- Joined
- Oct 24, 2002
- Messages
- 59
Knife Test: Swamp Rat Knife Works (SRKW) Battle Rat versus Stihl Chainsaw
Disclaimer: These tests were conducted by an irresponsible idiot. DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS AT HOME! Also, sincerest apologies to one particular forumite you know who you are.
Having recently purchased an SRKW Battle Rat (BR), I was eager to compare its performance against a known alternative. I decided to conduct a comparison between the BR and a Stihl chainsaw.
Side by side comparison: The SRKW BR has a .025 inch thick, 9 ½ inch blade made of SR-101 - high carbon steel. SR-101 is a proprietary version of the well known cutlery steel 52-100. The blade is coated with a black, crinkle finish. Blade geometry is fairly wide with a distinct clipped point, high flat grind and a convex edge. The tang is hidden inside a hard synthetic handle material called Resiprene that offers excellent tactile qualities and a hand pleasing shape. A generous choil in front of the handle rounds out this knifes overall characteristics. Specifications can be found here: www.swampratknifeworks.com/knives.html.
The Stihl chainsaw is a farm grade 3.75 bhp 2 cycle chainsaw. It has a pull start, trigger throttle and a 16 inch bar which holds a standard chain made of high carbon steel. The teeth are ground chisel style and transverse the raceway at approximately 30 degrees. Specifications can be found here: www.stihlusa.com/chainsaws/MS290.html
I was not satisfied with the BRs edge angle out of the box, which measured 30 degrees included. A few minutes on my belt sander reduced the angle to .00000030 included, which has proven to be a more efficient edge geometry for general cutting. After reprofiling the edge I tossed the knife in a hammock to allow the edge to relax overnight. (Youd need to relax too if someone took sandpaper to your blade) I left the chainsaws edge geometry stock as I did not have a chainsaw sharpening jig available.
Test #1 Tree Cutting
Since my primary interest concerned chopping ability, my friend Marty and I headed for the woods behind my house. After locating several trees in the 4 to 6 inch diameter range, I proceeded to chop vigorously using a one handed lateral slashing attack, altering the angle between chops. Using this procedure I felled a 4 inch spruce tree with 9 swings. Elapsed time 1 minute 18 seconds. The knife bit well, did not bind, and sent chunks of wood flying in every direction. I then fired up the chainsaw and promptly chewed through a 6 inch spruce in approximately 10 seconds. The exact time went unrecorded because Marty became overly excited when the chainsaw roared to life and he forgot to start the stop watch. We proceeded to test the Battle Rat and chainsaw on birch trees next. The results were similar, including the stop watch. We would have continued this test had not the land owner appeared out of nowhere waving his arms and yelling that we were cutting down his trees. Who knew? In the end this interruption did not matter. It was quite obvious the chainsaw outperformed the Battle Rat in this test. Conclusion Advantage chainsaw.
Test #2 - Throwing
For our second test, Marty and I set a ¾ inch sheet of plywood up against a tree and painted a 1 foot diameter circle in the middle. Pacing off 15 steps, I began tossing the Battle Rat at the plywood. Within a half dozen throws I had the balance and spin down well enough to stick the bulls eye with nearly every other throw. After 50 throws the Battle Rat had found the mark 19 times. Next, I started the chainsaw and with considerable effort tossed it toward the target. After three tosses I discovered three deficiencies in the chainsaw. First, when you throw a chainsaw your finger comes off the throttle. This causes the chain to stop moving, which drastically reduces the chainsaws cutting ability. Second, a chainsaw is heavy (13.2 lbs dry) and not nearly as well balanced as the Battle Rat. This caused the chainsaw to yaw and spin erratically making a blade forward impact very difficult to achieve. Finally, the chainsaw did not appear to be as ruggedly constructed as the Battle Rat. After only three throws I had to discontinue the test for fear of permanently damaging the chainsaw to the point additional testing would have become impossible. Actually, Marty made me stop this test since the chainsaw really belongs to him. Conclusion Advantage Battle Rat.
