I finally got by the post office to pick up my triangular box yesterday. What a knife!
I went for this one because the lovely curve of the handle looked so right, and it does feel great in the hand.
It came sharp out of the box so it started biting wood within 5 minutes after meeting me. I first put it up against my trusty test log, a 6 dia pine tree that fell during last years hurricane season. I tested it against my other M43 made by Sher that I purchased last year. Shers M43 has held the #1 spot in my collection for wood cutting, and is the standard that I compare everything else to. It is 17 1/2 and weighs 32 oz.
Well, Shers M43 has been bumped to #2. Buras M43 is my new best wood cutter by far. Where Shers knife had a tendency to bounce off the hard dry pine, Buras bites deep. The combination of Buras thinner edge and the more pronounced curvature of blade and handle seems to impart significantly more slicing effect when chopping.
I had some lot clearing to do (removing 1-3 dia pine trees) so I continued giving my new M43 a real workout. It made quick and easy work of everything from pine trees to bull briar. I was surprised how well it worked on the lighter stuff, too, because this usually springs away from a slow, heavy blade. After I ran out of pine trees I attacked some cardboard boxes, and the edge was still slicing sharp. Buras edges look thin and fragile but after the days use everything is still fine. The Master knows what he is doing!
Thanks Bura and Yangdu!!!!!
Geoffrey
