Good steel for Bowie - Humid

A

AndrewT

Joined
Oct 26, 1998
Messages
102
Dear all,
What would be the recommended steel for a 12-13" bowie
to be used in very humid area?

Andy
 
Hmmm I have a large Muela Bowie in 440C enriched with chrome and vanadium great rust resistance if you don't mind the occasional touch-up of your blade. I suppose you don't want a coating on such a traditional knife otherwise I'd say coated D2. If you dn't mind the cost S30V would be a really nice stainless steel.
 
yup the 3V is a really good suggestion why didn't I think of this earlier ?
 
Originally posted by AndrewT
If cost is not a reason, is Talonite a good candidate?
Click to expand...

Not if you plan to do any chopping with it.

3V and 440c are good suggestions, also, if it's just a humid area and you don't mind taking basic care of the knife (wiping it off, occasional coat of oil) you should be fine with most high end stainless. (ATS-34, 154CM, VG-10, S30V, BG42 & even AUS8)

Keep in mind, any stainless steel can rust if you have no regard for basic maintenance & under the right condiditons.
 
Andy,
If cost isn't a problem and regular maintenance is, I'd go with S30V. It is reported to be extremely tough for a stainless steel, holds an edge very well, and is very stain resistant. If high cost and regular maintenance are both problems, I'd go with 440C. If regular maintenance isn't a problem, I'd go with 52100 or 5160. Just my $.02.

Todd
 
What is this knife going to be used for? That will have a lot to do with the steel that I would recommend. If chopping is going to be one of the uses for this knife then I would recommend a good carbon steel. CPM 3V would make an excellent choice. You will of course, have to take good care to make sure the blade doesn't rust, but carbon steels have been employed in the making of knives in the tropics and pacific rim countries for ages, and they have worked well.

If corrosion is the primary deciding factor in choice of steel then you should choose a good stainless. 440C would be an excellent choice. This knife will not be nearly as tough as it would if you used a carbon steel such as CPM 3V, L6, A2, 5160, W1/W2, O1 or many os the 10 series steels, but will definitely be better at resisting rusting.
 
Thanks all for the generous input.
Now comes the handle, should it be Carbon Fiber, G10 or Micarta?

Andy
 
Andy,
As far as synthetics go, I like canvcas micarta. Carbon fiber and G-10 have good reputations, but I don't have any experience with them to form an opinion from. For natural handle material on a using knife, nothing beats a good piece of stag for me.

Todd
 
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