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Remora Steel?

RogueBowie

RogueBowie

Joined
Nov 16, 2011
Messages
2,603
I know the Remora is made of 440A, I was just wondering: Does it really lose it's edge as fast as I've heard? I was considering throwing this into the next online order I'm making (that will include a BK14) but if it doesn't hold an edge so great and I'm already ordering a BK14 is it even worth it? I thought the Remora would be a good knife to toss into a glove compartment or something along those lines just to know I have an extra blade there, but would I just be better off clicking '2' in the total box for my BK14s? Sorry to be soliciting so much purchase advice in the last few fays but so far I only own a BK2 as far as Beckers go and I want to add to my collection, but as a new homeowner and the father of a 2 year old I have to be REALLY smart with my cash lately.
 
I'm not a fan of the remora, so here is my biased opinion.
Nothing wrong with the steel.
Buy 2 BK14's.
For what it's worth.
 
Remoras are forged by Ethan Becker is the fires of Mt. Doom. Do not underestimate their power!

But what do I know...I don't own one. I would think its not meant for hard use. They were piggybacked into bigger knives for a reason. You aren't going to use a BK9 to skin a squirrel.
 
I beet the hell out of my Remora! It's a GREAT knife for it's size. It holds a decent edge, and I've had out sharp enough to shave my face. I EDC my Remora and use out for everything.

Did someone say traps? Yeah it its great for trap making and other such small camp/survival chores.

It also helps that kabar has got a pretty damn good great treat.
 
I use mine to strike a fire steel so I havnt even ever resharpened it. It catches on my thumbnail after a year, if that means anything to you...
 
I use mine every single day, One of those smith pocket sharpeners and it stays lightsaber sharp. I though it would be one of those cheap gimmiky knives at first but I was wrong, I always find more uses for the thing.

Mandatory pic

DSC_0036.jpg
 
I didn't like it, but it holds the knife well enough. I make kydex for them though.
 
I've been wanting to but time just hasn't allowed that. Plus I get more action on my leather.
 
RogueBowie said:
I know the Remora is made of 440A, I was just wondering: Does it really lose it's edge as fast as I've heard? I was considering throwing this into the next online order I'm making (that will include a BK14) but if it doesn't hold an edge so great and I'm already ordering a BK14 is it even worth it? I thought the Remora would be a good knife to toss into a glove compartment or something along those lines just to know I have an extra blade there, but would I just be better off clicking '2' in the total box for my BK14s? Sorry to be soliciting so much purchase advice in the last few fays but so far I only own a BK2 as far as Beckers go and I want to add to my collection, but as a new homeowner and the father of a 2 year old I have to be REALLY smart with my cash lately.
Click to expand...

mmm, where did you hear that it loses its edge fast? and doing what? cutting rope? skinning 12 elk? i haven't heard that.

still, it's a knife of a useful size. if it gets dull, you sharpen it. like any knife. they are not guaranteed to keep an edge forever. heck, i know people who touch up their kitchen knives EVERY single time they need it.

with the BK13 Remora, i've stropped mine on my jacket or pants a couple times if i felt i needed extra sharp, but honestly, it seems to stay as sharp as anything else.

plus, they don't cost a lot. so buy two BK14s, and a couple handfuls of BK13s and stash them everywhere you might need a handy scalpel :>
 
I think some of the early free ones that were china made had some edge holding issues but, they WERE FREE.......The Olean made Remoras are a different breed altogether.....It is true that they are not made for 'extreme" duty....It is slicy as hell and a superior pocket steak knife......I suspect it would do a trach in a heartbeat.......Think an Exacto knife that is more compact.......Scalpel not axe......As a lot of you know I am a kookrie knife knut and I was always fascinated with the useless little blades that were piggy backed on them.....This little guy is a much more useful blade..... BTW What the guys over at Alcas do not know about 440A you can easily fit into a microscopic space......I bent the edge on one during testing,while batonning through a larger than thumb sized chunk of hard maple to make a notch for a trap and got it sideways.....My dumb......I usually try to use green poplar, green hedge, willow or green bush honeysuckle for that kinda stuff.....The edge was still usable, just a bit unsightly......

