The All Important Rope Test

Do you carry folders ?
Because you haven't said that you're specifically talking about fixed blades, and you say you won't carry a knife that can't chop through a copper pipe without edge damage.
 
Copper pipe? o_O Heck, I smacked the ROPS on my tractor with the edge of my $10 Mora while swinging at a blackberry shoot that was trying to snag me. :eek: Didn't take much work to get the edge back. I was impressed! :D
 
Dallas T said:
Tantos are the most powerful against bananas
Click to expand...
I just quoted that because we like it so much.
Can you imagine using one of my fav EDCs (Case Trapper) on the copper pipe ? !
Fortunately it would never cross my mind to cut a copper tube with a knife. Probably get all geekey and nerdy and use a tubing cutter or a hacksaw.

As far as the little cloths line loop the Case trapper with reprofiled mirror polished shallow angle grind would say : "What was it you wanted me to cut ? Oh we did it already? I didn't notice."
 
I take a little break - from making other knives - to test a W2 65rc chomper (15/18 dps/micro, 0.011-0.015" behind edge thick).

How is this rope cut? Edge is too thin for chopping through a 3/4" dia copper pipe, chopped rosewood instead.

Jump to video@time http://youtu.be/fkgF0rwxP6g?t=2m50s


Uath said:
Blade profile is everything. It's the art of the design and the eternal goal.
All knives can stab, if that is the sole purpose, get an ice-pick. It's better.
Knives were meant to cut. A thick, reinforced edge will hold up, but it's not a slicer. A thin razor edge is a slicer, but it might not hold up. The Holy Grail of knife design is an edge that will slice like a razor, but be tough enough to chop. A thin, flexible blade that is just as tough as a thick, inflexible blade.
To test the edge for toughness, chop into a copper pipe. If it passes that test, move on to the clothesline.

1) Get a length of polyester rope, the thin softer kind.
2) Make a loop in it with your weak hand.
3) Insert the knife. Pull it taught, don't try to cut, just pull it tight.
4) Now cut, see if it will with one pass. You might be surprised.

loop-knot-200x200.jpg
Click to expand...
 
If you decide to do that, hopefully edge geometry at least 18dps and 0.02" bet... am looking forward to see it performs.

You are right, dried bone is harsher on the edge because bone unpredictable path of fractures - more/less high impulse on short distance edge steering. Copper/Aluminum/frozen-meat/etc has uniform structure, hence could lead to longer distance edge steering (esp with flexible thin cross section), which could lead to half-moon chip. 3/4" dia copper pipe (3/32" wall) would be easier than 3/8" solid copper rod. Chop Rosewood is brutal on thin edge.

NJBillK said:
Luong, I would think that copper shouldn't be much worse on the edge than chopping bone?

Maybe I will give a copper fitting a shot with My Becker BK4 tonight.
Click to expand...
 
@Utah,are you talking about soft copper or hard copper??? Also, copper tubing has different wall thickness ratings, which are you referring to, type M, type L or type K
I've unintentionally chopped into both kinds, type L in soft and hard, and had different results with both. The soft copper didn't flatten the blade nearly as much as the hard did. The hard copper only got a scratch on it whereas the soft had a pretty good dent. Now, I didn't have any clothes line to cut, but did have some Proteco sleeve that I cut afterwards. FYI, the steel was S35VN. No chipping, just some flattening of the edge
 
I've a few savaged(for edge tests) Cast Aluminum tubes. Cast Al has similar hardness and tensile strength of Cu. So rather than waste good Cu tube, instead I did 5 chops at Al tube. The chop didn't go through all the way rippled the edge.

eOr4Kdi.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top