[hillbilly]

I am sure that several seasoned knife nuts on this forum already know all about this.

But I must say I just learned........And wow.......


http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ABS_MSTest.htm

Can you imagine buying a one-of-a-kind firearm from a maker that passed this kind of testing?

Say, 1000 rounds with no jams, function after being dropped into mud, left out in freezing weather, etc. etc?

hillbilly

[kannonfyre]

I've encountered the kind of firearm that you describe....

When I was still in the Infantry right after basic training, I was issued a locally re-worked version of the British Stirling auto rifle. The Singaporean designation was the SAR-80 and it looked like an AR-18. Goddamn thing was butt ugly and lacked a night sight but even though I put about 580 rounds through it during one particularly rough field exercise, dragged it through the mud, literally bathed it in rain and river water and did not clean it, it STILL shot my last magazine of 30 5.56mm FMJ rounds accurately during the qualifying range test at the every end. 610 rounds without a single stoppage or jam.... from then onwards, i named my rifle "Margret" after this rather plain girl who had a crush on me high school but whom I never paid any attention to.

To make this a non-firearms related thread, the M7 bayonet lock-up on this rifle was excellent and she was perfectly balanced for CQB drills. :) I do miss her sometimes....I think she should be de-milled by now. May she rust in peace.

[hso]

Hillbilly,

Ain't a thing stopping you from attending the school and learning how to do this your-own-self. Plenty of makers in Arkansaw that would spend some time teaching you in their shop. Heck, usually don't cost more than $150 a weekend and you get to build your own knife.

[hillbilly]

Yes, I've found some knife maker courses.

I found one down in Texarkana that's two weeks long and costs only $600......that's only about $60 a day for two weeks of high quality, professional level instruction.

I'll check out some more of those courses, too.

hillbilly

[Mikul]

After the Master Smith approves the quality of the edge, the blade will be returned to the applicant. The applicant must then shave hair using the section of the blade that was most frequently used in the cutting and chopping portions of the test. Enough hair must be shaved to demonstrate that the edge remains keen and shaving sharp.

They're kidding, right? I've never seen a knife that could handle that.

[brownie0486]

There are many knives available that will perform in such a manner.

Any master smith rated as such by the enabling body will be able to provide you with such a knife if you have the funds.

Look to master smiths when searching for such a knife, they have proventhemselves capable of bringing steel to life.

Other makers can do the same thing, they may just not be rated yet.

Brownie

[krept]

insane... sounds hard enough but with a DAMASCUS blade? Damascus is only as strong as the metals that comprise it... wow. Crazy test.

[TheeBadOne]

Other makers can do the same thing, they may just not be rated yet.
Good point.

[Don Gwinn]

Very true. Tim Lively was debating last year whether he ought to join the ABS and go for the Master certification. He had no doubt his blades would pass the tests, having performed a lot of the same in his own testing. His main concern was whether it was worth the money and the minimum wait involved before he could test.

Hillbilly, I encourage you to do it if that's what you want. If I lived closer to the ABS school (or to Tim out in Arizona) I'd do it in a heartbeat.
If anyone lives out in the great Western Wastes, Tim Lively in Arizona will teach you to make knives "unplugged" for something like $30 per day. Tim has his shop set up with two of every tool facing each other. He teaches by demonstrating each step and then walking you through doing it on your own piece. He says most people need two days to finish a knife his way. You keep "your" knife, of course. I've made progress trying to do this on my own, but I have no doubt I'd be a lot farther along than I am now if I could spend two or three days in Tim's shop. Of course, the ABS school will teach you a much wider variety of approaches. Tim will not teach you about grinding bevels, using gas forges or electric heat-treat ovens, or large electric hammers or shapers. He'll show you how to use charcoal you make and a forge you can build to forge knives without electricity, combustion engines, etc. Purely by "muscle power."
I believe you can still get Tim's videos at his website. They do make a world of difference if you're trying to get started. The first was made with Hood's Woods, and it's pretty good, but the newer one is much more detailed.
http://www.livelyknives.com

[hillbilly]

Thanks for the tip about Lively.

I had never heard of him until I read your post.

I'm checking out his website right now

hillbilly

[jar]

There really is a difference with some of the really nice knives. And yes, they really do have to pass the test.

But for me, the most amazing thing is that after all that, the knives still have to meet the expectation of the two harshest critics, the buyer and the seller.