Are you ok with ''basic'' knives\steel ?

I agree, one of my favorite 4" fixed blades is plain ol' M390, though it would be cool if it were in S110V. If I don't have that one with me it's a basic 10V tool steel fixed blade, just gotta remember to keep it oiled.
 
michaelm466 said:
I agree, one of my favorite 4" fixed blades is plain ol' M390, though it would be cool if it were in S110V. If I don't have that one with me it's a basic 10V tool steel fixed blade, just gotta remember to keep it oiled.
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Plain ol, good ol M390 huh?....

One of my favorite "horseless carriages" is the plain ol Bugatti Veyron....
 
AntDog said:
I'm fine with basic knife steels. I'm not fine with crap steels. I have a built in line I won't cross.... 440A is on one side of it, 440C is on the other.
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When I find myself not using a knife a lot for one reason or another I have more than once gifted said knife to a non-knife-nut.

Funny thing is that the 8cr13mov and such like that we pretty much think of as the minimum required often gets kudos from said folks. It's all relative.

So, with our obsession we learn the information needed to purchase a decent knife for not a lot, then we buy 20. :)
 
RemyKaze said:
For that reason, I'm wanting to get rid of my Gayle Bradley. Never use it. Carried it once, the other day, and it just didn't click. Didn't slice things the way I wanted.
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That's kind of what I went through with my original large Manix. People were telling me that it was a collectors item now and that I should tuck it away somewhere. It just didn't seem right to me that I should molly coddle a knife or be worried about destroying its value by using it. So I flipped it for an ESEE.
 
I certainly like to try things out and expand my horizons from time to time. I have settled on Bob Dozier's knives (mostly D2) as satisfying my knife needs whether it be an edc fixed blade, or an outdoor knife coupled with a folding saw or a machete, or both. Machetes are immensely useful in my part of the world. But I like my Blackjack knives (A2) and I have an affinity for the Kabar Becker blades. In today's knife world, these are all basic using steels. I don't lust for knives made with the latest steels. I try out the newer steels mostly in folders. Given all the choices available, Dozier and Blackjacks satisfy my needs as they almost always are my first choice from what I own. You might say I have settled on $150 to $350 fixed blades for using.

I use Victorinox SAKs an awful lot and depend on them for everyday cutting chores with another knife tossed in for some variety.
 
I use "super steels" more often than not, but simple designs and simple steels certainly aren't going away any time soon. Even some of the priciest handmade/custom knives use very simple steels... because people just plain like the toughness and crisp sharp edges they can get with them.
 
Basic knives in simple steels are pretty much all I use. I place my emphasis on the fundamental design and geometry and don't care so much about the steel type as long as it's in the right broad classification for the intended use and the heat treatment is good. I take far more enjoyment out of the using rather than the collecting. :)
 
I am finding that I like basic steels and knives more and more. Kershaw's version of Sandvik steel is becoming on of my favorites.

S30v seems to me the best over all steel for a knife. At least on paper. Never have owned a knife with it though. Maybe someday.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
Basic knives in simple steels are pretty much all I use. I place my emphasis on the fundamental design and geometry and don't care so much about the steel type as long as it's in the right broad classification for the intended use and the heat treatment is good. I take far more enjoyment out of the using rather than the collecting. :)
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You always state my sentiments far better than I, bud. It's odd, but it's more relaxing to sharpen and see the smoothing out of the edge over time. Hearkens back to seeing all the old time worn pocket knives, butchers blades, machetes and other tools.

I would like to say that I'd be interested in trying a premium steel if it were in the form of a slicing machine of a knife. All these high impact high wear steels and not a thin slicer among them. Kinda been waiting on it. :D
 
RemyKaze said:
I would like to say that I'd be interested in trying a premium steel if it were in the form of a slicing machine of a knife. All these high impact high wear steels and not a thin slicer among them. Kinda been waiting on it. :D
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There are a few Custom makers here on BF that work with the high wear steels and they do make thin slicers..

Chris Berry (Big Chris) and Darrin Sanders...

James Terrio who posted in this thread works with CPM 3V and ELMAX.

So they are available, all it takes is a phone call or email....
 
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Ankerson said:
There are a few Custom makers here on BF that work with the high wear steels and they do make thin slicers..

Chris Berry (Big Chris) and Darrin Sanders...

James Terrio who posted in this thread works with CPM 3V and ELMAX.