All Best.....

ethan
 
Honestly, I'd Just fork over the extra $10 for a new Necker... I already have 3 minimalists for tiny blades.
 
Bladite said:
mmm, where did you hear that it loses its edge fast? and doing what? cutting rope? skinning 12 elk? i haven't heard that.

still, it's a knife of a useful size. if it gets dull, you sharpen it. like any knife. they are not guaranteed to keep an edge forever. heck, i know people who touch up their kitchen knives EVERY single time they need it.

with the BK13 Remora, i've stropped mine on my jacket or pants a couple times if i felt i needed extra sharp, but honestly, it seems to stay as sharp as anything else.

plus, they don't cost a lot. so buy two BK14s, and a couple handfuls of BK13s and stash them everywhere you might need a handy scalpel :>
Click to expand...

I read about loss of edge on these very forums. In other reviews or threads related to the Remora it seemed to be a recurring gripe (among many more praises than complaints). Just curious if it was just a few people using them wrong (hacking, etc) or if that's really the case.
 
Guess it depends on what your using it for. I tend to give mine a couple passes on a ceramic stone daily because I am using it on leather trimming or paracord stuff. I tend to think of it as a thick razor blade and it will cut the hell out of you, just ask some of my fingers.
Besides they are only like 20 fun tickets, I spend more than that on lunch.
 
Edge retention in blade steels is very subjective. Almost no other aspect of a blades performance is as affected by the power of suggestion.
If you did scientific blind tests of blades steels in actual use,you would find some shocking results in terms of folks "impressions" of how steels hold their edge vs the actual steel compostion. It's a lot like various vintages of fine wine. If something is LABELED as somehow being superior, then you will THINK it is even when it's not. It's more marketing than actually reality.

A Case in point look at this graph of the composition of AISI 440A vs Sandvic 12c27 and 420HC-

http://zknives.com/knives/steels/steelgraph.php?nm=440A,425M,420HC,12C27,AUS-6A

In almost EVERY element in the composition of those steels , 440A comes out on top. And yet, amoungst the talking heads in the knife world, 440A is thought of as being "inferior" to a "fine" European blade steel like he Sandvic or say Paul Bos treated Buck 420HC..

Well, if the steel composition is not to blame, what is? Could it be KABAR's heat treat? Not a chance in hades. They do 440A as well as Paul Bos does 420HC or the Scandinavians do their Sandvic 12C27. For example, folks sure seem to like their 440A KABAR next Generation USMC blades just fine...

To me, it's mostly all between folk's ears. 440A is a darn good all around blade steel . I'd wager that in a scientifically done blind test if the 440-A Remoras were labelled as being 154CM or ATS-34 it would "magically" hold an edge better .

IMHO,Other than obsessing over blade stock thickness, Blade steel composition is the biggest sales gimmick in the knife industry. Which is why there are so many different steels. Truly much ado about nothing. There are at least 25 Carbon and stainless alloy recipes that can make make great all around knife blades when heat treated and ground correctly. And guess what? they ALL need to be sharpened eventually.
 
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Part of me figured as much. It's like when I cook for picky people, they would've sworn they don't like to eat so-and-so ever until they didn't realize it was in what they just ate. I was just curious if the negative impressions some have about the Remora's edge retention were even founded in fact or just based off of a few people who had early, not so strong batches of the knife who have now shaped the initial impression that many other people have of the knife. I figure as long as it can hold an edge as well as a SAK or it's equivalent (and hopefully be just as easy to sharpen) that's good enough for me. I mostly want it as a hide-and-forget knife to have around in my car or bag somewhere in case of emergency. Thanks everyone for your feedback (once again, very honored to have Ethan chime in). I never meant to start this thread as an attack on the Remora or anything.
 
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