Blades - Sharpening and Safe Use DVD Review
There's not a lot of information on these DVDs, only a few reviews online by Old Jimbo - one for Tools and one for Bush Knots. I'm going to try and work my way through the DVDs and figured I'd post a bit of a review.
The DVDs are intended to supplement a course in wilderness living and survival, or act as a personal study for instructor certification. The cost is fairly high at $32 Canadian, but given Kochanski's experience, knowledge, and teaching ability - shown through years of teaching survival to university students and the armed forces, as well as writing a series of books, articles, and pamphlets - one expects the video to be worth the cost.
The video is 94 minutes long and teaches sharpening and safe use for knives, axes, and saws. The sections for discussion are as follows:
Survival Knife
Knife Sharpening
Safe Knife Use
Axe Use
Axe Sharpening
Saw Use
One example of a traditional woodworking survival knife. Images in this review are not from the DVD due to copyright.
Mors discusses different survival knives and defines his philosophy for a general survival knife in the boreal forest. This is a very detailed discussion of the different qualities required in a knife, and he shows examples of the ideal knife for woods living and survival. Everything from specialised rafting knives to kukris are shown to develop an idea of what one needs for working wood in the bush.
In the next section, sharpening theory is explained along with charts and drawings of metal in the sharpening process. Mr. Kochanski lays out all of the stages for knife sharpening and then demonstrates proper technique. He also shows how to make your own sharpening tools with inexpensive items. This is a good companion to his pamphlet on knife sharpening, which is perhaps the best information available.
Very few are as skilled with bushcraft knives as Mors Kochanski, and in the section on safe use we see his dexterity with the knife. However, the main concern here is to develop the principles of safe follow-through and techniques for the beginner to avoid cuts. Some of the information will be repetitive for experienced knife users, but his explanations and definitions are concise. There are subtleties and fundamental practises which are good for everyone to consider, and examples of common accidents discussed. Unfortunately, there is only introductory notches, but Karamat has uploaded trystick and other knife use videos to their youtube channel. Advanced knife use is continued in the Sticks as Tools and Implements DVD.
These sections are approximately 50 minutes in length, leaving only 43 minutes to discuss both axes and saws. Some sense can be made of this in that much of the sharpening information has already been covered and axe sharpening is quite similar to knife sharpening.
Image from: http://pajotulu.tumblr.com/mors-kochanski
With axes, Mors considers the appropriate size for a bushcraft and survival axe. Similar to the knives section he explains lengths, handle materials, and head weight. He then differentiates the axe from knives and saws with an analogy of learning how to snowshoe and learning how to ski - like skiing the axe requires a long period of learning the basics, which can then go on for many years to master the tool.
His focus on axe safety centres around splitting and unfortunately, much like An Axe To Grind, he demonstrates with a much too high chopping block. He does however mention that it is too high, which is an easy situation to get into in the woods in winter (when this video is filmed, I think at his teaching basecamp). Mors reminds us to be aware of situations like this so it is a good aid to demonstrate how to swing the axe and where to safely position the feet. He clarifies where to aim with your swing for safety and ideal power, and recommends something of a fraction system for the power required in splitting the round in half compared to quarters and eighths. Mors demonstrates this well, showing his experience and teaching us a crucial aspect of saving energy with an axe.
Certainly this is the most thorough explanation of splitting there is available for video instruction, similar to his writings and the writings of Dudley Cook. The explanation of splitting heavy rounds is taken to chopping on the ground with further examples of how not to make your toes shorter, or longer. Guard logs and bucking small logs are explained, and the severity of axe cuts reiterated. An example of one of his own accidents is told, one which was life threatening.
Image from Karamat (Youtube)
The section on axe use was my main interest for getting this DVD, so I was a little disappointed that he did not go into greater detail on safe use. The greatest danger in axe use is that of felling trees, which is made abundantly clear in his books. His writings are among the best there are on the subject, which is why I was surprised there was no mention of felling in the video. Clearly this is an introductory DVD, but given his knowledge and the great danger involved in felling trees it seems a glaring oversight to not include a section on this. I feel the video should have been at least 20-30 minutes longer to cover this subject (this would bring it to approximately the length of the Clothing DVD at 113 minutes).
I contacted Karamat about this and asked them if they would be able to add a supplement on their youtube channel. They said they would mention it to Mors, so hopefully in the future he will give a more detailed video explanation of this subject. There is a discussion with Joe Flowers available free online, but it does not show actual examples, which would be extremely helpful given the lack of quality video tutorials. If I remember correctly "An Axe To Grind" does not cover this topic, although there are a few old safety videos which are a good introduction.
