Best handle finish⬇ (Affiliate⬇) amzn.to/3WCAggd Best knife making epoxy⬇ amzn.to/3EnbLNH Belts I used (but check price on these)⬇ amzn.to/4hxssnU As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
I actually quite like rat tail tangs. The well done ones, the ones found on traditional puukko and khukuri. Those are nice and durable, I’ve batoned with one on some rough logs I shouldn’t have. Some steels aren’t going to be able to handle such a construction, but 80CrV2 does it incredibly well
@@edanpino-xt1ph as with so many things: If it is well done, it will work for its intended purpose. A Mora Companion isn´t made to flatten and process an acre of forrest. But it is very good for small tasks and lightweight enough to be part of almost any kit. While it is possible to do carving and food prep with my Skrama, I don´t want to...
About 40 years ago, I was in a machinist trade school. One of our required projects was to make a precision machinist's square, to be square within one ten thousandths of an inch (+/- 0.0001") per inch. The supplied steel for the squares was O2. I had been digging thru a crate of tool steel scraps donated to the school by a local manufacturer and I found an appropriately sized piece of S7. I had to get the instructor's permission to sub the S7 for the O2. When it came to heat treat my S7 square, I had to do some serious research to figure out HOW to accomplish that. The instructor didn't know, as they had only heat treated the O2 squares before. This, of course, was well b4 the internet, making that particular research somewhat difficult. What my research came up with, and what I did, was to bury the S7 in cast iron chips. With the S7 surrounded by the cast iron, which has an even higher percentage of carbon in it than the S7, that was "supposed to" if not only prevent decarbonization but to possibly increase the carbonization of the surface. I drove to gas stations that did brake work, as well as brake repair shops, collecting the chips from them machining brake drums and rotors. So I bought a steel loaf pan for baking bread, put in a 1.5-inch layer of the cast iron chips, set in the square, and added another 1.5-inch layer of chips over the top. As I recall, my square came out at Rockwell C 58. Oh, and my finished square came out at less than 0.0001" over the 4.5-inch long blade.
If I'm ever in an armchair survival situation and my $40 cold steel bowie machete fails while batoning I'll just have a fresh one delivered from the Amazon same day.
This is exactly how Amazon got started. A little boy named Jeff was watching cartoons and the Coyote would order an ACME Anvil to be delivered out into the wilderness to get that pesky Roadrunner!
I'm a lifelong bushie, mechanical engineer and live in a sub-tropical zone (37°C this past week and high humidity). We have yards that are prone to overgrowth if left alone for 10 minutes. Over the years I've used a wide range of tools to cut back woody growth and to prune trees, the best and fastest has been a 12.9Oz (US) Kukri gifted by a Gurkha soldier back in the early 90's. It's faster than any of the various axes, bush saws, choppers and even the 24V reciprocating saw I occassionally use. They are remarkable things once you get used to them it'll go through new growth Australian hardwood quicker than anything I've discovered. I've been making knves for a couple of years now and haven't been able to improve on it. I've seen Gurkas do surprising things with them and wouldn't go into the bush without it. pretty sure the blade is made from an old Indian truck suspension leaf, watched them do this when I was in Nepal, makes a very tough blade, doesn't retain an edge like some steels will, but what I do with it would look like abuse to most people. However, I give it a lick or two after each use and it never lets me down. If you haven't got one, try one if you have a use case for it, you might just be surprised.
Love car springs. Years ago I picked up a Shopsmith dirt cheap, and didn't have the money for a set of lathe chisels. I know nothing about metal working, but I cut up an old car spring and made a set of chisels, grinding the tips to match illustrations in a book. Then I heated them red hot, and quenched them in old motor oil. I used them for years, before I decided to spoil myself with a set of expensive store-bought chisels. I was shocked to find my homemade ones, while not as pretty, worked better.
@troystallard6895 there's a fair bit of engineering that goes into spring design and material selection is king. It's no surprise to hear stories of such material being reused and surviving for long periods. I've just cut up an old National's suspension, with the intent of making effort to try replicate the Kukri I have. Don't throw your old chisels away.
I have a relatively cheep "kukri" bought online somewhere (obviously inferior to the real thing). I use it regularly to clear brush out of our midwest woods. (3 days of nonstop chopping per year). Me and the boys normally use a variety of machetes to do the work. I have been consistently impressed with my kukri when compared with standard machetes. Its smaller in length, and can still chop into harder woods better than any other machetes we use. Its blade has outlasted our other machetes, and has generally stood up to abuse like a champ. Can vouch for a kukri style blade shape for hard brush clearing.
Armchair survivalist scenario of the day: You're on the couch with both a dog AND a cat camping out on your lap. You suddenly realize you can't reach your beverage. What do you do? WHAT DO YOU DO!?!?
Armchair survivalist found dangerously dehydrated with a dog and cat on his lap and a refreshing beverage otherwise within arms reach. The military spends millions of dollars commissioning studies to find a solution.
This is *not* an 'armchair survivalist' scenario. It's a *couch survivalist* scenario. It's a whole different set of parameters that needs a totally different skillset.
Used to do a lot of hiking/bushcrafting/prepping, and I never brought an axe. A big knife is just so versatile, and a folding saw is both effective and efficient at cutting (down) wood. I used this same combo but the knife was usually thicker, sometimes up to 8mm (5/16") and 12". That way it chops as well as it batons.
