What would you choose for the field?

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99f250

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I'm looking at getting a knife for hunting and field work and from what I've read here 1095 and AUS8 are two steels that hold up well to abuse and are easy to sharpen in the field, which one is better?
 
I can't give you a lot of suggestions, but I will say that I prefer 1095. It holds a good edge and is very easy to sharpen to a good working edge on the fly.

AUS8 will probably take a finer edge, but 1095 takes a good, toothy utility edge. You don't need a field knife to be shaving sharp.

1095, though not stainless, is pretty corrosion resistant if you keep it pretty clean. If you're out cleaning game, it won't rust before you get back to camp, just wipe it down.

The knife I take on short hikes and overnight camping is an uncoated 1095 Camillus pilot survival knife and I've gone several days without wiping it down and it's only developed small spots of surface rust, nothing major (and it ALWAYS rains when I go camping).
 
1095 all the way! I love that steel for outdoors blades. Takes a great edge for wood work, and you can sharpen it on anything. If you hit something hard with it, the edge will usually roll and repair is much easier than a chip. Taking care of carbon steel in the woods is a part of being in the woods, I find sharpening around a fire to be a great expirience.
 
michaelmcgo said:
1095 all the way! I love that steel for outdoors blades. Takes a great edge for wood work, and you can sharpen it on anything. If you hit something hard with it, the edge will usually roll and repair is much easier than a chip. Taking care of carbon steel in the woods is a part of being in the woods, I find sharpening around a fire to be a great expirience.
Click to expand...

I agree with you 100%
 
Himalayan Imports also makes small straight blades. 5160, natural handle scales, can be found for $40 or less on the DOTD. The Kumar Karda and the R-series are great all around work knives.

Frank
 
If this is simply a knife to cut stuff (like cutting meat or skinning), AUS8 will give a keener edge that lasts longer. But if you plan to occasionally chop / baton firewood with it, plain carbon steel like 1095 will be tougher and less likely to chip or break.

Or, you can shell a little bit more money and get a laminated blade by Fallkniven. The edge is hard and sharp while the rest of it is tough.
 
I used to use production knives to clean animals. That sucks, I will never do that again. I thought you had to have three knives to gut and skin a deer. Now I know better. If you have a knife that you have to field sharpen, sell it.
Get a quality blade that will hold up to multiple animals. Last year I used one knife to gut, skin, break the brisket, bone and cut the meat up into steaks on 2 deer and one and a half elk, and never touched the blade up once and it still has just as sharp of an edge. My favorite skinner is the K-19 Dozier. However, any of his will do this. I don't use that one for camp chores though just because. But my KS-3 I have used on a couple of elk and a couple of deer and do all my camp chores, splitting small wood and whittling and starting fires. Still sharp.
I don't believe in field sharpening any more.
So long answer made short, Dozier D2. I have yet to chip mine,
 
For outdoor knives, I'd recommend the Buck Alaskan series sold through Cabela's. They have S30V blades with a beautiful black coating. Edge retention is great with the S30V blades, but they may be a bit more difficult to sharpen in the field.

They also come in a folder and a fixed blade. Both are very reasonably priced.
 
Truthfully, it depends on the edge geometry and heat treatment as much as the type of steel. If you compare something like an Ontario Spec Plus in 1095 to a Beretta Loveless Hunter in AUS8 then there is no question that the quality of heat treatment and edge geometry favors the Beretta by a laughably huge margin.

If, on the other hand, you are comparing 1095 on something like a RAT RC3 to the AUS8 from CRKT (if they even use one that high) or a generic manufacturer then the 1095 wins hands down.

Bottom line: there are more factors than just the steel involved.
 
1095 has served me well over the years. Great edge and snaps right back on a good stone. Keep some mineral oil on it and you will be fine.
 
Making shelters from branches and trees, chopping fire wood, anything one might need in a survival situation. My brother and I are going on a week long survivor man trek in the Talladaga nat. forest, only taking a knife, a 22rifle, flint striker and some water purification tablets, hike on a 30mile loop trail, no food or shelter.
 
Thanks for the link, going to look into one soon.
By the way I lived in Dallas for twenty years before moving back to Al. three years ago, lived in Richardson.
 
I have an Ontario RD4, from the new Ranger Series, that is made from 5160. I have not been able to get out for any camping since receiving it, but I have been using it in the kitchen to see how it would do as far as meats, vegetables, and fruits go. So far it has proved to be a great slicer and chopper. It is very thick at .25", but has a full flat grind that helps with the slicing ability.
 
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