Nutnfancy's woes with the CS Bushman

[Sean]

he just can't win with this model.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zn_df90ckMk&feature=sub

[Benner]

For those too lazy to click on the link, it's the Pocket Bushman and not the Bushman (which is actually an excellent knife)

[Anthony]

Nutnfancy says it's not gross misuse of the blade, and I say it is.  I'd be weary of batoning a fixed blade cross grain into a LOG, nevermind a $20 folder.

I think he went into the realm of a hatchet with a knife, then blamed the knife for not preforming like a hatchet. 

Oh and there's Swisstool use starting around 8:00 into it

[Styerman]

Battoning a folder is a pretty dumb idea , few if any folders are up to it .

Chris

[Sean]

For those too lazy to click on the link, it's the Pocket Bushman and not the Bushman (which is actually an excellent knife)

Thanks for clarifying that.   

I think due to his past history with this knife (see youtube vid's) he pretty much wanted it to fail so he
could be rid of it.

[sappyg]

i certainly hope no weenies were abused in the making of this video. 

seriously, i've never abused a knife like that. it even borders on mallicious destruction. i think somebody has mommy issues. 

[ringzero]

For those too lazy to click on the link, it's the Pocket Bushman and not the Bushman (which is actually an excellent knife)

For another opinion of the CS Pocket Bushman, check out this review:
http://sgtmikessurvivaltips.blogspot.com/2008/09/cold-steel-pocket-bushman-goes-to-war.html

Sgt.Mike batons with a Pocket Bushman, then shaves hair with it afterward.

I'd give more a lot more credence to Sgt. Mike's opionions regarding bushcrafting that that video.

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[Sean]

Ringzero,

yeah nice review of that.  thanks for the link.

sean

[Gareth]

I wouldn't use any knife of any sort for that job.   When his son asks "were you putting any lateral stress on that"?  The guy is putting a huge amount on the knife.  I understand his issues with the Cold Steel marketing as I often find it OTT myself, but that was a an excellent demonstration of what never do do to any knife. 

I think the piece of wood he's splitting is unrealistic, it's so bone dry and tough that you wouldn't need to split it 'cos it'll burn just as it is.  If it had been wet (his reason for trying to split it in the first place) then I suspect the job would have been easier.  Also it doesn't take a genius to know that you don't try to cut through where all the knots are.

In all, poor technique and a poor choice of wood.  Sorry Nutnfancy, I've like a lot of your reviews but this one was a poor showing.

PS Buy a saw.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Couldn't agree more Gareth

I quite like a lot of his reviews, but frankly this one was plain stupid

[Gareth]

For those too lazy to click on the link, it's the Pocket Bushman and not the Bushman (which is actually an excellent knife)

For another opinion of the CS Pocket Bushman, check out this review:
http://sgtmikessurvivaltips.blogspot.com/2008/09/cold-steel-pocket-bushman-goes-to-war.html

Sgt.Mike batons with a Pocket Bushman, then shaves hair with it afterward.

I'd give more a lot more credence to Sgt. Mike's opionions regarding bushcrafting that that video.

.

What Sgt Mike does here is about the only batoning I'd do with a knife (and I still prefer an axe) that is; going with the grain of the wood in order to split it.  Not, as Nutnfancy does, going across the grain to try and cut it into lengths.

[ringzero]

For those too lazy to click on the link, it's the Pocket Bushman and not the Bushman (which is actually an excellent knife)

For another opinion of the CS Pocket Bushman, check out this review:
http://sgtmikessurvivaltips.blogspot.com/2008/09/cold-steel-pocket-bushman-goes-to-war.html

Sgt.Mike batons with a Pocket Bushman, then shaves hair with it afterward.

I'd give more a lot more credence to Sgt. Mike's opionions regarding bushcrafting that that video.

.

What Sgt Mike does here is about the only batoning I'd do with a knife (and I still prefer an axe) that is; going with the grain of the wood in order to split it.  Not, as Nutnfancy does, going across the grain to try and cut it into lengths.

I've done it a few times out of desperation to get a fire started.  Have batoned, with great care, using a Buck 110 and a CS Folding Tanto.

There aren't many folders I'd want to use for batoning regularly.  But, I'd guess that the CS Pocket Bushman would be one of the best folders for batoning.

Considering that it costs less than 25 bucks, the fact that it can be used for batoning then still shave hair says something about its design and manufacture.

.

[Benner]

To defend Nutnfancy here just a tad, CS's videos show knives being stabbed through car bonnets, used as footings and all sorts so you kinda get the impression that their knives can take anything, including what he is trying to do there.  If CS's marketing wasn't so waaaay OTT then maybe the attempt at this task wouldn't have even been made.

Still, pretty silly task to judge a folder on.

[ringzero]

To defend Nutnfancy here just a tad, CS's videos show knives being stabbed through car bonnets, used as footings and all sorts so you kinda get the impression that their knives can take anything, including what he is trying to do there.  If CS's marketing wasn't so waaaay OTT then maybe the attempt at this task wouldn't have even been made.

Still, pretty silly task to judge a folder on.

IIRC, survival expert Doug Ritter advocates batoning with a folder, if necessary.  He recommends that you pick and carry a folder tough enough to handle batoning during a survival situation when it might be the only cutting tool you have available.

I just find it amazing and admirable that the CS Pocket Bushman costing $25 can handle batoning tasks that might well destroy folders costing much, much more.

.
   

[Gareth]

To defend Nutnfancy here just a tad, CS's videos show knives being stabbed through car bonnets, used as footings and all sorts so you kinda get the impression that their knives can take anything, including what he is trying to do there.  If CS's marketing wasn't so waaaay OTT then maybe the attempt at this task wouldn't have even been made.

Still, pretty silly task to judge a folder on.

I agree absolutely.  I'd like to know if Cold Steel actually recommend what he was doing to it though.  I'd also like to know if Nutnfancy thinks there is a folder out there that wouldn't be knackered when doing that.  Even if the blade doesn't break would it be able to cut anything else?

I think my objection really comes down to the fact he seems to be trying to break it.  He's not being careful, not nursing it, no consideration as to where he is placing the cuts or where he hits the knife.  Would you really do that if you're in a survival situation and it's your only knife?  I suspect that if he'd taken a lot more time and care this would be possible, but I still would never recommend it.

I've never batoned with a folder, but I totally agree that the way Sgt Mike shows is at least a sane way of going about it, and if I had to I'm sure I could do it without breaking my knife.

[GMArthur]

 I've used my Benchmade 520 to baton through wood and it is no worse off for it. Having said that it's not really a job for a folding knife. I have not watched a nutnfancy video in a looooong time but I'm sure that the reason he was doing it was to check the knife's tactical potential. Perhaps if the knife was duracoated it would be more tactical and therefore better at tactical applications like being used to baton through wood. How many times was the word tactical used in the video?

[ringzero]

Check out this mini review of the AGR Featherlight One Hand Knife:
http://www.oldjimbo.com/Outdoors-Magazine/A-G-Russell-General-Purpose-Blade.pdf

The pics of this ultralight folder splitting sizable wood by batoning are amazing.  Nice to know it could be used that way in an emergency.

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