1095 on the new Native

I wouldnt buy one. with all the great poketknife steels available, why would you want a carbon steel blade that rusts instantly?
 
my ESEE is just fine with its 1095. not a speck of rust on it. and it sees more use than any of my folders.
 
I think 1095 is better for large choppers, as the steel can be left at around 58RC and will better absorb battoning. The Native blade being so short, it really would benefit more from a harder steel. If I had a choice, I would vote for a CPM-M4 (also rusts easily) or even a ZDP steel. The latter would mean having the blades made in Seki City (doubt this would happen).
 
Come to think of it, if Spyderco can score a batch of the CPM-154CM that would be a great steel to try. Some folks say that steel is better than standard 154CM.
 
I might consider it (if paired with the appropriate handle), but it would be more of a collectors knife. My pocket knife uses doesn't require a carbon steel; my fixed blades do, but my pocket knives work well with stainless.
 
It seems like sort of an odd choice. There's nothing wrong with using carbon steel in a folder, but it definitely increases maintenance. Unlike a fixed blade, a folder has parts that are hard to get to and can harbor moisture. This is why more corrosion-resistant carbon steels are used for folders. E.G., the Rat Izula is 1095, but the folding version is going to be made from D2.

Sal has hinted that there will be Native IV sprint runs with all kinds of exotic steels and handle materials. Keep your fingers crossed.
 
dcycleman said:
I wouldnt buy one. with all the great poketknife steels available, why would you want a carbon steel blade that rusts instantly?
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My thoughts exactly. I confess to being a steel snob...and lazy. The last carbon knife I bought was my GEC Barlow. I oil it all the time, but found it rusting anyway. That gave me an excuse to patina it in vinegar. No more carbon for me...if I can help it. Some knives are too sweet to turn down, but they won't be my first choice.
 
Ya, I mean a pocket knife to me has to be fairly maintenance free. imagine having to oil your keys everyday. no thanks. Id like to see more H-1.
 
ummm once the patina forms even uncoated carbon steel doesn't really rust as much as you folks make out.

I have a carbon steel pocket knife...it went from shiny to grey in a month or two, and has stayed that way for the past 15 years or so. No rust.
 
1095 is a good choice for a thin hard edge such as for a whittling knife. I prefer it for something like a stockman. I wouldn't pick it for a Native. I would pick it for something like a Calypso.
 
I've used 1095 folders and they are just fine. It's actually a good idea. Though I'd imagine people will put the knife in a dishwasher and ruin the knife irrepairably, then blame Spyderco for it.
 
I see no need for the toughness of 1095 on a folder. I love it on bigger fixed blades that are likely to experience a lot of beating, but on a folder I prefer resistance to staining and edge retention over outright toughness.

I also hate uncoated 1095 blades. They rust too easily and are a pain in the neck. Coated 1095 is a solid workhorse steel, but I don't like coatings on my folders, so we're back to no 1095 again.

I'll keep my big 1095 choppers, but am just fine with stainless on my spydies.
 
I carry a schrade FB in 1095 when I can. I love the ease of sharpening. however, I like my folders to be in stainless, especially since i'm already put off by the pin construction of the native. add to that a non-stainless. How are you gonna clean up the area around the pivot?
 
singularity35 said:
I carry a schrade FB in 1095 when I can. I love the ease of sharpening. however, I like my folders to be in stainless, especially since i'm already put off by the pin construction of the native. add to that a non-stainless. How are you gonna clean up the area around the pivot?
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exactly
 
ditto to cotdt i love carbon steels but i believe steel perceptions have changed so much in the last 30 years that carbon steels are hardly desired by newer knife buyers.i grew up with carbon for all our guns & knives in s.s. were not known for edge holding .younger knife buyers have the perception that carbon rusts when just laying on a dresser top. this perception is so widespread that a carbon knife will not sell.i remember in the 80s buying an old schrade from a lady which had belonged to her father. the knife was probably made in 1930 or 1940 & was about 98% mint. this knife would shave hair after sitting in a drawer for decades.[so much for knives rusting by laying around]. although i do'nt hesitate to buy good carbopn steel knives i believe their day has passed.this said nearly all my gecs are 1095. in essence the day of carbon knives due to perception of younger buyers is in a steady decline.sad but true.
 
carbon steels for folders in XXI century...
for field fixed blade it's ok, but edc folder should be stainless.
 
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