A good, honest review... and IMO, better than some that I've read lately. Thanks to Doc Ron for doing the review and Craig for making the khukuris available for it.
Harry
Harry
Tactical Knives
- Thread starter Craig Gottlieb
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To me, Ron is a GREAT reviewer. You don't find him saying that a knife will cut through titanium bars, prop up a building, and penetrate an M1 Tank. As such, you tend to believe what he says much more than other reviewers. He's got an A+ in my book.
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Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
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Craig Gottlieb
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Cliff Stamp
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Craig :
If that is standard policy of Tactical Knives then that completely destroys any claim of
credibility. Giving editorial rights to the maker of a blade is a completely ridiculous way to do a blade evaluation. Of course it would be perfectly fine to ask them to write a commentary or rebuttal.
By the way, most grades of Titanium while strong per weight as compared to steel, they are weaker per volume and much more compressible. I have chopped though mild steel bars with knives before, I don't have any Ti ones, but would not believe it difficult to do.
-Cliff
If that is standard policy of Tactical Knives then that completely destroys any claim of
credibility. Giving editorial rights to the maker of a blade is a completely ridiculous way to do a blade evaluation. Of course it would be perfectly fine to ask them to write a commentary or rebuttal.
By the way, most grades of Titanium while strong per weight as compared to steel, they are weaker per volume and much more compressible. I have chopped though mild steel bars with knives before, I don't have any Ti ones, but would not believe it difficult to do.
-Cliff
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Cliff: Okay, so maybe Titanium is a bad choice of example!
How about "iron bars in one chop" ?
PS: Cliff, there's a present in this shipment for you - a khukuri that you might not recognize when you see it. I'll give you a clue: they had to do some serious re-forging and re-tempering on the piece. Any clue?
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Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
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PS: Cliff, there's a present in this shipment for you - a khukuri that you might not recognize when you see it. I'll give you a clue: they had to do some serious re-forging and re-tempering on the piece. Any clue?
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Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
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Craig,
Congratulations on the article! I think alot of people's eye's will be opened concerning the role of the Khuk as a tool/weapon. Ron gave you a fair shake and your product withstood the rigors of the test! I liked the kydex comment. I currently carry a Khuk on my webgear when my Reserve unit deploys to the field. My annual AT is coming up and I will have a khuk at my side. I'd still like to apply one of my Tsuka-ito wraps to a full slab-tang khuk. Maybe a WWIII blade?
Anyway, I have a feeling that you are going to get even busier as a result of Ron's fine article.
-Redleg out.
"What you do in life, echoes in eternity..."
-Maximvs Decimvs Meridivs AD 180
Commander of the Armies of Rome,
General of the Felix Legions
Congratulations on the article! I think alot of people's eye's will be opened concerning the role of the Khuk as a tool/weapon. Ron gave you a fair shake and your product withstood the rigors of the test! I liked the kydex comment. I currently carry a Khuk on my webgear when my Reserve unit deploys to the field. My annual AT is coming up and I will have a khuk at my side. I'd still like to apply one of my Tsuka-ito wraps to a full slab-tang khuk. Maybe a WWIII blade?
Anyway, I have a feeling that you are going to get even busier as a result of Ron's fine article.
-Redleg out.
"What you do in life, echoes in eternity..."
-Maximvs Decimvs Meridivs AD 180
Commander of the Armies of Rome,
General of the Felix Legions
Cliff Stamp
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Craig :
I have never tried hacking at the stronger cast irons, I don't have a lot of it on hand. However even the best of them are not able to compete with steel. I have a couple of cast iron frying pans that need to be replaced. When they eventually are I'll see how difficult it is to penetrate them and what happens if you try to cut them in half.
If it was either the Bhojpure or SN#1 I bent I would appreciate having a look at it. If the current quality is above what is indicated in the reviews I wrote they should be updated.
-Cliff
[This message has been edited by Cliff Stamp (edited 06-13-2000).]
