How Long Do Blades Last?

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Wolfeye

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Apr 26, 2015
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I know there's a lot of variables to this, but how long do different blades last as far as wear & tear? I'm looking at knives, axes, and machetes. I figure knives last a long time if you use them as intended (carving & slicing). How about axes? Like if you were to be chopping to heat your home/shelter year after year?

As I understand, machetes don't necessarily last that long- but then, maybe that's due to the humidty & such in the environment they're used in? Maybe different metals would be useful? I think I remember hearing that bronze doesn't rust, it just turns green over time. Maybe a bronze machete would be a good custom idea?
 
You've asked a life time of blade and steel questions. It might help if you asked a a more narrow question like, "how long does M390 steel last?".

If you're really serious about steel then go to zknives.com...there is an app for the ZviSoft charts. Fool around with it...it's great info.

Mike
 
Wolfeye said:
How about axes? Like if you were to be chopping to heat your home/shelter year after year?
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They can last a lifetime if you use them correctly.

Research Richard Proenneke and watch the available videos on how he built his own home and the tools he used. Being a carpenter by trade he takes care of his tools and you can see his tools took care of him.

Wolfeye said:
As I understand, machetes don't necessarily last that long- but then, maybe that's due to the humidty & such in the environment they're used in?
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Correct, however, most of the steels used in 3d World Environments remain carbon steels that were recycled (generally) from old leaf springs. Once again, if you take care of the knife it will take care of you. There are members on this forum that have gone to the Amazon and documented their experience extensively showing that machetes can last a significant amount of neglect.

Wolfeye said:
Maybe different metals would be useful? I think I remember hearing that bronze doesn't rust, it just turns green over time. Maybe a bronze machete would be a good custom idea?
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Not really IMO. Steel surpasses bronze quite a bit on several aspects and bronze can become a victim to the elements. There are very corrosion resistant steels available, but they come at a cost. Given the fact that I can buy a machete for less that $5 and have it last me quite a few years, it wont break my heart if I lose it, makes an expensive machete not worth it for me. Others want something more expensive and that is fine as well. That is why you do get

So to summarize.

Any quality tool can last you a lifetime if you take care of it.
 
It really depends on how well you look after it, but ive had some of my blades for 10+ years.
 
The easy answer is..if they aren't abused, a good knife should last several generations. How many here have their grandfather's pocket knife? And those are carbon steel blades. How long will elmax last? or m390?
 
Really-High-Guy-Meme-Requires-The-Tool-Knows-As-A-Knife.jpg
 
there are generations old blades around. There are axes still in use on my parents farm that are many decades old. Of course it all depends on what they were used for and who they were treated. Some blades last a few minutes. An carpet installer's blade won't last nearly as long as say, a Japanese chef's. An EDC blade? They get lost before they wear out in most cases.
 
Blades with decent care will last much longer then you or i. I have quite a few vintage straight razors; basic carbon steel, not stainless, 100 years old give or take, (and consider how thin and fragile the profile on a razor is compared to a knife), and a bit of cleaning and honing they shave like a dream. The old handle materials often deteriorate before the steel... Now granted you see some which were completely neglected and are covered in rust, pitted and chipped beyond repair, so it definitely goes both ways... I also recently almost purchased an axe made from a local forge in the early/mid 1800's (but couldn't get the price down), the head of which was definitely still very useable, would've needed a small bit of reprofiling on the edge, had some pits and a few spots mostly surface rust, but nothing substantial, (great patina), however the wood handle was in need of replacing. Another example of a simple carbon steel more then a century old and still in useable condition.

Now consider modern stainless steels vs. Those carbon examples from yesteryear, with proper care and storage, not even being anal about it but simply wiping them after use, lightly oiled in between uses, and keeping them in relatively dry conditions, somebody could be slicing a mutated blue apple with it in the year 2263.

Steel is remarkably resilient, while also remarkably susceptible at the same time.
 
Okay, so it's more of a corrosion thing than a usage thing? See, I figured it might be something like that. I was just curious about INCH kit type of stuff, you know? I figure if you have stuff that'll work long-term, you can always use it for short-term stuff & save your cash for other stuff. Sort of like getting a reliable Subaru so that way you can afford a boat & an ATV, instead of buying truck after truck & more gas to go with it.
 
A blade can last a very long time with proper care and maintenance given the leaps and bounds we've made in metallurgy. Consider this, The Sword of Tiberius, literally 2000 years old. And while it obviously can't be used anymore, consider how poor quality the materials were compared to today. Any knife you own will outlive you and your grandchildren with proper care

tCBQAKx.jpg
 
Depends on how much they are exposed to acids, oxygen, water, etc

Bronze lasts a hell of a while since it does not flake off like iron rust

Here is a aluminium bronze sample
bronzesword8.JPG


I would assume titanium would last even longer, 0 signs of corrosion on my titanium handles
P1010084a.jpg
 
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Wolfeye said:
As I understand, machetes don't necessarily last that long- but then, maybe that's due to the humidty & such in the environment they're used in?
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If the machetes aren't lasting long then it's due to abuse and/or neglect.

Even just basic care, there is no reason they wouldn't last a lifetime ... multiple lifetimes.




Maybe different metals would be useful? I think I remember hearing that bronze doesn't rust, it just turns green over time. Maybe a bronze machete would be a good custom idea?
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Bronze is softer than steel. The edge will roll and long machete-like blades will bend under hard use.
 
I have seen machetes in the amazon that were from WWII and were used daily.
 
My grandfather ran sugar cane plantations in tje northern Argentine rainforests. Machetes were the main everyday tool for folks up there, they were used hard but also well cared for.

I've got some old machetes that still have a lot of life left in them. Some are a bit worn from sharpening (it's very soft steel), the wood handles on some had to be replaced, etc. But other than that, they still perform just fine.

I also have my great-grandfather's EDC knife, a Boker blade that has been rehandled by my grandfather in 1971, it's a simple carbon steel. It's stained, and probably narrower from sharpening over the past few decades, but still works great.
 
Wolfeye said:
Sort of like getting a reliable Subaru so that way you can afford a boat & an ATV, instead of buying truck after truck & more gas to go with it.
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Of course, the Subaru won't pull a boat or an ATV, so you end up buying a vacation home on a lake for 1/2 million or so.

...and yes, a good knife will outlast you, with reasonable EDC needs.
If the blade gets worn, most good manufacturers will replace the blade free or for little money.
 
Well, yeah- I meant keeping the boat in dock & the ATV at the cabin or wherever. Of course, a canoe is one of those things that can do a lot if you keep in good enough shape to use it.

Good to hear about the blade. Never actually wore one out, so I was curious. Same for machetes?
 
The usual reason for machetes wearing out is the frequency and intensity of use in environments prone to causing damage to the edge, such as around rocks. Individuals that wear out machetes are usually using them all day, every day, and resharpening often. The blade is eventually worn down and repurposed as a knife.
 
All depends on how much you use them. Butchers and professional chefs wear them out in a few years at most. I've seen plenty of pocketknives worn out by small fur bearing animal trappers. Machetes in Latin America are filed down to spikes in a very short period. Any knife that lasts generations wasn't used much.
 
Sidehill Gouger said:
All depends on how much you use them. Butchers and professional chefs wear them out in a few years at most. I've seen plenty of pocketknives worn out by small fur bearing animal trappers. Machetes in Latin America are filed down to spikes in a very short period. Any knife that lasts generations wasn't used much.
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They also sharpen them a lot and usually on machines which grind away metal much faster and often times overheats the steel. I have seen many ruined chefs knives, so yeah 2 years at best for a chefs knife.
 
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