Spyderco Bladesports Knife

[hunterseeker5]

Is this as crazy as it sounds? IIRC Spyderco sponsored Phillip Donovan who IIRC did extremely well last year. It occurs to me that a production model built off his knife would happen to have a great deal of pedigree and might garner some serious interest. Then again it might not....... what do people think?

[SQSAR]

I'd buy one in a second. I've looked at the Benchmade production knife, but can't bring myself to buy it. Either I don't want one that bad, or I'm holdin gout hope the Spyderco will one day produce one.

[Blerv]

I'd love to see a chopper not in vg10, h1 or N690Co. Schempp Golok please :) .

[speedcut]

I think that this market is one of the few in which Spyderco isn't present.....so you better gimme some :spyder: Spyderco :spyder: choopa.... :D and real fast.... :p

[unit]

Is this as crazy as it sounds? IIRC Spyderco sponsored Phillip Donovan who IIRC did extremely well last year. It occurs to me that a production model built off his knife would happen to have a great deal of pedigree and might garner some serious interest. Then again it might not....... what do people think?

Donavon Phillips has been sponsored by Spyderco and has been a top BSI finisher for several years (in addition to being a great guy and fantastic knife maker).

Regarding buying his knives? I already own 2

I have hoped for years that Spyderco would make a BSI comp knife...until they do I will continue practicing with my Benchmade and my Big-D (Donavon's brand). I would not hold my breath for too long though...I doubt that there are really very many people wanting a competition cutter with such a narrow use.

I love my comp blade, but it is not really good for much outside of competition (which is also a fairly expensive endeavor)

[hunterseeker5]

I don't suppose you have a website for Big D's knives do you?

[unit]

No, I am sorry I do not (he does not have a website). I can get you in touch with him if you like...he basically works with people in person, on the phone, and email.

He does have some photos of a few of his knives here if you want to see:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bigdknives/
He used to have more photos posted...

He is a great guy, but he is a busy guy. I think he is quite back logged at the moment

[hunterseeker5]

What he needs then is to bribe someone to build him a website, although if he is already swamped...... :P

[Niles]

Look at Jose Diaz's knives too. He's got some excellent competition cutters.

[Adriaan]

Schempp Golok please :) .

Uhuh or Schempp fixed blade kukri please :)

A razor sharp kukri = one of the best choppers and utility/survival/tactical knives.

[Blerv]

Uhuh or Schempp fixed blade kukri please :)

A razor sharp kukri = one of the best choppers and utility/survival/tactical knives.

Yea except the Schempp Rock essentially is one. Khukuri's are great but not as versatile for light and medium stuff like limbing. Well, compared to a huge sheepsfoot at least. They are still amazing tools though.

Kudos to people like Ed drawing from hundreds of years of blade culture and adding modern tricks.

[Sequimite]

Not a competition knife, but the Schempp Rock is based on a competition cutter.

Actual competition knives are too expensive for me to have an interest.

add -> oops, Blerv beat me by a few seconds

[Rwb1500]

Would someone explain the competition chopping to me in laymens terms?

I've seen a video or two (Unit's I think), and that sort of showed me the way it works. Is there more to it?

[Adriaan]

Yea except the Schempp Rock essentially is one.

I had a more traditional design in mind. Or something like the cold steel kukri, but more practical as a utility blade (the cold steel kukri sm 3 that i have is good for an axe replacement or weapon and that's it). Your right the Schempp Rock is kukri like, but that was not what i meant.

[Niles]

Would someone explain the competition chopping to me in laymens terms?

I've seen a video or two (Unit's I think), and that sort of showed me the way it works. Is there more to it?

Didn't it originally start as a way for makers to test their knives. Then it became a requirement to become a journeyman smith or master smith.

[unit]

Would someone explain the competition chopping to me in laymens terms?

I've seen a video or two (Unit's I think), and that sort of showed me the way it works. Is there more to it?

