New Folder - Breizh Kontell + Steel Question

M

MultipleParadox

Joined
Aug 25, 2006
Messages
61
Hi guys, been a long while away from the forums but I'm trying to make a little come back (although I'm mostly reading and not posting often), as buying a house is quite time consuming!

My parents just came back from a trip in Bretagne (Britany? in France) and brought me a "Breizh Kontell" knife, which is a "regional folder", regional because as some of you might know there's almost a knife design/type proper to almost each regions of France. The Breizh Kontell being "The Bretagne's knife"

ll in all it's a nice knife for the price (around 45-50 Euros), totally hand made, with each knives being slightly different (like the filework for instance, based on the same pattern but done differently) than the other making them "unique" in some way.

In the box came a small description of it, stating the Blade Steel's is High Carbon Z100. I've tried getting info on this steel but couldn't find anything about it. Anyone got info on this?

Will be putting photos of it shortly

Thanks!

O.
 
Here are the photos:

http://gallery.me.com/oclement#100092

The handle is made of Stainless Steel (don't remember which alloy exactly) and scales are made from Boxwood in that particular one.

I was a bit disappointed by the lack of quality in the details as some edges are a bit rough or parts weren't polished properly. Blade was awfully sharpened, barely cutting paper, more tearing it than anything. I managed to achieve a decent edge on the Sharpmaker but it took some while. Made me wondered about the steel as it seem quite hard. That might be off but it made me think of VG10 as for hardness while sharpening.

Still a nice beautiful knife in my humble opinion.

What do you think?
 
Very pretty. I have a Le Thiers in snakewood that is similarly elegant.
LeThiersscales.jpg


I know nothing about Z100 steel. Maybe it has some other name?

Greg
 
Thanks for the answers
Nice knife Greg, does the blade lock on these? How is the blade/edge?

About Z100 I just finished some more research:
Turns out this "mysterious" steel is in fact the very common (banal?) 440C. The correct appellation is Z100 CD17 as per the french norms.

Probably have been heat treated to hrc 56-58 since it seem quite stiff

Tanks for your answers again!

O.
 
MultipleParadox said:
Nice knife Greg, does the blade lock on these? How is the blade/edge?
Click to expand...

The blade doesn't actually lock but has a sort of heavy detent and extra spring tensioner that makes it much harder to close than a standard slippie.

The blade is 12 C 27, which is a Sandvik stainless, very fine grain that takes a razor edge fairly readily and wears very well. I like this steel a lot, and so does Bark River.

Greg
 
i carried one of the first generation for years
a great knife (ok, i'm britain ...)
mine had been for 2 monthes in a river and that why it seems so used
it is still in a good shape tough

DSC06485.jpg
 
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