Test #3 The Kitchen
Although the Battle Rat is admittedly of too thick a stock for a first choice in kitchen preparation, it faired quite well. I found it sliced cucumbers with ease, diced onions well if I used a rocking motion as with a French blade design, and even managed to slice tomatoes without too much waste. Again, I was disappointed with the chainsaw. Besides the noise and smell, I lost half the cucumber to waste, and the kitchen had to be evacuated for two hours after I used the chainsaw on the onion and it filled the room with an overpowering, eye-watering, cloud of tear gas. I wont even tell you about the tomato, except to say Marty sacrificed his favorite shirt during this round of testing. My wife chased us out of the kitchen before I had a go at the watermelon. Conclusion Advantage Battle Rat
Test #4 The Dive Knife
As an avid diver, I wanted to test corrosion resistance and underwater performance during this round. Outfitted in a dive suit, snorkel and mask, Marty rowed me out to the middle of a nearby lake. My fishing experience in that lake taught me that a dead tree had settled in that particular spot. This trees branches had often reached out and greedily snatched my favorite lures. Taking the Battle Rat I slipped over the side of the boat and kicked to the bottom. Sure enough the tree awaited me, but with Battle Rat in hand I fended off the grappling limbs and retrieved several of my lures. I returned to the surface and placed the knife in the boat without wiping it off. I then grabbed the chainsaw, pulled it to roaring life and stepped off the side of the boat. It is important to mention here that I always tie my dive knives off with a lanyard in case I drop them while submerged. I did so with the Battle Rat and I applied the same procedure to the chainsaw to ensure test uniformity. I quickly realized a couple things when I hit the water. First, chainsaws require air to run. The Stihl made one valiant chuff, gurgled and died. Second, chainsaws are heavy (see Test #1). As the chainsaw began to drag me down I released it only to discover in my horror that I was still attached to it via the lanyard. The dead beast pulled me to the bottom faster than a mobster wearing cement overshoes. Since I had left the Battle Rat on the boat I had no way to cut myself loose. Fortunately, Marty had foreseen this possibility and had secured a line to my dive belt without my knowledge (although I now think he was more concerned about his saw than me). I soon felt myself being drawn to the surface where Marty grabbed the chainsaw and then helped me back on board. Conclusion Advantage Battle Rat.
Test #5 How Tough are They
The following Monday I had the day off from work, but unfortunately Marty did not. I decided to run a test that did not require his assistance. Using a 50 foot length of parachute cord, I tied the Battle Rat to one end and the other end I tied to my pick-up truck. I headed for the road in front of my house and proceeded to drag the knife behind the truck. The test was cut short (literally) when the knife bounced up, spun around and cut itself loose from the cord, hit the road, bounced up again and imbedded itself in the radiator of the car behind me, which happened to be a police cruiser. Later that day, after Marty bailed me out, and I had a chance to talk to the police officer (who it turned out was a knifenut himself and a denizen of this forum) and was able to retrieve the Battle Rat for inspection. Other than a few scrapes and some missing crinkle coat, the knife looked to be in good shape. The Officer and Marty persuaded me not to complete the test using the chainsaw. Conclusion No conclusion since the test was stopped.
Test #6 Sharpness
After all this use I decided to test the Battle Rat and chainsaw for remaining sharpness. I first tried the BR and I am here to say it would still shave hair off my forearm. Unfortunately, testing the chainsaw did not go as I had hoped. The doctor tells me the reattachment surgery went well and I should regain some use of my left arm eventually.
Next up for testing? I compare a Becker Knife and Tool machete with a gasoline powered string trimmer, and then the venerable large Sebenza goes up against a Waring Blender. Stay tuned.
Disclaimer: These tests were conducted by an irresponsible idiot. DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS AT HOME! Also, sincerest apologies to one particular forumite you know who you are.
Having recently purchased an SRKW Battle Rat (BR), I was eager to compare its performance against a known alternative. I decided to conduct a comparison between the BR and a Stihl chainsaw.
Side by side comparison: The SRKW BR has a .025 inch thick, 9 ½ inch blade made of SR-101 - high carbon steel. SR-101 is a proprietary version of the well known cutlery steel 52-100. The blade is coated with a black, crinkle finish. Blade geometry is fairly wide with a distinct clipped point, high flat grind and a convex edge. The tang is hidden inside a hard synthetic handle material called Resiprene that offers excellent tactile qualities and a hand pleasing shape. A generous choil in front of the handle rounds out this knifes overall characteristics. Specifications can be found here: www.swampratknifeworks.com/knives.html.
The Stihl chainsaw is a farm grade 3.75 bhp 2 cycle chainsaw. It has a pull start, trigger throttle and a 16 inch bar which holds a standard chain made of high carbon steel. The teeth are ground chisel style and transverse the raceway at approximately 30 degrees. Specifications can be found here: www.stihlusa.com/chainsaws/MS290.html
I was not satisfied with the BRs edge angle out of the box, which measured 30 degrees included. A few minutes on my belt sander reduced the angle to .00000030 included, which has proven to be a more efficient edge geometry for general cutting. After reprofiling the edge I tossed the knife in a hammock to allow the edge to relax overnight. (Youd need to relax too if someone took sandpaper to your blade) I left the chainsaws edge geometry stock as I did not have a chainsaw sharpening jig available.
Test #1 Tree Cutting
Since my primary interest concerned chopping ability, my friend Marty and I headed for the woods behind my house. After locating several trees in the 4 to 6 inch diameter range, I proceeded to chop vigorously using a one handed lateral slashing attack, altering the angle between chops. Using this procedure I felled a 4 inch spruce tree with 9 swings. Elapsed time 1 minute 18 seconds. The knife bit well, did not bind, and sent chunks of wood flying in every direction. I then fired up the chainsaw and promptly chewed through a 6 inch spruce in approximately 10 seconds. The exact time went unrecorded because Marty became overly excited when the chainsaw roared to life and he forgot to start the stop watch. We proceeded to test the Battle Rat and chainsaw on birch trees next. The results were similar, including the stop watch. We would have continued this test had not the land owner appeared out of nowhere waving his arms and yelling that we were cutting down his trees. Who knew? In the end this interruption did not matter. It was quite obvious the chainsaw outperformed the Battle Rat in this test. Conclusion Advantage chainsaw.