I do always wonder about this... if we're so concerned with weight, but then you have 2 blades on you, wouldn't a thinner shaped and well sharpened axe do both jobs for less total weight (using modern light weight handle materials) ? Like why not cut your food with with an axe head? it basically looks like an Ulu. Is the risk of breaking from a bad strike that much higher than batoning?
@@RaphYkun I don't really consider the folding saw a blade but I guess it kinda is. I always carry a solid folder as well, and sometimes a multitool. An axe can really only do 1 thing, and do that very well. A 10 or 12" blade can do SO many things, even chop down a tree, in a pinch. To each their own and I have known more than a few people who prefer an axe, but it's not for me. I don't have a lot of experience splitting logs with axes but I don't think they're good at it unless they're designed for it - in which case they're not good at chopping. But feel free to correct me on this.
I bought an Architect AK8 in 3V for the same purpose. Amazing batoning knife that will do everything else a knife is needed to do. I don't have the additional thousands of dollars in kilns, belt grinders and HRC testers to make my own knife, so the $300 bucks I paid for a USA made knife was a steal.
It's a beauty !!! DON'T do a thing to it , the work that went into it and the testing you done anyone would buy it if you put it up for sale , you are a true craftsman and artist, cheers from across the pond ☘
Well of course, but average micarta is still $10+ a handle, so it only saves you about $30. Still over $100 to make a knife like that out of good materials. And that’s before having to charge for labor to actually make anything as a business.
Based on a few hundred comments in the 1st few hrs of this vid release along with the info provided for cost, id say you could do a limited release(at the very minimum) on this exact design and itd sellout quickly! Likely to do well for long term use if marketed properly!! Id be a buyer for sure!! Keep up the great work!
When I was a young man of 10 or 12 my family did a lot of camping it was my job to start the camp fire. I didn’t have a ax or a fixed blade knife. I was only armed with a box of strike anywhere matches. I don’t remember having any trouble getting a fire started. When I joined the Boy Scouts I had a pocket knife that sometimes I would make fine curls of pine with because we tried to use only two matches to get the fire started, (a Scout thing) still no ax or sheath knife.
For my own uses I'm a "right tool right job" for the most part and don't really baton with a knife except for just small kindling that I can knock the blade through with my hand. That being said, everyone should work how they want to and if you just gravitate towards batoning often then go for it.... but people should make sure their specific knife was designed for that and don't go crapping on a knife brand because they broke their knife that was not designed with batoning in mind. I really enjoy your approach here in just specifically trying to design a purpose-built knife for yourself.
Have had several large blades in S7 over the years. Wonderful big blade steel. Most of them 58-59 hrc. Really interested on seeing how it does at a higher hardness. Will add at 58-59 going thin on the grind you can get some crazy deformation on the edge. Sometimes to the point that if it just broke out the edge would probably be easier to fix. Damage to the same depth on the knife with a warped flap of steel sticking out to the side. Never broke though.
I agree in principle. You can absolutely baton effectively with a much smaller knife, which obviously is SOP for "bushcraft". Seems like the larger knife might benefit from being a bit thicker/heavier. So maybe it's more like #2 by itself? But ya, big knife+saw, or maybe small knife+medium knife+saw. Or for "bushcraft", maybe just medium knife+saw. You can absolutely handle outdoor fires with a 4" blade and saw.
This was such a fun video... and as someone wanting to get into the hobby, I got more out of this than any of the "Let's get started making knives!" that were actual tutorials. Please keep doing your thing bro... very much enjoyed it.
While I have zero skill in knife making, I wholeheartedly agree on the knife/saw combo. I've seen dudes lugging huge double bit axes into the woods during S&R training or just on casual weekenders. After a few miles of a 36" axe handle banging into their leg, they're over it.
Fun vid overall, i use a Silky ultra accel saw, Fiskars x7 hatchet, and a cold steel SRK in 3V currently on my pack. That combo handles everything i use them for in the limited Bushcrafting stuf i do, along with a good belt knife for smaller tasks with a convex grind on it (custom in S35VN). Also have a leatherman multitool along with a folder. But like i said im not trekking for miles and miles, just going to a camp area and having some fun practicing skills. But even to get started you can outfit yourself for less than a hundred bucks and still gabe lots of fun, it's about getting outside and enjoying yourself in the end. Thanks for the great vid and keep making sharp things fun and enjoyable
Test another knife with the same profile, that has a concave enge and saber grind to see if it make much difference in battening and choping. So would the weight and edge geometry make it worth it ?
That's a sweet knife, Alex! That would sure scare the 💩 out of a home intruder in the middle of the night!! I think you forgot to add in the price of that wood finish to the total price. I've seen that finish used quite a bit on Blacktail Studio videos. THANKS for this video, Alex!!
I needed a little reprieve from stress at work and this video made me laugh and chill. Thank you Alex. I winced when you pried with that tip but it was up to the task. That handle was beautiful btw. I am always excited to see a new video of yours.
I was so concerned about weight when I was most into my bushcrafting. Now I call it camping, and I train legs now, so I don't really care so much about what I throw in my pack, as long as I'm able to close it. and I live in a similar climate to yours. Having an axe in places like that really makes sense. But this knife is really cool.
I would like to see how well the knife splits wood when the wood isn't frozen. I'm really impressed with your knife making skills and knowledge. Thanks for the great content.
First time channel viewer... I must say that's my perfect "large Bowie knife" I really wish I had the means of heat treating steel like that along with a little more skill than I have...or ideally I wish you were my neighbor! I'd love to have a knife like that!
