which steel

C

cheftothestars

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Jul 28, 2009
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Which steel for general use?

Im looking at a knife with the choice of carbon steel or for some more dollars
Sandvik 12c27 steel

which one would you prefer?
 
there are two upgrades to the 12c

14c28n is the newest in the sandvik lineup and it is actually an impressive steel. Its easy to sharpen, has good edge retention and is a great all arounder for folders

1095 is basicly the standard carbon steel for general use and it is great it is so easy to sharpen it is a dream. it gets sharp easily and stays sharp for a while. 1095 can be risky you have to make sure your getting a good heat treat, especially with all carbon steels the heat treat is a big factor.

other carbon steels include 1084, 5160- which is used in larger knives and swords, and other steels in the 10 series.
 
I'd go carbon and keep a mind of a dab of oil all along. you either use more lubricant maintenance or more time sharpening.
 
Thanks for the compliment! I try to learn as much as I can about steels and most knife related things. I feel its important knowlage. Though truth be told most of my information does not come from first hand knowlage- i have yet to build a large collection of knives. I only have one knife to choose from for my edc and thats my kershaw tyrade. Most of my information comes from reviews i see and what other forumites post.

Cheftothestars, hopefully knifenut can comment on this and give you some info, he really knows a lot
 
cheftothestars said:
Which steel for general use?

Im looking at a knife with the choice of carbon steel or for some more dollars
Sandvik 12c27 steel

which one would you prefer?
Click to expand...

- if hardened to the same hardness, 1095 has better edge retention than 12C27, but it rusts if not cared for.
- 12C27 is pretty corrosion resistant and takes a fine edge with about the same effort as 1095. (note: the edge retention is an extrapolation based on my testing of 14C28N.)

You get to choose which set of properties better meets your needs.

I like both steels. Which one I carry depends on what I am doing that day.
 
Sandvik is a good performing medium carbon stainless, performs better then the carbon content would have you beleive. 1095 is the best bang for the buck in carbon steels.
Basically depends what you are after, both will cut, one will rust if not cleaned/oiled once in a while.
 
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