The satisfying benefit of a "Drawer Full" of 1095...

I have knives in a variety of steels, but only one in what could be considered a modern steel - a BRKT Bravo 1.25 in CPM 3V. I absolutely love it, but have no doubt that it would have also been great in A2 for my purposes - a hard use wilderness knife. Thought I would try the 3V and see what all the fuss was about.

1095 seems very appropriate for my use (whittling and chores around the yard) of traditional folders from a performance and aesthetic perspective. Looking forward to a good patina on my new GEC #54 moose.

O
 
ATS34 is still a super steel in my book. Probably always will be. My few handmade knives are made of it. That said most of my knives are probably 1095 or 440C or 420HC or an equivalent though I've never counted.
 
I enjoy 52100 most of all, but it isn't generally available on production knives.

1095 is my everyday favorite.
 
As long as not too expensive sure :p. I like the aesthetics of traditional knives. But I like having a knife I can sharpen when I get around to it rather than needing to sharpen. Corrosion resistance is nice to have too.

Macchina said:
do you wish the latest super steels would penetrate (destroy?) our traditional world?
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Macchina said:
It's been said many times on this forum: 1095 will do just about anything you ask of it with ease but it's use on most all carbon factory traditionals puts the focus of traditionals on handle, pattern design,
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Well said Macchina.:thumbup: Thanks for starting this thread I am really enjoying it. It also is making me realize how much more I would like to learn about knives. I have spent the last few months digging into old USA knife companies history the cutlers associated with them, early collaborations with makers, their most successful patterns etc and only scratched the surface. For those that do not understand our obsession with knives just can't see beyond something used to cut with. An entire lifetime of studying these tools would never tell the whole story. Thanks again for such a great thread.
 
I generally like Stainless steels and would love some traditionals with some new steels in them.

I also have a baseline in general for user knives that is any steel that kinda sorta mimics properly treated 440c is A-OK for me.
 
r redden said:
Well said Macchina.:thumbup: Thanks for starting this thread I am really enjoying it. It also is making me realize how much more I would like to learn about knives. I have spent the last few months digging into old USA knife companies history the cutlers associated with them, early collaborations with makers, their most successful patterns etc and only scratched the surface. For those that do not understand our obsession with knives just can't see beyond something used to cut with. An entire lifetime of studying these tools would never tell the whole story. Thanks again for such a great thread.
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An interesting thing I've noticed about the old catalogs is that up until the '50's you don't see many mentions of steel at all. In the 50's you start to see mentions of stainless steel but it appears to be only offered on cheaper knives. It's not until stainless steel really takes over the knife world (I think this was just before the time of the Buck 110) that you start to see bold claims of why a certain steel makes the knife better than all others (regardless of design). Many of the claims are pure marketing and the age of selling a tool on claims instead of merit is begun.

Today we have enough varieties of extremely complex stainless to make anyone happy but the fact that plain ole carbon steel can still be so popular is really cool in my book. It works great, but just as GEC, Bose, etc. have come close to perfecting the old world way of fitting a slipjoint; today's American knife companies have also come close to perfecting the heat treat on this classic steel. This is the only trait I believe we have wholeheartedly surpassed the "old knives" we all oogle at when Primble and Charlie post them.

It's important to realize just how important to critical it is that a knife company can hit hardness on a blade to within a couple Rc points every time. We live in an age where we can really appreciate simple steels with high performance because of the precision they can be heat treated to.
 
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I have zero issue with 1095. That said, I would like to see GEC use more D2. D2 does everything I need a knife to do, and the semi-stainless nature still allows it to age without going defunct.

I love ATS-34 too, but I'm unsure if it's even made anymore.
 
Put me in the "super steel" category. I've yet to buy a GEC, but will just to try their treatment of 1095. I don't particularly care for a blade that "rusts". I don't collect knives just to have them, they're all users. I do a lot of butchering, up to a dozen deer, an elk or two, and half a dozen hogs a year. I really enjoy sharpening knives, but don't like to stop in the middle of a job. D2 with a 600 grit micro bevel doesn't let up on skinning a hog. That way, a small knife like my Queen #69 clip in D2 finds it's way to the meat pole as often as any.
I look forward to trying new blade steels, like the coming IRJ's in CPM S35VN. To make me lust for a knife though, it has to be the right size and be a single blade with good looking traditional covers, and an eye appealing pattern. Yeah!
 
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idahoguy said:
Put me in the "super steel" category. I've yet to buy a GEC, but will just to try their treatment of 1095. I don't particularly care for a blade that "rusts". I don't collect knives just to have them, they're all users. I do a lot of butchering, up to a dozen deer, an elk or two, and half a dozen hogs a year. I really enjoy sharpening knives, but don't like to stop in the middle of a job. D2 with a 600 grit micro bevel doesn't let up on skinning a hog. That way, a small knife like my Queen #69 clip in D2 finds it's way to the meat pole as often as any.
I look forward to trying new blade steels, like the coming IRJ's in CPM S30VN. To make me lust for a knife though, it has to be the right size and be a single blade with good looking traditional covers, and an eye appealing pattern. Yeah!
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Thanks for the heads up in the irj! Are all the other patterns coming out in this steel as well?
 
Primble said:
I pick my knives based on the design and handle material firstly and actually prefer them to have carbon steel blades. With just a little care and proper storage, carbon steel should outlast your lifetime. This had been proven time and again.
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This is about how I feel. I am starting to actually get more comfortable with Stainless, but I really like knives with great bone jigging and color. Give me a useful blade pattern and a comfortable platform and I'm pretty happy. I've really gravitated to the Peanut pattern and carry one most days.
 
To me carbon makes the traditional that much more satisfying and as mentioned especially with GEC's 1095!
 
My thoughts on this are probably somewhat inconsistent with the "purists" out there in traditional land. I really like traditional knives and 1095 does everything I need it to do and is easy to sharpen. The consumer grade 440 and 420HC are also fine for my uses. I do have some knives with "better" steel, but they don't necessarily wind up getting used as much as my "utilitarian" traditionals. The size of the knife has to be right for me and it needs to be competent for the job it is selected to do, but that's pretty much my criterion.

Ed J
 
Welcome back, Ed! Was starting to worry about you.

I wouldn't pay the premium for a modern steel in a traditional knife, but I do like SS for daily use.
 
cchu518... Only the IRJ that I know of is coming out in CPMS35VN. I wish it were in a pattern with a little sharper tip, but everything else about the knife is what I'm looking for. I suspect that more patterns in the future will use the steel. Choice of steels is just one more thing that makes many people bite on a new knife. Only 1095 steel is like the Henry Ford quote, "Any color's alright, as long as it's black".
 
J_Curd said:
I have zero issue with 1095. That said, I would like to see GEC use more D2. D2 does everything I need a knife to do, and the semi-stainless nature still allows it to age without going defunct.

I love ATS-34 too, but I'm unsure if it's even made anymore.
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Schatt and morgan has a few :D i have a stag barlow coming soon in ATS 34
 
Yeah, but my last few Queen products have turned me off of trying any Schatt and Morgan's.
 
For me, M390 and S110V are hard to beat, and I really like the knives I have with these steels. But for traditionals, I like good ol' 1095. Usually with a nice patina.
 
I like some of the "newer" super steels and wouldn't mind paying more for a traditional using one. I find myself carrying my GEC stainless knives more often than the 1095.
 
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