Traditional pocket knives and blade steel?

J

jack0458

Joined
Nov 19, 2005
Messages
13
Since around 10 years old (1969) I carried a pocket knife with 2 or 3 blades. Med. stockman pops into mind. My understanding was stainless steel blades were far less prone to rust but would not stay sharp as long as a carbon blade. But the carbon would rust unless you were diligent in caring for the blade. So Dad decided I should use stainless as he knew I wouldn't keep up with maintaining a carbon blade well. So now it's 2019 and there are lots of stainless steels out there that hold an edge better than 1095 carbon which seems to be a very popular carbon blade steel used in traditional pocket knives. In my pocket now is a GEC with 1095. I love the knife and know what to expect from the steel as far as how sharp can I get it and how long will it stay sharp compared to other steels I've used. I've used several stainless steels in the more modern knives. Spyderco for example. Heck, even Cold Steel is now using exceptional blade steels and my hat is off to them for that.

What about the traditional style knives. I'd love to have a GEC with CTS-XHP. Any thoughts or info on this? More curious than anything else. I might even be curious enough to buy one. :)

Jack
 
I would love to have one with CTS-XHP or even N690.
But I don't think GEC will introduce modern steels anytime soon.
You can take a look at LionSteels options for now.
Traditional style knives with M390.
 
Might checkout the Benchmade Proper and CRK Impinda too. The Knife-makers for sale forum often has some nice traditionals too.
 
Check out Enigma knives. I’ve got one in us2000, (similar to Cruwear) and one in m390. Titanium liners, bronze bushings, mosaic pivots, variety of covers but still very much a traditional slip joint.
 
JE made also makes "modern traditionals" using modern super steels IIRC
 
jack0458 said:
. . . pocket knife with 2 or 3 blades . . . stockman pops into mind. . . . So now it's 2019 and there are lots of stainless steels out there that hold an edge better than 1095 carbon . . . traditional pocket knives. . . . I've used several stainless steels in the more modern knives.
Cold Steel is now using exceptional blade steels
What about the traditional style knives.
Any thoughts or info on this? :)

Jack
Click to expand...
Heck yah !
One of my most recent purchases :
Cold Steel Ranchboss =
  • Large Stockman
  • Three blades
  • Blade steel is S35VN with a decent heat treat (I've used mine and it held an edge just great)
  • Very dark heavily jigged bone scales (looks are part of the reason I bought this particular knife a very handsome masculine knife)
The knife is on the surprisingly large side. Think Belt pouch.
The blades have good robust thickness steel at the pivots but thin out quickly in the cutting part of the blade; just what I wanted.
There is some bad press about finish and build of this knife but mine is very good. Nothing I can complain about and I'm pretty picky. I have #297 and that is half way through the limited run of 600. They are still readily available new.
 
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Some of the Case Bose collaborations use 154CM, but they're not exactly inexpensive.
DSC00116-X2.jpg
 
I believe that Canal Street Cutlery is back again as Canal Street Cutlery Co-op. They're supposed to be using 154CM as well as the more traditional 1095HC. LionSteel does look like a good alternative for traditional styling with modern materials. Boker uses 440C in some of their traditionals. A. G. Russell uses 8Cr13MoV as well as VG10 in their traditionals.

So there are some choices out there for traditionals with modern stainless steel blades. The steels may not be what we think of as "super steels" these days, but they're stainless and they're "tried-and-true". Makers know what to expect of them and how to treat them to get steels that are a good balance of desirable qualities for a pocket knife blade.
 
Canal Street is back, in a small way. I just learned that all of the internet gossip was incorrect. They did not close for financial reasons after all. Knifenews says, "He goes on to tell us that CSC’s original closure after more than a decade in the business was not, as many assumed, due to financial reasons. Four members of the CSC shop passed away, and the loss of their highly developed skill sets made it impossible for CSC to keep up with demand for their product. “That wealth of knowledge was irreplaceable,” Basham says. But the Co-Op format allows an even smaller team of veterans and new talent to put out knives that rival those of CSC at the top of its game. “Wally is all about quality, quality, quality. Canal Street is his baby, he’s adamant about top-notch knives.”"

