To those that own a Proficient or a Bushcraft

R

Ruarch

Joined
Jul 4, 2015
Messages
155
I feel like its time for me start cycling a new woods/hiking fixed blade. I am eyeing up the Proficient or a Bushcraft but I have a couple questions.

How do the steels resist corrosion? I realize it is not H1, but this knife will be subjected to repeated weeks of snow and bitter cold or humidity and woodland streams and I do not want a knife I have to baby. Yes I will be sharpening it and yes I will keep it clean but I do not want to worry about it other than that.

Blade size is also a little bit of a concern for me. I carry a minimal amount of gear so the gear I do carry does not have to be compromised. I prefer at least a 6 inch blade on my woods knife. Do any of you feel the same way and have you found the blade size on these knives to be adequate?

Handle material has me wondering as well. How well does the handle material insulate the cold? If the knife feels like I am grabbing bare metal in the middle of winter on a trap line I will probably not want to use it.

Thanks for your help. I love this forum and community.
 
The handle material isn't going to protect your hand from the bare metal tang that is exposed. Yes this will get cold and if that is a problem then you will need something with a fully covered tang. You can always insulate the handle yourself with rubber, leather, etc but if used as-is you will have bare metal exposure.

Personally I cannot vouch for the corrosion resistance of S90V but based on its alloy components and mix I think it should hold up with minimal babying. O1 steel, not so much. I prefer O1 but I live in a very dry area so I don't have the concerns you do.

I also think the blade size is more than enough, but I tend to shy away from bigger knives as I carry a pack axe and/or folding saw to do larger work. But if you really want something with a 6" blade then these knives aren't going to work for you.

I hate convincing someone not to buy a Spyderco, but based on your criteria these knives probably aren't what you need. Check out Spyderco's other fixed blades though, maybe there is something else in the lineup that would work.
 
Thank you very much for your input. I will check deeper into their fixed blades and see what I can find out. I too like Spydercos very much and would like to have one on my thigh in the woods.
 
The handle material isn't going to protect your hand from the bare metal tang that is exposed. Yes this will get cold and if that is a problem then you will need something with a fully covered tang. You can always insulate the handle yourself with rubber, leather, etc but if used as-is you will have bare metal exposure.
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Using a handle that doesn't conduct your heat away is best accomplished without having metal contact your skin. That said, a full tang handle with slabs greatly reduces the amount of metal your hand contacts and works quite well in the cold. Realistically if it is cold enough to really worry about then you should have gloves or contact gloves, the latter is just a thin glove you use for fine work when you take your heavier gloves off. In places where it gets really cold unnecessary frostbite is viewed as stupidity not being tough.
 
If you keep it under your jacket the exposed steel tang isn't really a problem. When it is cold enough to make metal sticky to touch wearing a glove is very much recommended. Both the Temperance and Serrata should also do well (the Serrata shouldn't be battoned hard, but I would do that with a S90V blade either..)

imho 6" blades are clumsier than a 4" and not large enough to be much good as choppers etc.

O1 corrodes fast if left wet. It is better with a patina, but you still need to take care of it. If it isn't exposed to salt water it isn't a big issue imho (I have a few O1 blades)

S90V, VG10 and cast 440 should all do fine except if used in sea water and not rinsed quickly.

O1 in cold conditions:
 
Don't count out the Gayle Bradley Bowie. The steel's excellent, and the corrosion resistance is there. The blade's a tad shorter than you're looking, though.
 
Jhansenak47 said:
Using a handle that doesn't conduct your heat away is best accomplished without having metal contact your skin. That said, a full tang handle with slabs greatly reduces the amount of metal your hand contacts and works quite well in the cold. Realistically if it is cold enough to really worry about then you should have gloves or contact gloves, the latter is just a thin glove you use for fine work when you take your heavier gloves off. In places where it gets really cold unnecessary frostbite is viewed as stupidity not being tough.
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In my situation gloves, well really mittens are an absolute must. This is why I don't want a handle that sucks the heat from my hand when I need to pull off my mitten and use a thin glove for what I need to do. In some situations you need the dexterity that a thin glove or, ideally, a bare hand provides. That dexterity is lost very quickly if the handle sucks the heat from your hand. Frostbite is not the issue. It is rapidly losing fine motor skills. The handle material is not a matter of life or death. But if I am going to spend that kind of cash on a knife (the Proficient anyway) I want it to check all the boxes.

