The (un)Official SDFK Thread

[SwarthyGnome]

Yeah I recall Nathan saying they had to build them and they’ve been busy at the shop

 

[on_the_edge]

Yeah I recall Nathan saying they had to build them and they’ve been busy at the shop

Cheer up, buddy. That's a good thing. Otherwise, we'd only have one handle choice and they might be shipped more quickly, but we'd lose the ability to choose the scales we like most.

 

[Nathan the Machinist]

Naaah.


They actually take a long time to sharpen. Bo is struggling with it. There's a lot of material to remove. I'm going to set this up and do it on a CNC next week and get these knocked out a little faster.

 

[JBC_Hunter]

Anybody know the edge thickness of the sdfk vs the standard field knife?

 

[ironwagon]

Anybody know the edge thickness of the sdfk vs the standard field knife?

SDFK is 1/4" vs FK is .188" thick vs HDFK is .220".

 

[Nathan the Machinist]

Anybody know the edge thickness of the sdfk vs the standard field knife?

I'm in the shop and just grabbing some stuff at random here. Here's an old HDFK that is .035 bte but it has seen some sharpening, an FK2 .027, the basic 5 that cut through the chain .035, a UF2 .021, the SDFK is .035.

Here is a DEF that's .019. These really are quite wicked.

A DEK3 that is .015 and a DEK2 that is .030

My personal K18 is .047 behind the leading edge, .034 trailing edge, but it has been sharpened a few times.

A Busse Bushwacker Mistress that happens to be sitting on my desk is .080 and the Shirogorov that I'm carrying is .017. My Chris Reeves Mnandi is .021.


My personal D2 skinner here is .015 bte. It was thinner than that but it has been sharpened a bit


A lot of people and custom makers think their knives are thinner than they really are because of a tendency to create a little bit of an apple seed on the edge bevel right behind the edge when grinding the primary that makes it measure a little thinner than it really geometrically truly is. Taking some meat off behind the shoulder but leaving the primary alone will make the knife cut slightly better, but it is still going to drag pretty much the same because it's the thickness of the primaries that dictate drag once the knife is buried in the work.

If you double the thickness of a piece of metal it becomes 8 times stiffer. So the difference between a knife that is .020 versus a knife that is .035 is actually pretty substantial, both in durability and drag when you're cutting with it.

We try to make our work as thin as possible and still meet our durability goals because our performance goals are not just durability, it is cutting performance and edge retention.

 

[ferider]

A DEK3 that is .015 and a DEK2 that is .030

Possible to share photos ? .... pretty please ?

 

[Nathan the Machinist]

Possible to share photos ? .... pretty please ?

It's just pre-production prototypes, nothing to get too excited about. There's a couple hundred pounds of in-process work but nothing I want to share right now.

 

[Nathan the Machinist]

^ I hate sharing work like that because that's not what it is going to look like when you get it and it just opens a hole bag of worms sharing something that's not quite right.

 

[ferider]

Thank you ! 0.15 bte is cool.

 

[JACKMANDU]

I'm in the shop and just grabbing some stuff at random here. Here's an old HDFK that is .035 bte but it has seen some sharpening, an FK2 .027, the basic 5 that cut through the chain .035, a UF2 .021, the SDFK is .035.

Here is a DEF that's .019. These really are quite wicked.

A DEK3 that is .015 and a DEK2 that is .030

My personal K18 is .047 behind the leading edge, .034 trailing edge, but it has been sharpened a few times.

A Busse Bushwacker Mistress that happens to be sitting on my desk is .080 and the Shirogorov that I'm carrying is .017. My Chris Reeves Mnandi is .021.


My personal D2 skinner here is .015 bte. It was thinner than that but it has been sharpened a bit


A lot of people and custom makers think their knives are thinner than they really are because of a tendency to create a little bit of an apple seed on the edge bevel right behind the edge when grinding the primary that makes it measure a little thinner than it really geometrically truly is. Taking some meat off behind the shoulder but leaving the primary alone will make the knife cut slightly better, but it is still going to drag pretty much the same because it's the thickness of the primaries that dictate drag once the knife is buried in the work.

