another piece of oak to test. I was careful to make sure that the bark had no rotten section and that it was securely attached. The results were the same. Both knives were great, but the convex had the edge in that test.
Another test that I was too much of a challenge for me to effectively photograph was doing assisted push cuts and diagonal pushes to clean up knots, etc. Both knives again were very good. However, in really hard wood ( a piece of oak seasoned for 2 years), the Scandi glided through spots where the convex got bogged down. In fact, in a few spots, once I got the Scandi started, it would peel off long curls like a box plane (as long as I was doing my part!) Clearly, for shaping tough seasoned wood, the Scandi outperformed.
Doing assisted, diagonal and leveraged cuts are one area where I like a longer knife. Having an extra inch or so of blade allow greater leverage and it also allows the cut to run a bit longer before your support hand runs up against the wood. That said, the 3 inches of work space on the Aretes was very useful within it's limitations.
I will post the rest of my review later. I need to go to another pic hosting site.
