Do super stainless steels have a place on Bushcraft knives?

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stabman said:
Pretty sure it's a snide way of insinuating that anyone who spends their cash on "higher end" steel is a fool lacking in "real world" skills.
Seems to be a opinion that floats around the forums from time to time.

So I'm going to prove I have "mad skillz" and go back to basics; from now on I'll have to gnaw pieces of wood in half like the noble beaver.
It's the only truly authentic way to go. ;)
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I'm for anyone who enjoys period replicas, hero knives, collectors, etc. someone's gotta keep the lights on for all our talented makers. As someone who works with inclined planes for a living, I find it hard to see value in knives with such fictitious purpose. The heroes many bushcrafters revere, were pretty explicit in their writings about gear use. Why use a steel that's designed to cut steel for a job most will use the tool on wood with? Where's the value?
 
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B34NS said:
The heroes many bushcrafters revere, were pretty explicit in their writings about gear use. Why use a steel that's designed to cut steel for a job most will use the tool on wood with? Where's the value?
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If the steel offers advantages in toughness and how long it keeps going without sharpening, then there's the value. :)
If someone uses expensive steel that doesn't offer an advantage for the intended use, then it's purely for the heck of it.

I'm absolutely certain that many of the old-timey "bushcraft heroes" of yesteryear would choose certain modern steels for their uses.
They'd also bring the proper sharpening tool along with them as well.
 
stabman said:
If the steel offers advantages in toughness and how long it keeps going without sharpening, then there's the value. :)
If someone uses expensive steel that doesn't offer an advantage for the intended use, then it's purely for the heck of it.

I'm absolutely certain that many of the old-timey "bushcraft heroes" of yesteryear would choose certain modern steels for their uses.
They'd also bring the proper sharpening tool along with them as well.
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No better time to buy in knife in the history of man then now.

If makers were taking the most advantage of these steels by thinning them out and making them more efficient rather than robust. A lot of guys like Dan Eastland are in fact doing a great job of showing people a thin knife of modern materials and design is more robust, efficient, and enjoyable to use than earlier counterparts. That said, a lot of the materials in OP's question aren't even true stainless, just alloyed tools steels. Just cause something worked for (insert camping hero) doesn't make it a universal solve for everyone. Sure if those guys were around, we'd be doin' some heavy tool lending. :D

After using a lot of CPM steels and a bunch of others in the backcountry, I can't say there's a value in spending more for the wear resistance or edge retention. As long as well kept, there's no difference in real life use case scenarios. Unless of course your field dressing blackhawk helicopters, then sure, spring for the 3V.
 
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"Do you think that super stainless steels have a place on a dedicated 'bushcraft' knife? I'm not asking anyone to redefine terms or anything, just curious if you would bring a knife into the woods for a weekend that you knew to be difficult to resharpen."

No I wouldn't, but I can't see any steel being that difficult to sharpen.
Diamonds will sharpen anything.
They are used to sharpen ceramic blades which are much harder than any steel so I can't imagine not being able to sharpen the super steels also.
Busse's 154 CM,SR101,SR77, INFI, a ceramic paring knife and carbide planer blades are the hardest I've had experience with and diamonds did the job on all.

Throw one of these in your pack & you should be good to go.

http://eze-lap.com/hunting_fishing_outdoor_use/eze-fold/

Or one of these sets.
I have the 5 piece set & they are very handy for field or home sharpening.
I like that they can be used like a file instead of dragging the blade across the stone.
Highly recommended.

http://eze-lap.com/hunting_fishing_outdoor_use/hone-stone/

And for convexed edges there are these.

http://www.dmtsharp.com/sharpeners/specialty/flexi-sharp-sheets/

You did say "in the woods" so a super slick polished edge is not necessary and any of the above sharpeners will get your "super steel" knife sharp enough to craft bush with a minimum of effort.

