Super Steel

[Kevin R. Cashen]

kevin....that bend is very impressive u did.....even more impressive it came back to true....quick question for ya if u don't mind.....i know u say flexibility has to do with thickness.....like a fillet knife.....it's ground very very thin so it has flex.....is a 360 degree bend esier with a knife that is longer?.....hope that's not too stupid a question....it seems to follow the same logic to me....ryan

Exactly what Nathan said. It is a matter of proportions in length versus thickness and the distance over which the flex can occur. If you were to decrease the length of the knife the same percentage that you decreased the thickness so that you still had the same proportions, nothing would have changed much in the flexibility. But if you increase the length and decrease the thickness you are greatly increasing the distance over which the flex can occur thus greatly increasing the flexibility.

The part that many folks have a very hard time with, and some seasoned knifemakers have told me I was daft, is the effect that distal tapering can have upon flexing. Tapers and other changes in cross section redistribute the forces accumulating in the flex or bend and will profoundly effect where when and how things will bend. It can make things near the tip much more flexible and things near the guard much more stiff.

And once again, fully hard, edge quenched, tempered spine, the heat treat will have nothing to do with it all. It will only determine the mode of yielding or failure when the blade can no longer flex. Softer steel will bend immediately when flexed too far, harder steel will continue with flexing or bending much farther but will then break.

 

[Matthew Gregory]

...Mr. Cashen will have to review each photo to be certain that inappropriate exposure of empty follicular dermis is not evident.

...that ought to shorten up the list of photos to zero pretty quick.

On a side note, Kev... I might wish to mooch off of you once again - expect to have me pester you after the holiday chaos. Hope you're doing well!


Mr. McDonald, there's a fantastic video of Tim Zowada demonstrating the properties being discussed here (that Chris Meyer has been kind enough to host - thanks Chris!):

Tim Zowada Bending and Flexing

 

[Dan Zawacki]

In the simplest terms, with each passing year it would be less embarrassing (and less bare skin) to have photos of my bare ass than to see the glare coming off the top of my head You see I cannot generally see it myself when facing the mirror.

Oh, Please! Spare us your concern for your ever so slightly receeding hairline! Some of us would be willing to do much for your head of hair!

 

[Kevin R. Cashen]

Now that you mention it Dan there is one head in that photo that is not like the rest... that hirsute bastard Furrer! We need to tell Ric if he is going to go about flaunting that Jesus like mane he can't be in the any of the male pattern baldness group photo's! The guy looks like a Sasquatch standing beside 2 Q-balls wearing hula skirts.

 

[Dan Zawacki]

Now that you mention it Dan there is one head in that photo that is not like the rest... that hirsute bastard Furrer! We need to tell Ric if he is going to go about flaunting that Jesus like mane he can't be in the any of the male pattern baldness group photo's! The guy looks like a Sasquatch standing beside 2 Q-balls wearing hula skirts.

I gotta admit Chewy, er, Ric has a heck of a mop!

 

[Chris Meyer]

Maybe this will make Kevin feel better, or should we just call him "Garth" Cashen? "Party On Dudes."

 

[Kevin R. Cashen]

Chris, how do you do that?!? When ever I set out to do some creative Photoshop work I can spend forever looking for just the right image and often not find it at all, you manage to have just the right one suited exactly to the task, and of me no less! Perhaps we could have a contest for who can do the best Photoshop Cashen makeover.

 

[Chris Meyer]

Kevin,

The real image is a picture that I took of you at Ashokan 2007. (I have lots more, in case you ever get out of line )

Finding the hair picture was the hardest part. I used Google Images search. Originally, I wanted to find a nice afro for you, but they all looked too silly. I then settled on this picture from Wayne's World.

Once I had the Wayne's World picture, I used the Quick Selection Tool in Adobe Photoshop CS3 to select and copy Garth's hair.

It was then a simple matter to paste it into your picture.

Then a little moving and some adjusting with the Free Transform Tool, and some blending in with the Clone Stamp Tool, and we have the new you.