Edit: what you say is very true. I am not so much worried about the small amount of tang on the skin (although in a deep freeze that might be a concern if it gets sticky cold) but more worried about the handle material itself.
 
NoFair said:
If you keep it under your jacket the exposed steel tang isn't really a problem. When it is cold enough to make metal sticky to touch wearing a glove is very much recommended. Both the Temperance and Serrata should also do well (the Serrata shouldn't be battoned hard, but I would do that with a S90V blade either..)

imho 6" blades are clumsier than a 4" and not large enough to be much good as choppers etc.

O1 corrodes fast if left wet. It is better with a patina, but you still need to take care of it. If it isn't exposed to salt water it isn't a big issue imho (I have a few O1 blades)

S90V, VG10 and cast 440 should all do fine except if used in sea water and not rinsed quickly.

O1 in cold conditions:
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I might have to give O1 a shot actually. There isn't any salt water here. Only fresh water and snow in a great abundance. Thanks!
 
Your feeling like having to baby it might seem like just simple common sense care to me but that's where people differ. The designer of the blades you are asking about answered you in this thread with a recommendation. Disregard that because he is recommending a knife designed by another person for some strange reason. :)

Personally I like the O-1 model over any of the others including the new S90V model which is one the forumites asked for and wouldn't let go even after a few years of waiting. Congratulations BTW Chris.

O-1 or S90V, either is excellent. One thing I do recommend though is realizing all knives will need maintenance and go from there figuring out which one has the best attributes you feel you need to do the jobs you require and which best will make you satisfied.Without that any purchase will probably not work out in the long run. Don't worry about corrosion unless you plan on spending a month on a raft in the pacific ocean cut off from all supplies. Carry a silicone impregnated cloth in a bag to use after washing off anything salty or corrosive. Both knives will have excellent ergonomics. Chris is known for that. I can vouch for the O-1 model personally but I don't have the new one yet.

The real Blade Forum correct answer is get them both. It's a tradition here. :)

joe
 
The Mastiff said:
Your feeling like having to baby it might seem like just simple common sense care to me but that's where people differ. The designer of the blades you are asking about answered you in this thread with a recommendation. Disregard that because he is recommending a knife designed by another person for some strange reason. :)

Personally I like the O-1 model over any of the others including the new S90V model which is one the forumites asked for and wouldn't let go even after a few years of waiting. Congratulations BTW Chris.

O-1 or S90V, either is excellent. One thing I do recommend though is realizing all knives will need maintenance and go from there figuring out which one has the best attributes you feel you need to do the jobs you require and which best will make you satisfied.Without that any purchase will probably not work out in the long run. Don't worry about corrosion unless you plan on spending a month on a raft in the pacific ocean cut off from all supplies. Carry a silicone impregnated cloth in a bag to use after washing off anything salty or corrosive. Both knives will have excellent ergonomics. Chris is known for that. I can vouch for the O-1 model personally but I don't have the new one yet.

The real Blade Forum correct answer is get them both. It's a tradition here. :)

joe
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I wish I had the means to own both and put them to the test! :) I am willing to bet they are top notch bushcrafting blades, and I will probably end up getting a Bushcraft because I do like those blades and I have no experience with O1 but I would like to try it. I think what I am not conveying correctly is that what I am doing isn't exactly "bushcrafting" in the sense of what tasks you would see a knife doing if you searched bushcrafting on Youtube. AKA if I need to dispatch an injured animal I want enough blade to make sure I can get the job done efficiently. I use knives in a way that are not considered mainstream to a lot of people.

I understand what you are saying about common sense care. When I get back I take the time to take good care of my gear. To not do that is shear folly and could get you hurt or worse. But on the flip side I want gear that requires minimal maintenance when I do not have the time to do so. If I can pound on it and it still performs then it is a keeper for me.

Thank you very much for all your help!
 