I have never tried hacking at the stronger cast irons, I don't have a lot of it on hand. However even the best of them are not able to compete with steel. I have a couple of cast iron frying pans that need to be replaced. When they eventually are I'll see how difficult it is to penetrate them and what happens if you try to cut them in half.
If it was either the Bhojpure or SN#1 I bent I would appreciate having a look at it. If the current quality is above what is indicated in the reviews I wrote they should be updated.
-Cliff
[This message has been edited by Cliff Stamp (edited 06-13-2000).]
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Cliff: The item is indeed the Bhojpure you tested. It's not meant to be tested again unless you wish to do so. But I carried it to Nepal with me, had the Kamis remove the handle, re-forge the blade, and temper it again. So it SHOULD be as good as new - it certainly looked nice. I can send it to you if you want it. You don't have to send it back, as I consider it "yours" anyway. Email me about the details if you wish.
Just don't chop any frying pans up with it!
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Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
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Just don't chop any frying pans up with it!
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Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
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Hi Craig!
Thought I'd drop in and say howdy. I wanted you to know that we will be taking that blade with us on Friday for a nine day survival program with a dozen students. The Khukuri will be with us... we used to carry a camp ax
The mini serrations cleaned up easily and the knife looks as good as new. I appreciate your efforts in bringing this blade to us all.
I would like to clear one thing up just a bit more. An Elk leg is far stronger and far harder than any bone in the human body. This is particularily true when the bone has been sitting for awhile. I shot this particular Elk several months earlier. The bone was left outside and was well frozen when I "whacked the bone". It is a mark of the quality of the blade that I was able to finish cutting the bone and there was so little damage.
TK magazine is one of the best publishers I have authored for. They will allow an honest review AND a sense of humor... how refreshing.
Take care bud and I will post the results from the trip when I return. I don't expect to say much more than "Great performer" in more words.
Ron
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Learn Life Extension at:
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[This message has been edited by Doc Ron (edited 06-14-2000).]
Thought I'd drop in and say howdy. I wanted you to know that we will be taking that blade with us on Friday for a nine day survival program with a dozen students. The Khukuri will be with us... we used to carry a camp ax
The mini serrations cleaned up easily and the knife looks as good as new. I appreciate your efforts in bringing this blade to us all.
I would like to clear one thing up just a bit more. An Elk leg is far stronger and far harder than any bone in the human body. This is particularily true when the bone has been sitting for awhile. I shot this particular Elk several months earlier. The bone was left outside and was well frozen when I "whacked the bone". It is a mark of the quality of the blade that I was able to finish cutting the bone and there was so little damage.
TK magazine is one of the best publishers I have authored for. They will allow an honest review AND a sense of humor... how refreshing.
Take care bud and I will post the results from the trip when I return. I don't expect to say much more than "Great performer" in more words.
Ron
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Learn Life Extension at:
http://www.survival.com ]
[This message has been edited by Doc Ron (edited 06-14-2000).]
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Ron: Just to reiterate - you are a class act, and so is TK. Someday, I'd relish the chance to be a student of yours. Enjoy the khuk!
Incidentally, I liked the Elk bone test - because those customers who know better will know better - and an educated consumer is the best kind. I had one customer (Andre Simpson from Australia) do the Roo test on a 3 inch section of kangaroo tale - that was fun, I'll bet.
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Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
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Incidentally, I liked the Elk bone test - because those customers who know better will know better - and an educated consumer is the best kind. I had one customer (Andre Simpson from Australia) do the Roo test on a 3 inch section of kangaroo tale - that was fun, I'll bet.
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Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
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Thanks Craig!
It should be an interesting trip. We overflew the area a couple of days ago and it is literally covered with Elk. This brought the "Bear Valley" wolf pack into the vicinity. Should be entertaining.
We hope to be field forging some steel up there. We will be looking for horseshoes etc to use for blades, spearpoints and tools. I'll be writing the process up for TK. The material you sent me will help me to accomplish this task.
