What stainless do you recommend?

A

arijer

Joined
Jul 13, 2009
Messages
745
And Yes folks it has to be stainless :D

So here it is... I want to get a outdoors knife made that I can use hiking camping with the kids when we get a chance. But for me it also has to double as my fishing knife (read... not fillet knife). Hence none of my O1 or A2 knives have survived this ordeal (I live in Florida and fish in remote areas of panama and not so remote areas of colombia).

I want a stainless that is a bit tougher then my H1 spyderco knives. They have chipped (just a little) on me. I was thinking 440C... but I am not a steel nut yet to understand it all :D

So it will be used for the following

Making fire
Camp cooking chores
very light battoning (if you want to call it that)
Fishing (ie cutting up bait, simple food processing on the boat) this is all Saltwater fishing ( I suck at catching Largemouth Bass)

I figure 3.5 - 4 inch blade

So from your experiences guys, what would you recommend for a stainless that can hold a decent edge but stay tough? anything other then 440C?

I was actually eyeing the new Dozier loveless knives that are in CTS-40C but I know nothing of this stainless. A bit steep price point, but if it sharpens like XHP steel then it might be worth it. To me in the end the price is not important if it meets what I need and I get enjoyment out of it... if that makes sense.

Thanks for the help all:thumbup::thumbup:
 
Oh and before anyone says Fallkniven F1 in 3G :D... I have one, and its great, wonderfull and all.... I would rather pull my teeth out without aenesthesia then sharpen it up again in the field. 3G is some tough stuff to touch up.:grumpy::rolleyes:

Maybe the VG10 model?? not sure how tough it is... I have a Cold steel san mai in VG1 and it sucks. chips all the time. I figure VG10 might be worse being higher stainless? I dont own any VG10 so no experience:o
 
440C is a good steel and will serve you well. Personally I prefer AUS-8A over 440C, specially as heat treated by Cold Steel. 8A has vanadium in the steel matrix that 440C lacks, giving 8A lightly better edge retention, toughness, and abrasion resistance.
 
In my experience you can't go wrong with Fallkniven F1 w/ laminated VG10. It actually fills the bill nicely for your requirements.
Second in line would be a Bark River Gunny SS. They use 19c27 steel ( used by Swedish knife makers as well). It holds a decent edge and sharpens fairly easy for stainless.
Lastly, on the less expensive side of the spectrum (but good buy for the money) wold be the SOG Pup Elite. However, the hollow grind doesn't make it a good candidate for battoning.
 
Preacher Man said:
440C is a good steel and will serve you well. Personally I prefer AUS-8A over 440C, specially as heat treated by Cold Steel. 8A has vanadium in the steel matrix that 440C lacks, giving 8A lightly better edge retention, toughness, and abrasion resistance.
Click to expand...

Really? thanks for the input. The only AUS-8A i have is my Ontario Rat 1 folder. I love the design, I love how easy it sharpens. I hate how after three envelopes its already draggin a bit. Is CS heat treat of AUS-8A that much better?
 
Yes. The potential of a steel for cutlery use is actualized or hindered by the heat treatment. This is one of the things that sets companies like Busse and it's related companies apart. They found the perfect way to heat treat a particular steel to maximize its potential and stick to that steel. Cold Steel don't do much but design and marketing. They outsource their knives, but their 8A knives are usually done in Japan or Taiwan and the heat treat is superb. It really makes a difference. Cold Steel (well, Lynn Thompson) is very controversial and some people simply don't like them, but most agree on the quality of their 8A knives.
 
I have alot of experience with Randall 440B and its a great steel. Super strong and will not rust, I have left it in salt water and air for days without rust.
 
More often than not, the sturdiness and resistance to deformation or chipping when it comes to edges, is more about the angle of the grind and thinness/thickness in relation to the edge, than what steel is in the knife. Thickness of stock is also of importance. As a general rule however, the less carbon a knife has, the tougher it is. This also means that it will become dull more quickly. Also, if a steel is comprised of large carbides, it may become more brittle. (This means steels with larger percentage of chromium, or other carbide-forming substances.)
If you want something tough, but more easily sharpened, and you're able to sharpen it in the field... I'd recommend you to look at Buck knives in 420hc. Or other knives in aus6 or aus8, could also be good. When it comes to 440C, it depends more on the edge and such, because 440C can be a bit brittle, or suffer from deformation/chipping to the edge, as it does have larger carbides. 440A or 440B would possibly not suffer as greatly.
I'm sorry that i don't have any specific knives to recommend, but as i said, it depends on how you use your knife, how it's made, and your skill in sharpening it. As always, your mileage aswell as opinions may vary from mine.
 
An SS Mora of some sort, 12c27 steel? The thin blades would be great for fish and bait processing, and they could handle the light batonning for fire prep easily.
 
tek77 said:
In my experience you can't go wrong with Fallkniven F1 w/ laminated VG10. It actually fills the bill nicely for your requirements.
Second in line would be a Bark River Gunny SS. They use 19c27 steel ( used by Swedish knife makers as well). It holds a decent edge and sharpens fairly easy for stainless.
Lastly, on the less expensive side of the spectrum (but good buy for the money) wold be the SOG Pup Elite. However, the hollow grind doesn't make it a good candidate for battoning.
Click to expand...

What the Man said.:thumbup:
 
I also thought of the F1 as soon as I read your first post, the VG10 from Fallkniven is a well regarded blade. One thing that I read a lot on these knife forums that always seems curious to me is that folks want a steel that sharpens easily...to me that means it also dulls easily. With that said, maybe your current F1 3G would be your best choice if it holds its edge longer...just a thought :-)
 
S30V, and CM 154 have been good for me. Proven performance, much better than anything in the 440 family.

I'd have a blade smith make one for me, rather than buy commercial.
 
why not try F2(and it was on discount from Fallkniven)
Laminated VG10,

DSC07041.JPG

light survival;)
IMG_9090%20%282%29.JPG

DSC07506.JPG

DSC07496.JPG

very light battoning +
Fishing (ie cutting up bait, ) +
DSC07099.JPG

DSC07544.JPG

simple food processing on the boat:D
Making fire +
Camp cooking chores +
 
440C is a very good steel if properly heat-treated. Fortunately, it has been around long enough that the techniques used to maximize it are well understood (too bad it seems to have fallen out of fashion with all the new “super steels” that abound). Of the current crop, CPM S90V is currently my favorite "super stainless." Here's some info (and coincidently it contains a brief comparison to 440c): http://www.crucibleservice.com/eselector/prodbyapp/stainless/s90vs.html
 
Rinos,
thanks for the input, I thought of that blade, sadly i think that model of the F2 has been discontinued by Fallkniven. The new F2 is thinner and the Tang does not stick out. Not as tough i guess just for sheer thinner blade???
 
My woods knife, for a long time, was a Benchmade Rant in 440C and it's worked fine, and been straightforward to sharpen. Most of my other knives are 154CM or S30V. The S30V blades are new enough and came sharp enough, I haven't touched them. I've only had to sharpen a couple of my 154CM blades and they weren't difficult. I use a Sharpmaker.

My new woods knife is 1095, but that's not stainless, and I've not had it nearly as long to be able to report much.

SP
 
Go with the CPM S35VN or the CTS-XHP,

...both great Stainless Steels that sharpen up without much issue.


Some Bark River's in those steels:







Big Mike
 
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