Some performance tests from my gratis BAS

Chiro75 · Aug 12, 1999

I have mixed feeling about that BAS Bill sent me. It has been tested like nothing else, so it was pretty dull when I received it, and next to the obvious bends and kninks in the knife, it was cosemtically in good shape. Also had a really loose buttcap. First off, I have been having no luck whatsoever trying to sharpen it. The fact that the bevel is curved doesn;t help. Any hints in that department would be appreciated.
I whacked a fallen long and it caused the handle (horn) to chip out about 1/2 inch at the end, and two other large chips are almost ready to let go. Obviously the loose buttcap is a performance issue in this case, and I will need to fix it before I got too much further. I then did some light digging, and began by holding the blade tip down at three feet or so and letting it drop and sink into the dirt. I was surprised to see large folds in the blade. The end was pretty sharp, but now it was all chewed up and dull just from being dropped into the dirt! This surprised me a lot, although I knew the HI khukuris are a lot softer compared to my othr using knives. I think my biggest disappointment is the fact that I can't seem to resharpen this thing. Would ceramic rods help? It is folded noticeably over most its length, so it will need a lot of work I am afraid, and I'm not the best sharpener in the world by any stretch...

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My Custom Kydex Sheath pagehttp://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/Lab/1298/knifehome.html
Palmer College of Chiropractic
On Two Wheels

Bill Martino · Aug 12, 1999

See what you get for free, Chiro. A few years ago I tested that blade because for some reason or other that I can't remember I had doubts about it. It failed the test as you can see. I thought it might have some life left in it which is why I sent it to you. Your post makes be believe that it doesn't. I probably damaged that handle pretty badly when I was testing. The very loose butcapp and the major damage tells me that I did.

When I ground the damage I'd done out of the blade I got it pretty hot. It discolored the metal and my guess is I probably destroyed the temper. After testing the knife once I did not bother to test it again to see what I might have done to it.

I should have thrown the knife in the trash I suppose and I'd suggest you do the same after reading your post.

There are two lessons at least to be learned here. One, there is no free lunch and two, no good deed goes unpunished.

Uncle Bill

Chiro75 · Aug 12, 1999

Do you think that ruined the temper? Did it get THAt hot? I figured it would have to be too hot to hold in order to ruin the temper. It just seems like I can't get an edge on it no matter what I try. I didn't mean to sound ungrateful by any means, if that's the way it came out. And it is still good-looking enough to hand on the wall if nothing else. I intend to get this sucker sharp and to repair the handle and buttcap. Then we'll see what happens. If the blade still won't hold an edge, then what I'd really like to do is heat-treat it again. If it is 5160 or some other simple carbon steel it shouldn't be too tough to do. Coolest thing would be to clay temper it and give it a Japanese hamon line, but I'll take it one step at a time! I am honored to have been given the knife to test, but I am afraid you are right...it may have a bad heat-treat. We shall see. Thanks again, Bill, and I hope to have better results to share from Phase Two! If nothing else it may be interesting to see if it is possibl
to retemper one of these bad boys without removing the handle or anything. Any thoughts?

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My Custom Kydex Sheath pagehttp://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/Lab/1298/knifehome.html
Palmer College of Chiropractic
On Two Wheels

Yvsa · Aug 12, 1999

:
Hi Chiro.
I think Uncle said he burned the steel when he reground it. That is way past to hot to hold.

When you turn the steel even a straw color there is hardness lost.It doesn't take that much heat to get it to straw color.Even the "Blue" that literally tears a hardened blade up isn't that hard to get with a bench grinder.I know.I have screwed up a lot of things on a dayumed grinder.!!
Usually when I was in a hurry.

You could possibly harden it without removeing the handle.You would need a very good heatsource though to get it to critical temp.Then you would need to draw it.(temper) You would also need a Real Good Heat Sink to keep the handlle cool enough not to damage it.
It is difficult to get the handles off,but not that bad. If you want to go that far e-mail me and I will get you through it,if you want.

Have you tried a good sharp file?
A dead soft piece of steel can be sharpened. Don't worry about the original grind on it.Just file a new angle and keep it the same.When you
get the angle on both sides to your liking then remove the burr and you should be set.
Maybe you should go for the "chopping sharp" Uncle uses.

Fun,ain't it?? I enjoy doing things like that too.

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>>>>---¥vsa---->®
The civilized man sleeps behind locked doors in the city while the naked savage sleeps (with a knife) in a open hut in the jungle.

Chiro75 · Aug 12, 1999

Well, the thing is it just doesn't seem all that soft on the bevel. I dunno...I'll see if I can get some tips from the ol' Shop Talk forum. If I had files of known hardness I could actually test the edge, but that's be too easy, right?

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My Custom Kydex Sheath pagehttp://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/Lab/1298/knifehome.html
Palmer College of Chiropractic
On Two Wheels

Marcus · Aug 12, 1999

Chiro,if you decide to re-heat treat it I can give you some good low tech tips. In fact if you don`t mind taking the handle off I`d be glad to do it for you. I`ve had good luck with treating 5160 on my own knives. Marcus

Chiro75 · Aug 13, 1999

Hey, Marcus, I think the trick is that this steel may not be 5160. I remember Bill stating that the springs usually are, but then someone else posted a nice informative post about the different types of steel used in car springs. I'm not sure how close of a recipe one must follow with simple steels.

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My Custom Kydex Sheath pagehttp://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/Lab/1298/knifehome.html
Palmer College of Chiropractic
On Two Wheels

Bill Martino · Aug 13, 1999

By the time that blade hit the grinder it was ruined. I really didn't care whether I damaged it further or not -- so if I got it too hot so what. I hold it by the handle with one hand and the other hand over a rag wrapped around the blade so I don't get cut or burned and I wear glasses to protect my eyes.

The main reason I ground the blade down was to see how deep a fold line went which was the main reason that knife went into the "reject -- for test" box. I had done some hammering, bending and twisting in the same area as the fold line to see what the blade would tell me. The hammering did some deformation which was ground away with the fold line which ended up being maybe 1/8 inch deep.

Fold lines are a visual indication of a forging flaw -- they show the steel has not been heated and pounded enough and they scare me as Cliff knows very well. A serious fold line was the reason he got the villager free for destruction testing. Unlike Recon who has an xray machine to tell him about the interior of the blade I have only visual methods available so I generally opt for worse case regarding fold lines.

I sent the knife as is, no guarantee, with the hope that you might be able to wring a little more life out of it. This may take some work but it's possible and the cost is your labor only. I don't have the facilities, time or inclination to reheat, reharden, and re edge the knife which is why you got it free.

Uncle Bill