Bush sword traded for a bullwhip

[Stormcrow]

A member of the Hoodlums forum posted a picture of a bullwhip that he had braided for himself. I immediately asked if he would consider trading one for a bush sword. He was equally happy to do so as I was to get one of his whips. I forged out the blade from leaf spring, spread the handle preform to get ready to roll it, then set it aside for a couple of days. I ended up using the preform to demonstrate socket-rolling for the June meeting for the Balcones Forge blacksmith group that I hosted in my shop, which was the reason I had saved it in the first place. The demonstration went well, and I rolled a rather nice socket.

Here's what the bush sword looked like after forging and clean-up grinding on the profile.



Then I had a series of unexpected delays hit me. The Hoodlum worked at his whip diligently and got it sent to me in the latter part of June. Turns out it is only the second one he has made. The core is 14AWG electrical cord, with the outer layers two-tone paracord. This thing cracks like a pistol going off if you know what you're doing with it, and raises a nice welt if you don't. Unfortunately I fall into the latter category, but I'm getting a little better at it.



Finally, I caught up with other stuff and got the bush sword finished. False edge, filed bevel, multiple quenches in veggie oil and multiple tempering cycles, hemp cord handle wrap with cotton cord double Turk's head knots sealed in amber shellac, sharpened until it shaves hair and slices through the tiny whippy branches smaller around than a toothpick.



And finally, a full set of gear for the eccetric archaeologist gentleman adventurer or cattleman on walkabout.



The bush sword is packed up and ready to go out in the morning mail.

[castlegardener]

terrific looking knife

[Marksnagel]

Great looking bush knife. You did a great job and I'm sure that the fella you traded with will be quite happy.

I have one identical to it. The hat I mean, I have the same hat.

Mark <><

[CurlyGeorge]

Good job on the knife. It looks like a keeper. I too am sure that the gentleman will like it. Thanks for sharing. :D

[Stormcrow]

Here's what the new owner had to say after playing with the bush sword over the weekend. Check out the awesome sheath he knocked together for it!

"Last month, Stormcrow on the Hoods Woods forum, made one of his Bush Swords to trade for one of my paracord bullwhips. James Helm of HelmForge
I received the Bush Sword Friday after work. Upon opening the box, I knew that what I held in my hands was something I was going to be using for a long time. To describe it to someone who has never held it, I would say it is somewhere between a short machete and a large chopping knife. It has the light weight of the machete, but the strength of the chopper. I know both the machete and the large knife chop stuff, but there is quite a difference between a machete and a Becker BK9. This Bush Sword would fit the place in between the two. This thing came shaving sharp. I actually nicked my finger through the cloth I was cleaning it with after use.
I was too excited to get out the measuring tape to get dimensions. I will post those tomorrow for those interested.
One thing I noticed was, like me, it came to this world naked. Being a hobby-leathercrafter, I had to clothe this big fella. I used 10 oz veg tan leather, added some D-rings, and made a srap to wear either belt or baldric style.
Now for some testing review. My dad recently began removing a fencerow filled with 40 years of trees and brambles. He had a large pile of both green and well-seasoned trees.
The first thing I did was find a branch about 5 inches in diameter. I am not sure of the species. I hacked through this in just a couple of minutes. Each hit dug deep.



I noticed a mostly dry, thumb-sized stick was in the way, so I let the Bush Sword eat. I slashed at it at a severe angle and severed it with one swipe.



Next, I found some really dry pine, and made a fuzz stick. With the Bush Sword being a light as it is, it offers many holding options. I used every part of the blade to make the fuzz stick, just to see what options I had.



Overall, I am really impressed with this primal little giant.
Tony"

[Stormcrow]

Tony has been giving his bush sword (and his arm) a workout!

"While out scouting for deer sign, I found the cottonwood that had been blown over the trail earlier this year. It was still alive since the leaves are green and the roots are half in the pond. The way it was laying was the roots are at the pond 20 feet from the trail. The trail is about 10 feet wide with a bank that goes down 10 feet to a small creek. the other bank is a good 30 feet away where the top of the tree is. So, the tree was about 60+ feet.
I thought I would give Stormcrow's BushSword and my arm a good workout. I'll let the pics do the talking.

Here it is just after beginning. I did a few chops before thinking about snapping pics.



After 5 minutes:



After 20 minutes and a small break it started popping and creaking like it was going to give way:



After the 20 minutes and 5 more chops it snapped.



I then worked at it for 10 more minutes to get it all the way down.



Overall, the BushSword performed better than I expected at chopping through a large tree. I did not measure the trunk, but it is the biggest I've chopped through with a machete. Being cottonwood, and green, helped a bunch, but it was no small task for a big bladed knife. I thought that the wrapped handle would tear up my hand, but it did not. The edge held up really well. I ran it across my sharpening steel a few licks and it was as good as new.
Well Done, Stormcrow, for a magnificent blade!

Tony "

I'm quite thrilled to see my work tackle such a big task and pull it off so well. That's what I make 'em for, to be good brush tools. I've never tried to take on a tree this big with my blades before. Cottonwood is soft, but that is still a lot of chopping!

[HWooldridge]

Great job on the blade - and the whip is nice also. My son works cattle for a living so often uses a whip; although he says anything over 6 feet long is cumbersome on horseback.