When you have to get the twine off half a dozen frozen round bales, that's when.
At first I tried to use my trusty OLFA. In the summer (when we don't need bales to feed the animals) it would be fine, but as-is I'm trying to dig the twine out of a few inches of iced over hay. It can cut things half an inch deep better than just about anything else, but I need something to break up the bale. My second attempt was an old BM710 that's been thinned out a lot. I think I grabbed it just because I haven't used it in a while, but the results were fairly predictable. It only took a few jabs before the edge started chipping out.
My third attempt (actually choosing something suited for the job this time) was a Hossom Retribution folder (factory production). A sturdy 4.5" blade with a nice thick titanium lock.
To find or release twine from the ice, I like to stab the bale, putting the side of the blade behind the string, and then pull out. This keeps a nice layer of hay between the twine and the blade so that I don't prematurely cut the twine, and then I can work enough of it loose to actually have something to hold onto before making a cut. The Retribution worked great until I hit a tough patch and it became hard just to penetrate the bale. And then the lock slipped, and kept on slipping. I could have kept going with the blade bouncing around (I had gloves on), but that got annoying really fast.
My fourth attempt was a Cold Steel XL Voyager. Yes, a fixed blade would have been better, but I was somewhat interested in seeing the knife take on this extra thick ice-hay that defeated the Retribution. Of course, the Voyager stabs frozen bales like no-ones business, and the Tri Ad lock held firm even with aggressive use. The blade was a little thin given how long it is, but it finished the job without seeming outright flimsy.
In conclusion: 1. Use a fixed blade. 2. Don't go digging through sheets of ice-fiber composite with super thin knives. And 3. No matter which knife you're using, if it's made to fold, don't be surprised when it does.
At first I tried to use my trusty OLFA. In the summer (when we don't need bales to feed the animals) it would be fine, but as-is I'm trying to dig the twine out of a few inches of iced over hay. It can cut things half an inch deep better than just about anything else, but I need something to break up the bale. My second attempt was an old BM710 that's been thinned out a lot. I think I grabbed it just because I haven't used it in a while, but the results were fairly predictable. It only took a few jabs before the edge started chipping out.
My third attempt (actually choosing something suited for the job this time) was a Hossom Retribution folder (factory production). A sturdy 4.5" blade with a nice thick titanium lock.
To find or release twine from the ice, I like to stab the bale, putting the side of the blade behind the string, and then pull out. This keeps a nice layer of hay between the twine and the blade so that I don't prematurely cut the twine, and then I can work enough of it loose to actually have something to hold onto before making a cut. The Retribution worked great until I hit a tough patch and it became hard just to penetrate the bale. And then the lock slipped, and kept on slipping. I could have kept going with the blade bouncing around (I had gloves on), but that got annoying really fast.
My fourth attempt was a Cold Steel XL Voyager. Yes, a fixed blade would have been better, but I was somewhat interested in seeing the knife take on this extra thick ice-hay that defeated the Retribution. Of course, the Voyager stabs frozen bales like no-ones business, and the Tri Ad lock held firm even with aggressive use. The blade was a little thin given how long it is, but it finished the job without seeming outright flimsy.
In conclusion: 1. Use a fixed blade. 2. Don't go digging through sheets of ice-fiber composite with super thin knives. And 3. No matter which knife you're using, if it's made to fold, don't be surprised when it does.
