A2 Curiosity

[craytab]

So the blades remained rust-free ? Why would just the exposed tang steel rust ? Maybe it's reaction to the oil in hand prints ?

And why are so many camping/outdoors knives made with A2 if it is so prone to rusting ? Wouldn't stainless steels like S30V or 154CM (or even D2 tool steel) make more sense ?

I keep my knives in kydex sheaths that for the most part do not touch the blade. The oil, or in this case, tuff cloth remains untouched if the knife is not used. The exposed tang is, well exposed. And as you noted, prone to foundling. I have a lot of knives. I don't use them all consistently. The A2 blade I use the most has a forced patina all over it. When my Bravo 2 does see use there is patina and spotting that requires maintenance. All steel rusts. Stainless just less. s30v, 154, or D2 do not have the toughness of A2. For a big outdoors blade you want toughness (at least I do). If you use a big outdoor blade in A2 it will get marked up from use and the elements. This is just a fact and nothing new by any means. With maintenance you can get it back to looking like new but if you use it, it will just happen again. A knife you use will not look new because it isn't.

If you are getting a knife to use it will show it no matter the steel. What you want the steel to do for you is what matters. All steels are a trade off. There is no one single do it all steel. 3v for an outdoor hard use blade is close and A2 is still a fine choice, you just have to know the limitations and account for them.

 

[other memory]

Why would just the exposed tang steel rust ? Maybe it's reaction to the oil in hand prints?

Yes, direct exposure to the oils and salts of your perspiration. You’re literally rubbing them into the tang during use.

 

[Wolverine666]

I keep my knives in kydex sheaths that for the most part do not touch the blade. The oil, or in this case, tuff cloth remains untouched if the knife is not used. The exposed tang is, well exposed. And as you noted, prone to foundling. I have a lot of knives. I don't use them all consistently. The A2 blade I use the most has a forced patina all over it. When my Bravo 2 does see use there is patina and spotting that requires maintenance. All steel rusts. Stainless just less. s30v, 154, or D2 do not have the toughness of A2. For a big outdoors blade you want toughness (at least I do). If you use a big outdoor blade in A2 it will get marked up from use and the elements. This is just a fact and nothing new by any means. With maintenance you can get it back to looking like new but if you use it, it will just happen again. A knife you use will not look new because it isn't.

If you are getting a knife to use it will show it no matter the steel. What you want the steel to do for you is what matters. All steels are a trade off. There is no one single do it all steel. 3v for an outdoor hard use blade is close and A2 is still a fine choice, you just have to know the limitations and account for them.

You make a lot of sense , sir. I agree that toughness is what will get the job(s) done outdoors. Teddy ll in A2 ( or Bravo2 in 3V) it is.

On a related not , I'm also going to get a classic Buck fixed blade with stainless for not-so-hard use.

The more knives the merrier.

 

[Wowbagger]

Just re-profiled a 30 degree blade to 29 degrees with Silicon, Diamonds, Water stones to 8000, only took 4 hours!

That was a hard fight for one degree. I must say . . . if I need to take the whole bevel shallower I wimp out and go to a power driven aluminum oxide grinder wheel and can emphatically recommend Norton 3X Ceramic Alumina 46 grit if you want the fastest, coolest grind. Not cheep though.

Thanks for the kind words. I haven't processed an animal or spent a week in the wild using what I could find to survive with an A-2 blade but I have spent quite a lot of time butchering some wooden planks into a place to enjoy said animal derived delicacies.

What blade angle did you use for the Bubinga final shave? Have you tried the D2 blades?

In the photo of the stack of blades you can just see the "46" I wrote on the blade in magic marker. That is a reminder to me to set up the jig to sharpen it at that angle. That did the trick of eliminating every bit of tear out on the Bubinga. I have one ground to 54° that I used on some reversing grain purple heart with complete success.

Yes those are low angle Lee Valley. I had a totally militant obsession with low angle for really cantankerous tear out prone wood. Why ? Because set up was so easy and it worked flawlessly EVERY TIME. Call me an unrealistic, evangelistic, zealot. The guys eventually convinced me I could do the same thing with bevel down. I perfected the technique. I can do it if I hold my tongue just right and fiddle with the chip breaker ad tedium. Then I go get my bevel up and relax and just work.

I have never tried D2. I am drawn to the steels that rust though (D-2 is one of those right ?) More traditional and honest. Good stuff . . . right ?

anyway I didn't want to jack the thread. I just wanted to talk about sharpening and using A-2 because I sure have dulled and resharpened a lot of it and it wasn't always easy for me until I got the system down.

Now I don't even have to test a blade on my finger nail or shave hair. I do my ritual and I know with out a shadow of doubt I can take it from quite dull to hair whittling when I'm done. And in not that many strokes as long as I START coarse.