Basically, it is a bunch of grown men (and a few women) with big knives made from some fine materials acting like children performing numerous feats of cutting including any combination of the following:

Vertical 2x4
Horixontal 2x4
1 inch free hanging hemp rope
1.5 inch free hanging hemp rope
2 inch free hanging hemp rope
empty bottles*
full bottles*
empty aluminum cans*
full aluminum cans*
Thick cardboard tubes*
(* - target may be chopped vertically in some stations, or cut horizontally in others)
Straws (may be cut horizontally or split vertically)
Small strips of plywood stacked (perhaps 2 inches thick) must be chopped in single blow.
3/4 inch (or larger) red oak dowel chopped in single blow
Rolling targets including golf balls or tennis balls
poorly supported targets that must be sliced (foam tube stuck on the end of a soda bottle, hanging sheet of paper, business card held by cloths pin, etc)
various other targets dreamed up by competitors and fans that get suggested from time to time.

All of the above cuts have regulations and target zones (i.e. the dowel much be cut in a marked area that is the width of a piece of electrical tape (both entrance and exit), the free hanging ropes also have target areas that must be cut, but the target zones change in size based on the thickness of the rope)

The cutter is timed from start to finish throughout the coarse, and the time in seconds is added to 100. Points are assessed for each successful cut. Points are subtracted from the total. For those that like math equations:

time(seconds) + 100 - Points = final score
Lowest final score wins.

In some regards the competition is simple...but once you start practicing you develop an appreciation for the difficulty. Accuracy is critical, but without power you will not successfully make a lot of cuts. Trying to put accuracy and power together is a challenge...especially when you must also transition from one cut to the next quickly but safely....Oh and safety is a BIG deal, these knives are capable of doing some major damage if not used carefully!

If you view this sport from many vantages, it may look silly. If you enjoy knives and attend a competition...it is hard to wipe that child-like grin off your face. It is an amazing amount of fun to watch.

In order to participate, you must become certified. For this they hold training events (largely to teach safety, but also to teach technique). A person needs to learn to perform cuts safely...which can be more complicated than it sounds. Knives must also be certified, and are inspected before and after every run (they certainly do not want knives failing (which would be another danger)).

It is definitely one of those sports that looks simple, and most people assume the magic is in the knives...the truth is, the knives are all quite similar and the difference between a champion and last place is the person and his/her skill.

[Rwb1500]

Very cool, thank you for the explanation. And the blades used are choppers, like the M4 one you have? Or are there different categories of blades?

[unit]

There are dimensional requirements of the blades...if memory serves (please do not take this to the bank )
15 inch over all maximum,
10 inch maximum (end of handle to tip of blade)
2 inch maximum profile at tallest point (edge to spine)

Check out Bladesports.org for the most accurate details. I have not concerned myself with the dimensions too heavily as I use production pieces which are certified from the factory and I do not modify the bulk dimensions (though I do experiment heavily with the edge geometry and finish). ALL knives are inspected and measured on a jig prior to competition regardless of where they came from.

here is a video that shows the sort of jig used to measure blades prior to competition:
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vpCva021l0U" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

CPM-M4 is QUITE prevalent, but there are others using other steels. I believe Jose uses 52100.

There (currently) is only one category, but they occasionally have "light" courses and "heavy" courses that focus on different cutting techniques ("light" is more finesse cutting, and "heavy" requires more power). There has been discussion regarding adding a folder category to open the sport up to more competitors...I am not sure of the status on this however.

[Rwb1500]

Very, very cool.

Thanks again for the explanation.

[unit]

Very, very cool.

Thanks again for the explanation.

I am not sure how "cool" it is, but I can tell you that it is WILDLY fun (yet difficult), and serves as an amazing release for stress. Many of my friends, family, and peers probably do not think it is such a cool thing, but the longer they know me, the better they understand that it is just a silly hobby that is no more or less noble than any other sport/pursuit.

If you think about it...most sports are pretty silly, but they generally provide the entertainment that the participants and spectators seek