The New Snark

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mountainmist said:
I agree, great stuff, as a matter of fact, I'll have mine up for sale here in a bit, I love the thing, but I'm getting addicted to customs and really want to try either a JT Sidekick, or a Yuma, I'm thinking the Sidekick because I'd love to try CPM-3V.
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I'm just curious, have you ever owned a knife you didn't break, bend or chip? I hear that some guys get a little leery sending expensive handmade cutting implements to people they think will abuse them... ;)

Not picking on you, it's just a question.

The only warranty job I've had was last year, a THK Elmax necker, sent back by a guy who said he "let the knife slip from his hand while handing it to a friend, and it landed edge-first on a chunk of quartz" causing a small chip in the edge. Funny thing is, when he sent it back, I dropped it into a box of newspapers a couple dozen times from various heights and positions, and not once did it land edge-first, the handle hit first every time. I'm not calling the guy a liar but... *shrug*

But you just never know what will happen. Lots of guys here saw some very nice knives blow up at the Gathering in Spring '13, and I've got a maker chatting with me right now trying to figure out why his last test blade fell apart...
 
james terrio said:
I'm just curious, have you ever owned a knife you didn't break, bend or chip? I hear that some guys get a little leery sending expensive handmade cutting implements to people they think will abuse them... ;)

Not picking on you, it's just a question.

The only warranty job I've had was last year, a THK Elmax necker, sent back by a guy who said he "let the knife slip from his hand while handing it to a friend, and it landed edge-first on a chunk of quartz" causing a small chip in the edge. Funny thing is, when he sent it back, I dropped it into a box of newspapers a couple dozen times from various heights and positions, and not once did it land edge-first, the handle hit first every time. I'm not calling the guy a liar but... *shrug*

But you just never know what will happen. Lots of guys here saw some very nice knives blow up at the Gathering in Spring '13, and I've got a maker chatting with me right now trying to figure out why his last test blade fell apart...
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I was going to say something to you about that, and yes, I think I've screwed up every dang knife I've owned, :eek: When I do get something from you, it will be in 3V, hopefully that will be able to withstand me. :p

Let's see, I've screwed up my BK14 on a bench grinder, I've bent my BK16, I've bent my BK15, I've pounded on a Nail with my BK9 'till it should have broke, I've screwed up the Tackett twice! Once on a thin edge, the other was on concrete (sent it to Matt, made it better than new). Also, I flattened the edge on my BK11 with a belt sander, while I was making scales for it.

Um, yeah, I think I'm re-thinking this custom job, maybe I'll go back to Lego's. :rolleyes:
 
Tdhurl1103 said:
Damn the toothpaste one was gross, but kind of hilarious. Come to think of it, that is just the sort of thing me and my friends would have done, "back in the day."

Here's one featuring my son. http://www.oregonlive.com/gresham/index.ssf/2010/12/autistic_9-year-old_boy_finds.html
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Sorry bubba you ain't getting off that easy! That is an awesome article! I'm sorry it's taken me so long to read it/comment on it but that is awesome! Autism is a hell of a disease and good on you for finding something that you can connect with him on!
 
mountainmist said:
I was going to say something to you about that, and yes, I think I've screwed up every dang knife I've owned, :eek: When I do get something from you, it will be in 3V, hopefully that will be able to withstand me. :p

Let's see, I've screwed up my BK14 on a bench grinder, I've bent my BK16, I've bent my BK15, I've pounded on a Nail with my BK9 'till it should have broke, I've screwed up the Tackett twice! Once on a thin edge, the other was on concrete (sent it to Matt, made it better than new). Also, I flattened the edge on my BK11 with a belt sander, while I was making scales for it.

Um, yeah, I think I'm re-thinking this custom job, maybe I'll go back to Lego's. :rolleyes:
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Go buy a busse... They have a warranty you'll appreciate and they aren't very sharp so you can't hurt yourself.
 
mountainmist said:
I was going to say something to you about that, and yes, I think I've screwed up every dang knife I've owned, :eek: When I do get something from you, it will be in 3V, hopefully that will be able to withstand me. :p
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That sort of thing can be addressed to a large degree with geometry, as well. Virtually indestructable knives can be made, they just don't cut very well. You can't have extreme super toughness and insane laser-like cutting performance; there's always a bit of a trade-off.

As for fouling it up on a bench/belt grinder, you're on your own there.
 
james terrio said:
That sort of thing can be addressed to a large degree with geometry, as well. Virtually indestructable knives can be made, they just don't cut very well. You can't have extreme super toughness and insane laser-like cutting performance; there's always a bit of a trade-off.

As for fouling it up on a bench/belt grinder, you're on your own there.
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That is usually fine by me, because very thin edges usually don't feather very well, there is nothing to "push" the curl out, resulting in strips, rather than curls, I was going to have you make it a bit thicker at the edge.

Super tough doesn't really make a difference to me when rocks and concrete are involved, I doubt anything is gonna be fine with going edge first on rocks and asphalt.
 
In other news... I think Supes is sick... He has been slacking something FIERCE since his kid got out for the summer!
 
I got to spend a great day yesterday with Dan Keffeler. He's one heck of a guy. I learned a lot, and had an amazing amount of fun. I may try to put together a full thread, but Dan was incredibly generous with his time, expertise, and let me handle several of his blades.

While I was there, Dan showed me several of his blades, including the incredibly epic Super Assassin Katana, which is one of the most beastly swords I've ever had the privilege to handle, taught me some neat tricks to help improve my own work, did a demonstration about metallurgy, discussed so many other topics I can't even begin to list them all, and taught me a little chopping technique. It was incredibly cool to get to handle and cut with not only one of his competition choppers, but also a ko-katana that he'd made.

