Answers and Links for Frequent Knife Related Questions

  • Hey Guest, Early bird pricing on the Summer Moot (29th July - 10th August) available until April 6th, we'd love you to come. PLEASE CLICK HERE to early bird price and get more information.

C_Claycomb

Moderator staff
Mod
Oct 6, 2003
7,355
2,368
Bedfordshire
We seem to be getting a lot of repeat questions about knives. The first thing that came to my mind was that the people asking could not be bothered to use the search function, or go look on the dedicated knife sites. On reflection though I realize that we have reached a point where searching this forum can be hit or miss, not everyone names their threads according to the content, and threads often wander a bit. Also, the dedicated knife sites offer so much information that it can be daunting.

I have started to try to pull together links and short explanations to some of the most commonly asked questions. I started, then found that it was taking a l…o…n…g time! So I am asking for some help.

First, can you think of any additional oft asked questions about edged tools, not just knives? Secondly, and much more importantly, if you can remember threads that you have found particularly informative can you post a link up on this thread? I reckon that links to good information are better than trying to write all the answers in a thread. Links don’t have to be just within this site, like the articles on Knifeart.

Is carbon steel better than stainless steel?

http://knifeart.com/steelfaqbyjo.html

http://knifeart.com/tabofdifstee.html


Types of steel
http://zknives.com/knives/articles/knifesteelfaq.shtml

This is like asking are oranges better than apples. The simple answer is no, carbon steel isn’t better or worse than stainless. The real question is whether the knife you are looking at is made of a good grade of steel and whether that steel is suited to the use you want to put it to. In general carbon steel can make stronger knives which are more shock resistant and more flexible than stainless steel, but unless you are chopping and prying with a long blade that isn’t an issue. Knives used in the kitchen, or for cleaning fish, or for hunting, or anywhere that is very damp are going to hold up better as stainless steel, but plenty of people use carbon in exactly these conditions and manage with a bit more maintenance.

Hard steel is harder to sharpen than softer steel, high alloy steel is more wear resistant than low alloy and fine grained (properly heat treated) steel is easier to sharpen than co**** grained steel. There are hard low alloy carbon steels and very hard high alloy carbon steels used in knives, there are also very high alloy very fine grained stainless steels that are fairly easy to sharpen. Modern sharpeners, diamond and ceramic, as well as Japanese water stones make light of sharpening hard steel.

For a first bushcraft knife there are more high quality carbon bladed knives than there are quality stainless knives. The Moras are excellent, inexpensive knives, there are also many traditional puukos that won’t break the bank. When you are ready for a more expensive knife you will probably not need to ask what steel is better, its mostly a matter of preference and by then you will have a better idea of what you like.



Will stainless steel work on a firesteel.
Yes. Anything that is harder than a fire steel and has a sharp edge will strike sparks. The chromium content of the steel, that which makes it stainless or not, is irrelevant.

My knife won’t cast sparks from fire steel.
There are only three things that this could be.
1. Your knife’s spine does not have sharp enough corners on the spine. Use a file or a sharpening stone to grind the spine square. You are trying to machine (mechanically cut into) the ferro rod. Its no different really from a high speed saw or grinder throwing sparks as it cuts steel.
2. Your knife’s spine is too soft. If your knife has had a differential heat treatment to give it a hard cutting edge and a soft/springy back it may not be hard enough at the spine to throw really good sparks. The Kellam Wolverine and all other Precision Tempered blades fall into this category, as might some customs that are differentially tempered or hardened.
3. Your blade has a coating. If your blade has a baked on coating, or laquer to prevent rust you will have to remove it from the area of spine you want to use for striking sparks. See No 2 above. If you want to have the knife spine bite into the ferro rod you need a hard sharp corner. No coating. Some coatings are thin enough (those on Falknivens) that they move out of the way all my themselves when the spine is applied to the rod.


What folder should I get?

A slipjoint (non locking) folder with a three inch or less blade should be the first knife that you buy. A Swiss Army Knife (SAK), more than a multi-tool, is something that you can carry every day and use for a multitude of jobs. You might want to get a knife with a better blade steel than that used in a SAK. If you want it for everyday use then the Spyderco Penknive, or one of the stockman style knives from Queen Cutlery or Cold Steel will work. Before locking knives came along slip joints were often put to fairly hard use and can accomplish surprising things.

