Slipjoints with supersteels, do they exist?

gomle

gomle

Joined
May 28, 2010
Messages
804
I have looked for slipjoints a while now. But I cant find these knives with M390 and similar. :confused:
 
That's cuz 1095, D2 and 154CM work just fine.;)
If it ain't broke.....
 
Production or custom?

BG-42 in a Queen/Dan Burke Rancher
danburkerancher.jpg


CPM-154 in a Bret Dowell swayback
bretdowellswayback3.jpg


- Christian
 
In the production arena the demand for those steels in traditional knives just isn't there. It's a different market than Spyderco, Benchmade, Kershaw, CRK, etc. There are many folks who overlap but that's still a small drop in the larger pool.

As for custom makers, I imagine there are some who'd do a knife in that steel. However, you then have to consider how much of it the maker might need to buy if it's not something they normally stock. If they can only get M390 in a sheet big enough for 20 blades but you're the only person asking them to use it then it's hard for the maker to balance that cost-wise.
 
These crazy newfangled steels, hell before ya know it they'll be putting holes in blades-on purpose!
 
comoha said:
That's cuz 1095, D2 and 154CM work just fine.;)
If it ain't broke.....
Click to expand...

You betcha. Some of the steels I like in my slipjoints just don't make the aficionados happy at all. I have an ongoing love affair with the ancient D2 thanks to Queen knives (and a couple of other non-traditionals) right now and like it as much as plain carbon. Maybe even a touch more.

Robert
 
154CM and ATS34 in the Case/Bose collaborations. 1095, 420HC, D2 seem to be the most common. The knife manufacturers of bygone days got by just fine with carbon steel, Buck and Case get by fine with 420HC.

I would like to see a bit higher end steel in a custom slipjoint though.
 
Schatt and Morgan F&Ws in ATS34
Northwoods Gladiator in S60V

Ach, there's loads in D2 by Queen and others. Fallkniven's U1 in 3G - and a ton of customs. :)

I am very much for 'em :D (though the Fallkniven is an admitted dud), and would love the world more if there were more trad patterns in good quality stainless steels. 1095 ain't everything :D:D:D

Here's a borrowed pic of a Shing slipjoint in stag and D2. What's not to like. Hard wearing and sharpenable as any carbon steel. Handsome as a leather jacket filled with cash and carkeys :)

5491652122_d9cfdc4f5f.jpg
 
Last edited:
Fallkniven U1 is killer with killer steel. Not a dud, sorry to say. Best steel I've used in a folder.
 
As stated, Buck's traditional USA knives, both folding and straight, do well with 420HC. However, there have been a slight few special runs using "super" steels. Noteworthy, especially, in 110/112s, Alpha folders and a few special run long knives. They have dabbled in 154CM, BG-42 and ATS34, again usually not in traditional folders. Recently, some non110/112 lockback Bucks have been produced in S30V and two Sandivic steels. One run of the 118 small straight skinners in D2 even.
Were I to ascertain a wild guess even about the future, the possibility of a SS traditional folder it would likely be limited to S30V or the Sandivic's.

At the moment no 300 series is outside of the 420HC world, except for the special order Buck USA Canoe sold by AG Russell.

Yes, Santa Claus I would like a S30V Warcliff blade replacing a secondary blade in 300 series stockman and jacks. But not holding my breath. A Dami clip blade would cause me to split my breeches.....

300Bucks
 
Last edited:
I noticed that Case Slimlocks are produced with BG-42. I don't have any experience with that particular steel but I just purchased a slimlock so I'll be sure to report back on how it holds up. :thumbup:
 
I posted a thread on this a while back, asking the same question. Some folks said that in some patterns the blades must be crimped in order to fit the frame, and with a really hard steel, it's not as easy or just flat out impossible. But at the end of the day, the steel in traditional knives right now is just fine.
 
Hi, My name is Frank and I'm a steel junky. I love me some high performance alloys.

Howsoever, for my traditionals I'm pretty happy with Buck 420HC, or some nice 1095. Why? Mostly because I find that for my everyday fiddly cutting, what I really want is a very sharp blade and these alloys give me that. They also remain sharp enough to last through my regular day and that's all I need.

It's true I usually carry both a traditional knife and a one-hander with a blade made of uber stahl. If I did run into a cutting job which required extreme edge retention, I'd be covered. But 99.99% of the time, I don't run into that, and my traditional knife with its traditional alloy blade does everything I need done.
 
Hi guys!

Imo Corey said already everything important.

I own some "supersteel" knives, but I don´t carry them anymore. Or very seldom. I like that carbonsteel blades with that nice patine, when no knife is equal the other. Everyone is different.

I think an ordinary carbonsteel does the same thing like a supersteel - cutting or slicing things.

I don´t know if there are custom knives made in supersteel, maybe - maybe not.

Kind regards
Andi
 
I like the coolness factor of the super steels too.But,I don't have alot of real use for them,as I never let my knives dull.I touch the blade up at the end of the day on a fine ceramic or a black compound loaded strop.I don't have the kind of job where I might appreciate the value of the added benefits of a super steel either.I admit to owning knives with a high tech alloy though.Does carrying and using my Damascus bladed Case Peanut everyday count?;):D
 
AG Russell has traditional knives in VG-10, ATS-34, and BG-42. The Case/Tony Bose knives are 154CM. Queen has a nice selection of D2 pocketknives. The Schatt & Morgan File and Wire knives are ats-34.
Then of course there are custom makers who can undoubtedly make a knife in any steel you choose.

But all of that is moot, because...

1095 is the original Supersteel. :D
 
I see very few traditional slip joints with high-end super steels. I recall a French maker using S90V, but I don't remember who. The ones I've seen appearing in the forums, very few and far between, are customs, usually special orders. But it's easy to find BG-42, S30V, VG10, and the others mentioned in the posts above.
 
KSF has some Northwoods Gladiators w/ S60v blades. Never tried it myself but I'm assuming it would be considered a 'supersteel', at least at one point in time.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top