The "Ask Nathan a Question" Thread

drop-point606 said:
Hey there, Nathan!

For the upcoming chopper run, I’m wondering if a preorder might be in the cards? I know the biweekly sales are preferred, but I’m imagining similar competition to the EDC sales before that preorder was opened up. Maybe I’m wrong, but the choppers fetch a hefty price on the secondary market and even then, they go quick.
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We probably will, however we already have the material so it won't be a conventional pre-order where it is added onto the run, it would be a small one like this EDC pre-order, for the convenience of folks who do not like the Friday model.

I would offer one now but there are tax implications doing an order of that nature this late in the year because it is difficult to spend the money on materials and carbide in time (and we already have the materials and carbide) before the end of the year, so we'll do something next year.
 
Nathan the Machinist said:
We probably will, however we already have the material so it won't be a conventional pre-order where it is added onto the run, it would be a small one like this EDC pre-order, for the convenience of folks who do not like the Friday model.

I would offer one now but there are tax implications doing an order of that nature this late in the year because it is difficult to spend the money on materials and carbide in time (and we already have the materials and carbide) before the end of the year, so we'll do something next year.
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Amazing! Thanks, Nathan. I’ll keep my eyes peeled in the new year.
 
Nathan the Machinist said:
I would offer one now but there are tax implications doing an order of that nature this late in the year because it is difficult to spend the money on materials and carbide in time (and we already have the materials and carbide) before the end of the year, so we'll do something next year.
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Excellent, there are wallet implications to doing another preorder so shortly after you took all my money for EDCs.
 
Nathan the Machinist said:
We probably will, however we already have the material so it won't be a conventional pre-order where it is added onto the run, it would be a small one like this EDC pre-order, for the convenience of folks who do not like the Friday model.

I would offer one now but there are tax implications doing an order of that nature this late in the year because it is difficult to spend the money on materials and carbide in time (and we already have the materials and carbide) before the end of the year, so we'll do something next year.
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I am willing to take one for the team on this, you can just give me a bunch of money to ease your tax problem.

I’m excited at the to prospect of a pre-order for this. I can’t help but feel I got lucky on the Friday sale last time.
 
Hatchet_Jack said:
I’ve tried reading to avoid having to ask but can’t find the answer. Is it possible to get another set of scales/handles down the track for your knives? I’m tossing up between what looks really nice and what looks really practical.
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#NotNathanObviously.

It usually depends on what knives are in production, and what you are looking for. For example, might be difficult to get sexy UF2 or DEK scales right now. But FK2 or BFK are easier since they are screw compatible with the FK3 currently in production. Can’t hurt to ask Jo via email.

For me, burlap micarta or even better the current VIP are the perfect mix between practical and good looking.
 
Nathan the Machinist said:
I would like to talk about the sweet spot for power cuts

I saw people using large powerful pieces last weekend and, while they were certainly effective, there was room for improvement.


The tip is for speed. I think everybody understands that. That will get through flimsy targets and this is why machetes are made so light, so they can achieve speed easily for cutting grass.

But for powering through a 2x4, you need to be in the power zone and that's farther back.

View attachment 2697862

I have labeled the center of percussion, the sweet spot, and the center of gravity on this K18.

We added the pommel to the design to move the center of percussion back where it is so the sweet spot would be in a better place for chopping. That's why it's there. And it adds power to the sword, this is why it is so powerful for its size.

A hit on the center of percussion makes a very dead solid thump in the cut. And it's not a bad place to hit.

A hit further out towards the tip, the sword will rotate around that center of percussion so you are losing some of that impact energy to rotational energy, and it is trying to make the sword rotate around the cut out of your hands, putting your fingers in tention. This is wasted energy.

The sweet spot is directly behind the center of percussion. This is an area that will encourage the sword to rotate up into your hands where the weight and momentum of your arm add additional power into the cut.

I saw some cutters last weekend who were a little bit too far towards the tip, probably because that's where things like machetes work best, but not a powerful sword like this.

Just FYI.
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Replying here as it seemed more 'asky' than 'randomish'.

