Correction: Schrade SCHF1/SCHF2 Alloy

bld522

bld522

Joined
Feb 3, 2004
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I want to correct something that mistwalker said in his review of the Schrade Extreme Survival SCHF1. (I would have appended the correction to the original review but alas, I cannot. The Mods locked the thread.)

The alloy used in these knives is 1070, not 1095 as mistwalker originally reported. I have verification of that from both the newest Schrade Knife Catalog (page 63) and an e-mail I received today from Morgan Taylor.

That is all.
 
Are you sure its 1070? I only ask because I bought one ( I am a sucker for carbon steel these days....S30V this and VG-10 that) and I put some mustard on the edge and I barely got a stain. I tried a similar thing with my case CVs and the edge and blade is darkened a lot. Yeah I know the schf2 is bead blasted or something but I put it on the edgeof the blade. Is 1070 like D2??? almost a stainless?

Thanks
T
 
No. 1070 is not stainless and not even close to D2 in chromium content. In fact, if I'm reading the spec sheet properly, 1070 contains no chromium at all.

I'm not sure why you're not getting much staining on the blade edge. But I can assure you that unless both the Schrade catalog and Morgan Taylor are wrong, the SCHF1 and the SCHF2 are constructed of 1070.
 
I'm with you.. I thought all 10 series steels were high carbon ( rust/stain easily) I guess the fact that the knife was so cheap I hope its not "miss marked" (yeah) and in reality it is 440a or something worse. Then again I guess it would still be pretty tough just not hold that great of an edge.
thanks,
T
 
The tests I've seen seem to confirm that the SCHF1 and SCHF2 can take a lot of abuse and still hold an edge. I'm no steel expert, but I doubt a knife constructed of 440a or worse could perform the way these knives perform. (And just for the record, I am not in any way connected with Taylor Brands nor am I a knife tester. I just buy what I like and can afford.)
 
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Thanks 522. I can't use the knife yet (or any other...shoulder surgery!!!) so that is why I was wondering. Thanks for your info!!
T
 
I hope you heal quickly. Meanwhile for your viewing pleasure, here's a link to a review of the SCHF2 compared to several other knives in the "survival" category:

http://www.scrapyardknives.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Board=Fieldcraft&Number=241281

Here's another review of the SCHF1:

http://www.hkweaponsystems.com/cgi-bin/forums/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=14&t=000054

And, of course, noss's destruction tests are always good for a chuckle:

http://knifetests.com/schradeextremesurvivaldtest.html

Enjoy. :)
 
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clearytja said:
Are you sure its 1070? I only ask because I bought one ( I am a sucker for carbon steel these days....S30V this and VG-10 that) and I put some mustard on the edge and I barely got a stain. I tried a similar thing with my case CVs and the edge and blade is darkened a lot. Yeah I know the schf2 is bead blasted or something but I put it on the edgeof the blade. Is 1070 like D2??? almost a stainless?

Thanks
T
Click to expand...

bld522 said:
No. 1070 is not stainless and not even close to D2 in chromium content. In fact, if I'm reading the spec sheet properly, 1070 contains no chromium at all.

I'm not sure why you're not getting much staining on the blade edge. But I can assure you that unless both the Schrade catalog and Morgan Taylor are wrong, the SCHF1 and the SCHF2 are constructed of 1070.
Click to expand...

clearytja said:
I'm with you.. I thought all 10 series steels were high carbon ( rust/stain easily) I guess the fact that the knife was so cheap I hope its not "miss marked" (yeah) and in reality it is 440a or something worse. Then again I guess it would still be pretty tough just not hold that great of an edge.
thanks,
T
Click to expand...

1070 is a straight carbon steel containing 0.65% - 0.75% Carbon.
No Chromium, No Vanadium, No Molybdenum.

1070 is significantly tougher than 1095, though it is not as good at holding an edge. I have heard that Boker uses 1070 for pocket knives but have no hard information on that. AFAIK, I have never used any blade made of 1070 (I don't have any Bokers.)
 
With no "protectors" in the steel it should stain if I put the mustard jar next to it? Any ideas besides mustard and lemon juice to check for "carbon-ness"?
 
knarfeng said:
1070 is a straight carbon steel containing 0.65% - 0.75% Carbon.
No Chromium, No Vanadium, No Molybdenum.

