Next knife - Recommendations?

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MrEd

Life Member
Feb 18, 2010
2,148
1,053
Surrey/Sussex
www.thetimechamber.co.uk
Brisa camper or an enzo if you want slightly shorter blade

You can get them in full diy blade blanks, partial diy blanks and complete knives

Full and partial diy is a good way of keeping the price down, pre milled scales - you just glue and attach the bolts then finish sand to your liking

Check brisa.fi for some ideas :)
 

C_Claycomb

Moderator staff
Mod
Oct 6, 2003
7,355
2,368
Bedfordshire
We are both on opposite ends of the scale :D

My experience of stainless is that the edge is no where near as good as a carbon blade. I always clean and strop my blade and every now and then a bit of oil on it, they get a lovely patina on them. I feel that it is just basic blade care really, unless I'm cutting up bait for sea fishing, which I have a used and abused old mora for the job. Not the stainless one though haha.
What stainless steels have you tried? Certainly for a fine polished edge, lower alloy steels with non-stainless levels of chrome take and hold an edge better. RWL34 is almost as good though, and you don't lose the edge from corrosion in the sheath or have to worry about rust pitting on a multi day canoe trip (which is where a lot of my preference has come from)
 
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Olly

Member
Feb 25, 2007
48
4
58
Co. Durham
How about a Casstrom no 10? It’s available in stainless steel and has a micarta handle option as well.
I have one with a curly birch handle and love it. The curved handle might look a bit odd but it feels great to hold...
 

Erbswurst

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 5, 2018
4,079
1,766
Berlin
I recently got the stainless Mora Garberg and I am very convinced about it.

The Lego sheath I don't understand. I will look for an open leather sheath for it or buy the closed one with the flap.

I sharpened it with a cheap sharpening stone in farmers quality and shaved myself succesful. And until now it did everything I wished to do with it.

It isn't the most beautiful knive in the world but surely one of the best and strongest survival knifes.

I prefere it over the Fjällkniven F1 which I owned a couple of years ago.
 
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punkrockcaveman

Full Member
Jan 28, 2017
1,457
1,512
yorks
What stainless steels have you tried? Certainly for a fine polished edge, lower alloy steels with non-stainless levels of chrome take and hold an edge better. RWL34 is almost as good though, and you don't lose the edge from corrosion in the sheath or have to worry about rust pitting on a multi day canoe trip (which is where a lot of my preference has come from)

It was a mora clipper, so probably what your describing, I wasn't impressed at all. When I first got into bushcraft I didn't have much money so never had the chance to play with more expensive stainless cutters, not that I have much money now :D

Since then I've made my own from files and O1 which are easy to work with so that's what I've stuck to, but that stainless mora has always stuck in my head as a bad experience.
 

C_Claycomb

Moderator staff
Mod
Oct 6, 2003
7,355
2,368
Bedfordshire
It was a mora clipper, so probably what your describing, I wasn't impressed at all. When I first got into bushcraft I didn't have much money so never had the chance to play with more expensive stainless cutters, not that I have much money now :D

Since then I've made my own from files and O1 which are easy to work with so that's what I've stuck to, but that stainless mora has always stuck in my head as a bad experience.

Mora use 12C27, which isn't a bad stainless, a lot of very experienced makers and users like it but it is a cheap steel, and only gives its best with cryo treatment (source-Alan Wood & Mike Lamprey). As treated by Mora the stated hardness range is 56-58HRC. At 58 it will be reasonable, at 56, poor. By comparison, the carbon steel version is hardened to 58-60HRC. It is quite possible that your comparison blades were quite a distance apart in hardness.

It is a shame to tar all stainless steel with the same brush based upon a sample of one. Don't discount the idea of making yourself something in a high end stainless one day. That is what I did. I have used essentially the same knife in O-1, 12C27 (cryo) and RWL34 and for general use, the RWL34 has been the winner.

This makes interesting reading.



Banzaibrothers,
Best of luck, hope you enjoy your new shiny toy...I mean...tool ;)
 
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Dougster

Bushcrafter through and through
Oct 13, 2005
5,254
238
The banks of the Deveron.
Mora use 12C27, which isn't a bad stainless, a lot of very experienced makers and users like it but it is a cheap steel, and only gives its best with cryo treatment (source-Alan Wood & Mike Lamprey). As treated by Mora the stated hardness range is 56-58HRC. At 58 it will be reasonable, at 56, poor. By comparison, the carbon steel version is hardened to 58-60HRC. It is quite possible that your comparison blades were quite a distance apart in hardness.

It is a shame to tar all stainless steel with the same brush based upon a sample of one. Don't discount the idea of making yourself something in a high end stainless one day. That is what I did. I have used essentially the same knife in O-1, 12C27 (cryo) and RWL34 and for general use, the RWL34 has been the winner.

This makes interesting reading.



Banzaibrothers,
Best of luck, hope you enjoy your new shiny toy...I mean...tool ;)

I am still using the 01 and RWL knives from you and I think I can get a slightly finer cutting edge on the 01. But in terms of workability there is little in it.

The more I try to whittle down to one knife the more I end up getting as I use them for different jobs. Also, I mean, come on.... shiny!
 

Tiley

Life Member
Oct 19, 2006
2,364
374
60
Gloucestershire
I really like the look of Lars’ knife. And the price is really good too.

Although I don't have the fixed blade version, if the lock blade Lars Falt knife is anything to go by, it'll be really good. The blade and handle shape is really functional and the steel used works really well, holding an edge but also being easy to sharpen.
 

Billy-o

Native
Apr 19, 2018
1,981
975
Canada
There's hundreds worth recommending, but a factory made knife that I like is the flatground Brisa Trapper in O1. A stainless one I like is the Fallkniven H1.

It is a shame about the state of the pound to the USdollar ... otherwise I'd say look at Gene Ingrams page, he does a few with 3 1/2" blades in 1/8" steel (A2, S30V, D2) ... each a peach. Base models in D2/micarta are $250 (£190)

The #30 Droppoint has had my attention for some time. No connection, just a smug and satisfied customer.:):)

That said, once you broach the £200 mark, any number of doors start to open in the world of British and other custom fixed blades.
 
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Erbswurst

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 5, 2018
4,079
1,766
Berlin
If I think about that a lot of people spend 150€ in trousers which only last a year of continuous use, 220£ for a knife is nothing!

;)
 

Murat_Cyp

Forager
Sep 16, 2020
191
58
41
Bristol
The only thing I can think of ticking all of your requirement boxes is Casstrom No.10 in 14C28N stainless steel.

But I am not sure if I would recommend it as I would not buy it myself because of two reasons. Firstly, I do not tend to like any knife with thickness over 3mm, unless it is a chopper or heavy duty use/abuse knife. Secondly, the hardness is of that knife is stated to be between 57-59. Whilist, I would be OK with 59, 57 is rather on the soft side for the steel and the purpose of use.

I rather suggest you to keep an eye on second-hand market and get a better knife, if you are not in rush.
 

Allans865

Full Member
Nov 17, 2016
470
196
East Kilbride
Hi,
My most recent knife purchase has been my Lionsteel M4 in M390 steel with green micarta handle.

I recommend you have a look at this knife, it is absolutely outstanding in it's edge holding capabilities and stainless qualities, and at £128, has been the best knife purchase I have ever made.

ATB,

Allan

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ianpatt

Member
Feb 26, 2013
31
13
58
Essex
I have had Ray Mears AW knives and Wilkinson Sword RM and now the Lars Felt, I can highly recommend this knife and it is easily as good as anything else I have or have had.
 

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