Ruarch said:
In my situation gloves, well really mittens are an absolute must. This is why I don't want a handle that sucks the heat from my hand when I need to pull off my mitten and use a thin glove for what I need to do. In some situations you need the dexterity that a thin glove or, ideally, a bare hand provides. That dexterity is lost very quickly if the handle sucks the heat from your hand. Frostbite is not the issue. It is rapidly losing fine motor skills. The handle material is not a matter of life or death. But if I am going to spend that kind of cash on a knife (the Proficient anyway) I want it to check all the boxes.

Edit: what you say is very true. I am not so much worried about the small amount of tang on the skin (although in a deep freeze that might be a concern if it gets sticky cold) but more worried about the handle material itself.
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http://www.christinedemerchant.com/carboncharacteristics.html
Because there are many variations on the theme of carbon fiber it is not possible to pinpoint exactly the thermal conductivity. Special types of Carbon Fiber have been specifically designed for high or low thermal conductivity. There are also efforts to Enhance this feature
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http://www.christinedemerchant.com/carbon_characteristics_heat_conductivity.html
Honestly, I don't know how the particular carbon fiber on the Spyderco Proficient would compare to known thermal insulators like wood or micarta. I would suspect they would most likely be less conductive than metal and more conductive than wood or micarta.
Gloves are thermal insulators so I tend to gravitate towards them as they provide a universal solution rather than solving a particular problem.
 
Posted on the Spyderco forum before I saw the same question here, and before the OP had elaborated on what he needed:

Thermal conductivity
  • G10 = 0.3W/m·K through thickness, about 1.0W/m·K along length
    Micarta = about 0.32W/m·K
    Carbon composite (approx) = 0.5 to 0.8W/m·K through thickness, 5 to 7 along length
    Wood (oak) = 0.17W/m·K
    Titanium = 22W/m·K
    Steel (O1) = 32W/m·K

So, if deep cold is an issue, you want a hidden tang with a wood handle since the exposed tang will conduct about 100 times more than the G10 scales will. ;) Sounds like you need the Puuko. Stainless blade, hidden tang. :) Reading more of the OP's needs means I am not so sure that this would be suitable.

Since the Bushcraft has been around for a long time, best to search around here, but also on Bladeforums for people's experiences. It is worth mentioning that O-1 has been the number one choice in the UK for bushcraft knives and we are not noted for a dry climate. Yes, it will rust, but a lot of outdoorsmen are willing to trade that off to get something that is tougher than stainless, easier to sharpen with less sophisticated stones and takes and holds a fine razor edge. Have a read-around, only you will know whether it sounds like something you want to try.

Personally, when I have been hiking or camping and have not been intentionally practising bushcraft (lots of wood working), or having to cook on open fires using large wood (lots of baton splitting), my knife use is greatly reduced and the Proficient would be perfect.

Blade size, again the 4" length gets a lot of support from some very well noted outdoorsmen, but if you want to do everything that you did with a 6" blade, a change in approach will be needed. If you haven't watched any of the Karamat videos featuring Mors Kochanski, I would recommend them. The Bushcraft does not fully meet his definition of a "survival" knife, unlike the Skookum, but it is a lot closer than the Proficient. I would have no hesitation about beating on the Bushcraft, but I am not so sure I would recommend it for the Proficient...thinner edge and a steel chosen for stain resistance and abrasion resistance might not be as good to resist battoning.

[video=youtube;uvlmsH0IFT4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvlmsH0IFT4[/video]

Good luck with your search!

Chris
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I second the Serrata. I've used this one in the woods and was very impressed. The more than 4-1/2" blade is all working edge. The Schempp Rock is a big one - by the specs. as I haven't carried it. Looks interesting but I would certainly want to handle it before making a commitment.

The handle/exposed tang issue I can't speak to. Never been a problem in a Maine winter for me. TO ME - I think the practical aspects of a full tang knife with composite scales overrides the cold transference issue.

Good luck with your quest.
 
Thank you all very much for your replies and input. Saving funds for a Proficient (not a Bushcraft as I previously posted as a possibility). I cant wait to try it out this winter. :D
 
I think you will like it. Mine worked well on butchering up a moose hind quarter. The only thing I don't like is the sheath insert, it can be a little annoying when you have it misaligned and have to take a second to sheath it properly.
 
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