We joked a little about his tree-cutting videos, in which he may appear to be "Dan Keffeler, destroyer of forests," but the truth is, the trees he cuts grow like weeds, and he's very careful to pick trees that are damaged, hazardous, already dead, etc, before he lops them to pieces with single blows of his mighty blades. While he may appear to be the Pacific Northwest Samurai version of Paul Bunyan, Dan puts a lot of thought into his cutting, as well as into his blades.

And, because pics:



Dan is a great fellow, and incredibly generous to share so much of his time with me. For those who are looking for a sword that can do more than just cut tatami, and really want the best in terms of cutting ability and performance, you could do a lot worse than one of Dan's pieces. I, for one, am extremely jealous of whoever ultimately ends up with that Super Assassin Katana, and hope to own one of Dan's pieces once we are a little more settled down.
 
So I bought this home over a year ago... as with any older home it came with its own "uniqueness" LOL... One thing that I have actually enjoyed is that since we bought the home we have been sharing our backyard with a big fat frog! (toad whatever lol) He sits out by the back door light and eats bugs every night or so. He was there all last summer and disappeared during the winter, then back again this spring/summer! If he is outside I typically will find him a couple of june bugs or what not to feed him. He is not scared of me or anything just waits on me to feed him :D The only thing I could not find was his home. I looked for it but couldnt find his usual burrow... SO today I walked outside to use the phone, turned around and there the frog was.. curled up and asleep... like a cat... in some towels that were accidentally left outside next to the back door. I patted him on the head to see if he was still alive and the fat guy just slowly opened his eyes and looked at me like... "whats up?" So I took some pics to share... The pics dont really show how ginormously fat he is. Here is my fat backyard tenant.. or maybe we are his indoors tenants... lol



Becker handle for scale. I think if he sat on the knife handle he would completely cover it up! Jabba the Hut esque sized frog...


*ribbit....
 
Ha, we have a turtle like that, comes around every summer and just hangs out, even the dogs don't bother him anymore
 
zzyzzogeton said:
Nice article, Tom. Glad y'all found something he takes an interest in.
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He an I have grown a lot since then. One thing I cannot get him into though is knives. He just doesn't find them that interesting. Maybe in a few years. :)

Chameleonbear said:
Sorry bubba you ain't getting off that easy! That is an awesome article! I'm sorry it's taken me so long to read it/comment on it but that is awesome! Autism is a hell of a disease and good on you for finding something that you can connect with him on!
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Thanks buddy. We still Geocache together and have a good time, but in recent years, he's really become interested in Superhero comics (Marvel and DC) and the movies and Legos (minifigures) that go with them. So, we do that together a lot these days.
 
Cute toad, Mr. Fly! We have toad everywhere here, spotted 14 in one night just around the yard! Crazy. None of them that big though.

Oh, and for some reason that 'Ribbit' comment, along with the photo cracks me up, thanks!
 
crimsonfalcon07 said:
I got to spend a great day yesterday with Dan Keffeler. He's one heck of a guy. I learned a lot, and had an amazing amount of fun. I may try to put together a full thread, but Dan was incredibly generous with his time, expertise, and let me handle several of his blades.

While I was there, Dan showed me several of his blades, including the incredibly epic Super Assassin Katana, which is one of the most beastly swords I've ever had the privilege to handle, taught me some neat tricks to help improve my own work, did a demonstration about metallurgy, discussed so many other topics I can't even begin to list them all, and taught me a little chopping technique. It was incredibly cool to get to handle and cut with not only one of his competition choppers, but also a ko-katana that he'd made.

We joked a little about his tree-cutting videos, in which he may appear to be "Dan Keffeler, destroyer of forests," but the truth is, the trees he cuts grow like weeds, and he's very careful to pick trees that are damaged, hazardous, already dead, etc, before he lops them to pieces with single blows of his mighty blades. While he may appear to be the Pacific Northwest Samurai version of Paul Bunyan, Dan puts a lot of thought into his cutting, as well as into his blades.

And, because pics:



Dan is a great fellow, and incredibly generous to share so much of his time with me. For those who are looking for a sword that can do more than just cut tatami, and really want the best in terms of cutting ability and performance, you could do a lot worse than one of Dan's pieces. I, for one, am extremely jealous of whoever ultimately ends up with that Super Assassin Katana, and hope to own one of Dan's pieces once we are a little more settled down.
Click to expand...

I got to talk to him briefly at Bladeshow, and he was really nice. His blades are just something else. I dont need a Sword like that, but if I was going to get one, it would probably be one of his. They take crazy use/abuse, and still cut like a chainsaw.
 
spikebot587 said:
Ha, we have a turtle like that, comes around every summer and just hangs out, even the dogs don't bother him anymore
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Yah, the cat we used to have would go out there and check on him... but was scared of it LOL!

mountainmist said:
Cute toad, Mr. Fly! We have toad everywhere here, spotted 14 in one night just around the yard! Crazy. None of them that big though.

Oh, and for some reason that 'Ribbit' comment, along with the photo cracks me up, thanks!
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LOL I imagine the ribbit being deep, loud, and lazy sounding...
 
Anybody know what the black coating or finish is on Todd's blades? I thought I read about it somewhere before but I can't seem to find it.
 
KP said:
Anybody know what the black coating or finish is on Todd's blades? I thought I read about it somewhere before but I can't seem to find it.
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He etches the blades in PCB etchant solution mixed 3 to 1 if I recall...
 
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