Wilderness & Survival Skills Extreme Build Off

[jcl-MD]

Was this idea a GO or NO GO ?

 

[Rick Marchand]

I am still in. The blade will be made whether we have this challenge or not.

 

[Brian Sargent]

Me too. I was thinking about it today.

Throw out your ideas.

I'm thinking the testing should be.

Chopping
Batonning
Draw Knife Shaving
Shelters
Traps
Light Digging
Camp Kitchen Build
Simple food Prep

Let me know what should be added or deleted.

I think the simpler the better.

 

[Rockywolf]

Good ideas, Brian. Stuff that most would do regularly.

 

[Brian Sargent]

Yeah. Don't want it to be difficult for the testers.

 

[Big Chris]

I am ready to get working. I ordered the steel yesterday. My design is a custom that was ordered so I am making two, one for him one for the challenge. It will be the thickest and heaviest knife I have ever made.

 

[Brian Sargent]

Awesome Chris! I'm looking forward to seeing it!

 

[Brian Sargent]

Working on a list of entries.

1. AA Forge
2. joe444
3. Rick Marchand
4. Mike Fennessy
5. Big Chris
6. Bruce Culberson
7.
8. Michael Hill Core Knife Co.
9. Storm Crow
10 Moon Feather
11. TCurry
12. Brian Sargent

 

[RWT]

Somebody has to cut some bone in half. Local butcher should be able to offer a few femurs or cow skulls. I've dulled the edge of many blades running along a backbone to remove backstrap. Maybe a bone carving test- see how many strokes it takes to cut out half inch of bone in middle of a femur?

 

[Rick Marchand]

I'm thinking the testing should be.

Chopping
Batonning
Draw Knife Shaving
Shelters
Traps
Light Digging
Camp Kitchen Build
Simple food Prep

Let me know what should be added or deleted.

I think the simpler the better.

Good ideas, Brian. Stuff that most would do regularly.

Yeah. Don't want it to be difficult for the testers.

Whaaaaaaat? You can do all that stuff with a normal blade....... boooooooooooooooring. EXTREME URBAN/WILDERNESS SURVIAL!!!!!!!!!!!

If it isn't breaking walls, smashing rocks, digging, cutting chainlink fence, openning cans.... I'm out.

Somebody has to cut some bone in half. Local butcher should be able to offer a few femurs or cow skulls. I've dulled the edge of many blades running along a backbone to remove backstrap. Maybe a bone carving test- see how many strokes it takes to cut out half inch of bone in middle of a femur?

That's what I'm talking about!!!!

 

[Brian Sargent]

Rick I'm more than down for that ....... lets see your list.

I don't want to scare anyone away so thought I'd start out light.

I can get more than silly.

[youtube]2aEPXhDkqLQ[/youtube]

 

[Rick Marchand]

It's a CHALLENGE, brother. I expect it to fail at some point.(hopefully not catastrophically)

In my mind, I see a series of tasks that get increasingly more brutal to the point of ..... pointlessness. I don't want it to just be a destruction test in someone's shop, though. I want real(however unlikely) scenarios one might face in an urban disaster or wilderness survival situation. No hammers, vices, cheater bars, etc... The blades should be tested from the finest, most delicate cutting task to the craziest most outrageous "hail Mary/last ditch" feat.

- paper slice
- feather sticks
- bowdrill set
- box cutting
- food processing
- rope cutting
- fire prep
- bow making(draw knife, etc..)
- shelter building
- rotten stump prying
- log chopping (8"dia+)
- digging
- glass breaking
- door entry
- brick busting(cinder blocks)
- fence cutting(chainlink, barbed wire)
- padlock breaking
- chain cutting

Throw in ease of sharpening, carry options, etc... and you have yourself a real CHALLENGE.

Rick

 

[Brian Sargent]

What do you think are a realistic # of blades to test. Might be hard to find 25 doors and pay for 25 locks to break!

 

[Rick Marchand]

Yes, that is a hurdle. That's why weeza plannin'.

 

[Brian Sargent]

I'm gonna ask my neighbors if I can go down the street and test their structures for a SHTF scenario!

Anyone have a hook up with a hardware store?

 

[AA Forge]

I'm gonna ask my neighbors if I can go down the street and test their structures for a SHTF scenario!

That might go over like a lead balloon

 

[Brian Sargent]

That might go over like a lead balloon

I bet Jimmy Page could pull it off!

 

[Camber]

Can I suggest batonning through a piece of wood with some thin nails driven through it, or maybe just some staples depending on how hard you want to be, but it seems like I read a lot of people accidentally hitting nails or other metal structures inadvertently while chopping or batonning. I don't know. Just a thought. Mainly I just want to see this happen.

 

[Brian Sargent]

Can I suggest batonning through a piece of wood with some thin nails driven through it, or maybe just some staples depending on how hard you want to be, but it seems like I read a lot of people accidentally hitting nails or other metal structures inadvertently while chopping or batonning. I don't know. Just a thought. Mainly I just want to see this happen.

Breaking down pallets is perfect for that.

 

[Camber]

Breaking down pallets is perfect for that.

Perfect idea!