- Joined
- Feb 23, 2015
- Messages
- 264
This really isn't a true head-to-head showdown. I've just spent a lot of time using the RMD and I'm very comfortable
working with it. It has been the current "knife" for a long time so it makes a good "bar".
I've spent almost two weeks using the 5.1 and I've spent a lot of quality time with it. Everything from starting to recreate a
project shelter to whittling to fondling it while I watch TV.
Is the RMD still the "current" knife or has it been replaced?
First impression upon unboxing: Cheezuz Crust! This knife is FINE! It is extremely well made. Perfect grind, sharp(!), excellent finish.
The workmanship during the manufacturing puts the 5.1 among the finest knives I've had in my hands (I've held a few Winkler II's
and those were pretty amazing. Not sure if they were any better though).
I did have a frowny face moment that made me doubt. The RMD handle is about the perfect size for my hands and makes it a joy
to work with. It just fits. The 5.1 handle is much thicker and didn't feel natural. My hand didn't feel like it was "one" with the
knife. And in my opinion/experience, that is not good. It can lead to fatigue and accidents. It makes a knife no fun to use.
I've waffled on choils. It really depends on the knife. The RMD choil is decent. I can choke up just fine. The 5.1 choil does not work well for me.
It's too small (I wear large or medium gloves depending on brand). Photos are from first sit-down-and-whittle session trying to get a
feel for the 5.1. Choked up and squeezed a little, jimping could be a hot spot generator. Already got a red streak jus below the thumb.
Not sure if you can see it...
Did I mention sharp? Did not even feel this. Out come the gloves.
I won't show it all but I spent 5 or 6 days (a lot of hours) whittling, processing firewood, etc. Nothing big but lots of repetition
testing the edge retention with push cutting and slicing, shaving curls, batoning with and against the grain. My wife even let me sit
at the kitchen table and carve, taking feather sticks down to nothing but a paper plate of shavings and curls. Taking this:
Down to stuff like this:
Shaping inside and outside radius. RMD had a bit of an advantage here on inside radius.
The tip just fit a little better:
vs
Edge retention was impressive. At most, I stropped the edge every other night. Maybe 5-7 swipes for each side. It probably wasn't
necessary, though.
Next step is to take it out and do some heavier tasks. Didn't get to spend too long. Forgot bug spray. This shelter was built with
a hatchet and a Rodent 7 and TGLB. It needs to be relocated. Plus, I have a few techniques for joining/joints I want to try. The
only tools I'll be using is an axe, a folding saw and the 5.1. It will be on ongoing project for a couple weeks.
I'll post progress photos it people are interested.
Rebuilding here:
Using the saw to cut to length and cut guide lines for depth and width for notches. The 5.1 does all the clean up and finer work.
Side note: I learned that saws do NOT cut with the grain very well. At all. It just seemed to churn up fibers and push them back
and forth. Interesting...
First post attempt:
Something I have not done with the RMD much as much. The shape/thickness of the tip just doesn't work as well. I used
the 5.1 almost like a chisel. I could lay the blade flat and tap it through the notch. It shaved off thin (or thick) layers pretty
consistently. I was expecting the tip to pop out or rise as it moved but it didn't. Pretty cool for doing notches!
Gotta get better with the saw! Slanted notch like that will, I think, let me build a free standing frame without cordage. The cross
beam has a matching wedge that fits in snugly. The slope doesn't allow the beam to roll out, and gravity plus the weight of any
additional beams will help hold it in place even more. That's the theory, at least. We'll see!
Second post attempt, a little better. Learning as we go!!
The work in the woods involved some controlled batoning, carving, using the tip as a chisel, twisting the tip and edge to "pop" out the
strips defined by the saw cuts. How did the 5.1 do?
It's dirty! GASP!!!!
Well, mixed results, really.
The GOOD:
- The time I spent with it was worth it. I think my initial thoughts on the handle were due to familiarity. I was used to the
RMD so it felt great. I now feel that way about the 5.1. Yes, a person can get used to pretty much anything given enough time and
determination (read: forcing it). I do not feel like this is a forced comfort. The 5.1 grew on me and I feel like I can use it as well
and, in some tasks, better than the RMD. The RMD still seems to get into tight spaces a little better, like cleaning up tiny notches
for traps?
