Hello!
How are you all?
Well, I am extremely impressed by this <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif" alt="" />
A knife point made out of a
martensitic stainless steel @ 58-60HRC (which would normaly be on the brittle side) pounded through a 0.125'' thick piece of mild steel without
ANY damage!!!! This is extremely impressive!!!
I knew that the Busse family knives were given superior heat treatments, but this is plain revolutionary!
I saw this thread maybe a month ago and I've been visiting it, thinking about it and telling about it to my girlfriend (even if she really doesn't care!) since then because I'm so impressed!
I finally decided to register in order to share my emotions!
At my job, I have access to tools and metals and found a piece of steel very similar to the one use in this test (also a square tubing but 1.5'' X 1.5'' X 0.125'').
In order to feel what it takes to pound a point through a piece of mild steel that thick, I took an awl and tried to make it through the tubing' wall. After the first 2 or 3 blows, it was clear that I would need a vise-grip to safely hold that awl while heavily pounding on it and after having destroyed the handle, the point finally managed to pierce the mild steel.
While heavily pounding on this awl (of an unknown steel and of an unknown hardness but I would guess a tough steel in the 48-55HRC range) I kept thinking about the Mud Puppy and was blown away that it resisted this kind of impact needed to go though the mild steel.
Upon examination of the point, I was very surprised to see that it was still as sharp as it was when I sharpened it before the test. However, at about the third try, the point bent over completely. I resharpened it carefully (avoiding overheating by cooling frequently) and did it again a couple of times but the point didn't survive and bent over once more.
For reference, the awl I used is the item #100-0985 at the very bottom of page 9 of this catalog:
http://www.fullertool.com/images/pdf_eng/Fastening_E_L.pdfHandle on these are really tough but the square end of the awl went through its handle easily after just a couple of blows which gave me at first the feeling that the awl was already piercing the mild steel!!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> I then removed the scrapped handle (which was a task on its own!) and went on with the test without it.
So, after this test I did myself, I am even more impressed by the Mud Puppy piercing the 0.125'' mild steel tubing wall.
If it was still available, I think I would buy one in order to try it and be even more impressed! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />
