Newbie Asking For a Steer on Steels

rrcaniglia · Oct 12, 2013

My first post. Have always been fascinated by knives, but until now have not acted on that except for cheap ones. Want to change that but am overwhelmed. Have been on the internet reading and browsing maker sites for several weeks. Need some advice.

1. Where can I find a simple comparison of knife steel that compares/contrasts? I mean VG10 versus 1054; CPM 3v versus CPM 154, etc. Help. I'll put in the time, but I don't know where to look.

2. Have been told a good working knife is a moderate edge-holder because it can be sharpened easily, even with a river stone, in a pinch. Others have said get a great steel that excels in edge holding and toughness, then you won't have to do more than touch it up with a fine diamond sharpener. Need some guidance.

I've reached the point in my life where I have the money--not unlimited--to buy a few truly good knives for bush craft, hiking, camping, but I don't have the knowledge.

Thanks for any help offered.

kvtcomdo · Oct 12, 2013

Welcome.

Try here for starters:http://www.bladehq.com/cat--Steel-Types--332

Ernie1980 · Oct 12, 2013

Try here: http://zknives.com/knives/steels/steelchart.php
If you have a smart phone there is an app you can download that has more information about composition than you will ever need!
As for ease of sharpening, etc find a few that look interesting and then post here and we can share our experiences

gadunz · Oct 12, 2013

Steer(s) on steel (wheels). No persecuted Jews involved.

rrcaniglia · Oct 12, 2013

Thanks, folks. I'm off to research. And I appreciate the picture of steers and big steel. (Noticed that most of the people have a hand on their "oyster" knives?)

mrynecy · Oct 12, 2013

It's good to study up and get a working knowledge of knives before you jump in and start buying. But quite honestly, it's all about trial & error and getting the blades in your hand. most of the knives I bought early on, I've sold or traded. however, I have ~20 knives that I will keep forever.

Enjoy the journey.

darkaether · Oct 12, 2013

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=793481

1500 posts comparing steels for edge holding.

The real kicker though is that design and heat treat are just as important as what steel you choose, and sometimes even more so.

For fixed blades I would recommend looking at Fiddleback Forge, Swamp Rat, Scrapyard, ESEE, and Becker as good places to start with pretty good value.

rrcaniglia · Oct 19, 2013

Thanks, all.

Was reading about Horace Kephart. In his book on camping, he described his perfect sheath knife, which very closely describes the Dogwood Knives Kephart Redux. right down to the 1/8 inch spine. They offer it in any steel you ask for, including CPM 3V, but recommend CPM 154 because the maker knows how to work that steel and does his own heat treating to get the hardness he wants. Might be where I start.

GatorFlash1 · Oct 20, 2013

Here is some great info from Master Bladesmith Joe Talmadge. it is worth printing out or copying.

http://www.zknives.com/knives/articles/knifesteelfaq.shtml

Joe Duder · Oct 20, 2013

Choosing a steel is always a tough decision. When choosing your steel, take into consideration what exactly you're going to be doing with that particular blade. Next consider how good you are with sharpening your knives. If your a novice to sharpening blades, then you might consider staying away from some of the super steels. At least until you get better at sharpening. I hear that some of the super steels aren't very forgiving when it comes to sharpening.

I think a well heat treated 01 blades would be a good start. Fiddleback Forge was mentioned earlier in this thread and for good reason; they make excellent, hard working, aesthetically appealing blades. FF's heat treat is excellent and they stand by their work. Their blades hold an edge and are easy to touch up.

Gray Wolf Knives are excellent working knives too.

Good luck.

Sonnydaze · Oct 20, 2013

rrcaniglia said:
Thanks, all.

Was reading about Horace Kephart. In his book on camping, he described his perfect sheath knife, which very closely describes the Dogwood Knives Kephart Redux. right down to the 1/8 inch spine. They offer it in any steel you ask for, including CPM 3V, but recommend CPM 154 because the maker knows how to work that steel and does his own heat treating to get the hardness he wants. Might be where I start.

I just bought a Kephart design from Big Chris...one of our finest knifemakers here on the forum. Here is the ad with pics of the knife. Also, an excellent price.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1117852-3-32-quot-O1-Kephart
Also, for edge-retention tests (rope cutting), the finest (IMO) continually-updated review is done by Jim Ankerson. Here is a link to him, taken from our forum's "Knife Reviews and Testing" section.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...based-on-Edge-Retention-cutting-5-8-quot-rope
Good luck. It's a fun search.
Sonnydaze