Since you are going to mess w it you could take thickness off until problems (probably quick I saw it wiggle) then you could shorten it until it’s better then thin it again and so on…get several stages of measuring length and thickness…like most of my 304 gfs have 👍🤣
Throw what you can at it 💪 I'm interested in seeing how it does once you have it really thin. Don't think I seen a "thin" S7 knife before, usually big choppers and hatchets.
Some really knotty wood Splitting knots often twist the blade but it is S7 steel so should be ok. I like S7 and 1055 both are real tough and dont break very often. Edge retention really don't bother me I can sharpen a blade in the woods but I cannot fix a broken blade in the woods... nice video a kiln makes the difference for that precise heat treat.
It looks just like the original Jim Bowie knife. From what historical photos I've seen, his early designs had a straight spine on a long blade. He created several designs which the big changes were the tip & the hilt. He also used his knife like what you demonstrated.
Alex. You are wise to take a full backpack when going into your backyard. But I advise using only a daypack for a side yard excursion. Gotta go. We just got almost a half inch of snow here in southern Vermont and I need to set up ropes to reach my truck. Good to see your video. Ta ta (Nepalese, I think, for "goodbye).
Years ago I bought a Ka-Bar Adventure Potbelly for exactly this purpose. It's served me well. A bit heavy, but it's been used. I'm about to sharpen it again using your methods. Thanks 👍
That's a pretty sick knife, I would honestly love to have one like that. I don't currently do much outdoorsy stuff but I definitely want to get something like it eventually when I do that stuff more. Until then I do have a few other things like a discontinued Ontario made with 5160 and a flat grind.
Thoroughly enjoyed this brilliant video. Entertaining informative and thought provoking. Thanks for your creativity and btw thanks to you I can sharpen a knife properly!
My favorite outdoor knife is a 10inch Tramontina machetee cub. Very light, you can even carry it in your back pocket. I have larger macetees, but since I got this, I very rarely use them, for my needs that one is enough as a camping knife (could be paired with a pocket knife, be it a folder or fixed one), and it costs around 6$
That's a cracking knife for bush work here in South Africa. Once you've factored your craftmanship into the costs, and thrown in a decent sheath, I'll take it off your hands. Great work man. We have 40 above at the moment so our bush is dense, hard and dry. This is the right tool for the job and as a once off makes it a special piece.
hey what do you think of the diamond tech tools diamond compound it says its 50 percent concentration and its fairly cheap i have some but not sure how it compares to quality diamond compounds i feel like it does a decent job but haven't used any high quality diamond compound (i have the 3-6 micron and the 1-3 micron ) the micron range is quite large
I have a knife specifically designed to baton sticks up to 4 inches easily. It is a 6 inch long, thick wedge blade. It also has a spine that is used to notch sticks to be able to use as tie off points. The spine also prevents your baton from slipping as you hit it. I have used it and it is amazingly effective. It is a handy knife, makes a few tasks easier, but i never felt it necessary to carry. There are other methods if you have to split or notch wood. It mostly becomes dead weight.
Hello from Oklahoma! I'm an old "armchair survivalist." If You haven't used a knife and broken it. You haven't used a knife. I was a professional butcher for about 6 years, and I've been an outdoorsman all my life. I've broken a few knives. It does happen.
It's not always possible on my overseas travels but I usually bring two knives. One is a slicer that I keep really sharp and one is for woodwork including batoning I give a secondary convex edge. On a budget I can manage with a 10 dollar Mora Basic 546 and a 10 dollar Hultafors GK. Now I don't need a saw or ax/hatchet. I have used batoning all my life.
Good video! I had an idea when you showed the saw blade, do you think it would be possible to embed a fold out saw blade in the handle? (one that goes the opposite way, and maybe has a groove to keep your hand from sliding back onto the blade) or maybe have some way for the handle to hold a saw blade that you keep in the sheath (because you obviously are gonna have to carry one anyway so it might as well have a slot for a stored saw)? idk I feel like there has to be a way to get a saw on there but it might just be better to pack a dedicated folding saw.
ive made several over the years since i started bladesmithing. as a matter of fact 2nd knife i ever made is a full tang survival knife. in terms of handle finishes, if its a stabilized material, ill just sand it to 2000 grit and lightly polish it, no buffing/polishing compound, if its raw wood ill sand to 2000, coat in melted beeswax, cool, remove excess, then buff with clean rag.
If you specifically make a knife for batoning, consider adding something soft on the top of the handle to absorb shock. That exposed tang will probably impart a lot of shock so if you spend an hour batoning firewood to last you a day or 2, your hand will not feel great.
Great looking knife, short thick blades are over-rated. In the Vietnam war, I was issued a brand-new military machete, and accidentally broke about 5" off the end within an hour. It broke in a "reverse tanto" shape, and I carried it in the jungle every day while I waited for a new one. I rubbed it on rocks to smooth the point. It was a great all-around knife and chopper. and nothing could possibly be a better slasher. When my new one arrived, I gave it away and kept my Seax-looking knife. From that day forward, I have used that blade shape on all my knives, even folders.
An interesting build! However, if you have pocket money you can buy a 14" Tramonatina machete of your choice - Bolo, Latin or Bush model. It may be only 2mm thick but it is still amazingly versatile tool, it can batton wood as well as clear bushes and whatnot. The blade is long enough to make it multi-grind for your needs. It is pretty light as well.
