Rough Rider fixed blade

Buck does indeed list their steels' hardness on each knife description. This text was on the page for their 301 Stockman, but the same thing is shown on all of the knives with the same steel:

420HC STEEL
This is Buck's standard blade material because it approaches the wear resistance of high carbon alloys while delivering the corrosion resistance of chromium stainless steels. Add our exclusive heat-treat process and you have a very user-friendly combination of superior corrosion resistance with excellent strength for wear resistance and durability. You also have a blade that is easy to resharpen. For best performance we harden to a Rockwell hardness of Rc 58.
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I have two RR knives, both small folders. I have no way to test hardness. but I did notice when refining the factory edges (which were already quite sharp) that the sharpening effort was consistent with a reasonably hard steel. They took a very keen and refined edge and in general are good enough for what I tend to use small pocket knives for, which admittedly isn't very demanding.

If I carried them more often I might get a better feel for how long the edges hold up. I don't have any interest in doing intentional torture tests of my pocket knives. I'll leave it for the folks who enjoy that sort of thing.
 
I won but one RR a "Melon Tester" or "Toad Stabber" (it says so on the box). The pattern was popular last Spring/Summer (#1203). It's fine, but after using it will routinely see my Lansky 13" steel. My Case knives are CV and rarely have to go to either my steel or Spyderco Tri-angle "Sharpmaker".

This is my experience.
 
TsarBomba said:
I believe Steel Warrior is made by Frost, though I don't know if they use any shared supply chains or have other materials/equipment in common.
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Jim frost own the steel warrior brand ( like many other names he owns ) but I don't know if they have their own factory or not.
 
Will Power said:
All this talk of rockwell testing and edge retention, what exactly has been your experience then Capt O? Been carrying out long term tests or what? I often wonder EXACTLY what people are subjecting small pocket knives to, hours of cutting rope, wire...harvesting tough vegetables, whittling for days on end, mass castration of animals...firesticks, cutting harness leather??? I have many RR pocket-knives and they not only arrive sharper than most other knives, they certainly stay keen better than CASE or Buck knives, and neither of those are slouch performers for pocket tasks either.
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:eek: :eek: :eek:

So, Will, is D2 better than 1095 for that? :p

r redden said:
I'm confused am I on the porch or is this General Knife Discussion? :confused:
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After Will's post I was convinced this was in W&C. :D
 
Yes, D2 is better for edge retention. With proper heat treatment, 1095 is very good. It's even better with a bit of Chromium and Vanadium in the alloy (KaBar is famous for using this particular alloy). D2 Can be excellent. I have two Queen folding knives, a Zebra wood Stockman and a Stag scaled #1L "swing guard" converted to automatic. Both have D2 blades They are difficult to put an edge on, but hold one extremely well! That, friends and neighbors, is the beauty of D2 steel.
 
Captain O said:
I don't know how to break it to you, but Buck specifically states both their blade composition and the Rockwell hardness to which their steels have been tempered.

If you check their website you will discover how both transparent and precise they are. I also checked Case and asked about their blades' composition and hardness. They were more than happy to oblige me with their statistics through an electronic correspondence.

A bit of research goes a long way.
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As a moderator, I am going to warn you that you need to tone down your responses when you post in Traditional. You are right on the edge of what we consider trolling in this forum.
 
Captain O said:
Yes, D2 is better for edge retention. With proper heat treatment, 1095 is very good. It's even better with a bit of Chromium and Vanadium in the alloy (KaBar is famous for using this particular alloy). D2 Can be excellent. I have two Queen folding knives, a Zebra wood Stockman and a Stag scaled #1L "swing guard" converted to automatic. Both have D2 blades They are difficult to put an edge on, but hold one extremely well! That, friends and neighbors, is the beauty of D2 steel.
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You find sharpening difficulty to be a good thing ?
Certainly not me.
 
OOPS. Looked unsuccessfully for the Buck hardness several times in the last couple of years. It used to be easier to find, though I was certain it had not changed. I withdraw that one.