I've been thinking about the physics of this off and on since it was posted. There is (unsurprisingly) a wikipedia page discussing center of percussion. I grok that fairly well, but I have been trying to come up with an intuitive sense of how the dynamics you get from center of percussion (which I understand to be defined in terms of linear motion of the striking object orthogonal to the target) are effected by the angle of impact (non-orthogonal impact causing draw or push cut sliciness) and rotational movement (rotation at the shoulder, elbow, wrist and even in the hand, as in a snap cut, and waist/hips if you're cutting with your body, and the contribution of the mass of the hand and things attached to it to the moving system -- the rotational chopiness) of a blade. The center of percussion is strictly a characteristic defined by the mass distribution of the blade so is useful as a starting point, but all the other stuff depends on the physical characteristics and technique of the user... seems like the sweet spot would vary depending on the user (and if you consider the response to slicing, the target).

I guess once you have all that figured out you start winning cutting competitions...

There is no question in there... so... Nathan the Machinist Nathan the Machinist , care to comment?
 
fnordmorph said:
Replying here as it seemed more 'asky' than 'randomish'.

I've been thinking about the physics of this off and on since it was posted. There is (unsurprisingly) a wikipedia page discussing center of percussion. I grok that fairly well, but I have been trying to come up with an intuitive sense of how the dynamics you get from center of percussion (which I understand to be defined in terms of linear motion of the striking object orthogonal to the target) are effected by the angle of impact (non-orthogonal impact causing draw or push cut sliciness) and rotational movement (rotation at the shoulder, elbow, wrist and even in the hand, as in a snap cut, and waist/hips if you're cutting with your body, and the contribution of the mass of the hand and things attached to it to the moving system -- the rotational chopiness) of a blade. The center of percussion is strictly a characteristic defined by the mass distribution of the blade so is useful as a starting point, but all the other stuff depends on the physical characteristics and technique of the user... seems like the sweet spot would vary depending on the user (and if you consider the response to slicing, the target).

I guess once you have all that figured out you start winning cutting competitions...

There is no question in there... so... Nathan the Machinist Nathan the Machinist , care to comment?
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The rabbit hole is deep

https://blog.subcaelo.net/ensis/history-centre-percussion/
 
fnordmorph said:
Replying here as it seemed more 'asky' than 'randomish'.

I've been thinking about the physics of this off and on since it was posted. There is (unsurprisingly) a wikipedia page discussing center of percussion. I grok that fairly well, but I have been trying to come up with an intuitive sense of how the dynamics you get from center of percussion (which I understand to be defined in terms of linear motion of the striking object orthogonal to the target) are effected by the angle of impact (non-orthogonal impact causing draw or push cut sliciness) and rotational movement (rotation at the shoulder, elbow, wrist and even in the hand, as in a snap cut, and waist/hips if you're cutting with your body, and the contribution of the mass of the hand and things attached to it to the moving system -- the rotational chopiness) of a blade. The center of percussion is strictly a characteristic defined by the mass distribution of the blade so is useful as a starting point, but all the other stuff depends on the physical characteristics and technique of the user... seems like the sweet spot would vary depending on the user (and if you consider the response to slicing, the target).

I guess once you have all that figured out you start winning cutting competitions...

There is no question in there... so... Nathan the Machinist Nathan the Machinist , care to comment?
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I do not know very much, but having fun in outlaw bladesports and regular bladesport events.....

Center of percussion is like hitting a baseball on the sweet spot of a bat... you can hear it and you can feel it while cutting

(I'm not very good... but i do enjoy the cuts!)
 
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I just got my Basic 5 plain vanilla in natural micarta and it is completely sterile. How many are unmarked like this?

Also pictured is my Satin SSFK3. It is noticeably lighter, more gorgeous and the VIP is the best scale material ever. Loving it on my new EDC.
 

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beeinak said:
In my ignorance, I have always tried to hit just proximal to the belly on pretty much anything I was swinging. I look forward to attending a get together someday and learning from y’all.
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How long are you in Alaska....?
-I'm sure You know than most.....
 
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