For real bushcraft a folder will have to be treated with care, few will hold up to anything like the abuse that even a cheap fixed blade knife can take. However, most of the time, in post places in the UK, a day in the country doesn’t require more than an unobtrusive folder.


Recommend a knife
This is like recommending a car. There are LOADs of good ones to choose from. People swear by the Mora and Opinel. Kellam Wolverines and Wildfinns are excellent, as is the range carried by Tregor. Allan Blade makes good working knives, as does Bark River. There are a host of people making or assembling knives over on British Blades, let along on US sites like BladeForums.


Where can I get a blade:
Try British Blades. www.britishblades.com
Try Brisa, https://www.brisa.fi/portal/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1



How do I make a knife.
There is enough information out there in books and on the Net that you can go as deeply into the subject as you want. Here follow some links to the more useful sites that I have come across, there are doubtless many more.

Forums
www.britishblades.com
www.bladeforums.com
http://www.knifenetwork.com/forum/

Tutorials
One way of doing a hidden tang
http://www.britishblades.com/home/articles.php?action=show&showarticle=23
And another
http://www.britishblades.com/home/articles.php?action=show&showarticle=27

Here is a good tutorial by our own Klenchblaize on fitting slab handles. Entertaining AND informative :D
http://www.deerstalker.com/stalker2.htm

Nick Wheeler's tutorial for handle slabs, with photos.
http://www4.gvsu.edu/triert/cache/articles/nw1/scales1.htm

Mortice tangs. The same things can be done with files and sandpaper and sharp chisels
http://www.primosknives.com/articles/mortised_tangs/mortised_tangs_1.htm

Compendiums of articles and instructions
Bob Engnath’s site, gives step by step instructions on nearly all aspects of knife making.
http://www.engnath.com/public/manframe.htm

A little more advanced, info on making equipment too
http://www.knivesby.com/knifemaking.html

All you ever wanted to know about materials (almost)
http://ajh-knives.com/material.html


I can also thoroughly recommend Wayne Goddards books, The Wonder of Knifemaking and The $50 Knife Shop. The Barney & Loveless book How to Make Knives is also very good and shows how to make slightly better finished knives than those seen in the Goddard books (though the b/w photographs aren’t so clear).


How do I sharpen a knife?
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?p=99256&highlight=stroke#post99256

http://knifeart.com/sharfaqbyjoe.html

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=26036

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?p=11571
An excellent thread on setting up a cheap sharpening system using wet and dry paper.

Grind style / Blade Geometry
http://knifeart.com/bladgeomfaqb.html
http://knifeart.com/plainbyjoeta.html
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=364248 possibly a bit too much of a debate


Legal FAQ Courtesy of Martyn and British Blades
http://www.britishblades.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8336
 
Last edited:

happy camper

Nomad
May 28, 2005
291
2
Scotland
here's a good overview of sharpening from outdoors magazine..

:)
and a guide to properties and choices of blade steel..
 
Last edited:

spoony

Need to contact Admin...
Oct 6, 2005
1,402
12
54
tyne and wear
www.bike2hike.co.uk
i bet it was my million and one questions that helped you come up with this great idea, but on the flip side of things, asking these Qs helps us newbies get to known folk. If the answer to all my Qs were on a FAQ then i might not have ended up posting, this all helps to make a great community, and the info from posts and PMs have helped me a hell of a lot just my $0.02 worth. Good idea though,
 

andyn

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Aug 15, 2005
2,392
29
Hampshire
www.naturescraft.co.uk
Hi Chris, that is a pretty nifty effort of consolidating lots of info! :You_Rock_

One problem though! I'm now going to spend all night reading every all the info and the links and the missus is going to get really annoyed at me! :lmao:

Thanks for starting this off, and your right sometime searching the site can be a little akward and I'm sure I go straight past the info I'm looking for!
 

C_Claycomb

Moderator staff
Mod
Oct 6, 2003
7,355
2,368
Bedfordshire
Spoony, don't worry, it wasn't JUST you :D :lmao: Just you are the most recent.

