Advice needed from collectors,Please

Bruce Evans

Bruce Evans

Joined
Sep 26, 1999
Messages
4,486
Ok here is my dillema,I have been a avide 5160 fan for the last 13 years for all my knives..Yes I forge from round stock.I have been contemplating a switch in steel.My question is this:

Does the steel in the forged blade really make a difference when you are looking at a piece from a maker to buy.like will you pass up a top notch piece from one maker using say 5160 for another maker whos work is not quite as good but is using say 52100...Or am I just worrying about nothing here and should just stick with the steel I know and love so well?

Thanks in advance for any help with my dillema...
Bruce
 
some collectors perceive a particular steel to have outstanding qualities, while ignoring many relative factors.

Ed Fowler has gotten great results from 52100, so that is what he uses for his blades. It is the steel for him as much as the process he developed to work it.

Howard Clark uses 1086M and L6 for his katana, same thing, steel as much as process used to work it up into a knife.

5160 is a fine steel, I have a Bill Burke knife made from it, and HAD a Dan Farr, but that got sold, not because of the steel, but because of the HANDLE material(good material, just not for me).

As long as you have a good working knowledge of your chosen blade material, and can explain to a collector why you use it, and how you arrived at the choice, and what goes into the performance testing you do, you should have no problems.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
5160 is a very good steel. I do not find the steel as important as whether the maker is experienced with the steel.
 
As ususul Steven and Keith hit the nail on the head as far as I am concerned. I am more concerned about the maker and their desire to get the most out of the materials they are using and if they are applicable to the intended use of the knife. So in your case it would not be an issue to even consider for me.
 
I'm not (much) a fan of stainless steels, or damascus. (Stainless, mostly out of a aging issue, it doesn't develop a patina after a hundred years.) Other than that I'd go along with the above opinions.
David
 
Thanks for the great feed back.This is the information I was needing to hear.Lately I have been hearing more and more new makers calling 5160 a cheap steel and I for one dont agree.As I have always said I preffer to do one steel and do it the best I possiably can instead of a bunch of different steels and possiably get something switched around and get a inferior heat treat than I should.There is allot more to knifemaking I want to do than keep learning new steels all the time has always been my way of thinking.
Thanks again,
Bruce
 
I have, on occasion, called a maker and expressed interest in commissioning a knife--and also expressed interest in having the blade be some particular steel. (of course, it would be the latest, greatest, thing, yada yada yada.) what has happened is that the maker, sounding somewhat amused, has taken the time to explain to me certain details about forging that I had no idea of, and why a different material might be better or as good.

And I listen. If I think enough of a maker's work that I want to commision a knife from him as opposed to the others out there--then I think that he knows what he is doing. However, it is important for the maker to take the time to explain WHY that particular steel is used. That communication is important. In all probability, the knifemaker knows more about this stuff than the user--experience counts for a lot. That experience is a big part of what the user is paying for. And that may need to be explained to many people as well.
 
Bruce, I seem to recall some bald headed, grey bearded old man telling you the samething. Get working on some knives and get back to where you were a few years back. You just need to do it and it will start comming back to you.
 
For me, as a collector, the maker of the knife is a much more important piece of information than what blade steel the knife is made from. From a general use standpoint (not hard use), which is the most that I usually put my knives through anyway, I can't functionally tell much of a difference between most properly heat-treated good steels, and I would doubt that most people who use knives the way I do (again, generally not hard use) would be able to either.

That being said, if a custom maker makes a blade out something really cheap like 420J, it's going to negatively affect my opinion, and most other collectors' opinions, I would speculate, of the blade.

Personally, I don't think 5160 is in that category of cheap for steels. Though I do think 52100 is a nicer steel, I wouldn't hold back from buying a knife just because it is 5160. 420J yes, but not 5160.

I would definitely buy a top maker's 5160 blade over a lesser maker's 52100 blade, assuming that the prices are proportionately in line as well.
 
For me, as a collector, the maker of the knife is a much more important piece of information than what blade steel the knife is made from.
Click to expand...
I agree.
And I have four of Bruce's knives.
I'd like to add that after you get consistantly good results with one steel, I don't think there is anything that should stop you from 'learning' another.
As long as you are open with your customers about where you're coming from, metalurgically speaking.
 
I'm a Knifenut and collector not a Alloy Addict.
I buy; the Maker and the knife. I trust the maker to know what works for him. It doesn't hurt when you've built a link to your materials like Ed Fowler has built with 52100 or Bob Dozier has with D2. I believe they know their materials and get the most out of them.

I bought a knife off Kit Carson at Blade 2001, (it's the one in his avatar) it was his M4 model, the handle was stag, the blade was Stellite. But I didn't find out what Stellite was until days later. When I did I was just glad it wasn't some kind of aluminum. ;)
 
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