TitaniLor
- Thread starter Lorien
- Start date
Brad Lilly
Moderator and Awards Boss
That is a different looking knife design, should chop well. I looked up the mad science forge and it looks like your getting this made from titanium. Toughness should not be a problem, how is edge retention?
Lorien
Well-Known Member
Back in October 2014, Sam Taylor, (Mecha is his forum handle) dropped me a line to let me know that he was interested in collaborating on a design, and having the result of our collaboration brutally tested. This thread will document the build and testing of this piece.
I have a bit of a specialty going. I don't know of many other people who do what I do with blades in the field, finding usable corridors through the rainforest which will eventually become trails.
The use of large knives- how I use them- is very abusive, but not because I don't take care. Only because the stuff I have to cut requires a lot of force, precision and the plants out here bite back, and sometimes destroy steel tools. I spend hours at a time cutting brush of many various types and textures, often working myself to exhaustion. When coupled with this activity, my interest in design constantly evolves with my experience. Anything that makes it easier to cut, and minimizes maintenance is of great interest to me. Also, a lot of this work requires hiking in, sometimes up to an hour off trail just to get there, so weight is always a consideration. As a gnome sized person, reach is also important.
Many of these variable work at cross purposes and I'm convinced that I will never find the perfect blade for all considerations, but that's what makes the pursuit so endlessly fascinating.
Beta titanium- how the hell to design for such a material? So many unknown variables, but I knew one thing, and that is that the material is maybe 1/2- 2/3s the weight of what I'm used to using. Also, due to Sam's method, the limitations on the dimensions were fairly tight, and I designed to the outer realm of what he's able to forge from the bar stock he has. The other thing I didn't know was how the material would hold an edge, and in order to test that, I made sure the grind line was really high and the edge bevel acute.
Sam is intrigued by beta titanium, and he's invested so much into exploring this material. I am also enthralled by titanium, because I've been riding, (and crashing) a mountain bike made from the stuff since 2001. It's an incredibly resilient and strong material that is completely corrosion proof. I had always thought it questionable that knives made from the material would perform at a high level, and so you might imagine my excitement when Sam asked for my involvement in his pursuit.
Now, I had no idea that titanium could be forged into a blade. I've always known about ti being forged into various shapes via presses, molds, etc, but Sam forged this piece almost completely by hand. That in itself impressed the hell out of me. However, near the end, you can see how he forged it with that ingenious trip hammer he put together, (in my 2nd post).
The following pictures will show the progress;
The next stop is heat treatment, and I have to tell you that the pictures are pretty cool!
I have a bit of a specialty going. I don't know of many other people who do what I do with blades in the field, finding usable corridors through the rainforest which will eventually become trails.
The use of large knives- how I use them- is very abusive, but not because I don't take care. Only because the stuff I have to cut requires a lot of force, precision and the plants out here bite back, and sometimes destroy steel tools. I spend hours at a time cutting brush of many various types and textures, often working myself to exhaustion. When coupled with this activity, my interest in design constantly evolves with my experience. Anything that makes it easier to cut, and minimizes maintenance is of great interest to me. Also, a lot of this work requires hiking in, sometimes up to an hour off trail just to get there, so weight is always a consideration. As a gnome sized person, reach is also important.
Many of these variable work at cross purposes and I'm convinced that I will never find the perfect blade for all considerations, but that's what makes the pursuit so endlessly fascinating.
Beta titanium- how the hell to design for such a material? So many unknown variables, but I knew one thing, and that is that the material is maybe 1/2- 2/3s the weight of what I'm used to using. Also, due to Sam's method, the limitations on the dimensions were fairly tight, and I designed to the outer realm of what he's able to forge from the bar stock he has. The other thing I didn't know was how the material would hold an edge, and in order to test that, I made sure the grind line was really high and the edge bevel acute.
Sam is intrigued by beta titanium, and he's invested so much into exploring this material. I am also enthralled by titanium, because I've been riding, (and crashing) a mountain bike made from the stuff since 2001. It's an incredibly resilient and strong material that is completely corrosion proof. I had always thought it questionable that knives made from the material would perform at a high level, and so you might imagine my excitement when Sam asked for my involvement in his pursuit.
Now, I had no idea that titanium could be forged into a blade. I've always known about ti being forged into various shapes via presses, molds, etc, but Sam forged this piece almost completely by hand. That in itself impressed the hell out of me. However, near the end, you can see how he forged it with that ingenious trip hammer he put together, (in my 2nd post).
The following pictures will show the progress;
The next stop is heat treatment, and I have to tell you that the pictures are pretty cool!
Lorien
Well-Known Member
So, these pics are post heat treat.
On to handle assembly.
Some pretty colours, and one of the coolest maker's marks in existence;
Sam left some 'destruction seeds' to see if they would grow into wonderful, catastrophic failures;
Most of the edge is very clean and tight, however.