Diamonds...the steel equalizer, not just for bling anymore. ;)
 
Woods Walker said:
Have your tried using that to sharpen a convex knife? If so how did it work out?
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Sorry, no, but given the thinness(.006) & flexibility you should be able to lay it in your knee or something soft and have at it.

I just measured a piece of 600 & 1200 grit sand paper & the 600 is .007 & the 1200 is .006 so the flex sharp should work I would think.
 
mykel m said:
Sorry, no, but given the thinness(.006) & flexibility you should be able to lay it in your knee or something soft and have at it.

I just measured a piece of 600 & 1200 grit sand paper & the 600 is .007 & the 1200 is .006 so the flex sharp should work I would think.
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Thickness of that material might not relate to the give that sand paper on a mouse pad/soft surface has. Or it might? I sure don't know but will check more into it. Thanks. Would be really great if it works. :)
 
Woods Walker said:
Thickness of that material might not relate to the give that sand paper on a mouse pad/soft surface has. Or it might? I sure don't know but will check more into it. Thanks. Would be really great if it works. :)
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My .006 feeler gauge has plenty of give & if it was wider I do believe if I laid the 600 SP on it it would still have enough give for convexing.
Let us know if you try it,I'm too poor myself & will stick to my sand paper & foam for convex touchups.:o
 
Myal said:
Sorry Im still giggling at the nit picking between bushcraft and camping / bushwalking ... seriously ?? People draw a line between these activities ?? how does one know if one is performing a bush craft .. or camping .. or actually surviving nowdays ? gosh Im SOO out of touch :)
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You clearly don't take any of this seriously enough. This is BUSHCRAFT, dammit!!!

Maybe if you start documenting everything you do in the outdoors with video, your 'bush cred' would increase.... :D
 
Yes they do. Benchmade 154CM is magical. But so is my old Schrade 1095, which was smelted by pixies in the 70s. So to each his own.



 
Woods Walker said:
I thought the thread was about Bushcraft? Survivalist and Preps are also good topics but they're not Bushcraft however could employ Bushcraft skills. Most people who start fires using a carbon steel knife to generate sparks do so because Bushcraft is a hobby. I guess the same goes for other knife related activity and Bushcraft. For example I am using a 1095 carbon steel knife to pratice friction fire.
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I "bushcraft" at camp, so not sure about your distinction, but I never said anything about survival, and prepping, well that's just...yeah, the semantics of the forum. Gotta love it.
 
B34NS said:
I'm for anyone who enjoys period replicas, hero knives, collectors, etc. someone's gotta keep the lights on for all our talented makers. As someone who works with inclined planes for a living, I find it hard to see value in knives with such fictitious purpose. The heroes many bushcrafters revere, were pretty explicit in their writings about gear use. Why use a steel that's designed to cut steel for a job most will use the tool on wood with? Where's the value?
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I make knives mostly using steel thats designed to cut steel , the people who use them cut steel strapping , car panels , copper cables , and yeah, wood and meat ... even cardboard

the value ? rockwell 62+ , and able to us it to pry limpets and other shellfish off the rocks on the beach .. no fear of snapping or damage some folk have to be real careful when parting up game or boning their kills , I dont so much , I can carve on the bones when I have time for that ..

No , not everyone needs that , everyone been surviving without it till now , just like they survied with stone knives till metal was invented ... but dam , it is nice to have it , and once you have gotten used to it , anything less is .... less ...

I have had complaints tho .. I made a knife for a tradie who uses it for everything from electrical cables to the steel strapping on brick packs , to cleaning his fingernails ... when he goes looking at production knives now , its with different eyes .. he used to drool over the high end blades , but now , he knows they wont do the work he now requires his knife to do .. and he has lost a lot of respect for some nice brands .. theyre only good enough for his kids maybe .. but not for work . Ya need some backyard made knife that sells for $20 and a bottle of tequila for a tough blade you can do what he expects to now .