I should be clear here, as Mors does say that proper instruction should be sought out before engaging in further axe use. In other discussions he advises this instruction for anything over hug-sized trees. One could also reinterpret the lessons on splitting safety and apply them to felling, to some degree, but this shouldn't be required of the viewer.
As well, handle carving and hanging is not covered in this DVD, although carving a handle is a topic in the Sticks DVD. Given these additions I feel this would be the best video available for basic axe instruction.
Sharpening is discussed next, where Mr. Kochanski uses a different technique than commonly used with files. He states that this is safer and easier on the file and steel. Energy conservation and the types of grind for general use is explained, achieving an axe which neither bounces nor sticks. Stone technique is also demonstrated.
The section on axes lasts until 1:19:00, approximately, leaving only ten minutes or so to discuss saws. This, again, should have been extended along with the axe information, especially in regards to felling. Kochanski explains the survival saw and what size you need to procure wood in the boreal forest. Teeth types, sharpening basics, and basics of alignment are discussed and the section ends with a look at folding saws.
Construction of saws is not included in this DVD, it is part of the Sticks instructional.
Image from Four Dog Stoves (Youtube)
Mors wraps things up and the menu has a selection of questions which can be used as a quick refresher.
As a note on audio and video quality, this is an older video with 4:3 aspect ratio and certainly would be considered video cassette quality. This isn't an issue for me as Mors is at his best in speaking and instructing. The audio is of a similar quality, perhaps compressed and then overly buffed reminding of local cable television programs. There is unfortunately some slight hiss and a little beeping in the audio as well. Not a big concern as it does not interfere with the voice track, but it is noticeable if you play it loud. This problem was not on the Clothing DVD.
Also, the DVD is a burnt DVD-R, which, given the shorter lifespan, it would be a good idea to back up. Clearly, Karamat is a small company, so self-production of their video is understandable. Again, not a big concern to me, but it is noteworthy given the expense.
This was a difficult video for me to rate as I did not want my bias of focusing on axes to affect the score. The section on knives is excellent, particularly for beginners. But the lack of information on safe felling and bucking of trees with axes and saws is a huge oversight. Mors discusses a different approach to notching trees in his book on Safe Travel, and it would have been a great opportunity to share this information on film (especially given the lack of information elsewhere). The included material is top quality, what one would expect from the Northern Bushcraft author. Overall, I would grade it a B. If Karamat is able to film a supplement for youtube on proper safe felling I would grade it an A.
I will include a link to the discussion with Joe Flowers on axes and safe use:
Edit: Kochanski does briefly discuss the cutting pattern in this video with Joe Flowers. The reason why this method is much more effective is that in cutting with an axe there are two types of cut, the cut and the chip. The way most people work in felling is akin to two chips, they cut they chip and then swing the axe parallel with the ground to pop the chip (perpendicular to the tree growth); and this effectively doubles the work. If one cuts at a 45 degree angle at the bottom of the notch this is the cut, which will sink into the tree some 2-4 times as far as a blow perpendicular to the grain - then, above these cuts the chip is also sent into the tree at a 45 degree angle. The cut cannot be as large as when bucking, which uses two opposing 45 degree angles, but is nonetheless much more efficient than cutting at 90 degrees.
A couple points of concern here in that this method leaves a messy stump and greater care must be taken with heavy leaners and trees where the lay is uncertain. In this case one can switch to the perpendicular swing for the last few chips to square up around the hinge to be sure of the lay and an unbroken hinge. Breaking the hinge should not be a concern once proficiency in this method is achieved.
A note from Bladeforums:
In the coming weeks I hope to do a full review of the "Clothing and Sleeping Bags" DVD, probably will post it in The Great Outdoors section of the forum. It is pretty clearly an A+ as it is a great clarification of his writings on the subject. There are very good charts dealing with temperature and the laws of thickness. The only neglected aspect was sleeping bag care, which would perhaps be asking too much given the already 113 minutes of the video.
My next purchase will be the Sticks video and perhaps the Fires, Bush Knots, or Shelters instructional. Undecided which one, but Sticks would probably be the only other one I'd post in this forum.
Hopefully this review was helpful, may have to edit it a bit. I think the DVD is mainly useful for beginners, but the way Kochanski explains things is generally a good refresher for anyone.
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