- Joined
- Dec 5, 2005
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- 1,449
Round two!
The Baton and additional bottle slicing tests were added as requested.
Todays competitor is the Gerber made Winchester drop point. As before, This knife was used before the test and was NOT re-sharpened for the testing.
Step 1: The knives were tested for initial sharpness by slicing off a segment of a water bottle. Each knife was judged on how much effort was needed to cut, and how clean of a cut it left.
Step 2: The knives were tested for edge retention by shaving a solid chunk of hickory wood. Each knife was judged on how much effort was needed to produce clean shavings, and how well it retained its edge afterward.
Step 3: The knives were tested for edge retention and general durability by digging holes in the semi-frozen late February soil. Each knife was judged on how well it retained its edge afterward.
Step 4: Step 2 was repeated, in order to see if the knife had retained a useable edge after digging.
Step 5: A baton test was added in which the knives were used to strike a stump in a club-like fashion.
Step 6: The knives were tested for durability by being thrown, full force, at the ground ten times. They were then thrown, full force, at a pile of hickory logs an additional ten times.
Step 7: The knives were re-submitted to the original bottle slice test, to see if any change had occurred.
Knife: Winchester drop-point hunter
Steel: 420HC or similar
Scales: Rosewood
Full tang: YES
Step 1: It actually did kind of a fairly poor job of slicing the bottle. The cut was tough and slightly jagged. This being said It did have the dullest blade going into the tests (I actually had used it to slice through a piece of tin); still I expected more from a cutlery company with a name, even if it is Gerber.
Step 2: It did not slice the log quite as easily as the previously tested knife. The shaving was a little stiffer. This may have been due to the different blade designs, and the different types of grinds employed (flat vs. hollow ground).
Step 3: I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to dig with this knife. It was MUCH easier, and I was able to dig deeper faster than with the previous knife. This is probably due tot he drop-point shape. I didnt notice nearly as much damage afterwards.
Step 4: Back to the log slicing. I observed no change in the blades ability to produce shavings. It appears that the blade actually retained its edge quite well through the digging.
Step 5: The new baton test. A large chunk of hickory was set up and clubbed with full force in order to test durability and edge retention. Surprisingly, the knife did not dull noticeably.
Before:
After:
Step 6: The knife was thrown into the ground, and into wood ten times each. A large wooden wire spool was substituted for the pile of logs, as it made each throw more homogenous.
Step 7: The bottle slice test was repeated. The results were similar tot he above; more difficult than it should have been.
As before, the Knife still retained a useable utility edge. One thing I noticed, however, was that the front half of the edge had been severely dulled by slicing some tin before going into the tests. Even so, the edge was still useable. It performed well in the digging and batoning tests, retaining what edge it had.
* In durability, I give this knife a 8 out of 10: It was a bit more durable than the previously tested model, and the scales and finish did not show as much damage.
* In edge-retention, I give this knife a 7 out of 10: It was significantly better than the previously model.
* In nifty features, I give this knife an 8 out of 10: I really like the solid bolster construction, and the lanyard loop is made of a brass liner, not simply a hole in the handle as before.
Overall: I give this knife an 8 out of 10. Its good for the price, and makes a good beater-knife, or a hunting knife that you dont mind loosing. It would also make a good back-up knife.
The Baton and additional bottle slicing tests were added as requested.
Todays competitor is the Gerber made Winchester drop point. As before, This knife was used before the test and was NOT re-sharpened for the testing.
Step 1: The knives were tested for initial sharpness by slicing off a segment of a water bottle. Each knife was judged on how much effort was needed to cut, and how clean of a cut it left.
Step 2: The knives were tested for edge retention by shaving a solid chunk of hickory wood. Each knife was judged on how much effort was needed to produce clean shavings, and how well it retained its edge afterward.
Step 3: The knives were tested for edge retention and general durability by digging holes in the semi-frozen late February soil. Each knife was judged on how well it retained its edge afterward.
Step 4: Step 2 was repeated, in order to see if the knife had retained a useable edge after digging.
Step 5: A baton test was added in which the knives were used to strike a stump in a club-like fashion.
Step 6: The knives were tested for durability by being thrown, full force, at the ground ten times. They were then thrown, full force, at a pile of hickory logs an additional ten times.
Step 7: The knives were re-submitted to the original bottle slice test, to see if any change had occurred.
Knife: Winchester drop-point hunter
Steel: 420HC or similar
Scales: Rosewood
Full tang: YES
Step 1: It actually did kind of a fairly poor job of slicing the bottle. The cut was tough and slightly jagged. This being said It did have the dullest blade going into the tests (I actually had used it to slice through a piece of tin); still I expected more from a cutlery company with a name, even if it is Gerber.
Step 2: It did not slice the log quite as easily as the previously tested knife. The shaving was a little stiffer. This may have been due to the different blade designs, and the different types of grinds employed (flat vs. hollow ground).
Step 3: I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to dig with this knife. It was MUCH easier, and I was able to dig deeper faster than with the previous knife. This is probably due tot he drop-point shape. I didnt notice nearly as much damage afterwards.
Step 4: Back to the log slicing. I observed no change in the blades ability to produce shavings. It appears that the blade actually retained its edge quite well through the digging.
Step 5: The new baton test. A large chunk of hickory was set up and clubbed with full force in order to test durability and edge retention. Surprisingly, the knife did not dull noticeably.
Before:
After:
Step 6: The knife was thrown into the ground, and into wood ten times each. A large wooden wire spool was substituted for the pile of logs, as it made each throw more homogenous.
Step 7: The bottle slice test was repeated. The results were similar tot he above; more difficult than it should have been.
As before, the Knife still retained a useable utility edge. One thing I noticed, however, was that the front half of the edge had been severely dulled by slicing some tin before going into the tests. Even so, the edge was still useable. It performed well in the digging and batoning tests, retaining what edge it had.
* In durability, I give this knife a 8 out of 10: It was a bit more durable than the previously tested model, and the scales and finish did not show as much damage.
* In edge-retention, I give this knife a 7 out of 10: It was significantly better than the previously model.
* In nifty features, I give this knife an 8 out of 10: I really like the solid bolster construction, and the lanyard loop is made of a brass liner, not simply a hole in the handle as before.
Overall: I give this knife an 8 out of 10. Its good for the price, and makes a good beater-knife, or a hunting knife that you dont mind loosing. It would also make a good back-up knife.
