Holy Chaveta!

[drinkthekoolaid]

[brought over from Pics of your Sticks]
Well done!
Is the lancero the most challenging vitola?
If you dont mine me asking, are you using a classic Chaveta? I was thinking of smithing out some Chavetas. Anything you would recommend to modify from the standard classic? Size, shape, thickness and Et cetera.

 

[deluxestogie]

[moved from Pics of your Sticks]
"Classic" chavetas are made from old saw blades. Other than the alloy you select, the radius of curvature is most important for comfort of use. A short radius makes it easier to do tiny zigs and zags, as in crafting clever tags at the head. A long radius of curvature provides greater control over long, gradual curves.

The height of the chaveta back spine from the cutting edge is your rotational lever arm. The closer your fingers are to the cutting edge (up to the nominal radius), the farther your hand and forearm must travel with each cutting arc.

Unless you want to really go impoverished factory worker, I would also allow for a segment of split Tygon tubing (or even garden hose) to serve as a "handle", when slid over the spine. That probably makes no difference with servicing a cigar wrapper, but if you intend to also use your chaveta to slice and shred leaf, say for pipe blending, the force required to repeatedly slice a "cigar" of leaf into coins makes a bare chaveta spine uncomfortable in the hand.

And don't forget to drill a hole near one corner, for hanging the chaveta on a nail.

Bob

 

[CobGuy]

[moved from Pics of your Sticks]
A small pizza cutter works great against a wooden cutting board.
For bigger jobs of actual slicing, I turn to a very sharp knife or Ulu style blade.

~Darin

 

[drinkthekoolaid]

I wanted to keep rollin' on this with out spamming someone else's thread.

Question: Why are some equal radius and others have 1/2 with a more aggressive slope, is this to match the wrist rotation?
Once you are 1/2 way through your stroke (insert joke here) you maxed out your wrist rotation and need to left lift your elbow to finish the cut? Did I make sense?

Or is it that the Chaveta is aways grabbed in the same manner so that 1/2 after 1000s of uses wears down more?



Here is one with an even radious



Bob gave the idea for adding a handle so it doesn't eat your plam of your hand up. I know this might turn off a Torcedor as they like to use the flat of the Chaveta to roll and shape the Cigar. I am trying to think of a way for a removal handle. Or well one thst is practical. Bobs response below.
_____________________________________

 

[deluxestogie]

Bob gave the idea for adding a handle

By handle, I'm suggesting an easily removable handle, rather than a permanent handle.

Bob

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

I have a few ideas.

1. A slide binder


2. Duct tape

3. Bob's idea of tubing.

4. Glue some vinyl or leather on it.

5. Drill holes, and screw or pin a wooden or synthetic handle material on it.

 

[deluxestogie]

Amazing video. You can find expert advice on how to do just about anything on YouTube.

Bob

 

[drinkthekoolaid]

Thank you gentlemen, I have some options for handles now. I'll post what I come up with.

 

[drinkthekoolaid]

After a little liquid motivation I set off to play with some old but never used Edger blades. Its not choice steel but easy to work with. Its either 1075 or 1080. Once I get my bearings(metal joke) I'll switch to 52100. I am atempting to gain most of the curvature during forging which will save me from griding or cutting it in. Just a start...

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

This is exciting.

 

[drinkthekoolaid]

Closer....

 

[drinkthekoolaid]

Edge quenched in water( bad I know) as I was lazy and didn't want to get oil. Got lucky no cracking, also file tested good. Stil need to get it razor sharp.

 

[Charly]

Very well done !

 

[drinkthekoolaid]

Thanks Charly. I had to whip something up before Santa brings me some Leaf from www.wholeleaftobacco.com!

 

[nystuga]

handsaw blade, lower from a herbcutter blade

 

[drinkthekoolaid]

View attachment 26638handsaw blade, lower from a herbcutter blade

The hand saw cutout is a great idea and that handle on your other one looks very comfy.

 

[waikikigun]

Nice job, man. Those look killer. I am a devout chavetaist who uses one daily going on five years now, so if you have any other questions.... incidentally I use gauze taped on for hand protection. Otherwise I want my hand as close to the body of the blade as possible. A bulky handle would not work for me. I've never seen a chaveta before with two different radii in it. It's generally two rolls of the blade to cut the top edge of one wrapper, and then one drag to cut the bottom edge. Not sure why these things typically have rounded ends: seems like the acute edge you've shown in your sample might work just as well for the delicate flag work, so long as it's really sharp and can just be dragged across a small piece of leaf to cut a shape without tearing.

 

[deluxestogie]

Not sure why these things typically have rounded ends

Blood on the wrapper is frowned upon. In an industrial setting, any sharp point that can be eliminated without significantly impacting a tool's purpose is a victory for safety.

Bob

 

[drinkthekoolaid]

I am a devout chavetaist who uses one daily going on five years now, so if you have any other questions

You are going to get tired of me quick haha

1) May I have the dimensions of your daily driver?
2) Do you know what metal it is?
3) How offen are you finding yourself touching up the edge?

I would think for you the name of the game would be not stopping to touch up the edge all the time.
As these are not intended for impact even with 1080 (not holy steel) should be able to get the edge up to 45 HRC with good tempering. And then edge type like a micro bevel etc. I got a lot to play around with here. Maybe you can test drive for me down the road?

I've never seen a chaveta before with two different radii in it.

Thanks, it must be camara angle from the pictues and videos

Not sure why these things typically have rounded ends: seems like the acute edge you've shown in your sample might work just as well for the delicate flag work, so long as it's really sharp and can just be dragged across a small piece of leaf to cut a shape without tearin

I based it off of an older style. I should switch to a more modem style so if I plan to make a few I can use for trade later.

 

[waikikigun]

You are going to get tired of me quick haha

1) May I have the dimensions of your daily driver?
2) Do you know what metal it is?
3) How offen are you finding yourself touching up the edge?

I would think for you the name of the game would be not stopping to touch up the edge all the time.
As these are not intended for impact even with 1080 (not holy steel) should be able to get the edge up to 45 HRC with good tempering. And then edge type like a micro bevel etc. I got a lot to play around with here. Maybe you can test drive for me down the road?


Thanks, it must be camara angle from the pictues and videos


I based it off of an older style. I should switch to a more modem style so if I plan to make a few I can use for trade later.

View attachment 26639

1. As in the pic I've posted, below.
2. No.
3. Almost never. I have one of those cheapo consumer rods that come with cheap knife sets. I don't think it does jacks***, but I run my chaveta across it every month or so, mostly just to get off stuck tobacco bits.

Yeah, not having to touch up the leaf would be ideal. But that's more a factor of how flat I can get the leaf to lie. If it's dead-flat then I could probably cut a nice line with a butter knife. If it's crinkly then I'm gonna need to touch up no matter what. OTOH going back to tidy up is no big deal since I do this for meditative pleasure rather than to hit a quota.
As for metal terms, I don't know'em. Wish I did.
I'd be happy to test-drive. Just don't make it excesively sharp: I like that I don't have to worry about touching the edge. No way I could cut myself on my current rig. Maybe that's one reason I never got around to a proper sharpening: in the early days I used to cut myself in the weirdest places: top of my thumb, etc.
Keep it up! I am excited to see what you (and other handy metal guys) are able to do.

P.S. If you want to see what I'm able to do with my dull-ass blade: http://blisscigar.tumblr.com/