1095 as a Wonder Steel?

TMHunt said:
Of coarse they have. 1095 is not a stainless steel. but heres the bad news, there really isnt any such thing as a 100% stainless steel, all metals will corrode in one way or another, some just more resistant than others. As far as 1095 is concerned, its corrosive resistance is close in comparison to 01 tools steel, which if your not familiar with it, its not that great in the grand scheme of things. But the toughness, edge retention, and durability are off the charts compared to most what the masses call "stainless steel". Everything is a trade-off when it comes to blade steels. As far as witch one is the best. Everyone is right, and everyone is wrong.
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Thanks.
I know there isn't any 100% SS, but I was assuming it was worse than that (yeah, I know what they say about assuming..:foot:).
I bought my Dad a knife in O1 for Christmas '13, and it doesn't seem that bad to me. I think the worst problem it has had was one rust spot from being stored in the leather sheath that would come off in a few seconds with steel wool. I don't have experience carrying a lot of different steels. Maybe all the discussions about ss vs carbon I've seen had me thinking it was much worse than it really was. Now I'm wondering if I should have gotten my carry slipjoint in CS instead of SS.:o
Again, thanks for the answer. Learn something new every day.
 
Hey Blades and Bullets.......

There is a lot of confusion in this world and there is a lot of it in what we think we know about metallurgy ...... The stainless train was driven in the seventies and eighties by 440C and then ATS34...... Good steels mind but, not the be all and end all either....... Same o same o today.....frequently we humans find answers to questions that probably should never been asked...... I feel this about a lot of what I think of as secret squirrel steels...... Not that they are bad but, often they have theoretical advantages that I have trouble finding any significant practical advances...... And they frequently cost an inordinate amount..... I want a knife to hold an edge thru three days of bush crafting and/or wilderness survival use..... I feel that 1095CV with our heat treat does this just fine..... That chunk of one inch Manilla tells a tale, it really does.....

As with all ad copy including this screed serve yourself with a full salt shaker.......please remember that we are all students and we all have a lot more to learn....... In a very real sense you have about a decades leg up on is old farts as venues like Blade Forums just did not exist and the learning curve was a lot shallower arc.......

Thanks for the question..... I hope I have been of help to you......

Ethan
 
Ethan Becker said:
Hey Blades and Bullets.......

There is a lot of confusion in this world and there is a lot of it in what we think we know about metallurgy ...... The stainless train was driven in the seventies and eighties by 440C and then ATS34...... Good steels mind but, not the be all and end all either....... Same o same o today.....frequently we humans find answers to questions that probably should never been asked...... I feel this about a lot of what I think of as secret squirrel steels...... Not that they are bad but, often they have theoretical advantages that I have trouble finding any significant practical advances...... And they frequently cost an inordinate amount..... I want a knife to hold an edge thru three days of bush crafting and/or wilderness survival use..... I feel that 1095CV with our heat treat does this just fine..... That chunk of one inch Manilla tells a tale, it really does.....

As with all ad copy including this screed serve yourself with a full salt shaker.......please remember that we are all students and we all have a lot more to learn....... In a very real sense you have about a decades leg up on is old farts as venues like Blade Forums just did not exist and the learning curve was a lot shallower arc.......

Thanks for the question..... I hope I have been of help to you......

Ethan
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Yeah, I was born in '89 so I kind of missed those trains...
We do have a tendency to overcomplicate things simple things. Thank you for taking the time to answer. Your answer and TMHunt's were very helpful. TMHunt's O1 reference gave me a reference point I was actually somewhat familiar with when it comes to rust resistance. And being someone that tries to maintain their tools/blades, now I doubt any of them would really give me any real problems as far as rust goes.:thumbup:

Joshua
 
TMHunt said:
...when it comes to something that's gonna work hard, be inexpensive, be reliable and get stuff done, you cant go wrong with a good old beater work truck. 1095 is like that.
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Right on :thumbup: I'll also add that some of the most exquisite and very expensive custom handmade knives being sold today are made of 1095. Those makers and their clients can buy any steel they want. ;)

Blades&Bullets said:
Has anyone had any issues with stripped blades (1095CroVan) rusting?? Are they fine with just drying after use and occasional oiling??
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Yes! :) Stripped Beckers will develop a patina with use, and may even exhibit a little orange surface rust if they're really abused/neglected. That's not a big deal at all. Fine sandpaper or 0000 steel wool and a bit of elbow grease will take that right off. Even if there's some staining or minor pitting after scrubbing the blade clean, that's not going to harm its performance or durability.