I've split a few smallish branches with my bk2 companion. The thickness is superb at the cost of weight. It's quite short and stubby though. So I was thinking why not have a thicker spine for splitting/wedging the wood apart, but ground down quite a bit to the edge for slicing.
that is basically a Saami Leuku knife blade, they have straight back or slight drop point though, but rest is close. they are used to cut firewood and butchering, the wood is mostly small birch, willow... that grow in the Arctic thundra of the upper parts of Northern Sweden. Very traditional woods blade going back roughly 1000 years.
That's a cool knife and great video! I wonder how it would do if it had a hawk bill style blade? Maybe that would help with keeping the logs from slipping off the point like you were mentioning when designing the tip.
A larger axe from the local hardware store will cut and split faster than a saw and a knife. But unless you’re building a fire that lasts >1 hr or an emergency shelter of sorts, you won’t need any woodworking tools. Pine/spruce twigs on top of some birch bark and a lighter will get your fire started faster than whittling feather sticks. Otherwise, bring some jute twine and fuel tablets in a ziplock bag. sticks can be used to break down other sticks down to size, which can get you enough wood. I do carry around a bigger knife, (camp turok) but I also hike a lot of pure wilderness so I need to go through bushes and dense growth to save time. Clearing as I hike also helps me backtrack.
Great video, I've been waiting on the ultralight saw to make a comeback, do you plan on selling some? or making more content on it, have a great day :)
Thanks for the cost breakdown at the end! It really opened my eyes. I wonder if you could create a knife that has a saw built into it? Like a Rambo knife, except that it really cuts. How would you even make a saw blade yourself? I wonder. Can you even do that?!! Impress me!
60+ HRC and that much flex 😮 Impressive. A knife like that will easily keep you warm during your hike or trip. Axe is nice for around an establishment or vehicle. Not to carry the trail.
So glad i found your channel. Its crazy how time flies by so quickly. I found your channel over 5 years ago and still love watching! Can you please make a short video on how you sharpen D2 steel? My EDC is the crkt Dextro in D2 steel. I can get it sharp enough to cut hair on my arm, but it doesnt cut paper as well. Which is weird because i have other knives that i can quickly get to hair whittling sharp in just a couple minutes. What could i be doing wrong? I like D2 because its not too hard and not too soft. It holds an edge for a long time too, and its fairly inexpensive. I heard that D2 has large carbides in the steel matrix that you want to keep intact for cutting performance. I use diamond plates and a strop. For the life of me i cant get it super duper sharp like other knives. Which is funny cause ive heard of people getting D2 scary sharp.
Thank you for the price breakdown. Can't tell you .... Or more accurately I probably don't need to tell you, how many times I've been ghosted over price tags for hand made knives among other things.
Hmm it is surprisingly expensive to produce... I know large companies have vastly different cost structures / economies of scale, but it does give me a new appreciation of why good knives can be so expensive
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Belts I used (but check price on these)⬇
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As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
As a professional armchair survivalist I approve of this message!
Duck's are people too
I came for sharpening videos
the content has gotten progressively unhinged since and i’m here for it
Word!! Here for all of it!😂
@Enter_Sadman -- ditto! And, enjoying it!
Lol 😂 You should see some of my old stuff😆👍
@@OUTDOORS55 You should make one with a bayonet mount for a .357 or .44 magnum revolver for those inclined to travel in bear country.
@@Thestargazer56 Yes! I need this. I am a level 5 beaver whisperer.
The dedication to goofiness is admirable.
And here I was thinking that the dirtiest word in the knife world was "rat tail tang"... Yeah, I hate those things.
For when you want to use a file handle on your knife😆
I actually quite like rat tail tangs. The well done ones, the ones found on traditional puukko and khukuri. Those are nice and durable, I’ve batoned with one on some rough logs I shouldn’t have. Some steels aren’t going to be able to handle such a construction, but 80CrV2 does it incredibly well
@@edanpino-xt1ph as with so many things: If it is well done, it will work for its intended purpose. A Mora Companion isn´t made to flatten and process an acre of forrest. But it is very good for small tasks and lightweight enough to be part of almost any kit. While it is possible to do carving and food prep with my Skrama, I don´t want to...
The whole pan asian traditional knife culture cries out why o why
i vote for 'threaded tang' as the dirtiest word.
About 40 years ago, I was in a machinist trade school. One of our required projects was to make a precision machinist's square, to be square within one ten thousandths of an inch (+/- 0.0001") per inch. The supplied steel for the squares was O2. I had been digging thru a crate of tool steel scraps donated to the school by a local manufacturer and I found an appropriately sized piece of S7. I had to get the instructor's permission to sub the S7 for the O2. When it came to heat treat my S7 square, I had to do some serious research to figure out HOW to accomplish that. The instructor didn't know, as they had only heat treated the O2 squares before. This, of course, was well b4 the internet, making that particular research somewhat difficult.
What my research came up with, and what I did, was to bury the S7 in cast iron chips. With the S7 surrounded by the cast iron, which has an even higher percentage of carbon in it than the S7, that was "supposed to" if not only prevent decarbonization but to possibly increase the carbonization of the surface. I drove to gas stations that did brake work, as well as brake repair shops, collecting the chips from them machining brake drums and rotors.
So I bought a steel loaf pan for baking bread, put in a 1.5-inch layer of the cast iron chips, set in the square, and added another 1.5-inch layer of chips over the top. As I recall, my square came out at Rockwell C 58. Oh, and my finished square came out at less than 0.0001" over the 4.5-inch long blade.
The prying and toughness of this knife is insane! Couldn't believe it didn't snap when you were going at that wood
S7 is what they use to make jackhammer bits. It's meant to take extreme abuse
I was waiting. Lol
I was wincing at that tip prying in the frozen oak! It made me shudder, just a bit!
