Testing, results and feed back - Woah!

[wildmanh]

About 4 years ago I tested some blades and got different results then other people and some of them either called me out or dissed me for it. I found that strange, let me explain.....

Bought a Swamprat CampTramp from a fellow forum member it was new and never used. MSRP was 129.99 + 10 shipping and thats what I payed. - Edge was sharp but really thick and the tip was almost blunt. Needed a tough up to get shaving sharp if that was possibly. Edge was so thick it was almost blunt.

A fellow Khukuri lover sold me a slightly used Becker BK-9 Combat bowie for $75 which I thought was an awesome deal. - Edge was good for the knife and seemed relatively sharp. Needed a touchup to get it to shave. According to the specs it was supposed to have a "Penatrator" tip but mine didn't. Again, it was so thick as to be almost blunt.

Uncle Bill sold me a 12" horn handled AK for either $50 or $75 (Website price is $100). - Edge was thick and convex with a wire edge left on it. Needed the wire edge removed to get to shaving sharp.

Since all 3 blades are to me in the same catagory (Medium camp knife) I desided to test them all in that role which included chopping wood, cutting veggies, slicing stuff around a campsite and so on. I also did some penatration tests into some 2x4s, phone books and roasts.

Results:

Chopping: Becker BK-9 won followed but the Camptramp and AK which tied. I think the CampTramp would have done a little better cause it had more mass then the AK but that thick edge hindered it. - Here's where some people had a problem with the test. They said it was unfair to compair a 7" blade (CampTramp) to the BK-9's 9 inch blade.

Cutting up veggies: The BK-9 came out on top again! The thinner edge and full flat grind helped there. The CampTramp and 12" AK were pretty much tied again. *Note the AK and CampTramp both had toothy edges which seemed to help when cutting light brush. - Again I was creteacked for slicing veggies with a chopper (CampTramp). IMO a 7" Multipurpose blade with Camp in it's name should be able to slice well specially when it comes to light food prep and I'm not just talking meat.

Stabbing: Only did this with the BK-9 and CampTramp cause the AK didn't seem built for it. The BK-9 beat the Camptramp again! And again it was do to the BK-9's thin sharp tip vs the CampTramps thick blunt tip. - Remember that my CampTramp didn't have the Penatrator tip so it was blunt. I was slammeb cause there is no way the CampTramp could be beat by the BK-9 cause no one else got those results. I guess people keep forgetting that I got a CampTramp with a horibly thick edge and tip.

A note on the CampTramps Handle, didn't mind the shape of it, actually I love that style knife, it actually felt like a classic bowie made with modern materials. I just wasn't used to the grip texture cause I'm used to smooth handles from using Khukuris for soooo long.

I ended up needing some money so I thought about which blades to keep and which to sell. Desided on selling the CampTramp because it had such low performance do to the thick edge and tip and because it would bring more money and sell faster. It definantly didn't live up to expectations. Heat Treat was great, but the edge was horible. Now in my comparision I mentioned this. Some people sujested that I fix the edge or send it back to be fixed others didn't even pay attention, they just gave me a hard time for saying that their beloved blade wasn't living up to it's expectations. Some of the "Experts" who had reviewed good samples were also giving me flack. I even took pictures of the CampTramp and you could tell it had a horible edge. But they just didn't notice.

When Cliff Stamp told me how wrong I was because All CampTramps have a Penatrator tip which is better then the tip on the BK-9 (Remember I already stated that mine didn't but he didn't listen) I lost all interest in what he had to say. Others did the same they never listed to my issues, they just slambed me for saying something they didn't agree with.

My results varried and so I got horible feed back. I never attacked the knives or their respected companys. My example didn't live up to expectations and I said so. Was dissed for it. What ever happened to Live and let live, agree to disagree and be polite while doing it? Us Cantina-ites seem to be doing a good job at that. others on the forums Don't. Thanks guys, this is why I am here more then other forums. Thanks for listening,

Heber

 

[richardallen]

What ever happened to Live and let live, agree to disagree and be polite while doing it?

It's not "in" anymore....I guess. Also, knives that rust and a fine cutting geometry aren't cool anymore either...that's what it seems to me, anyways.