If you double the thickness of a piece of metal it becomes 8 times stiffer. So the difference between a knife that is .020 versus a knife that is .035 is actually pretty substantial, both in durability and drag when you're cutting with it.

We try to make our work as thin as possible and still meet our durability goals because our performance goals are not just durability, it is cutting performance and edge retention.

Thanks for sharing!!! Dang man that Dek3 is gonna be freaking laser beam!

 

[bellyfulls]

^ I hate sharing work like that because that's not what it is going to look like when you get it and it just opens a hole bag of worms sharing something that's not quite right.

We got your back man

 

[bellyfulls]

Just don't ask who We is...

 

[JBC_Hunter]

View attachment 1923899

It's just pre-production prototypes, nothing to get too excited about. There's a couple hundred pounds of in-process work but nothing I want to share right now.

Thanks for such a detailed response!!

 

[Gusbuster]

View attachment 1923899

It's just pre-production prototypes, nothing to get too excited about. There's a couple hundred pounds of in-process work but nothing I want to share right now.

Call dibs on the Bad Motherfucker DEK3!

 

[benchrest308]

^ I hate sharing work like that because that's not what it is going to look like when you get it and it just opens a hole bag of worms sharing something that's not quite right.

I wish you would show more work like that. I genuinely enjoy your old WIP threads. I think it would be quite captivating to see a step by step progress of a new creation, but I have said that before.

You are a unique maker with a unique process and I think the community would be all the better having your knowledge and process seen so as to be appreciated.

 

[Pàdruig]

New knife days are always the best but I haven't had a new CPK day for awhile and since I wasn't expecting to see this until Monday, the surprise was even better when this beast showed up today.

Some of my initial observations:
- This a GOOD looking knife. It's in the basic series, I know, but the lines of it are awesome. It inspires me even more to try and land a Signature series version.
- It's heavy. We all knew it was a chunky blade but the heft isn't immediately apparent until you get it in hand.
- Like I suspected, it is dramatically different from the HDFK. Which makes sense, since I do feel it follows a different design philosophy.

The HDFK has long been the standard by which I hold many knives up to, larger and smaller. It is the one knife that will remain with me should I be compelled to give up all others. It is so superbly designed, in my opinion, that it fills the niche that other knives (again larger or smaller) might otherwise occupy. Does the SDFK have a chance at knocking it's more refined cousin off its lofty perch? The magic 8-ball says, "not likely", but it's going to be fun to check it out all the same.

Somewhat curiously, I find that the SDFK has more in common (design wise) with the FK2 than it does with the HDFK. It's like a big brother to the most excellent smaller belt knife.

The SDFK joins its smaller Basic Series brethren. Note the difference between new and old/used natural micarta - for the sake of consistency, I should get some natural scales for the Kephart. The Basic Series are awesome knives and I hope they continue to be a staple for the Carothers crew going forward - great value in a knife that still will beat the socks off of any far more expensive alternatives.

I am very curious about the SDFK's performance so I opted to engage in an activity that would knock off some of that new knife shine. One of the very important things that I need a good camp knife to do is to assist in making a fire. I can't have a fire right now due to a county-wide burn ban so I will have to wait to have my first autumn fire until we get some more moisture. There isn't anything that keeps me from preparing some materials for it though so I prepped a bunch of wood, breaking down large pieces into smaller, etc.

The one thing I noticed right away is that, like with other overbuilt knives, the heft and solid feel that 1/4" steel lends to a knife inspires a lot of potentially reckless confidence. I plowed through chunks of wood that I would normally handle with a hatchet and/or axe and this blade took no prisoners. I had no trouble at all doing what I wanted this knife to do - it lacks some of the finesse that I feel I can draw out of the HDFK but for a no-nonsense, hard use, f*** the world kind of knife, this blade will do.

I don't think it supplants my HDFK as the latter is lighter, nimbler, and provides a bit more grip/handling diversity but the SDFK is still a knife that I am eager to continue putting through its paces. Well done, Nathan and crew - this is another winner.

