The Maker versus the Material...

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starter17

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May 14, 2014
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First off, thanks to all the experts on this forum whose old threads and posts have been invaluable to me as I try and navigate the purchase of a new knife. I've always used a knife, but never known much about what makes a knife good or bad, beyond if it's thick enough to not break. Now I'm slowly getting a better idea of things.

So I decided 3V in a good thickness (.156" to .210") would probably make an ideal blade for how I generally use my knife. And I went looking from there. But then I found these new production blades by Zoe Crist and they look just great. Thing is, they are in 1095 steel. Which I know is a fine steel, just not a super steel like 3V.

Question is, should I care? When you knife aficionados go looking for a new blade (assuming you know the size and general shape you want), do you start by deciding on the steel and then narrow the choices down from there? Or do you compile a short list of makers and go from there? And when it comes to carbon steel, how much of "this steel vs that steel" is white noise when it comes to practical use?

Will a 4.5" blade in .174" thick 1095 at 60 HRC from a reputable maker like Crist (who seems to really know his heat-treating) be tough enough for whatever I throw at it? By that I mean hard forestry use. Some batoning, some chopping, some snap-cutting, occasional prying. No chopping concrete blocks or stabbing through old car hoods.

The Bark River Aurora in 3V seems like a good option too. But the Crist knives are just... Well, they're real pretty. Like art. And Zoe is a real nice guy. Plus I like the shapes more, although the BK would be very serviceable.

Part of me thinks I'm seduced by all this super steel stuff... I've been using my grand dad's old Marine Corps knife from the 1950s forever, and it's held up fine. Sharpens easily, doesn't chip, holds an edge well. I figure it's probably some steel closer to 1095 than 3V...

So whadya think? Stay the course with a 3V blade like I set out to? Or go for the Zoe Crist in 1095?

Thank you for for any opinions you're willing to share, sirs.
 
Different steels have different applications, and the differences between steels can be stark. Certainly, you'd notice a difference in edge retention between 1095 and 3V, but then 1095 can be sharpened in the field and 3V is likely to require diamond abrasives if it's well heat-treated.

If impact resistance is a focus, I'd vote for 3V.

Realistically, though, a knife you don't like wont get used. Properties of steels are irrelevant if the blade doesn't get taken out of the sheath. It sounds like you would feel more pride of ownership and thus joy with the 1095 blade, but the 3V is more ideal as a steel for the purpose.
 
I think the manufacturer is somewhat more important than the materials used. There's a lot more that goes into a knife than meets the eye, such as heat treatment. A knife designed to function well in role is a far better than a poorly designed knife with expensive materials.
 
When it comes to difference in steels the difference has to be good to not good. 1095 vs 3v is not like 1095 to 420. 3v is better than 1095 but 1095 is good carbon steel and makes a great knife blade especially when "put together" buy the right hands.
 
1095 has been making good quality hard use field knives (in the right hands), for a very long time...

3v is a "better" Steel in many respects, but that doesn't suddenly relegate 1095 to being "inadequate" by any means...

I say go for the one you want more, and then, the "other" one will become your new knife that you "want" more since you'll already have the first...

Give you something to look forward to, And 2 knives are better then 1.
 
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