Cool to see you making knives in videos again
If I'm ever in an armchair survival situation and my $40 cold steel bowie machete fails while batoning I'll just have a fresh one delivered from the Amazon same day.
This is exactly how Amazon got started. A little boy named Jeff was watching cartoons and the Coyote would order an ACME Anvil to be delivered out into the wilderness to get that pesky Roadrunner!
Be brave, life can be hell, when the mail doesn't move !!! 😃😁
I'm a lifelong bushie, mechanical engineer and live in a sub-tropical zone (37°C this past week and high humidity). We have yards that are prone to overgrowth if left alone for 10 minutes. Over the years I've used a wide range of tools to cut back woody growth and to prune trees, the best and fastest has been a 12.9Oz (US) Kukri gifted by a Gurkha soldier back in the early 90's. It's faster than any of the various axes, bush saws, choppers and even the 24V reciprocating saw I occassionally use. They are remarkable things once you get used to them it'll go through new growth Australian hardwood quicker than anything I've discovered. I've been making knves for a couple of years now and haven't been able to improve on it. I've seen Gurkas do surprising things with them and wouldn't go into the bush without it.
pretty sure the blade is made from an old Indian truck suspension leaf, watched them do this when I was in Nepal, makes a very tough blade, doesn't retain an edge like some steels will, but what I do with it would look like abuse to most people. However, I give it a lick or two after each use and it never lets me down.
If you haven't got one, try one if you have a use case for it, you might just be surprised.
Love car springs. Years ago I picked up a Shopsmith dirt cheap, and didn't have the money for a set of lathe chisels. I know nothing about metal working, but I cut up an old car spring and made a set of chisels, grinding the tips to match illustrations in a book. Then I heated them red hot, and quenched them in old motor oil. I used them for years, before I decided to spoil myself with a set of expensive store-bought chisels. I was shocked to find my homemade ones, while not as pretty, worked better.
@troystallard6895 there's a fair bit of engineering that goes into spring design and material selection is king. It's no surprise to hear stories of such material being reused and surviving for long periods.
I've just cut up an old National's suspension, with the intent of making effort to try replicate the Kukri I have.
Don't throw your old chisels away.
I have a relatively cheep "kukri" bought online somewhere (obviously inferior to the real thing). I use it regularly to clear brush out of our midwest woods. (3 days of nonstop chopping per year). Me and the boys normally use a variety of machetes to do the work. I have been consistently impressed with my kukri when compared with standard machetes. Its smaller in length, and can still chop into harder woods better than any other machetes we use. Its blade has outlasted our other machetes, and has generally stood up to abuse like a champ. Can vouch for a kukri style blade shape for hard brush clearing.
@rickeydeyoung9096 yep, definately a lot of people out there that would agree.
How do you sharpen your kukri?
Congrats on 400k! Always look forward to your videos!
@@juangn5 I missed that. Congrats to one of the best channels on YT.
Thanks my friend 🙏
Armchair survivalist scenario of the day: You're on the couch with both a dog AND a cat camping out on your lap. You suddenly realize you can't reach your beverage. What do you do? WHAT DO YOU DO!?!?
Naturally, you take the longest knife you can and try to slide it under the beverage.
Then you try to balance it towards yourself.
Armchair survivalist found dangerously dehydrated with a dog and cat on his lap and a refreshing beverage otherwise within arms reach. The military spends millions of dollars commissioning studies to find a solution.
Ok it's tough but you're gonna have to saw off your torso and crawl to civilization.
Call your mom to bring you a drink.
This is *not* an 'armchair survivalist' scenario.
It's a *couch survivalist* scenario.
It's a whole different set of parameters that needs a totally different skillset.
5:26 that's -16°C for those who don't use freedom units (16 degrees below freezing)
Used to do a lot of hiking/bushcrafting/prepping, and I never brought an axe. A big knife is just so versatile, and a folding saw is both effective and efficient at cutting (down) wood. I used this same combo but the knife was usually thicker, sometimes up to 8mm (5/16") and 12". That way it chops as well as it batons.
I do always wonder about this... if we're so concerned with weight, but then you have 2 blades on you, wouldn't a thinner shaped and well sharpened axe do both jobs for less total weight (using modern light weight handle materials) ? Like why not cut your food with with an axe head? it basically looks like an Ulu. Is the risk of breaking from a bad strike that much higher than batoning?
@@RaphYkun I don't really consider the folding saw a blade but I guess it kinda is. I always carry a solid folder as well, and sometimes a multitool.
An axe can really only do 1 thing, and do that very well. A 10 or 12" blade can do SO many things, even chop down a tree, in a pinch. To each their own and I have known more than a few people who prefer an axe, but it's not for me.
I don't have a lot of experience splitting logs with axes but I don't think they're good at it unless they're designed for it - in which case they're not good at chopping. But feel free to correct me on this.
I bought an Architect AK8 in 3V for the same purpose. Amazing batoning knife that will do everything else a knife is needed to do. I don't have the additional thousands of dollars in kilns, belt grinders and HRC testers to make my own knife, so the $300 bucks I paid for a USA made knife was a steal.
It's a beauty !!! DON'T do a thing to it , the work that went into it and the testing you done anyone would buy it if you put it up for sale , you are a true craftsman and artist, cheers from across the pond ☘
Absolutely! Don't mess with success!
I'd give him $400.00 without a shealth.
The legendary S7! Great video!