BTW... I like your example of chopping a titanium blade. Despite the science, titanium has a reputation for toughness and from the viewpoint of an example it was better than saying "chopping a mild steel bar" or words to that effect.
There is a wonderful life skill some folks know of as the "tolerance for ambiguity". It allows a variety of statements for the value of the message and not the specific accuracy of the statement. "The fire was hotter than Hell" and a million
other examples find themselves into our flavored speech each day.
Take care!
Ron
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Learn Life Extension at:
http://www.survival.com ]
It should be an interesting trip. We overflew the area a couple of days ago and it is literally covered with Elk. This brought the "Bear Valley" wolf pack into the vicinity. Should be entertaining.
We hope to be field forging some steel up there. We will be looking for horseshoes etc to use for blades, spearpoints and tools. I'll be writing the process up for TK. The material you sent me will help me to accomplish this task.
BTW... I like your example of chopping a titanium blade. Despite the science, titanium has a reputation for toughness and from the viewpoint of an example it was better than saying "chopping a mild steel bar" or words to that effect.
There is a wonderful life skill some folks know of as the "tolerance for ambiguity". It allows a variety of statements for the value of the message and not the specific accuracy of the statement. "The fire was hotter than Hell" and a million
Take care!
Ron
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Learn Life Extension at:
http://www.survival.com ]
Nice of you to stop in Doc Ron. I`ll be really interested to read your impressions of the Bhojpure in the field since I`ve been using mine for my big field knife awhile. It`s a real shame all the WWIIIs are spoken for,from the article in TK it sounds like it would be "just what the doctor ordered".
Marcus
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Apparently there is not a single copy of Tactical Knives in all of Berks County Pennsylvania! I have looked high and low and cannot find anyone with ANY copies of this publication. (although I know I've bought it before!)
I'd appreciate if some kind hearted soul would contact me via email. I'd really like to see a copy of the article.
I'd appreciate if some kind hearted soul would contact me via email. I'd really like to see a copy of the article.
For what it's worth...
Once the new issue of TK hits the stands I'll post the article on our website along with information for contacting TK for a subscription. IMHO it is the best of the knife magazines and well worth the price of a subscription.
Gone to the mountains.
Ron
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Learn Life Extension at:
http://www.survival.com ]
Once the new issue of TK hits the stands I'll post the article on our website along with information for contacting TK for a subscription. IMHO it is the best of the knife magazines and well worth the price of a subscription.
Gone to the mountains.
Ron
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I too will be posting it on my website with Ron's permission. If you REALLY need a copy, send me a stamped envelope big enough for a magazine along with a check to cover the cover price, and I'll send you one of mine. I got some free ones from TK, but they are already gone out to retailers.
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Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
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Craig Gottlieb
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Cobalt
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Craig, Congratulations on the article. It sure looks like your blades have come a long way since the beginning. I bought the mag and the only thing I wish was that the article would have been longer, but Ron did a good job. I have to agree with Cliff that TK should not be editing out stuff they consider counterproductive to a good review. I wonder how many people would have been forthright in allowing the article as is.
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Cobalt: Thanks for the read - I too wish it was longer, but I think Ron said what he needed to say - the rest would have been interesting to khukuri nuts like us.
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Craig Gottlieb
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Craig Gottlieb
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As everyone has said-excellent article and excellent product. Thanks for leaving in the part about the elk bone.
The discouraging part is that if they offered to let you edit it out, then Steven Dick and Tactical Knives are just as full of crap as the other magazines. At the most, they should have offered you to put in a disclaimer about how hard elk bone is.
Just my .02
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Dave (Phil.4:13)
I Can Do All Things Through Him Who Strengthens Me
The discouraging part is that if they offered to let you edit it out, then Steven Dick and Tactical Knives are just as full of crap as the other magazines. At the most, they should have offered you to put in a disclaimer about how hard elk bone is.
Just my .02
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Dave (Phil.4:13)
I Can Do All Things Through Him Who Strengthens Me