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Feel inspired?
If you haven’t heard, Blade HQ is hosting a killer grand opening/10 year anniversary event. Free food and prizes are a given, but there will also be stellar sales and crazy competitions. Knife throwing contests and fire making races are in the mix along with (you guessed it) water bottle cutting.
I’m sure at least some of you are pros at water bottle cutting. All of us at Blade HQ are, as evidenced by this video. In fact, I hope no one feels too intimidated to come to the grand opening after watching it.
Seriously though, I got to thinking that although others may be familiar with this challenge, they might not know how to approach it or how to excel at it, and let’s be honest—who doesn’t want the chance to win a prize?
Here are some tips to consider when preparing for a water bottle cutting contest because a) mastering them will probably turn you into the coolest person you know, and b) they should help you feel confident and excited to join our water bottle cutting competition.
What knife do I use?
For this competition, you must be 18 or older and you must also bring your own knife to use. So—which knife should you bring?
To cut through a line of water bottles, you will want a heavier knife made with a good steel. For those who aren’t sure which steels are best, a good rule of thumb for knives is that you get what you pay for. If you pay 10 bucks for a knife, don’t be surprised if it doesn’t live up to your expectations.
You also want to choose a blade that’s long enough to do the job. A short blade will make cutting through multiple water bottles difficult, so you want a blade that’s at least 6″ long. Sharpness is also key, so select a knife that has a sharp cutting edge.
What techniques should I use?
Follow through, follow through, follow through. This may be the most important aspect of water bottle cutting. Think of it like swinging a baseball bat; you don’t drop your arms the second your bat contacts the ball—you follow through. The same is true with cutting through water bottles.
For Blade HQ’s competition, the tentative plan is to have 10 water bottles lined up for competitors to cut though. With this information in mind, don’t slow your momentum down as soon as you cut through the first water bottle. Instead, you should make your goal point slightly past the last water bottle. This will help maximize the number of bottles you cut though.
Additionally, you want to make sure the edge of your blade is contacting the bottles head on for the entire line of bottles because if the sides of the blade are being used, it won’t do you much good. Some people say though, that it is better to cut at a slight diagonal angle.
Your stance is also important; stand with your feet shoulder width apart or slightly farther, feet pointing toward your target. In many videos I’ve seen of successful water bottle cutting, the people seem to crouch slightly. This is probably beneficial because bending at the knees puts you closer to the same level as the table, which facilitates maintaining a consistent, even swing.
Try a few slow practice swings the length of the water bottles, in front or above them, before you actually cut through the bottles. Remember; you have one swift motion to cut through all the water bottles. A bit of practice will help you have a steady and consistent swing for your final attempt.
What should I take away from this?
As you probably saw from the video, cutting through a line of water bottles is harder than it sounds. It is possible though; there are some YouTube videos of guys cutting through 20 water bottles. Remember: practice makes perfect, but most importantly, we want you come to our event to have fun. We hope to see you there!
For a full list of events for Blade HQ’s grand opening and 10 year anniversary, visit the event page on Blade HQ’s Facebook profile.