This is a periodic test I ask people to carry out on my work. The test is geared towards a field use scenario. Though a static cutting test, the elements are to simulate usage of a knife in a field situation.

The Wolverine has a zero edge and is paired with a Piggy knife. The Wolverine is a forged O2 carbon steel blade with a differential hardness. The Piggy is a fully hardened D2 skeleton knife.

The test is as follows and is caried out by both Wolverine and Piggy:
- potato/apple peel
- slivering a one inch henp rope
- cutting notches into a hazzle branch
- end grain cutting of the hazzel branch
- 2-4 inch staff to be cut through by chopping
- battoning through hard oak
- drilling a hole into a bow of a tree using the point of the blade (point stability)
- various fuzzy sticks (fire lighting)
- making a spear from the Piggy to penetrate an oil drum

The above tests will tests the edge retentions and cutting abilities of the knives. The knives should be razor sharp at the finish, as they were.

The last test is a exceptional test and is not normal use. A few of my knives have been used in Afghanistan to cut trapped and wounded military personel out of vehicles.

A knife can be used for this type of emergency operations. But we cannot expect a zero edge fine enough to cut an apple to widstand batoning through a car door and still be razor sharp after cutting the steel. Peeling an apple and potato and all the other task are all necessary field tasks.

The idea was that the knife had to to cut a hole through an unprepared door (with heavy car window holding construction of 3mm steel still in place) and then be able to cut and split the door frame. The blade was allowed to show damage to the cutting edge (as it had a zero edge). The main criterium was that the knife after this test was still resharpenable and could be used again. Which it was as you can see in the last picture with the Piggy with red cord wrapping.

Edge geometry is a science, similar to ballistics on a bullet. The Wolverine and Piggy were able to complete the full range of field task listed, which all had a different level of difficulty for an edge to function in. Cutting through a car door is not normal use of a knife. But because it might happen in emergencies we decided to test the knife in this situation. Expecting a zero edge to be undamaged after cutting steel is not realistic. Yes, I can make a knife that cuts through steel without damage, but then it won't be able to peel a potato or cut small slivers from a one inch henp rope. Edge geometry is a critical science.

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