(If your just interested in the question about O1 just skip down to the "Steel" part of the post)
Hello, I'll be placing an order for a custom Canadian belt knife (hereafter CBK) soon. I'm not exactly sure who with, but I've contacted one forger already and if that doesn't work I've got my eye on another maker. In fact, if there is anybody you would like to suggest please do, but I should say that I'm trying to get this for less than $200. Also, please don't suggest yourself if you're a maker because I always feel akward saying "no thanks" to someone if I choose another maker.
Anyway, that not really what I came here to talk about; I would like some imput on the design and materials of the knife.
I'll divide it into three catagories: handle, steel, and the blade.
I'll say what I want this knife for first. It will simply be a hunting knife and bushcraft knife. Now the purpose of a hunting knife is obvious; gutting and dismembering animals. Mainly deer and antelope in my case but I do hope to get my own elk this year instead of just helping other people with there's. Bushcraft knife for me really just means the knife I'll use to get a fire going and for processing small firewood. Plus the the occasional tent peg and maybe feather sticks, but I don't really use those for fire starting much. I don't really do any carving or spoon making for pleasure, and I won't be making fire board divots or hand drills because why would I do that when I could just use a lighter or Titan matches or, if I'm feeling primitive, a blast match? Reason I chose the CBK is because the only other knife I know of with such a reputation as both a hunting and bushcraft knife is the Kephart; I picked the CBK because Kepharts traditionally have a flat grind while the orignal CBK had a saber grind which is what I want. And I've never been down this path and I love new things.
Moving on to the aspects of the knife.
Handle: I see that most CBKs have a have a type of curved offset handle with at least one finger groove. The finger groove I'll forgo because I really don't like them, but curved and kind of offset sounds a lot like a Nessmuk handle. Below is a picture of a custom Nessmuk of mine and it feels really good in my hand; so I was just going to steal the handle design from this knife. However, that Nessmuk is not a knife a knife I've done a lot with beyond some basic gutting, so I don't really know how this shape of handle is with continued use (as much as I'd love to get out and give it a try, and I may have to a little bit, the weather sucks right now and it a busy time with livestock birthing). I'm really just wondering if anybody prefers more basic handle shapes like those on the Kephart or Woodlore and why. I know nobody can tell me what will work for me but I'd still like to hear some general input.
Steel: this is where it starts to get really tricky. I've just had O1 on my custom knives before for no real reason other than I thought it was better than 1095. I'm not attached to it, though. I'd be very open to suggestions about why I should go with something like A2 or 51200 instead. But until then I'll just assume it will be O1, and I have a question about it.
The same Nessmuk pictured below is O1 and I asked for an RC of 59-60. My thinking was that it is a slicer so I want good edge retention, but it comes to an extremely fine edge so I don't want it to be too hard and delicate and chip when it hits bone or heaven forbid I manage to bang it into some rocks. However, I've since read that O1 isn't really any tougher at lower RCs like that, and that it's toughness/hardness peak is reached at above 60. What truth is there in this? Is O1 special like this? Or is it really pretty much the typical old "harder is brittle and softer is stronger" like any other steel I can think of? I'd really like to know the best Rockwell to specify on this custom because I wouldn't want to be compromising anything.
Blade: While I intend to make my own modifications to make the knife suit me as much as possible, I am trying to base the blade around the original Grohmann #1. But I can't find the the whole set of specs. I can't find the height of the blade (distance from edge to spine) at where the blade meets the handle and at it's widest point. If anybody has a Grohmann #1 and would like to share it's measurements that would really help me get a sense of scale.
Below is a rough sketch of what I'm thinking of so far. The Nessmuk's handle, 4 1/4" long blade, 7/8" tall at the handle and 1 1/8" tall at the highest point. Saber grind, and probably more straight edge than the original CBK which I want in this particular custom. Like I said, it's a rough sketch and I'm not an artist.