 

[Murphjd25]

New knife days are always the best but I haven't had a new CPK day for awhile and since I wasn't expecting to see this until Monday, the surprise was even better when this beast showed up today.

Some of my initial observations:
- This a GOOD looking knife. It's in the basic series, I know, but the lines of it are awesome. It inspires me even more to try and land a Signature series version.
- It's heavy. We all knew it was a chunky blade but the heft isn't immediately apparent until you get it in hand.
- Like I suspected, it is dramatically different from the HDFK. Which makes sense, since I do feel it follows a different design philosophy.

The HDFK has long been the standard by which I hold many knives up to, larger and smaller. It is the one knife that will remain with me should I be compelled to give up all others. It is so superbly designed, in my opinion, that it fills the niche that other knives (again larger or smaller) might otherwise occupy. Does the SDFK have a chance at knocking it's more refined cousin off its lofty perch? The magic 8-ball says, "not likely", but it's going to be fun to check it out all the same.

Somewhat curiously, I find that the SDFK has more in common (design wise) with the FK2 than it does with the HDFK. It's like a big brother to the most excellent smaller belt knife.

The SDFK joins its smaller Basic Series brethren. Note the difference between new and old/used natural micarta - for the sake of consistency, I should get some natural scales for the Kephart. The Basic Series are awesome knives and I hope they continue to be a staple for the Carothers crew going forward - great value in a knife that still will beat the socks off of any far more expensive alternatives.

I am very curious about the SDFK's performance so I opted to engage in an activity that would knock off some of that new knife shine. One of the very important things that I need a good camp knife to do is to assist in making a fire. I can't have a fire right now due to a county-wide burn ban so I will have to wait to have my first autumn fire until we get some more moisture. There isn't anything that keeps me from preparing some materials for it though so I prepped a bunch of wood, breaking down large pieces into smaller, etc.

The one thing I noticed right away is that, like with other overbuilt knives, the heft and solid feel that 1/4" steel lends to a knife inspires a lot of potentially reckless confidence. I plowed through chunks of wood that I would normally handle with a hatchet and/or axe and this blade took no prisoners. I had no trouble at all doing what I wanted this knife to do - it lacks some of the finesse that I feel I can draw out of the HDFK but for a no-nonsense, hard use, f*** the world kind of knife, this blade will do.

I don't think it supplants my HDFK as the latter is lighter, nimbler, and provides a bit more grip/handling diversity but the SDFK is still a knife that I am eager to continue putting through its paces. Well done, Nathan and crew - this is another winner.

Great right up Dylan. That is what excited me so much too, it does resemble the FK2 more then any other CPK, and the FK2 is my absolute favorite knife.

I got called into work today, so didn’t get a chance to go play with mine. If not tomorrow, maybe next weekend.

 

[gunslinger387]

New knife days are always the best but I haven't had a new CPK day for awhile and since I wasn't expecting to see this until Monday, the surprise was even better when this beast showed up today.

Some of my initial observations:
- This a GOOD looking knife. It's in the basic series, I know, but the lines of it are awesome. It inspires me even more to try and land a Signature series version.
- It's heavy. We all knew it was a chunky blade but the heft isn't immediately apparent until you get it in hand.
- Like I suspected, it is dramatically different from the HDFK. Which makes sense, since I do feel it follows a different design philosophy.

The HDFK has long been the standard by which I hold many knives up to, larger and smaller. It is the one knife that will remain with me should I be compelled to give up all others. It is so superbly designed, in my opinion, that it fills the niche that other knives (again larger or smaller) might otherwise occupy. Does the SDFK have a chance at knocking it's more refined cousin off its lofty perch? The magic 8-ball says, "not likely", but it's going to be fun to check it out all the same.

Somewhat curiously, I find that the SDFK has more in common (design wise) with the FK2 than it does with the HDFK. It's like a big brother to the most excellent smaller belt knife.

