Show me your zilla porn!

It seems logical, but I would say it was more just the randomness of hand sharpened blades - the zilla was released at BLADE 09, and lots of knives at that particular show were of questionable sharpness. Soon after the show (and the complaints rolling in on these forums), Jerry stated that they were working on making the edges more consistent, and it sure seems like it worked, because every bussekin blade I have gotten since then came with a very capable edge.




So regardless of what some folks might think, loud and constant complaining can be VERY beneficial - as Amy said, Jerry definitely listens to his customers.... No choil option on the tank buster, addresssing sharpness issues, making an INFI kukri in the first place, releasing the bwbm when we were clamoring for a fast and light infi chopper.... Jerry listens, and we get sweet steel :thumbup:
 
230grains said:
Peter, your chop offs are what sold me on the KZ.

What did you do to the knife used in the chop off? Regrind the entire knife or just the cutting edge? The knife i'm getting is used and has quite a few scratches/sap stains etc.. so I'll be doing a little work with a high grit belt just to clean it up. I hadn't planned on removing any actual material that would change performance, just a slight edge reprofile if need be.
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I did'nt remove a lot of material ... the weight change was only 1 oz .... here is a pic of the blade where the light has caught the area I worked with the sander to re-profile the convex taper to the edge ....

P1000923.jpg


I basically followed the grind line created by the shop near the ricasso and made the convex taper to more of a V shape than a U shape and then dovetailed this in to the upper part of the blade.... obviously it was not a straight V but using the "letters" is the best way to describe thinning it down above the edge ....the edge I tried to keep from going too thin and it is probably around 20 degrees per side maybe slightly less at 18 degrees which is where most of my large knives are...

The idea being to remove the resistance behind the edge a little to get the "bite" for a deep cut and have it tapered so that it would still have all the strength needed at the spine ...

To bring back the edge to razor sharp I only need a few passes on the belt and then I strop the blade on a leather paddle with green compound ... I use the BRKT Paddle and strap it to my thigh and just sit on the couch doing a few passes of an evening ... the edge comfortably can shave hair but is not hair "popping" sharp ... if this is any guide to go by ....

The job I did in a few "stages" where I would test the biting ability for a deep cut ... I think I could go a little thinner around the top near the spine though .... there is plenty thickness to play with... but all told I am nearly where I want it ....

The thing with this blade though is that I can develop my fitness to work with it OK ...but it still feels a real heavy knife for belt carry .... I am working on a shoulder rig which will make carrying it easier ... that is my only gripe really ... it pulls your pants down faster than a hooker on a time and motion study ....:D
 
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Well the zilla I got is a user that's been to the spa once, it's pretty scratched up and has a couple dings in the edge so I'll be sharpening it any way. He said the test team edition logo came back lighter after sending it in to be thinned out some so hopefully I'll just be able to sharpen the edge up and fix it up a tiny bit cosmetically and i'll be good to go.
 
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would meltdown treatment take down some weight? maybe a geometry that was thicker through the middle and thined a bit by the spine? does that even work?
 
nydude said:
would meltdown treatment take down some weight? maybe a geometry that was thicker through the middle and thined a bit by the spine? does that even work?
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If you grind the whole flat with a slack belt that can happen and it does'nt help the blade bite deep ....infact that is what I removed a bit of when I dovetailed the lower part I had thinned into the original grind .... I put on three polishing belts to get a very stiff tension ....one on top of the other with a thicker belt to start with .... that sorted out the slackness and I got some good results up near the pulley :thumbup:
 
230grains said:
I had a question since this is a test team edition, each with a unique test team number... are they all identical in geometry? I've read MMs original review before he sharpened it up, and it was a terrible performer. I've since read others who said it came very sharp, and more saying it came with horrible edge geometry for anything besides breaking bricks. Now I got to thinking, since they all have a unique number, was Busse combat testing out different profiles etc to see which provided the best results/cutting performance/durability? It seems logical.
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Hmm. I think it could be ... I foolishly didn't examine the other KZs when I bought mine, so I don't know for sure.

Mine is TT768. It came with a decent chopper edge that gets fairly dull near the point. I eventually managed to dull it a bit after much chopping -- the enormous Chinese bamboo seemed to dull the edge down the most.

Very little marring of the satin surface.

I suppose I should consider shipping it to Ankerson for a chopper review. That way, he could complete his early series.:)
 
MustardMan said:
It seems logical, but I would say it was more just the randomness of hand sharpened blades - the zilla was released at BLADE 09, and lots of knives at that particular show were of questionable sharpness. Soon after the show (and the complaints rolling in on these forums), Jerry stated that they were working on making the edges more consistent, and it sure seems like it worked, because every bussekin blade I have gotten since then came with a very capable edge.




So regardless of what some folks might think, loud and constant complaining can be VERY beneficial - as Amy said, Jerry definitely listens to his customers.... No choil option on the tank buster, addresssing sharpness issues, making an INFI kukri in the first place, releasing the bwbm when we were clamoring for a fast and light infi chopper.... Jerry listens, and we get sweet steel :thumbup:
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Can't deny that.:)
 
OldPhysics said:
Hmm. I think it could be ... I foolishly didn't examine the other KZs when I bought mine, so I don't know for sure.

Mine is TT768. It came with a decent chopper edge that gets fairly dull near the point. I eventually managed to dull it a bit after much chopping -- the enormous Chinese bamboo seemed to dull the edge down the most.

Very little marring of the satin surface.

I suppose I should consider shipping it to Ankerson for a chopper review. That way, he could complete his early series.:)
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Send it on. LOL :D :thumbup:

I will do a video on it. :D :thumbup:

I would Compare it to the NMFBM and one of the HI Khurkies that is about the same size and weight. ;)
 
I think most people got rid of it because unlike you, 230, a 38oz knife is kinda heavy for them. I love my KZ and would never get rid of it.
 
Cappy, have you had a chance to use yours yet? I love hearing how other peoples performed, seeing such varying reviews.
 
Unfortunately not. I live far enough away from any trees that could be unnoticeably chopped down. There are a few prize Palms near my house but I think the city/owner would have some qualms with that.

After the rainy season I am planning on a couple of car campin trips down the coast and plan to bring it then, but usually I go for longer hikes/backpacking and bring a smaller knife like the SAR8 or SS5LE (hopefully my BWM soon).
 
^^^^^^ it has chopped the following though:

1) air
2)paper
3)my finger
4)part of my fiance's bamboo clothes hamper:eek::eek::D:D
 
230grains said:
Why'd you get rid of it?
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Just one of those things you see in life and say, ":eek:I need to try that out it's to :cool:" So I did.:thumbup:

I will say it impressed me enough to want a production version. The TT version would of just been a used collectible around my house and I'm trying to keep things to users so bye bye it went.:)
 
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