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- Feb 28, 2002
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On a hot and sunny Saturday afternoon in Grapevine, Texas I had the opportunity to witness my first ABS-sanctioned cutting competition. A number of smiths stepped up to compete with knives of their own design and manufacture. The tasks (some traditional and expected, others surprise variations on past tests) were called out in sequence by Master of Ceremonies Jerry Fisk, whose biting wit was every bit as sharp as the competitors' blades. After each event, the makers' blades were closely inspected by a team of judges - any chipped or rolled edges would result in immediate disqualification.
A number of the guys supervising the event, left to right, Mike Williams, Jerry Fisk, Joe Flournoy, Jason Howell, J.R. Cook:
A number of aspects of the competition made an impression, not the least of which was the strong emphasis on safety. If competitors got ready to start an event without the mandatory lanyard secured around their wrist, they heard about it. Heck, if they even unsheathed their blades without getting the "all clear" from each of the safety supervisors, they heard about it.
Another somewhat surprising feature was the degree to which technique and strategy played a significant role in the ability of the contestants to execute the various tests. For example, in the 2 by 4 cut, it was apparent that the quickest times were obtained by those who were able to cut the narrowest "V" in the lumber. The wider the "V", the more wood had to be chopped away, the more cuts needed and the more time required.
Dan Farr hacks away at the 2x4
Reggie Barkers first strike he was easily the quickest off the mark and set the leading pace in this event:
A number of the tasks which sounded fairly easy in the description, were in fact quite difficult in execution. The dowel cut was a prime example of this. Competitors were required to completely cut through a 2" taped section of 1" round hardwood dowel. Sounds easy - the dowel is lying right there on the table - just go ahead and whack it, right? Not quite. It requires a pretty significant degree of force (not to mention a sharp and strong cutting edge) to get through that dowel. Take a mighty swing and you will get through it, but you might miss the tape - zero points. Take a shorter swing with more deliberate aim and you have a much better chance of hitting that 2" tape, but you might not cut all the way through. Same result - zero points. I didn't keep an official count, but I'd say that fully two-thirds of the field walked away empty handed from this particular event.
Daniel Winkler chops the dowel:
The more traditional free-hanging rope cut proved to be less of a hurdle to the field. Technique still mattered though. As did a blade that retained its sharpness in the aftermath of the heavier chopping.
Dickie Robinson with a nice balanced follow-through that would do Tiger Woods proud:
Southpaw J.W. Randall with a backhanded slash so lighting quick, I just about missed it:
Brion Too Tall Tomberlin has to reach down to slice through that rope:
The Pong Cut pitted these knife-wielding men against a most benevolent-looking ping pong ball. The ball even wore a happy smile. The task chop it cleanly in two. No contest right? Well, its pretty easy to miss that little yellow critter, or strike a glancing bow that sends it bouncing away, merrily grinning back at you.
Ron Newton prepares to cut a new smile into this ball:
Continued in Part 2 .
A number of the guys supervising the event, left to right, Mike Williams, Jerry Fisk, Joe Flournoy, Jason Howell, J.R. Cook:
A number of aspects of the competition made an impression, not the least of which was the strong emphasis on safety. If competitors got ready to start an event without the mandatory lanyard secured around their wrist, they heard about it. Heck, if they even unsheathed their blades without getting the "all clear" from each of the safety supervisors, they heard about it.
Another somewhat surprising feature was the degree to which technique and strategy played a significant role in the ability of the contestants to execute the various tests. For example, in the 2 by 4 cut, it was apparent that the quickest times were obtained by those who were able to cut the narrowest "V" in the lumber. The wider the "V", the more wood had to be chopped away, the more cuts needed and the more time required.
Dan Farr hacks away at the 2x4
Reggie Barkers first strike he was easily the quickest off the mark and set the leading pace in this event:
A number of the tasks which sounded fairly easy in the description, were in fact quite difficult in execution. The dowel cut was a prime example of this. Competitors were required to completely cut through a 2" taped section of 1" round hardwood dowel. Sounds easy - the dowel is lying right there on the table - just go ahead and whack it, right? Not quite. It requires a pretty significant degree of force (not to mention a sharp and strong cutting edge) to get through that dowel. Take a mighty swing and you will get through it, but you might miss the tape - zero points. Take a shorter swing with more deliberate aim and you have a much better chance of hitting that 2" tape, but you might not cut all the way through. Same result - zero points. I didn't keep an official count, but I'd say that fully two-thirds of the field walked away empty handed from this particular event.
Daniel Winkler chops the dowel:
The more traditional free-hanging rope cut proved to be less of a hurdle to the field. Technique still mattered though. As did a blade that retained its sharpness in the aftermath of the heavier chopping.
Dickie Robinson with a nice balanced follow-through that would do Tiger Woods proud:
Southpaw J.W. Randall with a backhanded slash so lighting quick, I just about missed it:
Brion Too Tall Tomberlin has to reach down to slice through that rope:
The Pong Cut pitted these knife-wielding men against a most benevolent-looking ping pong ball. The ball even wore a happy smile. The task chop it cleanly in two. No contest right? Well, its pretty easy to miss that little yellow critter, or strike a glancing bow that sends it bouncing away, merrily grinning back at you.
Ron Newton prepares to cut a new smile into this ball:
Continued in Part 2 .
