Best knife steel for prying and toughness/hardness?

  • 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.

marcoruhland

Life Member
Apr 23, 2020
61
27
Germany
...

That one looks pretty tough though! It looks like they know how to heat treat their steels.
yes this is very important and one reason i don't buy custom knifes could work better than other yes but if not you have a 1000$ **** of steel - so industrial steel production has no (or less than 0.1%) variance and in general 3v is one the toughest blade steel

i try the coldsteel 3v-srk a (good) fällkniven clone but for me does not work (corrosion is a big problem and also edge retention) so elmax or m390 is better also better than s35vn but s35vn is better to resharp outdoor

mr
 

TLM

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Nov 16, 2019
3,092
1,624
Vantaa, Finland
This article will tell you everything you need to know about steels to make an informed decisision.
A lot of work and nice results presented in easily readable format but I bring it up again, what test method for toughness figures? No mention of temperature or thickness, there really is a big difference in plane strain or plane stress figures. Plane stress being better, meaning that if something is good in plane strain it is even better in plane stress (meaning thin), the difference can be 3*.

Edge retention and easily sharpened are somewhat contrary features, very seldom are both observed.

Also the old numbers of yield and breaking stresses are still meaningful. So far I have never seen a good knife have low yield stress steel. The one historical example to the contrary being wootz but they never took those blades up here ... nice in warm climate.
 

WittyUsername

Forager
Oct 21, 2020
168
59
38
Kent
@Billy-o did the pics of the F1 work, mate? I was chuffed to get it, they released a test run of just 56 knives (strange number), and I managed to grab one before they sold out. It’s my first convex as well, I haven’t got a clue how I’ll sharpen it. I’ll have to watch some Youtube vids first.
 

Billy-o

Native
Apr 19, 2018
1,981
975
Canada
It did, and thanks for letting us have a look at your F1x. :) It is a very interesting looking thing. With its belly and the convex/scandi grind it has some of the qualities of the H1, and that sweged point looks very useful for poking with. What do you make of the scales?
 

WittyUsername

Forager
Oct 21, 2020
168
59
38
Kent
It did, and thanks for letting us have a look at your F1x. :) It is a very interesting looking thing. With its belly and the convex/scandi grind it has some of the qualities of the H1, and that sweged point looks very useful for poking with. What do you make of the scales?

I actually find the scales uncomfortable compared to my other knives. I suppose that’s the trouble buying over the internet and not being able to feel them in a shop.

I imagine it’s not built for comfort though, so the ultra grippy scales aren’t really an issue. I’d just wear gloves with it if I was doing any serious graft.

Even though it’s Elmax, with that grind and the thickness of the blade, I think it’d take something pretty apocalyptic to chip/break it.
 

Murat_Cyp

Forager
Sep 16, 2020
191
58
41
Bristol
He described the test method in another article somewhere in his internet sire. You might want to take a look at it.
 

TLM

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Nov 16, 2019
3,092
1,624
Vantaa, Finland
He described the test method in another article somewhere in his internet sire. You might want to take a look at it.
OK, I'll have a look.

Did have a look, at least on some steels he is testing 2.5*10 mm cross sections which sounds good to me.
 
Last edited:

Murat_Cyp

Forager
Sep 16, 2020
191
58
41
Bristol
Is WD40 OK for knife maintenance? Just to stop any rusting while they’re left in their sheath?
I am using camellia oil for my carbon blades. You can also use food-grade mineral oil. But your knife will not rust in the sheath. Elmax core and outer layer in your F1X is pretty rust resistant!
 

WittyUsername

Forager
Oct 21, 2020
168
59
38
Kent
is ok like ballistol better wd40specialist but only for cleaning and after this cleaning with alcohol and water if you cut food! for preserve oxygen/ acid/ leach and electric current are the problems so put it in a large vacuum or second more practical in non rancid eatable grease

mr

Ballistol’s not expensive, I’ll buy a can of that if it’s good for knife maintenance. Cheers.
 

WittyUsername

Forager
Oct 21, 2020
168
59
38
Kent
I am using camellia oil for my carbon blades. You can also use food-grade mineral oil. But your knife will not rust in the sheath. Elmax core and outer layer in your F1X is pretty rust resistant!

Yeah I hope not. I just wouldn’t want any rust spots if I used the blade/sheath in the wet and missed some moisture before I stored it.

I’ll have a look at camellia oil and ballistol. Thanks.
 

Murat_Cyp

Forager
Sep 16, 2020
191
58
41
Bristol
Yes prolonged storage of any (excluding few) knife in a wet/moist sheath may cause rust! It is best to store the knife separately or make sure the sheath is dry. I have been storing my F1 in sheath for more than 10 years and not a single rust on it! Nevertheless my F1 never left the home :)
 

Billy-o

Native
Apr 19, 2018
1,981
975
Canada
Just for info .. a friend of mine bought a BRKT Canadian in 3V when they first appeared .. edge crumbled right off shaving a bit of bamboo. It is true, you do get brittle edges if the blade heats up when being ground, which turn out be OK when you put the edge back on. He sent it back and didn't bother checking to see if another one would be OK.
 

WittyUsername

Forager
Oct 21, 2020
168
59
38
Kent
Just for info .. a friend of mine bought a BRKT Canadian in 3V when they first appeared .. edge crumbled right off shaving a bit of bamboo. It is true, you do get brittle edges if the blade heats up when being ground, which turn out be OK when you put the edge back on. He sent it back and didn't bother checking to see if another one would be OK.

Haha, jesus. That’s a strange one.
 

Billy-o

Native
Apr 19, 2018
1,981
975
Canada
I think it is a familiar if not universal story.

Just fer example:


Though to be frank, there is as much BS as soundness out there when it comes to opinions of steel.
 

WittyUsername

Forager
Oct 21, 2020
168
59
38
Kent
I think it is a familiar if not universal story.

Just fer example:


Though to be frank, there is as much BS as soundness out there when it comes to opinions of steel.

Yeah, there will always be anomalies. From what I’ve read across several forums and youtube videos now, if you used the same size/thickness testing blanks and heat treated each steel properly, 3V would always come out as one of the toughest under test conditions, if not THE toughest.
 

Billy-o

Native
Apr 19, 2018
1,981
975
Canada
There's this word I picked up at school Haecceity ... sort of means thisness.

So, the 3V recipe and instructions for use might make it the toughest thing, but the one you get might not be, is all. And, in the past, it has been possible, by keeping an eye on reviews and reports of actual world experiences, to track who might be making the errors.
 

BCUK Shop

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

SHOP HERE