Grohmann boat knife steel?

C

catboat

Joined
May 22, 2005
Messages
37
Considering getting a Grohmann's Canadian boat knive. They call it 'High carbon stainless". Anyone have experience with these knives, or can comment on the quality of the blade? Just looking for a regular use (deer skinning, camping) knife.

Also on the consideration list:
Fallkniven F1 (VG10)
Bark River Highland special (A2)
Cold Steel Master Hunter (AUS8)

Looking a fixed drop point hunter with ~4 inch blade with study sheath <~$125 budget. Is there one out there with 440C steel. Looking for classic design, nothing rakish looking. Using a 5 inch Mora knife now-and for $8, it's really not giving me any problems.
 
I've put all of my Grohmann's through thorough use, and I can attest for their quality. The comparison to 440 is accurate in terms of hardness, edge retention, durability etc. I have experienced some minor chipping on the edges of Grohmann no. 4 and no. 2 models before, but as I said, I put them through some hard use.

All the best,

- Mike
 
I spoke to the Grohmann factory rep at a gun show. He didn't know or wouldn't tell me the type of steel. However, he was real clear on the fact that best performance is with the carbon steel blades. He said the stainless line was initiated due to customer demand for stainless steel, but in terms of performance, the company considered the carbon steel product higher quality.
 
I have the Grohmann #1 and the Mini Skinner. Both of mine are the stainless versions. That leaf shaped blade and "different" handle are very deceptive from a "first look" to when you use them. Very reminescent of Spyderco - you don't know good it is until you use it:D My #1 sees a lot of kitchen duty on the small stuff. I would agree that it acts very much like 440A or 440C. If and when we go camping in our "tin tent":), it always tags along for food prep, whittling shavings for starting a fire, etc. If and when my wife cooks (I love cooking and she's more than happy to let me:) ) it's usually the first one that she grabs. It's usually hanging on one of the kitchen cubboard handles. In the fixed blade area, this is money very well spent IMHO.

Yes, there are probably others in this price range, so it might be a good idea to touch, feel, fondle first.

- gord
 
Grohmann's #3 Boat knife (also called Forces knife) has been the Canadian Forces standard issue fixed blade (when supplied with the overlap sheath) for many years, so that should tell you something about it's performance and value.

I recently took some survival training from a former Canadian Forces member, who has experience in training armed forces in several countries, and the Grohmann Forces knife was one of the fixed blades in his kit. The others he had were a British army knife (sorry, I don't know the model #), an Ontario model (I believe the Spec Plus Marine Combat), and the Becker TacTool #BK3 (if you want a sharpened pry-bar).

I don't own the Grohmann #3, but have handled it. The Grohmann original #1 has a nicer feel in-hand, but my index finger felt a bit safer holding the #3, because the back of the blade drops down farther than in the #1, to give a better stop-guard for your index finger.

I will probably be buying a #3, in carbon steel, with a full flat grind.

The carbon, I think, is probably superior in some ways to the stainless, including making better sparks against a fire-starter rod. The flat grind should make for better slicing performance than the regular saber grind.
 
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