Anyone else wish there were more modern folder designs with carbon steel?

I would like more carbon steel folders. I'd take a skyline in 1095 :). If there was a mini grip in carbon for $50 i would be looking for the full size for around $60 or $70 and buy it in a heart beat.
 
Hawk45 said:
I'm thinking more the basic carbon steels (5160, 1095, 10xx, 52100) to keep the prices down. As far as rust goes, as long as you aren't a "shiny" blade guy, a little time with the blade wrapped in a vinager soaked paper towel will put a nice patina on it and then you don't have to worry much about rust. And it adds that cool factor. You can also Scotchbrite off the patina 5 mins later and put on a different pattern. You can change how your blade looks every week.
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That does round pretty fun to play around with a patina on your knife.
 
No, I don't want any carbon steel folders, modern or otherwise. In fact, the lack of stainless options is the only reason I don't already own one of the many gorgeous traditionals that I've been eyeing for a few months now. I have very corrosive body chemistry that has put deep rust on stainless steels (154CM, Elmax) in a very short time period (<24 hours with fingerprints left on the blade). I can deal with carbon steel in fixed blades because I rarely if ever need to touch the bare blade steel (especially if it's coated). In a folder though, there's no avoiding it. I would have to oil the blade literally every day, and probably also rub it down with Flitz on a weekly basis just to keep the pitting red rust at bay. That's a lot more work than I want to add to my daily routine.
 
amg137 said:
No, I don't want any carbon steel folders, modern or otherwise. In fact, the lack of stainless options is the only reason I don't already own one of the many gorgeous traditionals that I've been eyeing for a few months now. I have very corrosive body chemistry that has put deep rust on stainless steels (154CM, Elmax) in a very short time period (<24 hours with fingerprints left on the blade). I can deal with carbon steel in fixed blades because I rarely if ever need to touch the bare blade steel (especially if it's coated). In a folder though, there's no avoiding it. I would have to oil the blade literally every day, and probably also rub it down with Flitz on a weekly basis just to keep the pitting red rust at bay. That's a lot more work than I want to add to my daily routine.
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Are you just looking at GEC?
Queen does a lot of stainless, and D2. Canal Street has no carbon. Case is mostly stainless. I don't think Buck has any carbon blades.
 
I am always on the lookout for that. They theoretically should be much cheaper to mass produce too as even a lower end stainless probably costs more and is harder to work that say 1095. A Ritter/Grip in O1 would be my dream knife.
 
dynamicmoves said:
Are you just looking at GEC?
Queen does a lot of stainless, and D2. Canal Street has no carbon. Case is mostly stainless. I don't think Buck has any carbon blades.
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The only traditionals I've been interested in lately are single blade wharncliffes, in particular the Northwoods Hawthorne from GEC (that heat treat finish on the flats just speaks to me). I've looked around at Case and Queen a bit, but I haven't managed to find any single-blade wharnie slipjoints that are currently in production. If there's one I've missed I'd love to pick one up.
 
amg137 said:
The only traditionals I've been interested in lately are single blade wharncliffes, in particular the Northwoods Hawthorne from GEC (that heat treat finish on the flats just speaks to me). I've looked around at Case and Queen a bit, but I haven't managed to find any single-blade wharnie slipjoints that are currently in production. If there's one I've missed I'd love to pick one up.
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Check the Sway Back Gent.
http://www.knifeworks.com/caseswaybackgent-3.aspx
 
Yes, a million times yes!

I looooove carbon steels. I think so many companies producing modern folders simply assume people are too lazy to do basic maintenance, and assume they will complain if their blade rusts. (Which is probably true to an extent, but I digress)

I don't mind the maintenance. I would love to see carbon steels used in modern folder designs. All the stainless used in folders has driven me more toward fixed blades, where it's easier to get my fix.

How about some A2, or 1095, or 52100, or O1, etc.? I'd love to see it..... However as long as they assume stainless is "what the people want" or that we are too lazy to maintain our blades and will complain about rust, it will be status quo.
 
