Carbon V steel from COLD-STEEL question

Outdoorsmn · Feb 1, 2000

Does anyone know the merits or shortcomings of Carbon V steel from COLD-STEEL concerning its edge retention and durability properties including its resistance to break under stress? I am interested in a knife with 5-8 inch blade in a sheath knife.

IUBI · Feb 1, 2000

welcome to the forums.

My friend has a bushman from cold steel and it is carbon V. since it only cost $15, he does every thing to it including stabbing it into trees and chopping down trees. It holds and retains an edge pretty well and sharpens just as easy. The only problem i have found with the steel is the fact that you have to keep it super clean or it rusts really bad (worse than other steels).

there are my $0.02 worth

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And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold the great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads...And His tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth; and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

Crayola · Feb 2, 2000

Hey IUBI- I have never heard of Cold Steel using Carbon V on their Bushmans! I have a Bushman and, according to the catalog, it is SK-5 carbon steel, not Carbon V. My kukri (LTC) is Carbon V and it iakes a really really really sharp edge. I used it to chop up to 3/4" branches clearing a trail in Alberta on a hike and all it needed after a day was a good steeling.

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"Come What May..."

HJK · Feb 2, 2000

If you search the forums under Carbon V or Cold Steel you're likely to find a wealth of information. I've used a Trailmaster in Carbon V extensively and it is a superb knife. The edge holding and strength are excellent. My only real complaint concerns the tendency to rust. It rusts, pits, very easily. Others have complained about the Kraton handle. Although it isn't the most comfortable for extended chopping, I've had no seperation problems.

clausDenmark · Feb 2, 2000

I think i read somewhere that carbon V was similar to 1095, but i am not sure.

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Claus Christensen

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gregj62 · Feb 2, 2000

Carbon V is a very good steel. It is 50100b
which is almost the same as 52100 except that is has less chromium. It has about .4% and 52100 has about 1.5%. Also 50100b has about .15% vanadium in it. Where 52100 has none or very little, like less then .05%

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-Greg Johnson
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Jeff Clark · Feb 2, 2000

It is a pretty good balance between hardness, sharpness, and toughness. For a tougher blade you could go to multi-quenched 5160 or 52100. Carbon V would work well for a large knife if you aren't going to use it extensively as a crowbar. It is pretty similar to O1 which has been used for Randall fighting knives for decades.

Yvsa · Feb 2, 2000

:
Kinda off topic as to the Carbon V but there are a couple of ways to keep it from rusting so bad. One is to cold blue it. Just make sure it is absolutely clean and then don't touch it until your through. The trick to good cold blueing is to get the steel really warm first. After I clean my bladesI run them under hot water until the water evaporates quickly. Then proceed per directions except for the oiling. I put on multiple coats before oiling the blade and letting it set for 24 hours.

The other trick doesn't look as pretty but works well. Coat the blade with well with real mayonaise and let set overnight. This adds years of patina in about 12 hours. To get even morepatina let it set longer. This makes them look like your grandmothers old carbon steel knives with the beautiful multicolored blades.

I have a CS Trailmaster as well as several other CS blades. I cold blued mine shortly after I got it and after several years of fairly hard use I have touched up the blue just once. It is now waiting for the black linen micarta handles and a new single guard to make it more usable. If it was my only big knife I guess I would hurry a bit more on it. I have a Busse C #.9 that does well in it's place.
My Kraton handles are one of the ones that was split and worn and managed to get water under them making the tang rust. The new handles will also orient the knife so yu know here the edge is in the dark.

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