Post #440 - traditionals with stainless blades

Doug Add · Apr 30, 2012

I guess my 440th post should be about stainless steel.

I do not think either of these is 440 steel, but they are the only traditional knives I own with stainless blades (excluding all the Victorinox multi-layer knives).

Case navy blue bone Mini Copperhead and Victorinox red nylon Gardener (no extra charge for the ant walking between the Case blades!)

What stainless traditionals do you enjoy?

Peter Parker · Apr 30, 2012

I do not truely know about the Victorinox but Case is believed to be 420HC, here's one with some fantastic 440A....

Groove · Apr 30, 2012

I'm torn between SS and carbon steel, the Sandvik in my modern stuff is awesome but O1 is pretty amazing too. It's all sharp!

Cloak · Apr 30, 2012

Great idea for a thread here! I am a lurker here but I am not a fan of "patina" carbon blades, so I'd love to see some stainless steel traditionals.

Are there any companies that make traditional slipjoints in higher end stainless steel such as s30v?

Railsplitter · Apr 30, 2012

Cloak said:
Great idea for a thread here! I am a lurker here but I am not a fan of "patina" carbon blades, so I'd love to see some stainless steel traditionals.

Are there any companies that make traditional slipjoints in higher end stainless steel such as s30v?

Schatt & Morgan (Queen) has their File & Wire series in ATS-34.

The Case/Bose collaboration knives are made with 154CM. I think they used another high end steel in the past but I don't remember what it was.

A.G. Russell has the Pinched Peanut in VG10 (I think) and the Premium Scout Knife that he made in the early 2000's has a 154CM blade.

I'm sure there are others but they escape me at the moment. I don't know of any with S30V.

Doug Add · Apr 30, 2012

I used to have this Case Kinfolks Sway Back Gent, but traded it a while back. Like my Mini Copperhead, it has a stainless blade. I know there are a lot of SBJ fans here, but the pattern did not feel very comfortable to me.

Stelth · Apr 30, 2012

I only like traditionals in ss. This Tuna Valley (GEC) has 440c.

as does this Buck 701

These Schrades all sport ss, too:

jackknife · Apr 30, 2012

Doug Add said:
I guess my 440th post should be about stainless steel.

I do not think either of these is 440 steel, but they are the only traditional knives I own with stainless blades (excluding all the Victorinox multi-layer knives).

Case navy blue bone Mini Copperhead and Victorinox red nylon Gardener (no extra charge for the ant walking between the Case blades!)

What stainless traditionals do you enjoy?

Doug, that's one heck of a beautiful little mini copperhead! Almost makes me forget those other little knives I like.

Carl.

Doug Add · Apr 30, 2012

Thank you Carl, I really like it too!

Rsmith_77 · Apr 30, 2012

dont think you can go wrong with Buck's 420hc

Cloak · Apr 30, 2012

Railsplitter said:
Schatt & Morgan (Queen) has their File & Wire series in ATS-34.

The Case/Bose collaboration knives are made with 154CM. I think they used another high end steel in the past but I don't remember what it was.

A.G. Russell has the Pinched Peanut in VG10 (I think) and the Premium Scout Knife that he made in the early 2000's has a 154CM blade.

I'm sure there are others but they escape me at the moment. I don't know of any with S30V.

Thanks, Rick. I will look into those knives.

Cloak · Apr 30, 2012

Doug Add said:
I used to have this Case Kinfolks Sway Back Gent, but traded it a while back. Like my Mini Copperhead, it has a stainless blade. I know there are a lot of SBJ fans here, but the pattern did not feel very comfortable to me.

Beautiful Swayback!

Obsessed with Edges · Apr 30, 2012

Cloak said:
Thanks, Rick. I will look into those knives.

In addition to Rick's suggestions, don't forget about Queen's D2, also. Sort of on the threshold between stainless and not (~12% chromium), but effectively so. Excellent steel, although Queen usually leaves edges pretty thick on their knives, from the factory. If you're comfortable with re-bevelling D2, it's worth a look. And Queen has a full traditional line in it.

meako · Apr 30, 2012

This one is 420 Stainless /Toledo Australia.
I'd like to know where it was made. They were given out by NSWFire Brigade mid 90's.
It holds a great sharp edge. I've owned it since before I'd ever heard of Schrade LB7 or Buck 110 of which it is a copy.

meako · Apr 30, 2012

Canoe & Backpocket in Ebony.

Cloak · Apr 30, 2012

Obsessed with Edges said:
In addition to Rick's suggestions, don't forget about Queen's D2, also. Sort of on the threshold between stainless and not (~12% chromium), but effectively so. Excellent steel, although Queen usually leaves edges pretty thick on their knives, from the factory. If you're comfortable with re-bevelling D2, it's worth a look. And Queen has a full traditional line in it.

I have looked at a few Queen knives in D2. I really like the Gunstock pattern, although it seems a little bigger than what I would prefer in closed length (prefer around 3" closed). I was under the assumption that this would be the closest I could get to high end stainless on a traditional, until now.

I will most likely start off with a Case Peanut SS in either blue or amber bone, then a Swayback Jack in Chestnut to get my feet wet in the traditional world.

Edit: I just ordered an SS Case Peanut in Amber Bone :X

2Dead · Apr 30, 2012

GEC usually uses 440C in their GEC labeled knives. Here's a few
#12 Toothpicks

#23 Pioneer

#25 EZ Open Jacks

#33 Conductors

#48 Trappers being made/released now

#53 Cuban Stockman

#53 Furtaker Trapper

#61 Half Congress

#72 Lockbacks

#73 Scout Trapper

And here's another Tuna Valley

whetrock · Apr 30, 2012

Here's a couple of my favorite stainless slipjoints that are in my current EDC rotation.

Case mini Copperhead with a sky blue handle

Buck 309 Companion

Doug Add · Apr 30, 2012

meako's post reminded me of this Buck knock-off that my son has sitting on top of the chest in his bedroom, which has a stainless blade.

Humppa · May 1, 2012

There are a lot of companies out there which use good stainless steels.

420HC: Buck and Case do both good jobs on those. I have a couple of knives from both companies.

440C: Böker and F. Hartkopf (both Solingen) make great steel in 440C you should check them out. Also Hubertus and Linder use 440C which is great. To the 440C which GEC, I can say nothing at all. Haven´t even had a GEC in 440C in hand.

440: Rough Rider uses this low-end-steel, but they make it as good as it can be. I was not sure, while ordering my first RR, but the steel gets a great edge and holds it pretty long.

BTW: I don´t like stainless steel that much, but sometimes, imo it´s good having a stainless steel knife with you. Especially on the coast

Kind regards
Andi