- Joined
- Feb 28, 2003
- Messages
- 19,854
went out for a little walk today, found some striped maple, these things are truly gorgeous. the bark is smooth and SUPER green, seems to stay that way a long time too.
http://perspicuityphotos.smugmug.com/photos/80898535-O-1.jpg
and the sugar type maple for some cuttings, about 14-16 each notch, but the sapling gets thinner as the small khukri is used, so they all look ABOUT the same, also, the stuff on the right was harder/seasoned due to inner core damage; so, more evened out performance?
http://perspicuityphotos.smugmug.com/photos/80898617-O.jpg
some specs:
o 21 inch 27 ounce Gelbu special by Kumar white neem
o 20 inch 41 ounce Chiruwa Ang Khola with US Monkey pod wood Sher
o 14 inch 16 ounce BDC by Bura. Smooth chandan wood handle
o 14 inches 19 ounces WSK 5160 tool steel cocobolo handle - Dan Koster
another glamor shot:
http://perspicuityphotos.smugmug.com/photos/80898581-O.jpg
purpose of this particular bit of chopping was to take down a maple that wasn't exactly happy, and thin the forest... and to conveniently test the edges of three blades i haven't yet...
the gelbu special was a treat for me, my first, and definitely stout enough to take on the chore of taking the sapling down first
i had worried a little at a slight ripple on the edge in/near the sweet spot, but it's quite hard, and i'm not sure if it's a grind issue, or forging issue... but it didn't budge, and the thing chops well. it's not a GRS or AK, but it's SOLID enough for green wood at 3 inches thick. cuts with authority, but isn't terribly heavy (i think 27-30) is in the readily swingable category would (will) make a very stout machete/clearing too - will need to put a razor edge on it for whippier things.
mr ang khola is a beastie, being 41 ounces over 20 inches (compare 45 ounces over 30 inches for a sirupate that i have). stocky. used it to remove the lower stump of the sapling... chop chop chop. almost scary. very choppy, and despite the chiruwa full-tang handle, no vibration. haven't yet tested for splitting except a sample whack at a small chunk of 3 inch green (which of course split). perhaps more experiments with this later.
the small BDC is a second hand aquisition, and it cuts well. it feels, well, puny after the prior two, but it just snaps through an inch of sapling and helped limb the thing with hardly a whimper or resistance.
and lastly, the WSK, the chopping part is convexed of course, and the sweet spot is just below the eye and towards the half-rounder, depending on how/where you hold it. very similar to the BDC but perhaps better at chopping, there's a bit more weight forward and the handle is long, allowing for some good snapping action. sharp. more on this in another post.
and that's all she wrote.
bladite
http://perspicuityphotos.smugmug.com/photos/80898535-O-1.jpg
and the sugar type maple for some cuttings, about 14-16 each notch, but the sapling gets thinner as the small khukri is used, so they all look ABOUT the same, also, the stuff on the right was harder/seasoned due to inner core damage; so, more evened out performance?
http://perspicuityphotos.smugmug.com/photos/80898617-O.jpg
some specs:
o 21 inch 27 ounce Gelbu special by Kumar white neem
o 20 inch 41 ounce Chiruwa Ang Khola with US Monkey pod wood Sher
o 14 inch 16 ounce BDC by Bura. Smooth chandan wood handle
o 14 inches 19 ounces WSK 5160 tool steel cocobolo handle - Dan Koster
another glamor shot:
http://perspicuityphotos.smugmug.com/photos/80898581-O.jpg
purpose of this particular bit of chopping was to take down a maple that wasn't exactly happy, and thin the forest... and to conveniently test the edges of three blades i haven't yet...
the gelbu special was a treat for me, my first, and definitely stout enough to take on the chore of taking the sapling down first
i had worried a little at a slight ripple on the edge in/near the sweet spot, but it's quite hard, and i'm not sure if it's a grind issue, or forging issue... but it didn't budge, and the thing chops well. it's not a GRS or AK, but it's SOLID enough for green wood at 3 inches thick. cuts with authority, but isn't terribly heavy (i think 27-30) is in the readily swingable category would (will) make a very stout machete/clearing too - will need to put a razor edge on it for whippier things.mr ang khola is a beastie, being 41 ounces over 20 inches (compare 45 ounces over 30 inches for a sirupate that i have). stocky. used it to remove the lower stump of the sapling... chop chop chop. almost scary. very choppy, and despite the chiruwa full-tang handle, no vibration. haven't yet tested for splitting except a sample whack at a small chunk of 3 inch green (which of course split). perhaps more experiments with this later.
the small BDC is a second hand aquisition, and it cuts well. it feels, well, puny after the prior two, but it just snaps through an inch of sapling and helped limb the thing with hardly a whimper or resistance.
and lastly, the WSK, the chopping part is convexed of course, and the sweet spot is just below the eye and towards the half-rounder, depending on how/where you hold it. very similar to the BDC but perhaps better at chopping, there's a bit more weight forward and the handle is long, allowing for some good snapping action. sharp. more on this in another post.
and that's all she wrote.
bladite