IMO, the only real problem with 1095CV's lack of corrosion-resistance is the fact that a finely-honed edge can deteriorate over period of days or weeks or months, making it noticeably less sharp. But that level of damage isn't difficult to sharpen out, and it's even easier to avoid.

I've recently become a big fan of using chap-stick to coat the edges of my carbon-steel blades to help prevent that from happening. It does a pretty good job of sealing the bare steel from oxygen and salts, it's cheap and easy to apply, and it's food-safe (at worst it might make your first slice of bread or meat taste a little bit like mint or cherry or whatever ;) ) Mineral oil works the same way, but chap-stick works better because it sticks better. If your Becker spends most of its time in a backpack or drawer, I recommend giving any exposed steel surfaces a quick wipe-down with chap-stick before putting it way until your next hunting or camping trip.
 
+1 on the chapstick. I'm not sure why a honed edge will lose some keenness just sitting in a drawer, but they will. Chapstick stops it so maybe oxidation?
 
Ethan Becker said:
As with all ad copy including this screed serve yourself with a full salt shaker.......please remember that we are all students and we all have a lot more to learn...
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I could not agree more :thumbup: That statement coming from Ethan means a lot.

The upshot is, (and I'm not saying this because I like Ethan, I'm saying it because my own experience and research has proven it to be true)... Becker knives in 1095CV are very durable and capable of high levels of performance. They also happen to have the most comfortable handles in their class/budget/target market. At or anywhere near the same price-point, I sincerely think Beckers are the best choice available for people who just need a good solid affordable knife for their outdoorsy-type activities.

(and that's coming from a handmade guy who mostly uses 3V and stainless steels... so there ;) )
 
Ethan Becker said:
A quick note...... 1095CV as heat treated by KA-Bar has repeatedly, out of the box, made over a hundred and fifty push cuts using two inches of the blade thru new Manilla rope..... Greg Phillips has done this repeatedly...... THAT really impresses me.....Very few steels will accomplish this.....And very few steels will come even close and then take so little effort to regain a fine edge........ I think it is a wonderful steel...... I have seen 1095 and 1095CV blades do incredible feats....... The blades that I am most proud of owning are mostly in the 1095 family...... Fisk and Crowell knives come instantly to mind....... The longer I use these wonderful tools we call knives the happier I am with the 1095 steels....... You can spend a LOT more and get less performance ........

Ethan
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I own a Browning Crowell/Barker Competition Knife, which I dearly love. I've read in numerous places online that the knife is some form of 1080-1085 steel. As far as I know, 1095 is not scarce in Taiwan. Can someone surmise a reason why they might have chosen this over 1095? (don't fret Beckerheads, I also own BKs 9,5 and 2 ;')
 
tradewater said:
+1 on the chapstick. I'm not sure why a honed edge will lose some keenness just sitting in a drawer, but they will. Chapstick stops it so maybe oxidation?
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It's absolutely a function of oxidation/corrosion. This is not rocket surgery.

Any pitting or corrosion makes fine edges progressively less crisp, by simple reduction of mass due to chemical reactions. That's what the word "corrosion" means. It's a literal rotting away of the steel.

Atmospheric oxygen, humidity and various acidic compounds never, ever sleep. Sealing the steel from those evil gremlins just plain works. Chap-stick works mostly because it's chemically pretty inert, and it's waxy/sticky... meaning it forms a fairly durable barrier between the steel and the atmosphere around it.

Science!
 
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First post for me ever in this forum!

The confusion of the English language is also one of its beauties: It's subtle and can mean different things. If 1095 fits the definition of super for the user, then it's super. There's not really an industry standard to apply to that word, so it's enough of a general use word to be what you want it to be.

I think 1095 is an excellent steel. No one can argue that Becker Knives aren't great, partially because of their steel (even more so because of their design.) Well, okay, someone COULD argue, but against me, they're going to lose that argument almost every time. In addition to BK&T, you have Esee, Schrade, Case, Ka-Bar, well, the list of well-respected knifemakers that have used 1095 is too long to list.

I have my first ever Becker still, a Machax I got in the late '80s/early '90s. Silver blade, rough handle, and so many trees, branches, and bushes have fallen under it that I'm surprised the Sierra Club doesn't have me on a wanted poster. No, I won't sell it. Even though I have a few others I may like a little more, its decades of trustworthy service have shown me it's made of a super steel.
 
Well put skmo. And welcome to the forums. We are glad you decided to post up with us.

Hope to see many more posts from ya.......

Moose
 
As has been said, a huge appeal for Beckers is bang for the buck, and that bang's sweet spot (did I just type "bang's sweet spot"?) comes from the performance and price range of 1095.

skmo said:
First post for me ever in this forum!