I am sure there is someone who wishes that. I am not one of those people.
 
amg137 said:
No, I don't want any carbon steel folders, modern or otherwise. In fact, the lack of stainless options is the only reason I don't already own one of the many gorgeous traditionals that I've been eyeing for a few months now. I have very corrosive body chemistry that has put deep rust on stainless steels (154CM, Elmax) in a very short time period (<24 hours with fingerprints left on the blade). I can deal with carbon steel in fixed blades because I rarely if ever need to touch the bare blade steel (especially if it's coated). In a folder though, there's no avoiding it. I would have to oil the blade literally every day, and probably also rub it down with Flitz on a weekly basis just to keep the pitting red rust at bay. That's a lot more work than I want to add to my daily routine.
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Even if you are corrosive to the core (as I am too) it's not that hard to keep rust at bay. Most rust that is not YEARS old is surface stuff that can easily be wiped or buffed off. For pits and deep rust to form, the metal has to be subjected to straight up neglect. For years usually.

Don't be afraid of the carbon man! Just wipe em down with oil of your choice, or a silicone rig rag, whatever. They don't just grow orange fuzz and deep pits overnight.
 
I love my gec bullnose in O1, just wish I was able to open it with one hand sometimes. I'd buy that in a heartbeat.
 
I've had stainless steel blades rust from just being carried in the pocket. But never carbon steel. The weird thing is that carbon steel blades don't really rust on knives that are used. They rust from not being used, or otherwise being neglected.
 
I'm fine with carbon steel blades but the right thing needs to be done in the pivot area so that inevitable corrosion doesn't make it stiff to open. How many old folders have you picked up and tried to open to find it was rusted semi-shut?

Not a big deal, but it's not necessarily as simple as making the blade out of 1095 for a given folder design. The Spyderco's I've had apart have bronze bushings (good) but the pivot itself contacts the blade.
 
I'm fine with carbon steel blades but the right thing needs to be done in the pivot area so that inevitable corrosion doesn't make it stiff to open. How many old folders have you picked up and tried to open to find it was rusted semi-shut?

Not a big deal, but it's not necessarily as simple as making the blade out of 1095 for a given folder design. The Spyderco's I've had apart have bronze bushings (good) but the pivot itself contacts the blade.
 
zhyla said:
I'm fine with carbon steel blades but the right thing needs to be done in the pivot area so that inevitable corrosion doesn't make it stiff to open. How many old folders have you picked up and tried to open to find it was rusted semi-shut?.
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Believe it or not, never. And I have a few carbon steel folders well over 50 years old.... I also have a few straight razors that are over 100 years old! They're all still intact, and not hard to open at all.
 
shecky said:
I've had stainless steel blades rust from just being carried in the pocket. But never carbon steel. The weird thing is that carbon steel blades don't really rust on knives that are used. They rust from not being used, or otherwise being neglected.
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I have noticed that phenomenon too... If you use a knife it doesn't rust. Carbon steel or not. If it gets used, at worst they just develop a nice patina (which is unavoidable, and is not rust), which I think is dead sexy!
 
I wouldn't mind it in a folder at all. Fixed blades stored in sheaths actually bother me more with rust issues. A little Tuf Glide, Boeshield, Ballistol, Militec, Mobil 1, just about anything in the pivot area will keep rust at bay. The pivot doesn't get exposed to anything on a regular basis, so the protectant won't go anywhere. The rest of the blade gets used, and as mentioned, won't rust terribly due to that. A nice low alloy (<4%) steel would be great. I just don't like the ones coming with the really light G10 scales, the handles get uglier much faster than the blades.
 
AntDog said:
Believe it or not, never. And I have a few carbon steel folders well over 50 years old.... I also have a few straight razors that are over 100 years old! They're all still intact, and not hard to open at all.
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Glad to hear it. My first knife was a tiny 3 bladed folder that rusted so solid after years of neglect I couldn't get it open. I should find it and soak it in something to free it up.

People have given me old folders in better condition with varying degrees of stiffness.
 
I enjoy carbon steels, but they are not practical for me year round in folders. I live in a very humid part of South America, and lead a very active life style. Oh, and I seem to sweat acid, an S30V or VG-10 blade will get rust spots after a day in my pocket.

The problem is not rust on the exposed blade, it's corrosion in the inner workings that worries me. I use Case CV knives often, and they are really a pain in the behind for me to keep in shape (even with deep patinas), I put up with the extra maintenance because I like them a lot. I wouldn't feel comfortable having to disassemble a more complex modern folder to polish out corroded parts and risk messing something up.

As much as I like carbon steels, I don't think they offer much of an advantage over premium stainless steels in small blades.
 
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