manghu67
American Kami Custom Blades / Knifemaker
- Joined
- Oct 24, 2000
- Messages
- 443
Well, I couldn't take it anymore. I wanted to wait until my YCS got here, but the itch was in my bones and something had to be done.
My parents have these three massive spruce trees in their back yard. They have been after me to take down a limb on one that is wrapping around the phone pole at the end of the yard. Friday was a beautiful day, so it was time for me to play part time arborist.
I have my Kobra, Hanuman, and UBE sitting out on my office table where I can look at them. This time, the UBE got the nod. I grabbed it, my WWIII khuk, a pair of Mechanix Mpact gloves, some CLP, and some Gatoraide and headed out the door.
I was not prepared for the magnitude of the task at hand. From the ground, the limb didn't seem so formidible. Once I was 15 feet up the tree, I discovered that the limb was full of knotty goodness, was a good 12" in diameter, and probably weighed in around 500lbs. I returned to the ground and got a saw, for safetys sake. That limb was so big that went it came down, I felt the thud from my position in the tree. I then had to drag the bastard away from the trees and onto the patio to facilitate sectioning and removal of it. It was one heavy SOB. After a Gatoraide break, I chose my weapon.
I chose the WWIII first, because I was familiar with it and it would be an accurate yardstick for me to measure the UBE's performance. I attacked the felled limb with it. The limb was not impressed. The knife was sharp, but it just didn't seem to be cutting well. After about ten minutes of wailing away, the WWIII found itself buried in a stump, and my hands found themselves wrapped around the UBE.
As I unsheathed it, the UBE gistened brightly in the sunlight. I thought for a moment how beautiful it was, how it was too beautiful to even use. About how it should be in a nicely fashioned, velvet lined display case in a den somewhere, and not in my grubby hands, about to be awash in tree blood. About how it was going to be covered in ugly scuffs after I had finished violating it. These thoughts were driven from my head upon the first swing. One chop, and a two inch in diameter branch lay severed on the cool bricks of the patio. I was astounded. I swung again. Another branch fell. What followed for the next hour was a symphony of woody carnage.
The UBE absolutely devoured everything I sent it's way, even massive burly knots. The only blade damage resulted from me following through a cut and banging the edge and tip against the patio brick.
The result? Chipped brick, and a slightly rolled edge that I was able to burnish back out. Had I done the same thing with my WWIII, the edge would have been badly damaged (it has been, in fact).
End result? Scuffed and dirty UBE 1, 500lbs worth of wood, 0. Two blisters on pinky of chopping hand. Sore chopping hand. The UBE cleaned up with some scrubbing and an industrial strength hand cleaner. Blade is all scuffed up, but I think it ads character so I will probably leave it like that. Handles are too big (thats why my hand is sore), so I will probably recontour them like I have my Hanuman, and restain. Chakma and Karda are too soft for burnishing. Need to be hardened. Other than that, I was thrilled. I couldn't get the stupid grin off my face.
I liked the UBE so much that I almost forgot the WWIII buried in that stump in my parent's back yard, and left there without it.
Next up? The HANUMAN!
My parents have these three massive spruce trees in their back yard. They have been after me to take down a limb on one that is wrapping around the phone pole at the end of the yard. Friday was a beautiful day, so it was time for me to play part time arborist.
I have my Kobra, Hanuman, and UBE sitting out on my office table where I can look at them. This time, the UBE got the nod. I grabbed it, my WWIII khuk, a pair of Mechanix Mpact gloves, some CLP, and some Gatoraide and headed out the door.
I was not prepared for the magnitude of the task at hand. From the ground, the limb didn't seem so formidible. Once I was 15 feet up the tree, I discovered that the limb was full of knotty goodness, was a good 12" in diameter, and probably weighed in around 500lbs. I returned to the ground and got a saw, for safetys sake. That limb was so big that went it came down, I felt the thud from my position in the tree. I then had to drag the bastard away from the trees and onto the patio to facilitate sectioning and removal of it. It was one heavy SOB. After a Gatoraide break, I chose my weapon.
I chose the WWIII first, because I was familiar with it and it would be an accurate yardstick for me to measure the UBE's performance. I attacked the felled limb with it. The limb was not impressed. The knife was sharp, but it just didn't seem to be cutting well. After about ten minutes of wailing away, the WWIII found itself buried in a stump, and my hands found themselves wrapped around the UBE.
As I unsheathed it, the UBE gistened brightly in the sunlight. I thought for a moment how beautiful it was, how it was too beautiful to even use. About how it should be in a nicely fashioned, velvet lined display case in a den somewhere, and not in my grubby hands, about to be awash in tree blood. About how it was going to be covered in ugly scuffs after I had finished violating it. These thoughts were driven from my head upon the first swing. One chop, and a two inch in diameter branch lay severed on the cool bricks of the patio. I was astounded. I swung again. Another branch fell. What followed for the next hour was a symphony of woody carnage.
The UBE absolutely devoured everything I sent it's way, even massive burly knots. The only blade damage resulted from me following through a cut and banging the edge and tip against the patio brick.
The result? Chipped brick, and a slightly rolled edge that I was able to burnish back out. Had I done the same thing with my WWIII, the edge would have been badly damaged (it has been, in fact).End result? Scuffed and dirty UBE 1, 500lbs worth of wood, 0. Two blisters on pinky of chopping hand. Sore chopping hand. The UBE cleaned up with some scrubbing and an industrial strength hand cleaner. Blade is all scuffed up, but I think it ads character so I will probably leave it like that. Handles are too big (thats why my hand is sore), so I will probably recontour them like I have my Hanuman, and restain. Chakma and Karda are too soft for burnishing. Need to be hardened. Other than that, I was thrilled. I couldn't get the stupid grin off my face.
I liked the UBE so much that I almost forgot the WWIII buried in that stump in my parent's back yard, and left there without it.
Next up? The HANUMAN!