There is for and against .

the older steels we have tho .. 1095 for example .. car leaf springs .. supports a ton or more of vehicle over all kinds of road day in and day out ... often with no bushing between leaves ... seriously who would use a steel designed to deal with that , to make a knife blade ?? Opinel dont seem to think so ... but Ive read a number of people now who know from just looking at or holding one , the 1095 convex ground blade is inferior to their nice thick 8cr13mov Chinese jobby is far superior in every way . No actual use needed to know this .


Or L2 .. a steel used to make huge circular saw blades to mill timber .. driven by some god awful number of horsepower ...
isnt that overkill for a knife blade ? svord dont think so , me either . Same deal with peoples reporting on their findings ... 8cr13mov beats the hell out of it , mainly because it is easier to care for , and easier to sharpen , and I guess thats because of the amount of practice you get sharpening 8cr13mov... compared to the suprise you get to find a blunt L2 blade at all .. idk , just guessing there ..

Steels are amazing stuff .

whatever the hell it is in a starret red stripe all hard high speed steel power hacksaw blade , designed to cut bar stock all day driven by a 40 odd ( or more idk really ) horsepower motor ... over kill for a knife blade going to be used by hand , maybe batoned on some ? I dont think so personally , and I havent had any complaints from anyone using one yet .

Ymmv tho

Where is the value in driving a v8 when you are only going to drive around town ? cos ya can ... its good enough for me :)
 
Smithhammer said:
You clearly don't take any of this seriously enough. This is BUSHCRAFT, dammit!!!

Maybe if you start documenting everything you do in the outdoors with video, your 'bush cred' would increase.... :D
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ahhh
I do have a pretty decent camera ... but video isnt my thing .. it seriously buggars up an outing in my experience . Im lazy tho , I car camp rather than hike a couple hundred km to the camp spot .. I do what I want to when I get there ... no hair splitting ( best artists voice ) Now today we are doing bush craft .. no camping activities and no WAY am I going to do that .. thats survival and prep ativities , ewww .. and no , Im not wearing purple .. it clashes with my bushcrafting lip gloss .. and purple isnt in any more its sooo last season ..

ok , maybe too dramatic .. but really to split hairs about defining tasks like that ? yeah ..
 
Myal said:
I make knives mostly using steel thats designed to cut steel , the people who use them cut steel strapping , car panels , copper cables , and yeah, wood and meat ... even cardboard
...
Or L2 .. a steel used to make huge circular saw blades to mill timber .. driven by some god awful number of horsepower ...
isnt that overkill for a knife blade ? svord dont think so , me either .
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L2 is it. How did you get svord to finally identify what he uses?
 
G'day Sh

Smithhammer said:
........

Maybe if you start documenting everything you do in the outdoors with video, your 'bush cred' would increase.... :D
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Nah, all you'll do is p!ss of the 'net "Walther Mitty's" who take the approach of ..."I don't need to back up what I say" and be labelled as a troll.


Mick :confused:
 
G'day WW

Woods Walker said:
Have your tried using that to sharpen a convex knife? If so how did it work out?
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I haven't used the product that you linked above, but I have for close to 3 decades used a hand held carborundum stone to sharpen & maintain convex edges. In the last 10 years I have exclusively used Fallkniven DC 3 & 4 hand held stones.

IMO, even the greatest wannabe on the 'net, ms (after being told about this) admits that a convex edge can be maintained with a hand held stone.

Heck, he has even used this information to try and convince any one who would listen to him "that the carving ability of a scandi grind" is because it is sharpened with a hand stone that has produced a convex grind.

IMO, pity those who are gullible enough to swallow his marketing crap. :jerkit

Mick
 
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AlexWitte said:
I "bushcraft" at camp, so not sure about your distinction, but I never said anything about survival, and prepping, well that's just...yeah, the semantics of the forum. Gotta love it.
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I never said you said anything about survival and prepping. Those are my words. To the best of my knowledge there is no official sport known as Bushcraft so probably the correct answer is to each their own.
 
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