The SDFK joins its smaller Basic Series brethren. Note the difference between new and old/used natural micarta - for the sake of consistency, I should get some natural scales for the Kephart. The Basic Series are awesome knives and I hope they continue to be a staple for the Carothers crew going forward - great value in a knife that still will beat the socks off of any far more expensive alternatives.

I am very curious about the SDFK's performance so I opted to engage in an activity that would knock off some of that new knife shine. One of the very important things that I need a good camp knife to do is to assist in making a fire. I can't have a fire right now due to a county-wide burn ban so I will have to wait to have my first autumn fire until we get some more moisture. There isn't anything that keeps me from preparing some materials for it though so I prepped a bunch of wood, breaking down large pieces into smaller, etc.

The one thing I noticed right away is that, like with other overbuilt knives, the heft and solid feel that 1/4" steel lends to a knife inspires a lot of potentially reckless confidence. I plowed through chunks of wood that I would normally handle with a hatchet and/or axe and this blade took no prisoners. I had no trouble at all doing what I wanted this knife to do - it lacks some of the finesse that I feel I can draw out of the HDFK but for a no-nonsense, hard use, f*** the world kind of knife, this blade will do.

I don't think it supplants my HDFK as the latter is lighter, nimbler, and provides a bit more grip/handling diversity but the SDFK is still a knife that I am eager to continue putting through its paces. Well done, Nathan and crew - this is another winner.

Excellent write up, very articulate. This should somehow be stickied as the first post. I don’t think it could be said any better.

 

[JACKMANDU]

New knife days are always the best but I haven't had a new CPK day for awhile and since I wasn't expecting to see this until Monday, the surprise was even better when this beast showed up today.

Some of my initial observations:
- This a GOOD looking knife. It's in the basic series, I know, but the lines of it are awesome. It inspires me even more to try and land a Signature series version.
- It's heavy. We all knew it was a chunky blade but the heft isn't immediately apparent until you get it in hand.
- Like I suspected, it is dramatically different from the HDFK. Which makes sense, since I do feel it follows a different design philosophy.

The HDFK has long been the standard by which I hold many knives up to, larger and smaller. It is the one knife that will remain with me should I be compelled to give up all others. It is so superbly designed, in my opinion, that it fills the niche that other knives (again larger or smaller) might otherwise occupy. Does the SDFK have a chance at knocking it's more refined cousin off its lofty perch? The magic 8-ball says, "not likely", but it's going to be fun to check it out all the same.

Somewhat curiously, I find that the SDFK has more in common (design wise) with the FK2 than it does with the HDFK. It's like a big brother to the most excellent smaller belt knife.

The SDFK joins its smaller Basic Series brethren. Note the difference between new and old/used natural micarta - for the sake of consistency, I should get some natural scales for the Kephart. The Basic Series are awesome knives and I hope they continue to be a staple for the Carothers crew going forward - great value in a knife that still will beat the socks off of any far more expensive alternatives.

I am very curious about the SDFK's performance so I opted to engage in an activity that would knock off some of that new knife shine. One of the very important things that I need a good camp knife to do is to assist in making a fire. I can't have a fire right now due to a county-wide burn ban so I will have to wait to have my first autumn fire until we get some more moisture. There isn't anything that keeps me from preparing some materials for it though so I prepped a bunch of wood, breaking down large pieces into smaller, etc.

The one thing I noticed right away is that, like with other overbuilt knives, the heft and solid feel that 1/4" steel lends to a knife inspires a lot of potentially reckless confidence. I plowed through chunks of wood that I would normally handle with a hatchet and/or axe and this blade took no prisoners. I had no trouble at all doing what I wanted this knife to do - it lacks some of the finesse that I feel I can draw out of the HDFK but for a no-nonsense, hard use, f*** the world kind of knife, this blade will do.

I don't think it supplants my HDFK as the latter is lighter, nimbler, and provides a bit more grip/handling diversity but the SDFK is still a knife that I am eager to continue putting through its paces. Well done, Nathan and crew - this is another winner.

Great review! Thanks for sharing