Scotch-Brite test for blade quality

Those pads clean up a carbon blade very nicely:D:thumbup:

I wouldn't let 'em near the edge though:eek:
 
An even more extreme example of cutting an abrasive material. Asphalt roofing tiles vs a 440 MTECH 151 Bowie and an N690 Spydero Forrestor. The Forrestor has in theory the better edge retention, but it has inferior wear resistance - meaning that it takes more damage from being dragged through an abrasive material. The MTECH also sharpens twice as fast:

[video=youtube;5sbwpkW_ULE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=5sbwpkW_ULE[/video]


..So the lesson is that aren't no easy answers, and that throwing money at expensive steels is often counterproductive.

(Bit of a weird one in that the the Forrestor was originally a pretty expensive knife that got bargain binned a lot because it was so unpopular, while the MTECH is only $25 but is reckoned to be insanely good value for the money.)
 
In actually doing some roofing, I used a S125V blade one day and a 8Cr13MoV blade another, and the same thing happened, chipping versus smoothing when trimming shingles. At the end of the day, both knives were dull. But this is cutting through paper embedded with rocks, so is atypical for nearly everyone. A specialized tool would be better, and disposable blades are not a bad idea for heavy work, since damage is going to occur in any alloy. Using a cheap one and throwing it way is the next step beyond choosing an easier to resharpen steel over a more wear resistant one.

I like high wear steels for the occasions when I might need to cut longer on more typical materials. All steels dull, and they all dull quickly before the edge stabilizes with a greatly increased radius at the apex. So I go with the more wear resistant steels to maintain that colloquial "working edge" after initial sharpness loss. With diamonds and synthetic waterstones, any steel can get to hair whittling sharpness, so I pick wear resistance for all the cuts after the first one, which is when every steel loses that high initial sharpness. I'm fine with less wear resistant and lower alloyed steels as well, I see no issue in using either for folders. For fixed blades and special work, more discernment is needed, but general EDC for most can be satisfied with whatever steel is used in the knife you think looks and feels the best.
 
IMHO, D-testing is a very valid method of determining specific facts about knives.

if you want "do it all" knife for a combat scenario that might require you to dig holes in mud walls, pry with it when your life depends on it, and generally abuse it while needing it to survive and keep taking it, D-testing gives you a VERY good idea which knife is best

It doesn't tell you ANYTHING you need to know for a dedicated skinner, or an edc that is used to break down boxes and cut up your sammiches.

There are different uses for knives, and different types of testing to demonstrate suitability for those uses.
 
Using a cheap one and throwing it way is the next step beyond choosing an easier to resharpen steel over a more wear resistant one.

Hahahaha. I don't believe anyone who loves knives can throw one away; even a cheap one! I sure can't. I'll re-sharpen and re-sharpen an old cheap knife and use it for garbage tasks like cleaning wood residue from saws or cleaning solidified grass residue from mower blades. It's like a free knife! I can abuse it all I want, and the steel is soft enough to re-sharpen easily.
 
BePrepared said:
IMHO, D-testing is a very valid method of determining specific facts about knives.

if you want "do it all" knife for a combat scenario that might require you to dig holes in mud walls, pry with it when your life depends on it, and generally abuse it while needing it to survive and keep taking it, D-testing gives you a VERY good idea which knife is best

It doesn't tell you ANYTHING you need to know for a dedicated skinner, or an edc that is used to break down boxes and cut up your sammiches.

There are different uses for knives, and different types of testing to demonstrate suitability for those uses.
Click to expand...

Thanks, BePrepared. I agree, and well understand that a 10"+ blade of whatever steel can't do it all when it comes to skinning, unless you find and kill a dinosaur. It is a dilemma if you are putting together a disaster prep backpack. Weight is an issue, so I'll just have to carry an extra (skinning) knife. A tactical folder might work, but I just don't like em. I rekon that the little skeletonized Becker, BK-11 can be strapped somewhere on the pack.
 
Cutting a scotchbrite pad, as other have said is like cutting sandpaper, or trying to cut your sharpening stone with a knife... Not much validity in my world, unless I really had to, but I'd expect to have to sharpen my knife afterwards. No matter what it was made of, even if it was diamond, there'd be risk of chipping it.....

For me the appeal of "super steel" knives or even "good steel" knives is that I can do ordinary knife cutting tasks with it without having to sharpen it daily or weekly even.... I don't have a lot of spare time (being as I own and run two businesses, plus work a day job full time) to spend sharpening all the knives I own and use every week, so I'd like ones that stay sharp until I do have the time. Like when I get away on a weekend once every month or two...

Right tool for the job, add a leatherman to your EDC they are nice and compact. I carry a Juice CS4 which has scissors, plus a couple other knives.
 
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