The confusion of the English language is also one of its beauties: It's subtle and can mean different things. If 1095 fits the definition of super for the user, then it's super. There's not really an industry standard to apply to that word, so it's enough of a general use word to be what you want it to be.

I think 1095 is an excellent steel. No one can argue that Becker Knives aren't great, partially because of their steel (even more so because of their design.) Well, okay, someone COULD argue, but against me, they're going to lose that argument almost every time. In addition to BK&T, you have Esee, Schrade, Case, Ka-Bar, well, the list of well-respected knifemakers that have used 1095 is too long to list.

I have my first ever Becker still, a Machax I got in the late '80s/early '90s. Silver blade, rough handle, and so many trees, branches, and bushes have fallen under it that I'm surprised the Sierra Club doesn't have me on a wanted poster. No, I won't sell it. Even though I have a few others I may like a little more, its decades of trustworthy service have shown me it's made of a super steel.
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Nice first post. Welcome. I looked back at my first post the other day, and it stinks compared to yours. :D

How about some Machax pics in a separate thread? If you're going to stick around, and I hope you do, you might as well learn to post a pic. :p
 
I really like 1095, as well as Aldos 1084. Simple high carbon steels that are easy to sharpen and perform well. What is not to like. Sure maybe they will not hold an edge quite as long as some of the newer high tech steels, but if you know how to sharpen a knife whats the problem? I mean really, it takes a mere 10 second to put a razors edge back on these steels. Just don't wait until the knife is so dull that you need to put the extra work into sharpening.
 
Greebe said:
Just don't wait until the knife is so dull that you need to put the extra work into sharpening.
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You nailed it :thumbup: Regardless of alloy or design, frequent touch-ups are much smarter than letting any tool get way out of whack and trying to start over.
 
Yep. People always wonder how I have such shaving sharps knives that get used hard daily. Simple, I run a ceramic stone of the edge a few times a week. I do not know why people are so frightened of sharpening their knives. I guess they think they might ruin them or something.
 
Greebe said:
Yep. People always wonder how I have such shaving sharps knives that get used hard daily. Simple, I run a ceramic stone of the edge a few times a week. I do not know why people are so frightened of sharpening their knives. I guess they think they might ruin them or something.
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THIS is the reason "they" don't sharpen their knives. IF "they" did try to sharpen a knife back whenever, they did it wrong because "they" didn't know how and screwed up what little sharp "they" still had.

Most of the folks I've run into with VERY dull blades never had someone actually SHOW them how to properly sharpen a knife. For these folks, it has been trial and error, mainly error.

An EXTREMELY small number of folks don't even know that you can or even NEED to sharpen a knife. I have met people, usually females, who grew up w/o a father or grandfather around to sharpen their mothers' knives and these women learned from THEIR mothers that you use a knife until it gets dull, throw it away and get a new one. :eek:
 
Sharpening is an art, quickly learned and a lifetime to master.....

Unless you use a KME. Then you can master it in about 10 minutes and start drinking....

Moose
 
Moosez45 said:
Sharpening is an art, quickly learned and a lifetime to master.....

Unless you use a KME. Then you can master it in about 10 minutes and start drinking....

Moose
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1095 + KME = Scary Sharp :thumbup:


KME_zpsee3d5e66.jpg


KME2_zps9c424ece.jpg
 
Terrio,
I've heard of using vaseline on knives, but not the chap stick on the edge trick. I may try that sometime.

I was warned against using vaseline once because it would trap any moisture. If you clean/dry the blade to remove any moisture or oil from your skin before application, it seems that would be not be an issue though.
 
Blades&Bullets said:
Terrio,
I've heard of using vaseline on knives, but not the chap stick on the edge trick. I may try that sometime.
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Vaseline tastes terrible :barf: (I feel every knife should be thought of in terms of food prep, so that's a big factor in my book.)

ichor said:
I own a Browning Crowell/Barker Competition Knife, which I dearly love. I've read in numerous places online that the knife is some form of 1080-1085 steel. As far as I know, 1095 is not scarce in Taiwan. Can someone surmise a reason why they might have chosen this over 1095? (don't fret Beckerheads, I also own BKs 9,5 and 2 ;')
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Perhaps simply because 1080 is more readily available and inexpensive in Taiwan? It's certainly less tricky to heat-treat properly... 1095 requires more care about soaking at specific temperatures and being quenched very quickly. I don't really know, that's just my guess.

(I own a Browning C/B comp cutter too, and I agree, it's an awesome camp knife :thumbup:)
 
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