So they are available, all it takes is a phone call or email....
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Somehow it never occurs to me to commission something. So, I sit and wait for one to show up that clicks. And they have...and always when I don't have the money to spare. :p
 
I got over the whole "steel snob" phase a looooooong time ago. I still have a lot of knives from that time that I really never use because it was before I knew as much about what really makes a knife tick compared to now, so many of them have less-than-ideal "designed to sell" geometry rather than the "designed to cut" geometry I consider a prerequisite now. I find that the more adept you are at sharpening the less important edge retention becomes for EDC utility, within a certain threshold, because when an edge dulls down it takes only a few seconds to touch up and your higher skill in using the tool also means you're less likely to damage the edge through careless or improper cutting technique. Obviously if cutting lots of high-wear targets it becomes more important to invest in a steel with wear resistance to match the task, but most of the stuff I do is either low-wear or short-interval. Steel choice does play into my total tool selection process, but it's wayyyyy down on the list of priorities. Fundamental design and geometry are much more important to me, and that's an element sorely lacking in a surprising number of high-tech knives on the market in spite of their advanced materials and builds.

As I like to say, Benjamin Franklin was right when he said "there never was a good knife made from bad steel" but he forgot to mention that many bad knives have been made from good steel and many exceptional knives made from "pretty okay" steel. :D
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
I got over the whole "steel snob" phase a looooooong time ago. I still have a lot of knives from that time that I really never use because it was before I knew as much about what really makes a knife tick compared to now, so many of them have less-than-ideal "designed to sell" geometry rather than the "designed to cut" geometry I consider a prerequisite now.

Fundamental design and geometry are much more important to me, and that's an element sorely lacking in a surprising number of high-tech knives on the market in spite of their advanced materials and builds.

As I like to say, Benjamin Franklin was right when he said "there never was a good knife made from bad steel" but he forgot to mention that many bad knives have been made from good steel and many exceptional knives made from "pretty okay" steel. :D
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This is pretty much the way I feel about it as well. I don't mind someone else having their own perspectives and priorities, but cutting efficiency with the least effort needed is highest on mine, followed by ease of access and ease of maintenence. Basically, such a tool should simply be easy to deal with on many levels, else it will become a frustration.

What is strange is that some of the AUS8 folders and carbon steel neck knives I've carried stayed sharp for so long through continuous work, that I started to wonder why they were considered "inferior". My experiences with certain AUS8(the edge lasted all day, but needed a 30 second touch-up every day or two to be shaving sharp) and harder steels like S30V and M4(both lasted a week or two, sharp but not shaving, then needed 15-30 minutes to get back to shaving sharp) showed me that such middle range steels tend to be more care free and pleasing to work with.
 
RemyKaze said:
This is pretty much the way I feel about it as well. I don't mind someone else having their own perspectives and priorities, but cutting efficiency with the least effort needed is highest on mine, followed by ease of access and ease of maintenence. Basically, such a tool should simply be easy to deal with on many levels, else it will become a frustration.

What is strange is that some of the AUS8 folders and carbon steel neck knives I've carried stayed sharp for so long through continuous work, that I started to wonder why they were considered "inferior". My experiences with certain AUS8(the edge lasted all day, but needed a 30 second touch-up every day or two to be shaving sharp) and harder steels like S30V and M4(both lasted a week or two, sharp but not shaving, then needed 15-30 minutes to get back to shaving sharp) showed me that such middle range steels tend to be more care free and pleasing to work with.
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Dunno about all of that.... Hard to sharpen etc.....

Jump to the end of the video.... around the 11:44 point.. This is S110V after rope cutting, seconds to bring it back...... 6 Passes on a ceramic rod....

[video=youtube;vGry0Qs1Q7o]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGry0Qs1Q7o&list=UUD_n6Vfcqptslco-gt6WL5g[/video]
 
Ankerson said:
Dunno about all of that.... Hard to sharpen etc.....

Jump to the end of the video.... around the 11:44 point.. This is S110V after rope cutting, seconds to bring it back...... 6 Passes on a ceramic rod....

[video=youtube;vGry0Qs1Q7o]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGry0Qs1Q7o&list=UUD_n6Vfcqptslco-gt6WL5g[/video]
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If you constantly maintain it. I'm one of those folks who would rather sharpen a knife back from dull, but I know the newer steels hold an edge much longer. How hard is it to get them sharp from seriously dull? Since the edge lasts a long time, seems like you only need to touch it up, but if you don't, wouldn't it be a pain to bring it back?
 
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