Looking for knowledge

herisson said:
Muskrat ? Go A.G. Russell ! Might be a tad pricier but there's some value ! I will look them up on the computer thanks
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There are tons of other no nonsense knives built with quality materials (on A.G Russell) that can match your research and intended use. Enjoy !
 
That's a good looking Mushrat. I wish I could find a one with the
herisson said:
There are tons of other no nonsense knives built with quality materials (on A.G Russell) that can match your research and intended use. Enjoy !
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I'll keep looking. To find a Mushrat pattern knife with blades the size of a large Trapper with good steel would be a dream come true. Thanks folks. Roger
 
A Muskrat with Trapper sized blades ? Hmmm... this is not an easy one. Do not obsess about the "good steel". Take a look at Rough Rider : very good finish, classic patterns, all good stuff. I think they mainly use 440 A which is very stainless but not that good at edge holding (but very easy to sharpen...). So, here you have to check where you stand : staying over weeks in the wilderness or strolling around in your backwoods...
 
herisson said:
A Muskrat with Trapper sized blades ? Hmmm... this is not an easy one. Do not obsess about the "good steel". Take a look at Rough Rider : very good finish, classic patterns, all good stuff. I think they mainly use 440 A which is very stainless but not that good at edge holding (but very easy to sharpen...). So, here you have to check where you stand : staying over weeks in the wilderness or strolling around in your backwoods...
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Sometimes this spring I'll be going to the smoke mountains and there's a knife shop up there. I plan on spending a few hours looking . kind of like a kid in a candy store.
 
skyhorse said:
Many people will argue that 420HC and 440A are poor quality stainless steel yet this steel is used by some of the major knife manufacturers, worldwide including respected USA makers. Both steels are also required by many Government contracts including NATO and the U.S. Military..
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Amen to that, for user, I think it all boils down to value and purpose.
 
Knowing the specific steel is only the beginning. Was it treated well during the manufacturing process? Was it hardened properly?

I keep it simple. I buy from good American companies. I sharpen and use the knives, if I found one that did not hold an edge I’d send it back.

Don’t over think it.

For me and my purposes:
True stainless is for display knives, Carbon steel is for real users. Buck does a nice job of riding the fine line between the two.
 
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Steel that is easy to sharpen, easy to maintain the ledge and not that durable for edge holding are fine with me.
It's not that often that I am terrible far away from a stone, ceramic coffee cup bottom, top of a car door or something else that I can drag my blade across to touch up the edge. As long as you do not let it get too dull and stay on top of it - the knife remains serviceable.

So called super steels, OTOH, may be good for an extended big game hunting trip in a spike camp or come other situation where you really need the edge to stay sharp for a long time without the ability, accoutrements or willingness to maintain the edge but boy oh boy - wait until you need to sharpen those super steels; they can be a workout ... at least im my admittedly limited experience.

Excuse me while I drag my Cold steel 4116 Pro Lite along the bottom of my coffee cup ... OK, all done - gunna slice paper again!
 
Frost doesn’t only sell junk. The brands the op bought are Frost’s higher end traditional knives. Frost owns the Hen & Rooster brand too. Most of those brands are still made in Germany and are clearly marked.
On the lower end for traditional patterns they have the Steel Warrior brand which is similar to Rough Rider and probably made in the same factory.
I’m not saying Frost doesn’t sell tons of junk knives, they do, but telling the op he bought junk is not true. The knives he bought use the same types of steel as most competitor’s brands including Case. For a traditional knife the steel is fine.
 
This is fascinating. I have never seen so much support for Frost. While we are at it, which gun manufacturer's knives, besides H&K, might be good? Uzi used to brand some.
 
I would love to see what CZ might do for a knife. The tools that used to come with their motorcycles were terrific. Even better were the drawings in case you wanted to fabricate the special shop tools. How about blueprints for a no-nonsense utility/field knife. Just take them to your local machine shop.

BTW, the Glock field knife seems to be well regarded. I don’t want one, any more than I want one of their guns, but it should be mentioned.
 
Frost Cutlery knives are actually fairly decent considering the price point and should serve you well for an edc knife. As others have pointed out, when a blade steel is labeled 440, that usually means 440a. This steel has decent corrosion resistance, toughness, and easily takes a really good edge but lacks in edge retention.
 
Not too long ago I made a thread about worst quality knives people had the priviledge to experience.

Frost Cutlery was mentioned there really often.
Now, this does not mean all their products are POS. But it does show me how just few bad products can ruin company's reputation.
 
Today I had the chance to sit in a Dr. office for about 3 and a half hours so I dug my phone out and started more reserce on knives and steel. It looks like the 440C is recomened by many different co. for knives. As far as Rochwell hardness there's really not too much difference between it and many of the so call better quality steels. I may just have a better knife than I thought. Time and the squirrels will tell.
 
Looks like I've decided to try a Broker fixed blade with 440C steel and stag handle for deer hunting. It was made in Argentina so I'm hoping it's as good as the ones from Germany. anyway I'll give it a try.
 
A solid choice in my opinion. I used to like the Böker Arbolito offer. Interesting patterns, good steels, nice handle materials. Be sure to post a picture when you get your knife !
 
It was the Arbolito model 545. I wish I could post a photo but haven't got that good with the computer yet. Anyway it's suppose to be at the post office today.
 
I recieved this knife today and it does look good. I've been on the Boker web site to find out if the handles was plastic or stag and according to what I read they are stag which is what I wanted. It came with the manufacturers edge which is fairly sharp but I will hone it a razors edge on a 25 degree angle . I'll know more about it come November when deer season opens and I get to use it.
 
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