Thread: Ask Me About Knives

You watch Man Vs. Wild? Awesome. I like you already...



Yup, a knife truly can save your life. Especially with the knowledge of how to most effectively utilize it.

Originally Posted by Man of Steel

You watch Man Vs. Wild? Awesome. I like you already...

Yeah, that's a cool show. Have you seen Survivor MAn? It's similar.

I actually like Survivor Man more, even. It's a bit less entertaining overall perhaps, but Les Stroud is a lot more careful, and practical than Bear is. I've probably learned more useful information from Les (Survivor Man) than from watching Bear Grylls do his thing, but Man Vs. Wild never fails to entertain. Bear tends to more show you what not to do.

Originally Posted by Man of Steel

I actually like Survivor Man more, even. It's a bit less entertaining overall perhaps, but Les Stroud is a lot more careful, and practical than Bear is. I've probably learned more useful information from Les (Survivor Man) than from watching Bear Grylls do his thing, but Man Vs. Wild never fails to entertain. Bear tends to more show you what not to do.

Survivor Man is a good show. That guy is pretty good at survival skills

Yeah survivor man.. well I've seen previews, I think. Something about it doesn't appeal to me. But I guess I haven't given it a proper chance.

I think a show like Man Vs. Wild is just a brilliant idea. I mean people probably won't retain all of that information, but everyone will remember at least one life saving tip. Like boiling your water, for instance.

It really is a great show, with a great premise. It helps a lot in furthering the comprehension that a knife is not by any means just a weapon. Also, survival shows are few and far between, especially good ones.


I'm a member of BladeForums, which is pretty self-explanatory, and they have a great Wilderness and Survival Skills board. Lots of great people over there, as well as tons of great info.

I love knives. The beauty of them is see what each knife designed to do. From precision cutting tools to knives designed for specific styles of combat, like those curved arabic blades, made to bleed your opponent to death.

Which is why I detest those fantasy type blades. They serve no other purpose that to look cool.

I didn't know there was such a thing as blade forums. I'll have to check that out. My dreams could use more knife fights.

Hey Man of Steel
I have a pretty good collection myself. I have a few that I just think are awesome.
Anyway. How can you tell what kind of steel you are getting. I have some knives that i just cannot put a "good" edge on. Others I have that I can put an edge on out it doesn't last. I realize very sharp doesn't last long.

I would like to know the best grade of steel for keeping a nice sharp edge.

Thanks in advance.


Howie

The Cusp, exactly so. Exactly so. Fantasy blades such as, say, Gil Hibben designs are nothing more than shelf pieces, which I hold absolutely no interest in. I'm a practical man, I like my utility designs. Have you seen the movie "The Hunted", with Tommy Lee Jones? Not the best movie stictly in a critical sense, but it has some great knife-related stuff in it, including some truly awesome knife fights. Also; BladeForums link.


Howie, glad to see another collector! Good question, too. High carbon steels like 1095 take an amazingly sharp edge, but don't hold it for very long. Other steels such as 420J2, a highly stainless steel, are too soft to take a good edge period, much less hold it, partially due a low carbon content.

Now, the idea that a very sharp edge won't last as long is not totally true. It is true that, technically speaking, the thinner the edge, the sharper it generally will be. And of course, the thinner the edge, the more susceptible it is to wear, or even breaking, dependant on the stress applied. However, it is possible to put a shaving-sharp edge (which is probably as sharp as most of us will need) on a knife without thinning the edge down too much. For example, I had a Ka-Bar that had probably the thickest edge of all my knives, but it would shave arm hair with the best of them. Generally, I find an edge with an angle of about 15-18 degrees per side (30-36 degrees included angle) just right for normal utility use. This will do fine for anything from cutting meat or vegetables, to cutting a tent stake. But I digress, you didn't ask about sharpening. Still, here's a great source of information on the subject: Sharpening FAQ by Joe Talmadge

On to the question at hand. It really depends on the knife, or rather what the intended purpose is. If you want a great all-around fixed-blade steel, suitable for a camping knife, hunting knife, etc., that will be seeing a lot of hard use, I would suggest either 5160 (a high carbon spring steel known for its toughness) or 52100 (similar to 5160, but with better edge-holding capability and not quite as tough). I use 5160 in my woods/camping/heavy use knives. Properly heat-treated, this stuff is awesome.

If you're looking more for a pocket knife steel, something that you'll be using every day, for daily chores; cutting the occasional vegetable, peeling fruit, opening packages, etc., there are a number of steels that I recommend, all stainless: 154-CM (or ATS-34) is great, as is VG-10 (gets incredibly sharp easily), CPM S30V (takes a little more work to sharpen, but holds it just as well, also in some cases prone to chipping, and likes to hold a wire edge sometimes. I haven't had any trouble from mine, however), and lastly, 12C27, which is popular in Finnish and Norwegian knives like the Moras. A link with some information on various steel types: The Knife Steel FAQ by Joe Talmadge


Hope that helps to answer your question, Howie. If you need more info, or have more questions, just ask!