Tamang Tolerance

M

Mateos

Joined
Dec 2, 2015
Messages
316
Hey Folks,

Just hacked down my Xmas tree today. I used a heavy chopper for most of the work, but wanted to put my new 16" & 16oz tamang through some testing. I used the tamang for limbing the small tree (limbs were less than 2" diameter where I cut them at the trunk. Tree was alive and not hardwood (cedar?). I wasn't putting too much power into my swings, but noticed at the end that the blade edge was starting to show a little bending/rolling. Nothing major and not a ding (I was cutting at waist level - no rocks). The blade was nimble and bit really well, but I am wondering if I am pushing this light blade too far... Also if anyone has a recommendation how to correct the minor issue before it gets worse that would be great.

Thanks!
 
16" and 16oz is a bit light for wood, IMHO. That said, I'm just as guilty doing the same thing with my Kobras from time to time.
As for the damage, a pic would really help out so we can figure out the best way to repair it.

Thanks!
 
Steely_Gunz said:
16" and 16oz is a bit light for wood, IMHO. That said, I'm just as guilty doing the same thing with my Kobras from time to time.
As for the damage, a pic would really help out so we can figure out the best way to repair it.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
I agree completely. Are you seeing the damage near the tip or on the belly? The tip is not as hardened as the belly. You should be hitting the wood at the belly. If it is a cedar sometimes the cores are really dense and can certainly roll an edge. I'd chop all around something like that then climb it and just snap it over like a spastic gorrilla. Or buy a dedicated chopper like an AK and use the Tamang for lighter stuff. It can be repaired. I did it to a Chitlangi once but you'd never know it now.
 
Thanks for the quick responses folks. I am trying to upload a photo, but the website is asking me for a URL and wont just let me insert it.
 
Tough to tell without a few more pictures. It could be a bit of softer steel left over from the crafting process.
Sometimes, the outer layer and first bit of the edge is softer than the steel just a few "sharpenings" away.

It may be a bit damaged though. Hard to say. You may be able to gently tap it out with a hammer then sharpen it up.
 
Ok cool, I will try to just give it a little light hammer work. Once I fix it I will try to resist the urge to start chopping with it again. :) thanks!
 
A plain cheapo machette should handle such chores with zero damage to the edge. It doesn't seem to be the area that should have been left softer. It's either annealed metal at the edge, that will go away with sharpenings, stuff embedded in the tree that you did not see, or an unproperly hardened knife.

No reason to scale-down your expectations; that is light chopping my friend and it is reasonable to expect more.
 
I'm with Jake. 16inch at 16oz is a little light, but IMHO, it looks like you hit a knot, or core. You can always just just tap out the roll and resharpen.
 
That's pretty minor-and softwood knots can be brutal on hard edges.
If the geometry's right, 16" and 16oz should be ok imo (not super efficient but ok-the likelihood of damage may increase because it takes a lot more hits. More strikes=more chances to hit bad things.)
This is 16" and 18oz:

I've done some pretty silly things with it-only thin that chipped it was the case hardened wire in a bicycle tire sidewall.
 
Listen to JW, he knows steel just as well, if not better than the next guy.
 
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