It was great seeing you break down the cost to make the knife. I wish more folks understood that part of it.
It adds up fast! I was actually surprised at the cost on this one. Large knives definitely aren't cheap. 👍
You can use considerably cheaper handle material if you only care about performance, and drop the price by 40 dollars.
Well of course, but average micarta is still $10+ a handle, so it only saves you about $30. Still over $100 to make a knife like that out of good materials. And that’s before having to charge for labor to actually make anything as a business.
Based on a few hundred comments in the 1st few hrs of this vid release along with the info provided for cost, id say you could do a limited release(at the very minimum) on this exact design and itd sellout quickly! Likely to do well for long term use if marketed properly!!
Id be a buyer for sure!! Keep up the great work!
When I was a young man of 10 or 12 my family did a lot of camping it was my job
to start the camp fire. I didn’t have a ax or a fixed blade knife. I was only armed with
a box of strike anywhere matches. I don’t remember having any trouble getting a fire
started. When I joined the Boy Scouts I had a pocket knife that sometimes I would make
fine curls of pine with because we tried to use only two matches to get the fire started,
(a Scout thing) still no ax or sheath knife.
Boy scout, too. What's the second match for?
For my own uses I'm a "right tool right job" for the most part and don't really baton with a knife except for just small kindling that I can knock the blade through with my hand. That being said, everyone should work how they want to and if you just gravitate towards batoning often then go for it.... but people should make sure their specific knife was designed for that and don't go crapping on a knife brand because they broke their knife that was not designed with batoning in mind. I really enjoy your approach here in just specifically trying to design a purpose-built knife for yourself.
Dude, you are lowkey one of the funniest RUclipsrs I have seen.
The price breakdown at the end really goes to show what goes into making any actually quality tool. I love it.
S-7. The modern equivalent of Elven Mithril forged in the heart of a star.
No wonder it's expensive.
Love seeing You actually outdoor
Have had several large blades in S7 over the years. Wonderful big blade steel. Most of them 58-59 hrc. Really interested on seeing how it does at a higher hardness. Will add at 58-59 going thin on the grind you can get some crazy deformation on the edge. Sometimes to the point that if it just broke out the edge would probably be easier to fix. Damage to the same depth on the knife with a warped flap of steel sticking out to the side. Never broke though.
Yeah thats the downside of the lower hardness 🙁
Incredible video! Absolutely love your channel and what you do. Please never stop experimenting and testing knives.
Is there a video/link to the saw ?
Great viedeo bdw, as always!
I agree in principle. You can absolutely baton effectively with a much smaller knife, which obviously is SOP for "bushcraft". Seems like the larger knife might benefit from being a bit thicker/heavier. So maybe it's more like #2 by itself? But ya, big knife+saw, or maybe small knife+medium knife+saw. Or for "bushcraft", maybe just medium knife+saw.
You can absolutely handle outdoor fires with a 4" blade and saw.
This was such a fun video... and as someone wanting to get into the hobby, I got more out of this than any of the "Let's get started making knives!" that were actual tutorials. Please keep doing your thing bro... very much enjoyed it.
While I have zero skill in knife making, I wholeheartedly agree on the knife/saw combo. I've seen dudes lugging huge double bit axes into the woods during S&R training or just on casual weekenders. After a few miles of a 36" axe handle banging into their leg, they're over it.
Fun vid overall, i use a Silky ultra accel saw, Fiskars x7 hatchet, and a cold steel SRK in 3V currently on my pack. That combo handles everything i use them for in the limited Bushcrafting stuf i do, along with a good belt knife for smaller tasks with a convex grind on it (custom in S35VN). Also have a leatherman multitool along with a folder. But like i said im not trekking for miles and miles, just going to a camp area and having some fun practicing skills. But even to get started you can outfit yourself for less than a hundred bucks and still gabe lots of fun, it's about getting outside and enjoying yourself in the end. Thanks for the great vid and keep making sharp things fun and enjoyable
Test another knife with the same profile, that has a concave enge and saber grind to see if it make much difference in battening and choping. So would the weight and edge geometry make it worth it ?
That's a sweet knife, Alex! That would sure scare the 💩 out of a home intruder in the middle of the night!! I think you forgot to add in the price of that wood finish to the total price. I've seen that finish used quite a bit on Blacktail Studio videos. THANKS for this video, Alex!!
So glad youre back to also making knives! Hope that means you're feeling better
I wonder if Skandi grind might work better for battoning to help split the would and reduce the friction of the FFG.
I claim it would. If only to force Alex to make another one with scandi grind.
Wah! That is the most beautiful handle I have ever seen !!!😍😍😍😍😍
I needed a little reprieve from stress at work and this video made me laugh and chill. Thank you Alex. I winced when you pried with that tip but it was up to the task. That handle was beautiful btw. I am always excited to see a new video of yours.
I was so concerned about weight when I was most into my bushcrafting. Now I call it camping, and I train legs now, so I don't really care so much about what I throw in my pack, as long as I'm able to close it. and I live in a similar climate to yours. Having an axe in places like that really makes sense. But this knife is really cool.
Cool video. How much time did you have into making the knife?
Not sure. Filming everything adds significant time.
The backdrop of the church ⛪️ in the beginning though … lmfao 🤣
Great video! It's good to see you bladesmithing again.
I would like to see how well the knife splits wood when the wood isn't frozen. I'm really impressed with your knife making skills and knowledge. Thanks for the great content.
First time channel viewer... I must say that's my perfect "large Bowie knife" I really wish I had the means of heat treating steel like that along with a little more skill than I have...or ideally I wish you were my neighbor! I'd love to have a knife like that!