Let me know what you think and please feel free to divulge any comment on anything asked above.
Hello, I'll be placing an order for a custom Canadian belt knife (hereafter CBK) soon. I'm not exactly sure who with, but I've contacted one forger already and if that doesn't work I've got my eye on another maker. In fact, if there is anybody you would like to suggest please do, but I should say that I'm trying to get this for less than $200. Also, please don't suggest yourself if you're a maker because I always feel akward saying "no thanks" to someone if I choose another maker.
Anyway, that not really what I came here to talk about; I would like some imput on the design and materials of the knife.
I'll divide it into three catagories: handle, steel, and the blade.
I'll say what I want this knife for first. It will simply be a hunting knife and bushcraft knife. Now the purpose of a hunting knife is obvious; gutting and dismembering animals. Mainly deer and antelope in my case but I do hope to get my own elk this year instead of just helping other people with there's. Bushcraft knife for me really just means the knife I'll use to get a fire going and for processing small firewood. Plus the the occasional tent peg and maybe feather sticks, but I don't really use those for fire starting much. I don't really do any carving or spoon making for pleasure, and I won't be making fire board divots or hand drills because why would I do that when I could just use a lighter or Titan matches or, if I'm feeling primitive, a blast match? Reason I chose the CBK is because the only other knife I know of with such a reputation as both a hunting and bushcraft knife is the Kephart; I picked the CBK because Kepharts traditionally have a flat grind while the orignal CBK had a saber grind which is what I want. And I've never been down this path and I love new things.
Moving on to the aspects of the knife.
Handle: I see that most CBKs have a have a type of curved offset handle with at least one finger groove. The finger groove I'll forgo because I really don't like them, but curved and kind of offset sounds a lot like a Nessmuk handle. Below is a picture of a custom Nessmuk of mine and it feels really good in my hand; so I was just going to steal the handle design from this knife. However, that Nessmuk is not a knife a knife I've done a lot with beyond some basic gutting, so I don't really know how this shape of handle is with continued use (as much as I'd love to get out and give it a try, and I may have to a little bit, the weather sucks right now and it a busy time with livestock birthing). I'm really just wondering if anybody prefers more basic handle shapes like those on the Kephart or Woodlore and why. I know nobody can tell me what will work for me but I'd still like to hear some general input.
Steel: this is where it starts to get really tricky. I've just had O1 on my custom knives before for no real reason other than I thought it was better than 1095. I'm not attached to it, though. I'd be very open to suggestions about why I should go with something like A2 or 51200 instead. But until then I'll just assume it will be O1, and I have a question about it.
The same Nessmuk pictured below is O1 and I asked for an RC of 59-60. My thinking was that it is a slicer so I want good edge retention, but it comes to an extremely fine edge so I don't want it to be too hard and delicate and chip when it hits bone or heaven forbid I manage to bang it into some rocks. However, I've since read that O1 isn't really any tougher at lower RCs like that, and that it's toughness/hardness peak is reached at above 60. What truth is there in this? Is O1 special like this? Or is it really pretty much the typical old "harder is brittle and softer is stronger" like any other steel I can think of? I'd really like to know the best Rockwell to specify on this custom because I wouldn't want to be compromising anything.
Blade: While I intend to make my own modifications to make the knife suit me as much as possible, I am trying to base the blade around the original Grohmann #1. But I can't find the the whole set of specs. I can't find the height of the blade (distance from edge to spine) at where the blade meets the handle and at it's widest point. If anybody has a Grohmann #1 and would like to share it's measurements that would really help me get a sense of scale.
Below is a rough sketch of what I'm thinking of so far. The Nessmuk's handle, 4 1/4" long blade, 7/8" tall at the handle and 1 1/8" tall at the highest point. Saber grind, and probably more straight edge than the original CBK which I want in this particular custom. Like I said, it's a rough sketch and I'm not an artist.
Let me know what you think and please feel free to divulge any comment on anything asked above.
