I can't find my "favorite" broadhead

[Falk]

Charlie asked me to eventually show you the ACE he mentioned but already wrapped away. Glad to help here - and of course I had followed this thread VERY closely before being PM'ed by Charlie.
I share some of Mike's thoughts and would certainly like to build something like the "Eierlegende Wollmilchsau" (<= German for the "unreachable, universal, all together, never dulling gadget)     :D    

Unfortunately my collection is not that good as some of you might think it is. So I had to cheat a little to show you the head Charlie is most likely speaking of.
I took the pictures from Wade Phillips "book" (2. Ed., page A-27), together with a ACE "Jet 4-bld" with 1.7" bleeder in it. The "Alaskin 4" (solid and vented) is on the right and this will be the head Charlie is refering to, am I right?!
Notice that the "African 4" (left) was slotted to take a Bear auxillary blade! Also notice, that this head is ABCC #0001 with ACE bleeder!
     

As I am lacking the old Alaskin I'll show you the very similar "Super-X-Press" and the 1.7" ACE bleeder in side view. A slightly larger (1.9") ACE bleeder was also available (see pics). For comparison see a 1956 Bear Razorhead with chrome bleeder        
     

I am off now for some hours but will certainly check again.
Cheers, Falk

[Charlie Lamb]

Falk... thanks a bunch!! That's exactly the one and I'm pretty proud of my memory.  :D

[Mike Orton]

You guys are awesome!  Truely the backbone of institutional archery knowledge at the TradGang.  I am humbled...

As for those broadheads presented by Falk, while that looks like a fine broadhead I am still leaning toward a laminated broadhead.  I believe the laminated broadhead, high carbon content steel heat treated to at least a Rockwell 54 hardness, then tempered would be the ticket.  I'm really not too concerned about metal failure through shatter, particularly w/ the lamination issue.  Many of the best Japanese knives and swords are laminated. I like the one side sharpening 40 to 45 degrees with the tanto tip.

I'd like to field comments about the difference between a straight angle broadhead vs. the broadhead that is slightly rounded on the angle width.  Currently the Grizzly is a straight angle while others, in particular the Silver Flame by German Kinetics, is an oval shaped broadhead.  Admittedly I have no experience with the oval design.  Dr Ashby, please chime in anytime.

I don't want screws or moving parts.  I don't want vents.  Right now I'm leaning toward a dimension of 3 3/8" long by 1.5 wide (finish honed dimension), slotted to accept a long slender bleeder blade that would finish out at 7/8" wide. This would come to 2.25 to one Length to Width ratio. Granted it's not the highly sought after 3 to 1 ratio but in order to accomodate a 1 1/2" broadhead I'd need 4.5" in length.  That spear would be just too much of a good thing and would be difficult to control in flight.
I wonder if we could build of Titanium rather than steel?

For you metalurists out there, does Titanium take a heat treating and tempering the way the carbon steel does?  

[SlowBowinMO]

Titanium is good for ferrules, bad for blades.  Much stronger than aluminum but a weak sister next to real steel.  It doesn't sharpen and hold an edge as well either.  And it's expensive and hard to work with I'm told.

That's just been my hands on experience, no formal education in regard to that.

[Mike Orton]

That's why I'm asking, cause I don't know everything...

[bm22]

what is wrong with stanless steel? really hard and seems to hold an edge.
i think the best broadhead with be the simmons interceptor in stanless steel, a tanto tip and a better bleeder blade attatchment system. i have bent the insert in my goldtip arrow before i bent my simmonsshark 160. so it should be plenty strong.

[Wudstix]

I just traded for some Magnus Mag I in 160 grain and have some Ribtek 190 grain coming any day.  Magnus is tough to beat for toughness and Ribteks are next to indestructible.  Can't wait to giv ethem both a try on Texas hogs.

[Charlie Lamb]

bm22... the problem with stainless steel seems to be it's contrary nature when exposed to heat... it likes to distort/warp. The less heating the better, so heat treating and welding are a pain for the finished product.

Mike... like you I don't know everything either (nobody here does!). The cool thing is that the combined knowledge on this site is mind boggling.

Very little slips through the cracks.  

[Charlie Lamb]

Mike... should also add that some of the Ace heads made now are laminated tip for strength. A great improvement to what is already a fine head.

Note about the pictured heads: I find it odd that bowhunters of the late 50's through the early 70's weren't afraid of multiblade heads like todays "traditional" bowmen.

On a curved (convex edge) you naturally get a steeper angle to the long axis at the tip... that equates to more strength at a critical point for failure of the broadhead.

I believe Doc Ashby has found that a concave or straight edge gives a slight advantage to penetration... which is the same thing Howard Hill determined years ago.

[Roger Norris]

Thanks for that picture!