Keno

 

[greenwoods]

Right on Heber.
That is well said and the same reason I enjoy the company here.
I enjoy good testing as well and see the value of understanding the reasonable expectations of knives and tools combined with the education that comes from researching their history, proper use, manufacturing processes and materials and lessons from other users..
All my knives are users in one form or another, they are tested well and hard by use. I treat my steel like I treat myself and have similar expectations of both. I keep em sharp and well oiled and use them carefully so they will last as long as possible. Sometimes I have to push them very hard and occasionally they will break, I'll fix it if I can, respect it along the way, then replace it if I have to.:thumbup:

Mark

 

[Thomas Linton]

I bought four Busse products before the price went nuts - two from forumites and two from the store.

The fit on the knives was excellent.

All came coated, so finish is -- coated with a friction-adding/corosion limiting
material

The InfiCoot was flat ground and fairly sharp.

The other two (2 Badgers and a Satin Jack) came only moderately sharp and had very oblique main bevels which limited what one could do to improve cutting. Major reprofiling would be needed to get them to a state that my personal prejudices dictate. If it came to that, the belt sander would also remove the coating.

By universal account they are very tough knives, unlikely to suffer major failure in very stressful use.

The sheaths were awful. Did not hold the knives securely. I gather that Busse subsequently opted not to supply sheaths.

I use other knives.

 

[C.S. Graves]

I think various makes of blade have their own respective "cults" of fans who can't stand the thought of their chosen brand not coming out on top, whether it be Busse, Becker, HI, what have you.

As per the critique about pitting a longer blade against a shorter one... I think as long as both were of comparable weight, then the comparison is fair, as weight is a better indicator of how much material makes of the knife, with form and manufacture being the variables of concern with regards to performance.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

That kinda thing has always been a bit of a mystery to me. When I was new around here (very new) I naively went into the Emerson Forums to ask about my Commander that had horrible fit and finish, failing lock, etc.

I guess I was the lucky ten thousandth person to tip thier sacred cow that year and subsequently really got an earful.

Later on, I made a crack about TOPS' "over the top" kinda advertising. (forget what it was, but it seemed funny as heck at the time) Shorty afterwards when I called for a warranty repair I got to deal with a seriously upset woman with some seriously hurt feelers cause someone called and told them some guy from Alaska was saying awful, mean things about them. (she'd never seen the post, since they didn't have computers at the time, but she'd heard it was mean spirited and terrible)

freakin' wierd.

My first post in HI was regarding a Sirupati that was bent at a 45 degree angle. It was when Uncle Bill was seriously ill, so there were a couple of very protective sorts, but even they were good, decent, and fair gentlemen overall More importantly, the story took a happy ending when Uncle Bill thanked me for my patience with the situation, and happily replaced My Sirupati with a darn nice one.

I'm not sure what makes people behave that way. I will not take the easy route and say that they're unintelligent, or bad people most of them seem to be fine folks, as long as you don't urinate in thier cornflakes by questioning ______________ brand knives. I THINK I do see a bit more of it in the uber ninja super secret tactical squirrel types. Not sure. I've never identified myself closely enough with a product to feel that kinda anger when said product is questioned. I simply cannot relate.

 

[TWBryan]

It's often difficult to tell people something they don't want to hear. I've posted good reviews and gotten one or two replies. Post a bad one and everyone wants to know why you posted a bad one. The best reviews are done objectively as you possibly can.
I own a Swamprat Battle Rat that dissappointed me badly,but having seen others get flamed unmercifully for questioing this brand's quality,I would not post a review of this knife on bladeforums. I keep the knife as a reminder that hype is hype.

 

[Cpl Punishment]

I try to be even handed. We need both goo dan dbad reviews. We need to know what works and what doesn't. Some things are just going to be subjective. Like some say the Chiruwa style handle transmits more shock to the hand than one with a hidden tang, I haven't experienced this, they feel the same to me. Some think Falkniven are the bee's knees, I don't like them. We need to allow both sides of the story.

Only time I'm kind of negative on a bad review is if it's unrealistic. Like if someone complained that their SAK's blade broke when they were trying to pry apart a pelvis of a hog they were quartering or something.

 

[C.S. Graves]

I THINK I do see a bit more of it in the uber ninja super secret tactical squirrel types. Not sure. I've never identified myself closely enough with a product to feel that kinda anger when said product is questioned.

Some of us who prefer hand-forged carbon steel and organic handle materials can be pretty snobby too. I know I am.

 

[Kismet]

I really dislike the armed response defenses of some folks.

Especially when I noticed I did the very same thing in a bushcraft UK forum when someone disparaged H.I. khuks.

I was wrong to do it, but reacted, rather than reflecting.

Happens. Perhaps less often than earlier in my life, but happens.


Kis