Mecha sent me some titanium...

Your machete/falchion/sword thing looks like a really fun piece of equipment. From your second video, it looks like most of yours strikes landed in the middle of the blade. This prompts a few questions in my head:
- Is that the "sweet spot" for heavy work?
- if so, did you intend to place it near the middle?
- what are the advantages of placing the "sweet spot" near the middle versus near the tip?
 
MolokaiRider said:
Kinda threw me off not hearing the "ting, ting, ting", but rather a heavy thwack instead.
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Lorien said:
it makes a crazy sound for sure.
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Resonance and shock-deadening material. Transfers more energy from the strike into the target instead of back into the body of the blade.
 
oldmanwilly said:
Your machete/falchion/sword thing looks like a really fun piece of equipment. From your second video, it looks like most of yours strikes landed in the middle of the blade. This prompts a few questions in my head:
- Is that the "sweet spot" for heavy work?
- if so, did you intend to place it near the middle?
- what are the advantages of placing the "sweet spot" near the middle versus near the tip?
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sorry I'm not really sure how to answer your question, other than to say that the sweet spot is wherever the best cut comes from. It's pretty sweet to be able to stand up straight and swing at stuff on the ground- much easier on my back!

spent some time this evening with some diamond hones and I think I've cracked the code for getting a ridiculous edge with this stuff. Just gotta take the time to work that burr down. It's not quite there yet, but when I'm done I think this edge will be as keen as they come, (not that it really needs to be)
 
Lorien said:
sorry I'm not really sure how to answer your question, other than to say that the sweet spot is wherever the best cut comes from. It's pretty sweet to be able to stand up straight and swing at stuff on the ground- much easier on my back!

spent some time this evening with some diamond hones and I think I've cracked the code for getting a ridiculous edge with this stuff. Just gotta take the time to work that burr down. It's not quite there yet, but when I'm done I think this edge will be as keen as they come, (not that it really needs to be)
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I was referring to the phenomenon where a specific portion of a large blade seems to impart the most force into the target in comparison to the rest of the blade. For example, in each of my machetes there is a 2-3 inch zone that, when hitting a piece of wood at speed, makes a satisfying "thunk," and bites deeply. If I strike the target with any other portion of the bade then one or more of the following happens: the blade bounces off the target, the blade bites but less deeply and much of the force reverberates through to the handle. So, by this example, the "sweet spot" is that 2-3 inch area which delivers the most effective blows to the target.

I was wondering if the same phenomenon occurred in your TI chopper. Maybe it is a moot point since, as Mecha Mecha mentioned above, TI is a shock-deadening metal that imparts more energy into the target.
 
oldmanwilly said:
I was referring to the phenomenon where a specific portion of a large blade seems to impart the most force into the target in comparison to the rest of the blade. For example, in each of my machetes there is a 2-3 inch zone that, when hitting a piece of wood at speed, makes a satisfying "thunk," and bites deeply. If I strike the target with any other portion of the bade then one or more of the following happens: the blade bounces off the target, the blade bites but less deeply and much of the force reverberates through to the handle. So, by this example, the "sweet spot" is that 2-3 inch area which delivers the most effective blows to the target.

I was wondering if the same phenomenon occurred in your TI chopper. Maybe it is a moot point since, as Mecha Mecha mentioned above, TI is a shock-deadening metal that imparts more energy into the target.
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That forward percussion node, or "sweet spot" definitely exists in long flexible blades including titanium ones. It could be he was naturally using the center of the blade just so the forward mass gave a deeper chop into the log with less effort and speed, and for snap-cutting a thin stick he'd probably use the distal portion.
 
Lorien said:
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It's officially pumpkin-chopping season again!

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wrt sweet spots and the like, this machete isn't dissimilar from others, dimension-wise, so I expect your experience with the machetes you've used will supply you with the objective data you requested. I'll I can say is that if you see a guy chopping a log with a two handed machete, the part of the blade he's choosing to use he's using for a reason ;)

this was my first pumpkin cut. Very different form from what I'm used to, since most of the cutting I do is on the diagonal. Horizontal cutting is probably good for disemboweling and pumpkin labotomizing. We have a few more pumpkins available, so hopefully my form will improve. Side note; cutting a pumpkin is where you feel the flex- the blade kind of wiggles its way through, it's an odd and exhilarating kind of feeling🤔
 
oldmanwilly said:
Lorien Lorien and Mecha Mecha , thank you for answering. I shouldn't be surprised that it's as simple as "the spot I use to hit stuff is the sweet spot."
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I know what you're talking about, and when I cut a target - not chop up as in a large log, but cut in one stroke - severing it with that sweet spot is like cutting air.

There are usually two sweet spots on a sword, one distal spot and one inside the grip. A guy named Peter Johnsson wrote a whole book and more that analyzes the form and proportion of swords, and teasing how it affects resonance and sweet spots, and a lot more. His book is called, "The sword - Form and Thought." Here is a video primer that introduces it:


There are many other videos as well.

Here, I am kind of showing the percussion nodes of the Ninja Sword from the Future. One right where you hold it, one about 60% up the blade portion toward the tip. Those are the parts that don't wiggle when the sword is slapped. It's controlled mainly with proportion and taper:

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Mecha on Instagram: "Sword #resonance and #harmonics and such. Note that the two spots that don't wiggle are right in the sweet spot for cutting, and right behind the guard where it's held. That's ideal for a sword, which is not just a big knife."

86 likes, 12 comments - Mecha (@madscienceforge) on Instagram: "Sword #resonance and #harmonics and such. Note that the two spots that don't wiggle are right in ..."
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...and cutting right on that spot:

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Cutting with a sword, or even a nice machete for that matter, is fun and there seems to be no end point to improvement.
 
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Being little flexible and bouncy is not a terribly bad thing as it will prevent the blade from breaking and probably would help with absorption and prevent the blade getting stuck to the log to a degree, but while watching the video I started to think an accident such as blade bouncing back at you might happen any moment... But I amazed how it went through that relatively smaller branch on top of the log with almost single strike. That was impressive!
 
Lorien said:
startin to get a feel for things here
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Fun with pumpkins. I'm going to ask the soon-to-be recipient of my current machete project if he minds if I cut up some pumpkins with it before it gets sent off. Getting close! This is the billet I posted earlier in the thread:

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you have every right to cut pumpkins, no need to ask (imo)
 
Lorien said:
you have every right to cut pumpkins, no need to ask (imo)
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True, and he's going to clear out a bunch of bamboo, scrub and vines with it anyway. Some folks do like it to be totally minty fresh though. What if the pumpkin has a rock in it? 😆
 
Richard338 said:
I wouldn't want to buy it if cutting a few pumpkins is dicey.
The real question is about the inevitable sound track...
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The soundtrack has been chosen. Cutting a pumpkin isn't dicey but grains of sand and whatnot have a way of being in the wrong spot at the wrong time and can make a visible scratch.
 
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