Thanks for stopping by👍 Really appreciate it!
How else should we test this knife? Ill leave it up to you, let me know⬇😬
Since you are going to mess w it you could take thickness off until problems (probably quick I saw it wiggle) then you could shorten it until it’s better then thin it again and so on…get several stages of measuring length and thickness…like most of my 304 gfs have 👍🤣
GRIND IT THINNER!!!!!!!!!!!!
Loan it to a mall ninja and see how long it takes them to complain about the weight.
Throw what you can at it 💪 I'm interested in seeing how it does once you have it really thin. Don't think I seen a "thin" S7 knife before, usually big choppers and hatchets.
Some really knotty wood Splitting knots often twist the blade but it is S7 steel so should be ok. I like S7 and 1055 both are real tough and dont break very often. Edge retention really don't bother me I can sharpen a blade in the woods but I cannot fix a broken blade in the woods... nice video a kiln makes the difference for that precise heat treat.
It looks just like the original Jim Bowie knife. From what historical photos I've seen, his early designs had a straight spine on a long blade. He created several designs which the big changes were the tip & the hilt. He also used his knife like what you demonstrated.
I made a hot chisel out of S7 about 6 years ago and it has never needed to be re-profiled. It's a great steel for a great many applications.
Alex. You are wise to take a full backpack when going into your backyard. But I advise using only a daypack for a side yard excursion. Gotta go. We just got almost a half inch of snow here in southern Vermont and I need to set up ropes to reach my truck. Good to see your video. Ta ta (Nepalese, I think, for "goodbye).
Years ago I bought a Ka-Bar Adventure Potbelly for exactly this purpose. It's served me well. A bit heavy, but it's been used. I'm about to sharpen it again using your methods. Thanks 👍
This reminded me of a strömeng, although those are thinner iirc. Good to see knife making videos making a comeback.
That's a pretty sick knife, I would honestly love to have one like that. I don't currently do much outdoorsy stuff but I definitely want to get something like it eventually when I do that stuff more.
Until then I do have a few other things like a discontinued Ontario made with 5160 and a flat grind.
OMG that intro was hysterical! Definitely keep up with the snark!
Thoroughly enjoyed this brilliant video. Entertaining informative and thought provoking. Thanks for your creativity and btw thanks to you I can sharpen a knife properly!
Hey, have you tested or reviewed the civivi praxis mini in d2 yet? Do you know anything about em? Bought one and unsure of it still
He almost died in the wilderness so we could have content....bless this man....
This was killer content. Knife guy with lightweight survival info. Yes please.
My favorite outdoor knife is a 10inch Tramontina machetee cub. Very light, you can even carry it in your back pocket. I have larger macetees, but since I got this, I very rarely use them, for my needs that one is enough as a camping knife (could be paired with a pocket knife, be it a folder or fixed one), and it costs around 6$
That's a cracking knife for bush work here in South Africa. Once you've factored your craftmanship into the costs, and thrown in a decent sheath, I'll take it off your hands. Great work man. We have 40 above at the moment so our bush is dense, hard and dry. This is the right tool for the job and as a once off makes it a special piece.
Mostly because I am a nerd who does not need another hobby, I have been thinking about starting knife making just so I can make myself a mini froe.
i dare you
hey what do you think of the diamond tech tools diamond compound it says its 50 percent concentration and its fairly cheap i have some but not sure how it compares to quality diamond compounds i feel like it does a decent job but haven't used any high quality diamond compound (i have the 3-6 micron and the 1-3 micron ) the micron range is quite large
I've never used it so can't comment 🙂
I have a knife specifically designed to baton sticks up to 4 inches easily. It is a 6 inch long, thick wedge blade. It also has a spine that is used to notch sticks to be able to use as tie off points. The spine also prevents your baton from slipping as you hit it. I have used it and it is amazingly effective. It is a handy knife, makes a few tasks easier, but i never felt it necessary to carry. There are other methods if you have to split or notch wood. It mostly becomes dead weight.
Love that knife! One day I'll have time to start knife-making as a hobby, and something like that will be top-of-list.
Hello from Oklahoma! I'm an old "armchair survivalist." If You haven't used a knife and broken it. You haven't used a knife. I was a professional butcher for about 6 years, and I've been an outdoorsman all my life. I've broken a few knives. It does happen.
It's not always possible on my overseas travels but I usually bring two knives. One is a slicer that I keep really sharp and one is for woodwork including batoning I give a secondary convex edge. On a budget I can manage with a 10 dollar Mora Basic 546 and a 10 dollar Hultafors GK. Now I don't need a saw or ax/hatchet. I have used batoning all my life.
You are a complete geeker deluxe and I am here for it.
Top quality, top skills as always. No don't destruct that very nice knife you just whipped up. Keep em coming, john in the uk...
I carry 5" blade with cpm 3v and 7" silky saw. The combination works miracles.
Now I need a pocket version with firestarting magnifying glass, splinter removing tweezers, tactical screwdriver, and of course pliers.
I heard that BROTHER!!!! Great stuff and great channel content.
Good video! I had an idea when you showed the saw blade, do you think it would be possible to embed a fold out saw blade in the handle? (one that goes the opposite way, and maybe has a groove to keep your hand from sliding back onto the blade) or maybe have some way for the handle to hold a saw blade that you keep in the sheath (because you obviously are gonna have to carry one anyway so it might as well have a slot for a stored saw)? idk I feel like there has to be a way to get a saw on there but it might just be better to pack a dedicated folding saw.
