Favorite steel on traditionals?

As a guy who just needs to cut and slice things with my pocket knife I've yet to find anything wrong with 1095. I don't fret over appearance. I use them, so rust growing on it just doesn't happen. Pepper spots and stains I don't care in the least, they don't harm the knife and don't reduce it's effectiveness for my purposes. Whatever patina forms and however it wants to form I just let nature decide that. Over time it eventually just becomes a fairly even darkish grey. The first year or two it looks like a pimple-faced teenager as it takes on it's personality according to how it's used and carried. I'm just not that picky about steels I guess. If it does have sort of a tough day in a sweaty pocket on a hot day then I just rub it down with some oil and a rag and it's good to go. Usually I just rinse if off in hot water after using it for food, dry it with a towel or on my t-shirt and back in the pocket it goes. If something really messy then hot soapy water and dry it out good. Drop of oil in the joint... you get the idea :)

If you fret over appearance or maintenance then go with stainless, it's simple and almost maintenance free unless you live on the seacoast or use it in saltwater perhaps. As said, if you put a knife away damp or don't store it properly is when carbon steel will have a hard time. If used and carried regularly it'll just darken to a greyish color eventually. That's just nature taking it's course.
 
arizonaranchman said:
As a guy who just needs to cut and slice things with my pocket knife I've yet to find anything wrong with 1095... If you fret over appearance or maintenance then go with stainless, it's simple and almost maintenance free unless you live on the seacoast or use it in saltwater perhaps. As said, if you put a knife away damp or don't store it properly is when carbon steel will have a hard time. If used and carried regularly it'll just darken to a greyish color eventually. That's just nature taking it's course.
Click to expand...

My thoughts too. Or to put it a different way, I don't seek out specific steels. I just use what comes with it. If it works well, I'll use the knfe a lot, otherwise it'll get sold, given away, discarded.
 
I have become a huge fan of the USA made Schrade 1095. It's so easy to get a sharp edge on that steel. And Schrade ground their blades thin making some nice slicers.
 
While not a steel you normally find on traditional knives one of my favorite steels is S35v. I am actually very fond of VG 10, M2 [ Provided it is coated ], S30v and CM 154/ ATS 34. D2 is an alright steel for me does not take as fine of an edge as the other steels listed. I do want to mention that heat treat, blade and handle shape\ geometry is as important or more important to me than blade steel.
 
Last edited:
I don't know if I really have a favorite steel, but to me it's more of an overall thing. More how the knife looks and performs overall is what I like. I've got some 1095 bladed knives, and I've got stainless that I like just as well. The carbon blades need just a tiny bit of care, but that's okay. I've never had a problem with any of my carbon steel blades, and I live near the Chesapeake Bay. That is a salt water environment, and I do spend time in small boats on and around the bay and it's tributary rivers. For most of this summer, I've been using a 1095 bladed stockman from Northwoods, and I just wipe it down in the evening and it's been fine.

14814218706_157938aa57_c.jpg


These two knives are 1095 for the stockman and 12C27 for the Sardinian Resolza. I've used them for the same things, and not noticed any difference in how they cut. Both take a very nice edge with little effort, and both keep that edge for a very good amount of time. Both are very different kind of knives, but I love the individual style of both knives, so I really don't care what the steel is. They look good, cut good, and I like them. So if it's 1095, 420HC, 12C27, 440 whatever, no matter.
 
my ideal steel would be CPM 154, but realistically, 440C is my favorite for traditionals. I think 1095 is fine in almost every way, but I live in the South, and rust is ALWAYS an issue. Even when oiled, even with a patina. (Plus I think patinas aren't as good as they're cracked up to be :eek:)
 
I like your more common and basic steels.... stuff that's easier to sharpen. I prefer it slightly on the harder side of the scale. I want to be able to sharpen the knife without special tools.

I like the patina from carbon steels for nostalgia, but I am warming up to stainless a little more.

That being said, on a full blown custom or something like a Case/Bose offering, the super steels are probably more appropriate. For me, those knives would likely see light use and would never need resharpening. I don't think I would ever want to sharpen those kind of knives.
 
I started with 1095 it worked but required a little care which was alright at that time anyway. Then I tried Buck's 420HC and never looked back. Use it wipe it on your jeans and go about your business. It was my favorite for a lot of years, until I tried CPM154. I experimented again and D2 became a new favorite almost stainless and held an edge even better. Just recently got Bucks S30V, haven't used it much yet so I can't rank it.
So from my least favorite to favorite, Case stainless, 1095, 420HC, 440C, CPM154, D2.
 
I really like 1095 but I prefer D2 and BG42 on my slipjoints. Canal Streets 14-4 CrMo is not shabby either.
 
I'm not an expert but I like that 420hc some of the Bucks have for those worry free jobs, and the 1095 seems like good stuff also.
 
My favorite is D2 as a tough, hard steel that holds an edge longer than 1095 and O1 (my other favorites) . Bonus is that it will also get a nice grey patina like a vintage hand tool.

I really really wish Great Eastern would use D2!
 
I prefer a carbon steel when I can get it, but I will carry whatever as long as it holds a decent edge and sharpens up nice. I do like how D2 sharpens, it seems to be such a good working edge that don't lose its aggressiveness very fast.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top