What's you hunting knife steel of choice?

D

Dozer899

Joined
Sep 4, 2011
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I'm in the market for a new hunting knife as the one I have just doesn't hold an edge like I want. I had a s30v benchmade that was awesome for edge holding (for my meager knowledge). I found the RSK MK3 and like it but sounds like I'll have to go without for part of the season if I wait for them to become available. So I've been looking around at the custom's I like the blade & handle shape of the camper's I see in the custom for sale by knife makers and I am wondering if I need to wait for one in a stainless like s30v or just get a carbon.

How much better (or worse) is the edge retention of the carbon's compared to a good stainless like s30v when processing venison? I have the most issue when skinning it seems like. I'd like to be able to skin and bone out a whole deer without enough edge degradation that I need to stop and sharpen. Is it even possible with any steels available now?
 
I've never tried A2. I've fussed with 1095 and Carbon V-type alloy steel and find that they hold an edge about like AUS8, which is way less than S30V or even 440C.
 
For field dressing and skinning I use my Buck Vanaguard with the rubber handle. I'm pretty sure its 420HC.
Sharp as mother!@#$ and easy to get that way
 
I think it is more a matter of who did the heat treat along with the blade design and edge profile that makes the difference in hunting knives. I've tried quite a few models and my two current favorites are Bob Dozier's D2 and Bark River's A2. With both of these makes, I have processed three deer in one sitting (including the skinning) without resharpening, and the knife still had a useable edge at the end of the process.
 
i kind of like fallkniven's Lam VG-10 and 3G steels in hunting knives.

the 3G especially has awesome edge holding. at the cost of being a PITA to freehand sharpen if you let it get a little too dull.
 
imo unless you need stainless for wet enviroments theres any number of tougher carbon steels for hunting or survival blades. after seeing what its capable of my preference is A2 brkt.
 
My uncle skinned and butchered a 200lb white tail with a cold steel knife in AUS8 and it would still shave a few hairs after. How well you can use a knife and how well you can sharpen make for more edge retention than you would think.

I personally like 52100 ball bearing steel for its ability to hold a razor edge for a very long time. A friend borrowed my 52100 spyderco mule team last year, he dressed one deer and used it for general utility for 2 days and it hardly needed a stropping. For the intended task of cleaning, dressing, skinning, butchering, high wear steels like S30V are not top choices. A fine grain carbon steel or stainless razor steel will show highest performance because they retain actual sharpness longer.
 
52100 on an older marble. I do have a newer Phil Wilson S110V that would do really well skinning but I'd probably want something else to pop the joints just to be safe. The S110V would take a lot to dull it.
 
For me, it's 1095 CroVan.

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Beckerhead #42
 
I've got an old Buck Master Series with a BG42 alloy blade that is my absolute favorite. It takes a finer edge than S30V and holds it. It is also pretty tough considering how hard it is.
 
D-2 (Knives of Alaska) will get you through a few deer and hogs before needing a resharpen. I also use VG-10 (Fallkniven and Al Mar) and M390/20CV (Benchmade/Sog). All of which for me serve as field dressing knives that don't require resharpening during the skinning process, even on big old hogs. Pick the knife style that you want with any good steel, and you'll be happy.
 
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I use a Knives of Alaska Magnum Wolverine hunter in D2. It takes a scary sharp edge and holds it for a long time. I have cut up a lot of whitetails with it. I have an A2 M.U.S.K made by Scott Gossman that I am going to use this year. Last year I completely processed a deer with my Gossman big boar tusker and after wards gave it a light stropping and it was back to razor sharp. It is all in the heat treat. I can not tell you how many deer I processed with a Buck 110 back when we were extremely poor. It always performed. I still have and use that knife.
 
For processing, the steel matters a lot less than the blade geometry. 1095 is excellent for edge retention, but if you try to use, say, a Ka-Bar for processing, you will get terrible results. Most of the Buck fixed blades (and many of their folders too) have a blade geometry perfect for game processing, and a lot of them are pretty well priced. They aren't the best, but they are miles away from the worst.
 
thanks for the help guys. I still think I will tell the wife I "need" a nice custom but we will have to see what I actually get. have a good hunting season all!
 
Cold Kill said:
For processing, the steel matters a lot less than the blade geometry. 1095 is excellent for edge retention, but if you try to use, say, a Ka-Bar for processing, you will get terrible results. Most of the Buck fixed blades (and many of their folders too) have a blade geometry perfect for game processing, and a lot of them are pretty well priced. They aren't the best, but they are miles away from the worst.
Click to expand...

1095 ground thin in a Custom at 62-65 HRC has good edge retention for that type of work.....
 
Overall design / ergonomics together with blade geometry and a properly sharpened cutting edge matter more than steel choice. Cru Forge V is my fave, though, if given a choice.

Roger
 
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