What should be the next sword i get

T

TurtleguyFive

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Apr 21, 2014
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Currently I am looking for a new katana for cutting forestry, but the one I have doesn't hold up to weather and rust easily. What I use is a Ronin Katana Dojo pro http://roninkatana.com/dojopro-ko-katana1.html . Although it is very good were I live has a lot of rain so I would like Katana that doesn't rust easily but I still want it to be a good cutter and I don't want a knock off.
 
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If all you want to do is chop bushes and don't want to worry about rust....get a machete.....or a smatchet. A katana is a poor tool for the task you describe.
(Unless you are the ninja turtles long lost brother who lives in the forest and kills all the evil saplings.)
 
The main thing I chop with the katana is Bamboo and if you have ever tried cutting it with machete you will know it's a pain. The katana makes easy work of the bamboo but it's carbon 1080 steel so it rust which is a pain to manage. So I need one that won't rust. Trust me if you don't think it's the right tool for the job look at some of ronin katana's vids they have on the website.
 
You don't want a stainless steel sword, everyone's seen the video of what happens with those.
I don't know why you're cutting bamboo: eradication, fun, building a tree house, punji sticks, etc. But if sword maintenance is too much you have a lot of other options. I have tried cutting bamboo with a machete it's not that bad if you have a good one you need a heavy machete as opposed to a flimsy one. A kukri makes short work of bamboo, you should be able to find one of those that will suit your needs easily, as everyone and their brother makes them. But, my personal favorite bamboo demolishing beast is a brush axe, the real kind, on a big hickory handle, not the wimpy Fiskars kind. I can level a stand of bamboo in a few whacks with mine. Of course, none of this compares to the awesomeness that is a chainsaw.

If you're trying to eradicate bamboo, you'll also need a shovel... and fire... and a bulldozer.
 
You do make good point after watching that video again I will just try some of those methods on destroying my true enemy bamboo. Cause I do like to have fun with my prey before I destroy it. THX
 
TurtleguyFive said:
You do make good point after watching that video again I will just try some of those methods on destroying my true enemy bamboo. Cause I do like to have fun with my prey before I destroy it. THX
Click to expand...

Fun eradication? Then the only choice is the brush axe. It's stupid fun, you'll be disappointed when you run out of bamboo. :D
 
I know I will also have fun with the fire part too that being one of my hobbies. The bamboo I am up against has been my hardest group yet because the bamboo is littlery hardest I have seen yet also the biggest group I have seen yet.
 
Never use stainless:
[youtube]pzV6J3SQ8Qs[/youtube]

There's two options I can think of:
1) Get a katana custom-made out of SM-100 titanium alloy. It can be hardened to the Rc 60 range and I believe can still be bent to a 90 degree angle and still bend back to its original shape. Though to be honest a lightsaber would probably cost less:D. But this baby won't rust on you.

2) Have the blade custom hard-coated, preferably with DLC. Would still cost you a pretty penny, but probably less than option 1.

You can attempt to coat the blade with something like Eezox, but I doubt any such coatings are meant to hold up after repeated contact with solid, possibly abrasive mediums like bamboo.

Short cutting shouldn't affect the blade, but if you're doing it in the rain for hours, then it wouldn't be surprising.

Only realistic solution I see is that you get comfortable with taking the katana apart and putting it back together again. After each use, take it apart, clean the blade with rubbing alcohol, polish the rust out with Mother's Mag & Aluminum Polish(best and most aggressive IMO), clean the blade with rubbing alcohol again, and oil it. May want to apply the same treatment to the iron hardware, but Eezox and similar protectants should work well on those parts(because you're not cutting with those). The wooden handles should be dried out and (need expert input here) probably sealed up with Renaissance Wax.

Basically you'd be polishing the rust off instead of trying to prevent it from forming during use. It'll mess with the finish, but I assume that's not a big consideration for a user.

Honestly though, if I expected to do cutting in rainy conditions, I would NOT use any organic materials(specifically the wood handles), and I would make sure the handles are either easy to take apart, or outright sealed off with epoxy.
 
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I'd recommend a close look at the Cold Steel Gurka Kukri 12" VG-1 San Mai III Blade.

Stainless steel(laminated construction for added toughness), non-slip handles, and all-synthetic construction(including the sheath). It shouldn't rust unless you stick it in the sheath overnight without wiping it. So long as you don't twist during the cut, I'd expect the blade to hold up well to bamboo cutting.

At about $400, it's nearly twice as expensive as a Ronin Katana, but it fits your needs perfectly, and there's something to be said about specialized tools.
 
Try a Busse AK-47. The steel they use "INFI" isn't stainless... but you have to neglect it pretty bad to have it rust. It's easy to sharpen and pretty tough stuff. It's not a katana. But it's way beefier than a machete.

AK47Black2_F9K2936.jpg
 
Infi-del said:
Try a Busse AK-47. The steel they use "INFI" isn't stainless... but you have to neglect it pretty bad to have it rust. It's easy to sharpen and pretty tough stuff. It's not a katana. But it's way beefier than a machete.

AK47Black2_F9K2936.jpg
Click to expand...
Not sure if that's a good recommendation given that they're not in production and you'd have to pry it off someone's cold dead hands to get ahold of one:D.
 
Weight and geometry will take care of bamboo. A good machete will make a cut in bamboo as well as a katana...maybe better. Actually, swinging a katana in bamboo sounds silly as well as dangerous. As the old saying goes, "An accident waiting to happen!".

I make a copy of the WWII USMC machete that will take out saplings in single stroke, and should do bamboo as well. It has a 12" bolo shape blade in 1/4" steel and a good ergonomic handle. I use neoprene for the scales. there are many similar blades for sale online for around $100. One could easily be made in 440C that would be quite rust resistant as well as strong.
 
I use a gerber gator i Know it sucks but its just what I use And even when I just sharpen it I cant get good cuts with Bamboo
 
TurtleguyFive said:
I use a gerber gator i Know it sucks but its just what I use And even when I just sharpen it I cant get good cuts with Bamboo
Click to expand...

Get a better machete and sharpen it correctly.
You will be amazed at how much better it does. :)
 
Any clearer pictures of the machete and bamboo? I also spot 7 different types of Gerber Gator machetes, could you specify the model too?

Also, can it slice paper before you use it? Because unless the edge is super blunt, the blade geometry should let it power through bamboo.

The second picture looks like you made a downward cut on the same bamboo in the first picture to be honest.

HD Video is of course, the best if available:thumbup:.
 
Tops 230 machete for clearing bamboo. Your Gerber is trash. Shitty edge angle, shitty handle design, and just generally shitty

My tops will easily out cut my katanas with live Bamboo, and it weighs about half as much so your arm won't get as tired
 
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