- It's a really good size! I really like the blade length and, surprisingly, the width! It felt really nimble easy to control. I thought
for this kind of work the RMD would have a bit of an edge (PUN!) due to it's slightly smaller size. BUT this is almost a tie with the
RMD. I might give the nod to the 5.1 eventually. It was that nice to work with.
- The 5.1 seems to be able to do fine work. I was able to push cut a few notches really close together in some pretty brittle wood
with the 5.1 due to the blade geometry. The RMD tended to split the wood easier.
- The edge stayed sharp! I was able to shave out thin layers and do some pretty fine adjusting without any issues.
The BAD:
- This kind of contradicts the last point above (about staying sharp). The edge did disappoint a bit. When I got home and washed the dirt off
I did a full inspection. I used some of the convenient larger curls from whittling (still on the paper plate on the kitchen table) to test
the edge. Slowly dragging the wood down the length of the blade revealed several small chips or dings. They were small enough that I couldn't
really see them with the naked eye and I could barely make them out using a magnifying glass. But the curls and paper would "catch" here and
there along the blade. The edge was very easy to "repair" using ceramic rods and leather (using a Work Sharp Field Sharpener since that's what
I'd have in the field). It took maybe 3 to 4 minutes. So is it that big of a deal? Probably not. But Dang! I was hoping that the 3V would stand
up a little better. I didn't feel like I was using the knife all that hard or long enough for this to occur. I did not use the RMD on this trip
but I've used it in the past and my sense is the the SR-101 in the RMD might hold up a bit better. But I can't say for sure.
So that's where I am. Do I like the 5.1 Hellz, yeah!!!! Am I happy with it? Hellz, yeah!! Well, done Guy and company!!
I am going to keep using it to rebuild that structure and see how it holds up. The edge thing gives me a little pause but the jury is still out on that.
If what I experienced is the worst that happened with this kind of use and how easy it was to remedy, it will probably be a non-issue in my opinion.
The RMD will be a backup for a bit so the 5.1 can get full broken in.
I am excited to get back out there and see how it goes. I'm going to try to get out there at least 3 times a week so I'll add to this thread as
I progress.
I can't wait to include the 4.7, 6 and 7/7 I've got on order into the trials. I might have to throw in a 10.
Take care!
'scissors
working with it. It has been the current "knife" for a long time so it makes a good "bar".
I've spent almost two weeks using the 5.1 and I've spent a lot of quality time with it. Everything from starting to recreate a
project shelter to whittling to fondling it while I watch TV.
Is the RMD still the "current" knife or has it been replaced?
First impression upon unboxing: Cheezuz Crust! This knife is FINE! It is extremely well made. Perfect grind, sharp(!), excellent finish.
The workmanship during the manufacturing puts the 5.1 among the finest knives I've had in my hands (I've held a few Winkler II's
and those were pretty amazing. Not sure if they were any better though).
I did have a frowny face moment that made me doubt. The RMD handle is about the perfect size for my hands and makes it a joy
to work with. It just fits. The 5.1 handle is much thicker and didn't feel natural. My hand didn't feel like it was "one" with the
knife. And in my opinion/experience, that is not good. It can lead to fatigue and accidents. It makes a knife no fun to use.
I've waffled on choils. It really depends on the knife. The RMD choil is decent. I can choke up just fine. The 5.1 choil does not work well for me.
It's too small (I wear large or medium gloves depending on brand). Photos are from first sit-down-and-whittle session trying to get a
feel for the 5.1. Choked up and squeezed a little, jimping could be a hot spot generator. Already got a red streak jus below the thumb.
Not sure if you can see it...
Did I mention sharp? Did not even feel this. Out come the gloves.
I won't show it all but I spent 5 or 6 days (a lot of hours) whittling, processing firewood, etc. Nothing big but lots of repetition
testing the edge retention with push cutting and slicing, shaving curls, batoning with and against the grain. My wife even let me sit
at the kitchen table and carve, taking feather sticks down to nothing but a paper plate of shavings and curls. Taking this:
Down to stuff like this:
Shaping inside and outside radius. RMD had a bit of an advantage here on inside radius.
The tip just fit a little better:
vs
Edge retention was impressive. At most, I stropped the edge every other night. Maybe 5-7 swipes for each side. It probably wasn't
necessary, though.