I have mixed feelings about how well Case communicates hardness measurements. I have never queried about TruSharp, but I asked about CV. I got several very nice emails in response, but at the end of the day, Case was unable to tell me the final blade hardness. All they could provide was the hardness before final tempering. So, in my personal experience, Case still has mystery hardness.
 
r redden said:
I'm confused am I on the porch or is this General Knife Discussion? :confused:
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An occasional discussion about the blade steels used in traditional knives seems within the realm of the Traditional. Not every thread has to be about aesthetics. But the discussion will remain polite and friendly.
 
Hickory n steel said:
You find sharpening difficulty to be a good thing ?
Certainly not me.
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That's the trade off with wear resistant steels like D2. Harder to sharpen=sharpen less often.
I don't know the Rockwell numbers, but certain knives (in particular old USA Schrade's carbon steel) hit a sweet spot of not too difficult to sharpen, but hold an edge well. I've found Rough Rider knives to be a pretty good balance, too.

Back to the original question in the OP, I remember reading somewhere that RR's fixed blades may not be made in the same facility as their folders, and may not be the same quality. I'm not familiar with the particular knife pictured, so I suppose it's a gamble. (but at a low enough price, how bad a beater knife could it be?) And it is kinda cool looking. :)
 
Hickory n steel said:
You find sharpening difficulty to be a good thing ?
Certainly not me.
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If it is difficult to sharpen, it usually is just as difficult to dull the edge. Believe it or not, I am having a devil of a time putting an edge on my Colonial "Quick Flick" (Model# 7001). It boasts a 440A steel at Rc58. Once it attains an edge, it tends to hold it rather well. The components are made in China, but assembled in the US of A. Colonial insisted on making a great assisted opener, with good steel. They have a right to be proud of insisting that the Chinese heat-treat their 440A very well.

Colonial has made certain that their knives will stand the test of time. The "Quick Flick" is an excellent knife for the price. It's great in country that isn't "auto friendly".
 
knarfeng said:
OOPS. Looked unsuccessfully for the Buck hardness several times in the last couple of years. It used to be easier to find, though I was certain it had not changed. I withdraw that one.

I have mixed feelings about how well Case communicates hardness measurements. I have never queried about TruSharp, but I asked about CV. I got several very nice emails in response, but at the end of the day, Case was unable to tell me the final blade hardness. All they could provide was the hardness before final tempering. So, in my personal experience, Case still has mystery hardness.
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Case once told me that their Tru Sharp Stainless was akin to 440C and was between 57-58 and their CV was 440HC with Chromium and Vanadium added to the alloy hardened to Rc 58-59. Case told me this last Spring.
 
Captain O said:
Case once told me that their Tru Sharp Stainless was akin to 440C and was between 57-58 and their CV was 440HC with Chromium and Vanadium added to the alloy hardened to Rc 58-59. Case told me this last Spring.
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The CV is known to be 1095, but with additions of Chromium and Vanadium. Similar to KaBar 1095 CroVan, but less complex, with fewer added elements than 1095 CroVan.

TruSharp is known to be 420HC. The hardness is somewhat of a mystery, but I've done side by side testing comparing it to a Buck. The Buck did enough better that I'm convinced that Case TruSharp is hardened to 55-56. It for certain sure is less than 58.
 
knarfeng said:
The CV is known to be 1095, but with additions of Chromium and Vanadium. Similar to KaBar 1095 CroVan, but less complex, with fewer added elements than 1095 CroVan.

TruSharp is known to be 420HC. The hardness is somewhat of a mystery, but I've done side by side testing comparing it to a Buck. The Buck did enough better that I'm convinced that Case TruSharp is hardened to 55-56. It for certain sure is less than 58.
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You are spot on. I had forgotten and had become confused. What you said was what Case had explained to me. I stand corrected. Please forgive me. Buck has superseded TruSharp by hardening their steel to 58Rc.

Thank you.
 
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