Construction over blade steel in knives?

J

jpsmith

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Feb 6, 2009
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It occurred to me today to wonder how many knives, makers, and companies out there place a higher priority on quality of construction over the blade steel used. Often they go hand in hand, but not always. Buck jumps to mind of course. But what about significantly costly quality that represents the majority of the price of the knife. Does anyone else have any examples of this?

Let me clarify that i don't mean ultra fancy materials and expensive bits and bobs like gems and pearl handles... I am thinking of something more like if Chris Reeve Knives made knives in 440c, AUS8, Sandvik steels etc... This example is just for the imagery of what i am curious about.
 
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Loaded question, but in general how the steel is treated and handled is more important than the composition.

In most cases it would stand to reason that companies that prioritize quality and fit/finish would also ensure steel quality comensurate to the quality of the overall product.

Kevin.
 
Let me rephrase or maybe color in some background, because i don't want to ask a loaded question. The implication that some companies or makers skimp on quality and shore things up with a great blade steel was unintentional. An example of what i got to thinking about today. I have seen people complain about the pricing on knives that had less than a super steel, but on separate occasions i have seen and heard other people just praise the construction of said knives to the rafters. Above and beyond kinda thing.

Another example is some of the Laguiole knives and other European styles that have from bottom of the rung steels to some decent Sandvik steels and they are sold(rightly so) as being really well made, high end knives. The outstanding feature of these types of knives is the quality, because the steel is not particularly noteworthy in comparison to things like D2, 154cm, s30v, zdp-189...

Hope this makes things better and not even muddier.
 
Some $150 production knives use steels like AUS8, but are built with excellent construction. I don't really see the point, though, because you have to sharpen the knife a lot and would be lucky to get a few years out of it. Then again, AUS8 at higher hardness levels perform on par with ATS-34/S30V/D2 so I don't know why they don't just simply heat treat it that way.

Buck is an extreme example. On the one hand, they make some beautiful and expensive knives out of 420, on the other hand, you have the Vantage Pro, a brilliant S30V folder for $40, it has a long hollow grind for cutting performance and the steel holds an edge well. I don't know why Buck makes expensive knives from inferior steel and cheap knives from high-end steel ht'ed by Bos.

In my experience in the knife world, there is no correlation between price and performance.
 
Actually, I think you're discussing what contributes to the final price to the consumer.

Better fit and finish, craftsmanship, for a given design costs money to achieve, just as better materials cost money.

So, makers must meet some mix to sell a knife at a saleable price - choosing between materials and craftsmanship for a given design to arrive at a price people are willing to pay. Sal of Spyderco discusses these issues when discussing new models or variations sometimes - he has a desired level of craftsmanship he demands, so material choices drive some decisions to keep the sale price within a certain range.

Personally, I think there is a point at which better craftsmanship is wasted, not warranted, and not worth the cost.

Sebenzas are a good example. The craftsmanship is relatively high, but does the knife perform significantly better for it? I don't think so.

I had a BG42 Sebenza (should have kept it for the steel - a material based decision) and in comparison to the 750 Pinnacle, the Sebbie lost - I still have the Pinnacle. The craftsmanship was not worth the cost IMO.
 
The best steel in the world won't make up for a poorly fitted lock or bad ergonomics. Great ergos, workmanship and heat treating, on the other hand can turn ordinary steels into very desirable knives.

Extreme examples? Sure, I got 'em: The RAZR knife would be a POS even if J. Lightning made it from INFI, ZDP-189 or S90V. The Beretta Loveless hunters, on the other hand are fantastic performers even though they are only made of 'lowly' AUS8. My Benchmade Pinnacle 750 is 'only' ATS-34 but it is a superior knife in almost every regard.

There's a lot more to a knife than the composition of the steel.
 
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