Handle materials laid out, and ready for shaping and installation;
Pretty close to final assembly;
That is some major copper! Just gotta keep this away from the crackheads lol
You cannot understate the importance of the blade's curvature to cutting efficiency. I've had a fair amount of experience using different blades with dissimilar amounts of curvature, and when I designed this one, it was with those experiences in mind. The edge drops below the handle and follows a subtle curve along its entire length. Sam ground the tip portion and left a good amount of material there, just as requested.
The blade is about 3/16" thick at the ricasso, and tapers gradually toward the tip. It is fairly thin, flexible and light in weight. Overall weight is 810 grams, or 1.76 pounds. Blade is 19 1/2", handle is 8".
On to handle assembly.
Some pretty colours, and one of the coolest maker's marks in existence;
Sam left some 'destruction seeds' to see if they would grow into wonderful, catastrophic failures;
Most of the edge is very clean and tight, however.
Handle materials laid out, and ready for shaping and installation;
Pretty close to final assembly;
That is some major copper! Just gotta keep this away from the crackheads lol
You cannot understate the importance of the blade's curvature to cutting efficiency. I've had a fair amount of experience using different blades with dissimilar amounts of curvature, and when I designed this one, it was with those experiences in mind. The edge drops below the handle and follows a subtle curve along its entire length. Sam ground the tip portion and left a good amount of material there, just as requested.
The blade is about 3/16" thick at the ricasso, and tapers gradually toward the tip. It is fairly thin, flexible and light in weight. Overall weight is 810 grams, or 1.76 pounds. Blade is 19 1/2", handle is 8".
Lorien
Well-Known Member
Although, (for a piece like this) the best testing occurs in the forest, there are plenty of everyday items that can give a good read on the effectiveness of a design and quality of a knife generally. Since I was at work when the sword arrived, I used material that I had on hand.
Take your standard issue regional phone book, for example;
In this day and age, a phone book is more useful as a testing medium than what it's actually supposed to be for
Surprisingly satisfying cutting.
Your garden variety flooring underlay cardboard tube can also serve as a medium for testing speed, power and edge geometry;
One powerful swipe cleaved cleanly through the dense cardboard. This was cut freestanding. I took a number of swings through it. Very satisfying
Dowling, depending on wood type, can also be instructive. This piece is fir, near as I could tell. It wasn't pine, that's for sure, it was much harder.
Hassan Chop! One heavy handed blow against a hard surface provided the dowling with a severance package.
Good penetration into a seasoned fir 2x4. This is one hard piece of lumber.
Well, no discernible negative change to the edge. However, it did seem that the edge actually got a little keener which is completely counter intuitive. Or maybe I'm out to lunch. Further testing will clarify...
Take your standard issue regional phone book, for example;
In this day and age, a phone book is more useful as a testing medium than what it's actually supposed to be for
Surprisingly satisfying cutting.
Your garden variety flooring underlay cardboard tube can also serve as a medium for testing speed, power and edge geometry;
One powerful swipe cleaved cleanly through the dense cardboard. This was cut freestanding. I took a number of swings through it. Very satisfying
Dowling, depending on wood type, can also be instructive. This piece is fir, near as I could tell. It wasn't pine, that's for sure, it was much harder.
Hassan Chop! One heavy handed blow against a hard surface provided the dowling with a severance package.
Good penetration into a seasoned fir 2x4. This is one hard piece of lumber.
Well, no discernible negative change to the edge. However, it did seem that the edge actually got a little keener which is completely counter intuitive. Or maybe I'm out to lunch. Further testing will clarify...
Lorien
Well-Known Member
My first time out with this beast was during one of my night time trailbuilding sessions. Usually, I don't do much in the way of cutting, since it's hard to see in the dark lol. Lots of digging and hammering, with tools made for such work.
I cut a free standing empty can in half. Not so easy a feat as you might think. Still, not that impressive. I'll leave the impressive stuff for tomorrow
I cut a free standing empty can in half. Not so easy a feat as you might think. Still, not that impressive. I'll leave the impressive stuff for tomorrow
Brad Lilly
Moderator and Awards Boss
Pretty interesting stuff. I'm looking forward to seeing how it works in the brush. One thing that comes to my mind is will it be easy to bend? It looks like it will flex pretty good on film but pounding away at brush is a different story. Did you guys think about anodizing the blade for a bright color? It would certainly set the blade off.
By the way if that was filmed recently I'm very jealous. On the other coast we have 4-5 feet of snow on the level.
By the way if that was filmed recently I'm very jealous. On the other coast we have 4-5 feet of snow on the level.
Brad Lilly
Moderator and Awards Boss
Good videos, is your knife meeting your expectations?