Tests

[Temper]

Guys, I am doing a series of tests for my forum. The trial run uses 2 folders. A KA-BAR Dozier and a Mini Pika from BM. Its hard to do a comparison because of the geometry so this is more of a 'how well do they actually do' As a control I have a 1095/L6 damascus utility.

This is what I have done so far and I am looking for other cheap to do tests that reflect 99.99% of utility knife duty.

1: Cardbaord cutting. I got 2 large boxes and cut them in half then used a half from each box as the samples. First I tried cutting them into strips with the factory edge until they were severely degraded (and made note of how many cuts they made) or I ran out of sample and then tested the sharpness on thin paper or hair shaving. This was done for both knives.
2: I sharpened/re-profiled (slightly) the knives on an Edge Pro (#1000) and carried out the same test until I came to the number they showed acute degredation with the factory edge, then carried out the thin paper slice/hair shave test and noted any difference.
3: I whittled a piece of fresh hardwood into a pile of shavings then made Fuzz sticks and just thumb tested the sharpness.
4: I prepared dinner with the knives on fresh bread.

I dont have much to spend really and sourcing stuff like Manila rope is almost impossible. Can you guys come up with other cutting tests to see how they perform?

As it is, I would say that both of them have done very nicely, with the KB being my fav up to now, and that I think a weeks worth of backpacking chores like making tent pegs, pot holder and the like would be trivial without the need to reshrpen.

 

[Confederate]

I can tell you from watching the Cold Steel videos that you're going to need a lot more than you can afford, or can fit into your home. The CS people used a 440A Night Force and cut through hundreds, if not thousands, of large pieces of cardboard. And they tested their Voyagers using cardboard and thick nylon cord used for nautical purposes.

I suggest you get a free copy of Cold Steel's video and watch what they do and get an idea for the sheer amount of cardboard and rope that they use, because when you go to an even better grade of steel that amount is going to increase dramatically.

They also spend some time throwing knives at targets and busting up the frames, which is quite pointless to me. Even so...just a suggestion.

Confed

 

[Temper]

I've seen the video and the sexy guy in the cycling shorts :barf:

I was thinking more along a commonly found medium. The card I used was the really thick reinforced stuff and I cut against the grain so every inch you are actually cutting through about 9 sheets due to the way its layered.

I will probably just go with more woodwork as this would be a typical use for the knife. If I can find some kind of cordage cheap enough I will try it on that too.

Thanks

 

[Cliff Stamp]

To reduce the amount of cardboard you need to cut :

1) set a high standard for edge retention, stop when the blades can't push cut newsprint at 1/2" from the point it is being held for example

2) cut across the ridges on a resticted section of blade, don't draw the knife at all if you really want to wear it down fast

3) cut the cardboard *fast*, this raises the impact energy and vastly increases the rate of blunting, let the blade cool periodically so you don't test heat resistance unless you want to

For cutting you generally need at least two types of materials :

1) shallow cutting, this examines mainly the edge profile and sharpness, ropes work well here, you need to check both push cutting and slicing sharpness, if you check at flea markets and second hand stores in general you can find massive balls of rope for next to nothing

2) deep cutting, this is influenced by the primary grind, so cut woods, slice very thick cardboard, for an extreme example try slicing thick styrofoam, harder vegetables also work well and show an immediate and obvious difference due to profile

The amount of force that you apply can be of influence as well. For example if you just press light on a knife carving woods you are mainly checking the edge angle, but if you press very hard then the primary profile shows its influence. In general the materials don't matter much just use what you happe to have on hand.

Plastic bottles for example will readily show the greater shallow cutting ability of some knives, tv cable can be used to examine durablity. If you do a lot of cooking of non-prepared animals (whole chickens) then the bones can be used to check edge retention/durability. It is more important how you do it than what you do in general.

It is also useful to have one knife you keep in fairly consistent shape so you can check the influence of method and make sure that you are not introducing a bias because you are just getting better at something, rope cutting for example

-Cliff

 

[Temper]

Thanks Cliff, there are a few good pointers here within my scope of capability (funds, accesibility of medium)

The Veggies and bottles sounds like a good idea. I have some 16th gauge copper wire too, so I may be able to work with that too, although I dont really want to put the knives into a situation that they were not really designed for.

Rope will be a PITA to get cheap, there just arn't the same kind fo stores and things they sell here as most places in the West.

I want to do a good job though and be impartial, I already have my favourite but my wife prefers the BM for comfort.

Either way its interesting to see how well they work out. :thumbup:

 

[Cliff Stamp]

When cutting wire, hesitation is your enemy, for minimum strain on the knife you need it to be cut on a hard medium so the wire doesn't bend around the knife. If the wire is wrapped with something, insulators and such, then it should be cut in one hard and quick pass because otherwise the core will bend and twist around the edge. There is significant technique involved, similar to cutting plastics, watch the edge twisting in the hard and thick parts.

-Cliff