Help- Grohmann x107sd

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grohmann

Joined
Dec 6, 2011
Messages
4
Hello,

I am new here and have a question that I need help with. I am in the Canadian Army (Infantry NCO), and I'm looking for a new field knife. I would like a Grohmann as it is Canadian made, but the various "Canadian, Yachtsman" etc. dont feel right in my hand.
In the clearance section on their website is the "X107sd" factory second, which seems like the design I am looking for BUT- It apparently is a second as the rockwell
hardness is only in the low to mid 50s.

http://www.grohmannknives.com/pages/clearance.html

My question is- will this knife hold up to regular use? For example, can I take this into the woods for survival training and have it hold up to daily use (wood, cordage, and simple cutting mostly) for two weeks without it becoming a butter knife on day three? I realise it isn't a "combat" knife, but will it hold up to a general beating when used
correctly?

My next option is a BRKT Gunny, but the price on the Grohmann is great so if it's worth the chance I will give it a try.
Thanks for your responses.
 
Grohmann my main concern is that knife you are going to have to spend a ton of time sharpening because of the low Rockwell hardness. I was in the infantry in the Marine Corps. I think a better knife over the gunny is also made by BRKT under the Blackjack name. The Halo 14 is an exact copy of the Randall model 14.It is made out of A2 steel and has a convex grind. It would hold its edge and is easy to maintain.Just my opinion from one Grunt to another.
 
Grohmann, the knife, even with the Rockwell in the low to mid 50's, should hold up to the simple cutting tasks of which you speak. Just be sure to take along a decent sharpener of some type. As Grohmann Knives states on their website, the X107SD will cut, but it will need sharpening more often. I've performed many of the same tasks of which you speak with Case and Old Forge butcher knives, which also have a Rockwell in the same range as the X107SD.

Just my $0.02 worth!
Ron
 
Both solid responses. The Halo 14 is somewhat large for what I'm looking for. I will already be carrying a bayonet (bayonet 2000), so any blade much longer than 5 inches will be suspect as a "Rambo knife". (It just depends what mood the Sargeant Major is in)
I am now looking at the BRKT Bravo 1, rampless though.
RWC53, I might look at both after your recommendation- just in case the X107sd doesn't hold up the way I would like it to. In many cases a proper sharpening stone/kit is very inconvenient to carry around depending on what type of operations we are conducting. ( Generally I have a DMT Diafold with me, but it's not always close.)

Anyone else have any ideas?
 
I'm inclined to agree with Ron, and at the price it has to be worth a punt if you are attracted to it. My understanding is that many old knives were only made about that hard anyway, especially military knives. And if it wasn't for Stanley Rockwell rocking up in 1919 gauging hardness crudely with a bunch of files or how the edge reacts to a stone would probably have persisted much longer. If it helps put some perspective on it many of the old raved about kitchen knives seldom exceeded the mid 50's, Wusthof is one bunch of the top of my head. True, it is low my modern dedicated cutting tool standards but for an instrument designed to take a bit of punishment it isn't so bad. In fact, I think AK47 bayonets are are hardened to pretty much exactly that range. A small DMT, a Spyderco ceramic, or even a simple little butcher's steel should be able to keep you in the game with it.
 
realistically, I would look into a RC4 from ESEE, heck the new master hunters from cold steel are decent knives. I serve as well, and have found the #3 (boat knife) to work well after I reground the edge to a full scandi.

with that said, I agree in total with buying canadian, currently the Rangers have a #4 survival knife from grohman, its a well suited blade, very nice in hand.
 
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