I hadn't thought that people new to the forum find asking the same things over and over a useful way to participate. Not entirely sure whether its good or bad doing it that way. When I join a forum I tend to read lots, and always do loads of searches before asking anything. It takes time for people to answer and I would rather I use thier time answering something that has not been asked before than something that I could find with a bit of digging. That's just me though.

I have seen a lot of questions that I am sure someone has answered really well, but then I haven't been able to find them. If I can't, knowing roughly that they should be there, its not fair to assume that anyone else can find them. As a forum this place is great, but as a library of information its getting a little wooly :rolleyes: Hence the idea to pull some better threads together and post some good links.

Oh, and this is important, the post that I made above is REALLY rough, this is not meant to be a finished product, but a work in progress.
 

spoony

Need to contact Admin...
Oct 6, 2005
1,402
12
54
tyne and wear
www.bike2hike.co.uk
I think its a very good idea, would have saved me some posts, i did use the search, but it can be a bit sketchy, hence why your doing this, i will look forward to the finsihed piece,
 

DISCO

Member
Aug 18, 2004
20
0
SCOTLAND
Spoony If It's Any Consolation Your Question About Hollow Grind Made Me Send My First Post. So From A Positive Point You Helped Me Become An Active Poster In The Forum.as You Say It Gives You A Kind Of Excuse To Communicate With Everybody In The Forum In General, But I Also Think The Faq Is A Good Idea As A Quick Reference To Go To.
 

Callan

Member
Jan 26, 2007
10
0
30
Surrey
Two questions,

Are locking knives legal?

and

is it leagal for a under 18 to carry a knife of any sort?

Thanks

Callan
 

Goose

Need to contact Admin...
Aug 5, 2004
1,797
21
56
Widnes
www.mpowerservices.co.uk
Two questions,

Are locking knives legal?

and

is it leagal for a under 18 to carry a knife of any sort?

Thanks

Callan

Locking knives as far as the law is concerned are the same as a fixed blade, you need a reason to carry.
As far as I am aware there is no age limit to carrying knives, but advise would be to only carry if you have a reason,ie don't keep it in your pocket down the town!
 

Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,154
1,546
Cumbria
The opinel knives are locking knives but it is the rotating part on the handle that locks. If it is left in the permanent open position it does not lock. I take it that this would still fall foul of the law just like a standard locking or fixed blade knife, or if the law does not know the mechanism it will let it through as a pure folder?

Is a folder really any different from a fixed or locking blade knife in terms of the law and carrying? It is still potentially an offensive weapon. I take it this is answered in one of the numerous links given above or in numerous legal threads. Sorry.

A more pertinent question is why is one grind better than another for bushcraft? I mean as a newbie to the site and to bushcraft I don't understand why a convex scandi cring is so much better than a double bevel concave ground spearpoint knife (made up knife grind/shape to elaborate my point)? If theya re both sharp and cut then surely they can work as a suitable knife. :D
 

C_Claycomb

Moderator staff
Mod
Oct 6, 2003
7,355
2,368
Bedfordshire
Paul, I think you've missed the point of FAQ threads, and having some threads permanently afixed to the start of the Edged Tools forum. :D

Have you read this one on the legal stuff?
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8233
Although Melonfish has answered it more briefly.

As for the grinds, check this thread...
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13472
Or, you can just buy a 3mm max thickness blade of flat, scandi or convex grind and know you have something that will work alright.
 
I

ian2000

Guest
hi all anyone know were the tenplate for the file knife is seen it somewere but cant find it now going to have a go gest like to have it for the shape ta
 

leon-1

Full Member
Note to mods, a fair number of the links in the first post are no longer valid.
http://www.brisa.fi/start3.html has no 'start3.html' page.
The britishblades sites seems to have moved and a lot of those links are now all showing 404 errors. i.e. http://www.britishblades.com/home/articles.php?action=show&showarticle=23

The brisa link has been sorted, we'll have a chat with Martyn about the BB related links and update them, thanks for bringing this to our attention.:)
 

BCUK Shop

We have a a number of knives, T-Shirts and other items for sale.

SHOP HERE