Next step is to take it out and do some heavier tasks. Didn't get to spend too long. Forgot bug spray. This shelter was built with
a hatchet and a Rodent 7 and TGLB. It needs to be relocated. Plus, I have a few techniques for joining/joints I want to try. The
only tools I'll be using is an axe, a folding saw and the 5.1. It will be on ongoing project for a couple weeks.
I'll post progress photos it people are interested.
Rebuilding here:
Using the saw to cut to length and cut guide lines for depth and width for notches. The 5.1 does all the clean up and finer work.
Side note: I learned that saws do NOT cut with the grain very well. At all. It just seemed to churn up fibers and push them back
and forth. Interesting...
First post attempt:
Something I have not done with the RMD much as much. The shape/thickness of the tip just doesn't work as well. I used
the 5.1 almost like a chisel. I could lay the blade flat and tap it through the notch. It shaved off thin (or thick) layers pretty
consistently. I was expecting the tip to pop out or rise as it moved but it didn't. Pretty cool for doing notches!
Gotta get better with the saw! Slanted notch like that will, I think, let me build a free standing frame without cordage. The cross
beam has a matching wedge that fits in snugly. The slope doesn't allow the beam to roll out, and gravity plus the weight of any
additional beams will help hold it in place even more. That's the theory, at least. We'll see!
Second post attempt, a little better. Learning as we go!!
The work in the woods involved some controlled batoning, carving, using the tip as a chisel, twisting the tip and edge to "pop" out the
strips defined by the saw cuts. How did the 5.1 do?
It's dirty! GASP!!!!
Well, mixed results, really.
The GOOD:
- The time I spent with it was worth it. I think my initial thoughts on the handle were due to familiarity. I was used to the
RMD so it felt great. I now feel that way about the 5.1. Yes, a person can get used to pretty much anything given enough time and
determination (read: forcing it). I do not feel like this is a forced comfort. The 5.1 grew on me and I feel like I can use it as well
and, in some tasks, better than the RMD. The RMD still seems to get into tight spaces a little better, like cleaning up tiny notches
for traps?
- It's a really good size! I really like the blade length and, surprisingly, the width! It felt really nimble easy to control. I thought
for this kind of work the RMD would have a bit of an edge (PUN!) due to it's slightly smaller size. BUT this is almost a tie with the
RMD. I might give the nod to the 5.1 eventually. It was that nice to work with.
- The 5.1 seems to be able to do fine work. I was able to push cut a few notches really close together in some pretty brittle wood
with the 5.1 due to the blade geometry. The RMD tended to split the wood easier.
- The edge stayed sharp! I was able to shave out thin layers and do some pretty fine adjusting without any issues.
The BAD:
- This kind of contradicts the last point above (about staying sharp). The edge did disappoint a bit. When I got home and washed the dirt off
I did a full inspection. I used some of the convenient larger curls from whittling (still on the paper plate on the kitchen table) to test
the edge. Slowly dragging the wood down the length of the blade revealed several small chips or dings. They were small enough that I couldn't
really see them with the naked eye and I could barely make them out using a magnifying glass. But the curls and paper would "catch" here and
there along the blade. The edge was very easy to "repair" using ceramic rods and leather (using a Work Sharp Field Sharpener since that's what
I'd have in the field). It took maybe 3 to 4 minutes. So is it that big of a deal? Probably not. But Dang! I was hoping that the 3V would stand
up a little better. I didn't feel like I was using the knife all that hard or long enough for this to occur. I did not use the RMD on this trip
but I've used it in the past and my sense is the the SR-101 in the RMD might hold up a bit better. But I can't say for sure.
So that's where I am. Do I like the 5.1 Hellz, yeah!!!! Am I happy with it? Hellz, yeah!! Well, done Guy and company!!
I am going to keep using it to rebuild that structure and see how it holds up. The edge thing gives me a little pause but the jury is still out on that.
If what I experienced is the worst that happened with this kind of use and how easy it was to remedy, it will probably be a non-issue in my opinion.
The RMD will be a backup for a bit so the 5.1 can get full broken in.
I am excited to get back out there and see how it goes. I'm going to try to get out there at least 3 times a week so I'll add to this thread as
I progress.
I can't wait to include the 4.7, 6 and 7/7 I've got on order into the trials. I might have to throw in a 10.
Take care!
'scissors
With our finish we tried to find a middle point where the spine can still work with a ferro rod, but isn't going to carve up hands. 
