how tough??

[hollowdweller]

Well put :thumbup:

I add "comfort of the handle in extended use" to my considerations.



Kind regards
Mick

Good point.

#2 and 6 from the left are not as good on extended use as the rest of the knives in this pic

 

[Rick Marchand]

A general consensus believes that most of the "old-timers" used thin steel for their knives, backed up by an axe. There is something that both side are missing here. The steel that we have available today is much MUCH toughter than the simple carbons used say from 1880 to 1960's. Think about 1/16th O-1. I have tested it in my shop after heat treat by bending it 45 degrees and it sprang BACK to the original shape! Then there is the 3v steel offered by crucible and it nears the toughness of s7 tool steel while exceeding d2 in edge hardness.
I have have seen 1/8 1084 heat treated in my shop hold until it reached 90 degrees. SO once again we are back to the heat treat making the knife. I would rather have a thin piece of simple carbon well heat treated than a thicker more exotic steel poorly treated...

I know this has been quoted alot... but Mark says it all...

HEAT TREAT HEAT TREAT HEAT TREAT!

Some of my first knives where prybars and responded more like axes than knives. My edges have been getting thinner and thinner and my heat treat better and better. I've been working with ABS MS, Wally Hayes since 2006 and have learned so much. Making friends and picking the brains of other top makers have boosted my knowledge by leaps and bounds.

The great steels so readily available today put everybody in the same position to make a good knife. Know your steel, know your heat treat... combine that with OA profile and proper edge geometry and you'll have a knife that lasts generations!!

I just put a 10" blade of 5160 through hell and it came out fine.... 90deg+ side flex test.... 90deg twist test, in both directions.... chopped thru (6) 2x4s and it was still shaving sharp. And I'm just a beginner!!!

 

[pitdog]

Just thought I'd mention this....A guy who spent around 3 months roaming aound the wilds of Scotland climbing all the 284 or so Munro mountains ( those over 3000ft ) carried nothing more than a Vic Classic !!!

For the most part I believe we use our knives because we want to and can do not so much because we need to, if ya follow my drift !

How many times could we not really have managed with a SAK or Mora......be honest now ?

 

[tknife]

Just thought I'd mention this....A guy who spent around 3 months roaming aound the wilds of Scotland climbing all the 284 or so Munro mountains ( those over 3000ft ) carried nothing more than a Vic Classic !!!

For the most part I believe we use our knives because we want to and can do not so much because we need to, if ya follow my drift !

How many times could we not really have managed with a SAK or Mora......be honest now ?

Okay, who is this imposter typing under pit's name?! (okay, I'll admit that you might be right)

 

[pitdog]

Okay, who is this imposter typing under pit's name?! (okay, I'll admit that you might be right)

Hey don't get me wrong you'll never catch me with just a Classic ( ok in the bath maybe ) but I fall into the " Use them because I want to and can do " camp !!!:thumbup:

 

[kgd]

Just thought I'd mention this....A guy who spent around 3 months roaming aound the wilds of Scotland climbing all the 284 or so Munro mountains ( those over 3000ft ) carried nothing more than a Vic Classic !!!

For the most part I believe we use our knives because we want to and can do not so much because we need to, if ya follow my drift !

How many times could we not really have managed with a SAK or Mora......be honest now ?

ha - trick question!!! Everyone knows that pitdog has a 7" mora!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

 

[pitdog]

ha - trick question!!! Everyone knows that pitdog has a 7" mora!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

1/4" thick !!!

 

[misanthropist]

Just thought I'd mention this....A guy who spent around 3 months roaming aound the wilds of Scotland climbing all the 284 or so Munro mountains ( those over 3000ft ) carried nothing more than a Vic Classic !!!

For the most part I believe we use our knives because we want to and can do not so much because we need to, if ya follow my drift !

How many times could we not really have managed with a SAK or Mora......be honest now ?

A year ago I would never have believed you would say this!

In fact I vaguely remember somebody saying they thought they could do everything they needed with a mora, and you telling them otherwise! (you may have been more than half joking.)

But I agree with you...there are lots of things I LIKE to do that require more than a simple cutting tool, but the vast, vast majority of what I've HAD to do could have been done with something pretty small and basic.

 

[udtjim]

The possum. No it's the original. He had to replace the handle rivets several times or the years. I think he made one new scale for it as it looks slightly different.

 

[pitdog]

A year ago I would never have believed you would say this!

In fact I vaguely remember somebody saying they thought they could do everything they needed with a mora, and you telling them otherwise! (you may have been more than half joking.)

But I agree with you...there are lots of things I LIKE to do that require more than a simple cutting tool, but the vast, vast majority of what I've HAD to do could have been done with something pretty small and basic.

Yeah you remembered correctly buddy, we live and learn eh !!!!

I still struggle over how to dispatch a fatwood stump without also carrying an axe though !!!

 

[misanthropist]

I hear you there...I would hate to be held responsible for every idea I've had about what the best way to deal with wilderness survival is!

Although I have had luck breaking up fatwood with pretty thin knives, that's definitely a tougher chore - fatwood harvesting is probably a good use for your famous Dumpster Mutt!