1070 is significantly tougher than 1095, though it is not as good at holding an edge. I have heard that Boker uses 1070 for pocket knives but have no hard information on that. AFAIK, I have never used any blade made of 1070 (I don't have any Bokers.)
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Thanks, knarfeng. I've never used a blade constructed of 1070 either.
 
clearytja said:
With no "protectors" in the steel it should stain if I put the mustard jar next to it? Any ideas besides mustard and lemon juice to check for "carbon-ness"?
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It's a mystery to me, clearytja. Let me ask my friend who conducted one of the tests I referred you to. He may be able to give us an answer as to why your edge is not staining. FYI, I know he used vinegar on at least one occasion to stain a tool steel blade.
 
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To further muddy the water, when I was googling up one of the Schrade Extreme knives, I found multiple versions, some listing stainless blades, some listing Carbon Steel.

Caveat Emptor!
 
Yep. That's why I'm going with the actual specs published in the Schrade 2009 Catalog and an e-mail I received from Morgan Taylor. They both state that the SCHF1 and SCHF2 are made out of 1070.

Here's a link to the 2009 Schrade Catalog for reference:

http://taylorbrandsllc.com/index.php?page=schrade-2009-pages

Scroll down to page 63 for info on the SCHF1 and SCHF2.

I'd be much more concerned about the knives' construction were it not for the fact that, in test after test, they've proven themselves capable of taking considerable abuse and living to tell the tale. Whether or not the alloy used in their construction is 1070, I've seen enough to convince me that these knives are being manufactured out of VERY tough steel. Combine that with decent fit and finish, an acceptable sheath, and a ridiculously low price point compared to similarly designed knives and it's hard not to consider them winners.

PS: I just received a response to the question I asked my friend concerning why the edge doesn't stain when mustard is applied to it. Here's what he said: "I don't know what steel it is, but it throws sparks when I grind it, so it isn't 440." I'm not sure if that answers your question, clearytja, but that's the best I can give you.
 
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Oh yeah... the spark test. I forgot about that. Hopefully that will put my mind at ease. No matter how you slice it the knife is a great deal..but if it is the 1070 carbon I would consider this an amazing deal!!
Thanks,
T
 
I think that they may have changed steel types for '09. The ones we had in the shop last year were clearly stainless.
 
It may be that the 1070 forms a very thin (and therefore transparent) patina when exposed to mustard, etc.
The edge, being polished will also be more resistant to corrosion (patina) than a rougher surface, since a polished surface has fewer 'hotspots' to initiate the oxidation process.

That said, I'd clean the blade with Zippo lighter fluid, or acetone, or alcohol, then try the mustard on the 'bead blasted' surface. The cleaning step is very necessary, since any oily deposits may block the acids in the mustard from reaching the surface.

Try that and let us know...
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
I think that they may have changed steel types for '09. The ones we had in the shop last year were clearly stainless.
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Were the ones you had in the shop last year SCHF1's and SCHF2's? The reason I ask is because they're the ONLY two models in the current Extreme Survival lineup that AREN'T stainless. (If I've done my count right, there are 34 models in the 2009 Schrade Extreme Survival line . . . 26 folders and 8 fixed blades. All the folder models are stainless and six of the fixed blade models are stainless.)
 
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Flashlight, you may have something. Yesterday I took her outside. (Surgery has kept me in doors..crap) Anyway...there is a yellow light patina that I can see in sunlight. I guess I just expected a darker patina.
T
 
bld522 said:
Were the ones you had in the shop last year SCHF1's and SCHF2's? The reason I ask is because they're the ONLY two models in the current Extreme Survival lineup that AREN'T stainless. (If I've done my count right, there are 34 models in the 2009 Schrade Extreme Survival line . . . 26 folders and 8 fixed blades. All the folder models are stainless and six of the fixed blade models are stainless.)
Click to expand...

It was the SCHF1. I may be wrong, but the edge never spotted in spite of sweaty summer people handling them all the time. We've had to protect the blades of some of our display models with Ren. Wax to keep them from getting cosmetic blemishes on humid days and what have you...and our functional swords get oiled daily to prevent the same. So if they were indeed 1070 in the original release I'd be very surprised. Good for them if it was though!
 
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