Love the handle finish! Looks great.
How well will S7 strop up on the arm of my leather recliner?
ive made several over the years since i started bladesmithing. as a matter of fact 2nd knife i ever made is a full tang survival knife.
in terms of handle finishes, if its a stabilized material, ill just sand it to 2000 grit and lightly polish it, no buffing/polishing compound, if its raw wood ill sand to 2000, coat in melted beeswax, cool, remove excess, then buff with clean rag.
im so exited for the thinnes filure testing video
If you specifically make a knife for batoning, consider adding something soft on the top of the handle to absorb shock. That exposed tang will probably impart a lot of shock so if you spend an hour batoning firewood to last you a day or 2, your hand will not feel great.
Great looking knife, short thick blades are over-rated. In the Vietnam war, I was issued a brand-new military machete, and accidentally broke about 5" off the end within an hour. It broke in a "reverse tanto" shape, and I carried it in the jungle every day while I waited for a new one. I rubbed it on rocks to smooth the point. It was a great all-around knife and chopper. and nothing could possibly be a better slasher. When my new one arrived, I gave it away and kept my Seax-looking knife. From that day forward, I have used that blade shape on all my knives, even folders.
An interesting build! However, if you have pocket money you can buy a 14" Tramonatina machete of your choice - Bolo, Latin or Bush model. It may be only 2mm thick but it is still amazingly versatile tool, it can batton wood as well as clear bushes and whatnot. The blade is long enough to make it multi-grind for your needs. It is pretty light as well.
I've split a few smallish branches with my bk2 companion. The thickness is superb at the cost of weight. It's quite short and stubby though.
So I was thinking why not have a thicker spine for splitting/wedging the wood apart, but ground down quite a bit to the edge for slicing.
Does anyone know what saw that is?
Its a saw i used to make and sell. I dont make them anymore.
@@OUTDOORS55 thanks so much!
Thank you for breaking down the price. I found it interesting.
Is my dual sided 325/1200 Sharpal stone not being “mirror flat” grounds for returning it? Will the warranty cover it?
Is the saw available to buy?
that is basically a Saami Leuku knife blade, they have straight back or slight drop point though, but rest is close. they are used to cut firewood and butchering, the wood is mostly small birch, willow... that grow in the Arctic thundra of the upper parts of Northern Sweden. Very traditional woods blade going back roughly 1000 years.
I have been looking at the carbon fiber pins how strong do you think they are?
I would like to try them on some of my smaller knives.
That's a cool knife and great video! I wonder how it would do if it had a hawk bill style blade? Maybe that would help with keeping the logs from slipping off the point like you were mentioning when designing the tip.
A larger axe from the local hardware store will cut and split faster than a saw and a knife. But unless you’re building a fire that lasts >1 hr or an emergency shelter of sorts, you won’t need any woodworking tools.
Pine/spruce twigs on top of some birch bark and a lighter will get your fire started faster than whittling feather sticks. Otherwise, bring some jute twine and fuel tablets in a ziplock bag. sticks can be used to break down other sticks down to size, which can get you enough wood.
I do carry around a bigger knife, (camp turok) but I also hike a lot of pure wilderness so I need to go through bushes and dense growth to save time. Clearing as I hike also helps me backtrack.
Great video, I've been waiting on the ultralight saw to make a comeback, do you plan on selling some? or making more content on it, have a great day :)
Curious if the flat grind made more friction while batoning, would less of a contact patch matter?
It would be really cool to see just how thin it can go and still be tough. Thanks
Where do you buy your steel because ive look online and just found company that seel big sheet roll or slabe ?
I love how you made the conversion to kg there!
Thanks for the cost breakdown at the end! It really opened my eyes. I wonder if you could create a knife that has a saw built into it? Like a Rambo knife, except that it really cuts. How would you even make a saw blade yourself? I wonder. Can you even do that?!! Impress me!
60+ HRC and that much flex 😮
Impressive.
A knife like that will easily keep you warm during your hike or trip.
Axe is nice for around an establishment or vehicle.
Not to carry the trail.
So glad i found your channel.
Its crazy how time flies by so quickly.
I found your channel over 5 years ago and still love watching!
Can you please make a short video on how you sharpen D2 steel?
My EDC is the crkt Dextro in D2 steel.
I can get it sharp enough to cut hair on my arm, but it doesnt cut paper as well.
Which is weird because i have other knives that i can quickly get to hair whittling sharp in just a couple minutes.
What could i be doing wrong? I like D2 because its not too hard and not too soft.
It holds an edge for a long time too, and its fairly inexpensive.
I heard that D2 has large carbides in the steel matrix that you want to keep intact for cutting performance.
I use diamond plates and a strop.
For the life of me i cant get it super duper sharp like other knives.
Which is funny cause ive heard of people getting D2 scary sharp.
Thank you for the price breakdown. Can't tell you .... Or more accurately I probably don't need to tell you, how many times I've been ghosted over price tags for hand made knives among other things.
Yes, people don't realize the actual cost of small batch knives 👍
Alex Porter Sharpeningstone out here. Keep on keeping on.
Hmm it is surprisingly expensive to produce... I know large companies have vastly different cost structures / economies of scale, but it does give me a new appreciation of why good knives can be so expensive
Hahahah dude im dying laughing IRL. Ive said it before and ill say it again, i freakin love you man!! 😂😂😂
Great demo
Hi Bro, as always, you delight me with your content.
That handle micarta was fire 🔥