Good call. I agree, compact LS in a way. Patrick you did good on this one. The Traditional Kephart pattern remains my favorite style of knife. I honestly felt having the high-saber tooth tiger grind and the JG original proto scales personalizes it more than just doing a Kephart rendition as Gossman, JK knives, ML, and like Condor and Bark River tried to do. The cutting efficiency of the HSG is right on par with a flat grind because...it is so high...making it slice and perform like a flat. However, that extra bit of beef towards the spine makes wood "pop" when guys baton wood with it. I have enjoyed using this one and happy I finally got my own now after trying to burn Patrick's (sore subject). -RB
I too have been along for the whole ride and have to say how pleasantly patient Patrick was through the entire process! -RB
How does the PR-4 compare to an Esee 3 in overall length? Seems like it would be similar except instead of the choil you have all usable cutting edge.
We held him out of the designer's club for a long time. He now has clearance to officially join the round table discussion at Blade show.
I agree. I can't see where a full flat would be THAT much slicier than a high saber. Apples and oranges really. I also would agree that a saber grind would have an edge on lateral stability. That said, what would be the explanation that the extra "beef" would make wood "pop" any better with a high saber? If you took the high saber grind, cut out the part of the spine that's not ground, effectually turning it into a full flat grind, wouldn't it baton the same?
If you kept it the same blade width as the PR4 and did a full flat grind then the geometry would indeed change. As you said though, if you cut out the part that wasn't ground thus making the blade narrower then the geometry would be the same.
Right. The funny thing is, I always thought the same thing as RB was saying, and I was looking at the photo he posted of the PR4, and that occurred to me, for whatever reason. I'm a person that loves to learn, and naturally curious, so I guess it stands to reason.
I thought he was implying that if we had done a full flat grind on the PR4 then it wouldn't pop wood as good, which I agree with since the geometry would be thinner if made that way.
If that's what he meant, I agree. But he said, "However, that extra bit of beef towards the spine makes wood "pop" when guys baton wood with it." In reality, it seems to me that extra "beef" would create drag, if anything else. Probably not enough to notice it perhaps, just sayin'.
When splitting, thinner equals drag although it requires less force. Thicker geometry wedges and pops wood faster but requires more force. I think that's what he was attempting to say.
That's what I thought as well. Like the cheeks added to splitting axes! Same reason the Esee 5 works so well splitting wood.
Still not what he said, haha, but ok. Like I said earlier, apples and oranges really, it's just something that occurred to me is all.
Wow, this sure got scientific! PR4 cuts like a laser beam...analyze that! -RB PS-It is also hard to burn up!
ESEE continues to make all the knives I want. First I wanted a French trade style knife and then they came out with the HM line...then I started thinking about a Kephart and then the PR4 gets released....excellent marketing guys...I have no need to buy knives elsewhere...Now if you guys make a folding knife with a flipper I'll be in ESEE heaven... Nice Job Guys