Test #2 - Throwing
For our second test, Marty and I set a ¾ inch sheet of plywood up against a tree and painted a 1 foot diameter circle in the middle. Pacing off 15 steps, I began tossing the Battle Rat at the plywood. Within a half dozen throws I had the balance and spin down well enough to stick the bulls eye with nearly every other throw. After 50 throws the Battle Rat had found the mark 19 times. Next, I started the chainsaw and with considerable effort tossed it toward the target. After three tosses I discovered three deficiencies in the chainsaw. First, when you throw a chainsaw your finger comes off the throttle. This causes the chain to stop moving, which drastically reduces the chainsaws cutting ability. Second, a chainsaw is heavy (13.2 lbs dry) and not nearly as well balanced as the Battle Rat. This caused the chainsaw to yaw and spin erratically making a blade forward impact very difficult to achieve. Finally, the chainsaw did not appear to be as ruggedly constructed as the Battle Rat. After only three throws I had to discontinue the test for fear of permanently damaging the chainsaw to the point additional testing would have become impossible. Actually, Marty made me stop this test since the chainsaw really belongs to him. Conclusion Advantage Battle Rat.
Test #3 The Kitchen
Although the Battle Rat is admittedly of too thick a stock for a first choice in kitchen preparation, it faired quite well. I found it sliced cucumbers with ease, diced onions well if I used a rocking motion as with a French blade design, and even managed to slice tomatoes without too much waste. Again, I was disappointed with the chainsaw. Besides the noise and smell, I lost half the cucumber to waste, and the kitchen had to be evacuated for two hours after I used the chainsaw on the onion and it filled the room with an overpowering, eye-watering, cloud of tear gas. I wont even tell you about the tomato, except to say Marty sacrificed his favorite shirt during this round of testing. My wife chased us out of the kitchen before I had a go at the watermelon. Conclusion Advantage Battle Rat
Test #4 The Dive Knife
As an avid diver, I wanted to test corrosion resistance and underwater performance during this round. Outfitted in a dive suit, snorkel and mask, Marty rowed me out to the middle of a nearby lake. My fishing experience in that lake taught me that a dead tree had settled in that particular spot. This trees branches had often reached out and greedily snatched my favorite lures. Taking the Battle Rat I slipped over the side of the boat and kicked to the bottom. Sure enough the tree awaited me, but with Battle Rat in hand I fended off the grappling limbs and retrieved several of my lures. I returned to the surface and placed the knife in the boat without wiping it off. I then grabbed the chainsaw, pulled it to roaring life and stepped off the side of the boat. It is important to mention here that I always tie my dive knives off with a lanyard in case I drop them while submerged. I did so with the Battle Rat and I applied the same procedure to the chainsaw to ensure test uniformity. I quickly realized a couple things when I hit the water. First, chainsaws require air to run. The Stihl made one valiant chuff, gurgled and died. Second, chainsaws are heavy (see Test #1). As the chainsaw began to drag me down I released it only to discover in my horror that I was still attached to it via the lanyard. The dead beast pulled me to the bottom faster than a mobster wearing cement overshoes. Since I had left the Battle Rat on the boat I had no way to cut myself loose. Fortunately, Marty had foreseen this possibility and had secured a line to my dive belt without my knowledge (although I now think he was more concerned about his saw than me). I soon felt myself being drawn to the surface where Marty grabbed the chainsaw and then helped me back on board. Conclusion Advantage Battle Rat.
Test #5 How Tough are They
The following Monday I had the day off from work, but unfortunately Marty did not. I decided to run a test that did not require his assistance. Using a 50 foot length of parachute cord, I tied the Battle Rat to one end and the other end I tied to my pick-up truck. I headed for the road in front of my house and proceeded to drag the knife behind the truck. The test was cut short (literally) when the knife bounced up, spun around and cut itself loose from the cord, hit the road, bounced up again and imbedded itself in the radiator of the car behind me, which happened to be a police cruiser. Later that day, after Marty bailed me out, and I had a chance to talk to the police officer (who it turned out was a knifenut himself and a denizen of this forum) and was able to retrieve the Battle Rat for inspection. Other than a few scrapes and some missing crinkle coat, the knife looked to be in good shape. The Officer and Marty persuaded me not to complete the test using the chainsaw. Conclusion No conclusion since the test was stopped.
Test #6 Sharpness
After all this use I decided to test the Battle Rat and chainsaw for remaining sharpness. I first tried the BR and I am here to say it would still shave hair off my forearm. Unfortunately, testing the chainsaw did not go as I had hoped. The doctor tells me the reattachment surgery went well and I should regain some use of my left arm eventually.
Next up for testing? I compare a Becker Knife and Tool machete with a gasoline powered string trimmer, and then the venerable large Sebenza goes up against a Waring Blender. Stay tuned.