CASE Tony Bose knives are available in 154 CM, and they are beautiful to behold. However, they cost as much as an average mortage payment.

The Lion Steel is sort of traditional looking, but square and uses torx. The BM Proper is not really traditional, and gets mixed reviews.
 
Take a look at the Lionsteel Shuffler or Bolus or the Viper EZ Open that Mike has at Collectorknives (contributing BF member). All three use M390. The Viper is not a true slipjoint, it has detents to hold the blade closed, half stop, and open. Mike also has the Maserin Plow, a medium-sized (between the small and large from Case) sodbuster, with a D2 blade.

If you are OK with a lockback, you can look at the Buck 501 variants that are available with CPM154 and S35VN. And even more expensive lockbacks from Moki, available with VG-10 blades in some models, and with outstanding fit and finish.
 
I bought a LionSteel Best Man (single blade version) at Blade and am quite pleased with it. As mentioned, it is M390 and 3.75" closed. I only wish they had more scale options..... the carbon fiber didn't look that great to me. Hence I went with their olive wood version and it has very nice grain in the handle. They make a two blade version, but I handled it and it felt chunky to me; so I passed on that when in fact it was my intent to purchase the two blade model.
 
I dont use a knife hard enough to have any need for a modern super steel. Plain old Case SS works fine for filleting up a bunch of pan fish for fish taco's or opening boxes around the house ... sad to say, thats about all I need in a pocket knife.
 
Queen used D2 and ATS-34 from time to time. You can still find them on the used market. Fit and finish got a little iffy there toward the end, like the last 15 years ... so you might want to inspect them before buying or make sure you can return them. They used 420HC as well, but Buck is the only manufacturer who I think does it well, and even then it's very much at the low end if you want a modern stainless. GECs old equipment gets beat up by modern steels, so don't expect anything there. I'd love to see GEC come out with a nice easy to work stainless like 14C28N, but they can't make knives as fast as they can sell them, so why would they bother?

+1 on the Ranch Boss. It's a nice one if you like them on the large side. A typical Queen, ie edges as thick as a brick and about as sharp, but I'm working on that. I have the sheepsfoot reground and howling sharp and I'm getting close on the clip. (Note - I'm really picky about my edges, I think Spydercos are ground too thick and people love to talk about how well they slice. They're much, much better when I get done with them.) At 4.25" and 4oz with square bolsters, it's right at the limit of what I like to pocket carry unless I'm wearing work pants. They can be had for less than the price of a three-blade GEC ...
 
jack0458 said:
What about the traditional style knives. I'd love to have a GEC with CTS-XHP. Any thoughts or info on this? More curious than anything else. I might even be curious enough to buy one. :)

Jack
Click to expand...
Since some have done a good job suggesting alternatives to carbon, I'll respond more to your original question.

GEC does offer a stainless line, although it is always very limited. Of their three lines, Tidioute, Northfield and GEC stainless, the latter is usually offered in 440c, but you won't find any available. It gets bought up right away.

Learning about GEC is something that takes time. The reason 90% of their products are made with 1095 is because of their equipment which is about 100years old. They say stainless is rough on their tooling.

GEC is an anomaly in today's world. I know many here, myself included, long for the day when GEC will regularly offer stainless no matter the type. There's a reason why every other knife company has switched over in the last 50 or 60 years.

That said, I think GEC is making the best traditionals out there right now.
 
Boker would be another to check. Not sure about slipjoints, but they have some lockbacks in N690. I'm carrying a Boker Scout Cronidur 30 today, might be able to find one of those as well.
 
I like 1095 carbon in a traditional knife. I think it is fine steel for a pocket knife and true to the originals. Caring for the steel takes minimal time and effort. One should maintain one’s tools anyway. S110V, CRUWEAR, and the like are really not required for pocket knives but are more for steel aficionados.
 
I usually like ATS-34 154cm or cpm154 for a higher end stainless on a traditional. It seems well traditional for a nice stainless steel
 
I have been looking at some pictures of the Lionsteel Bestman. I noticed that in all of the pictures the fit of the scales to the bolsters is very poor. For a knife in this price range, and with those wonderful materials, I think I would want something with better fit and finish.
 
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