Buying a knife

[shanec]

Hi everyone, i'm going to buy a Lapp Puukko knife but before i do i wanted to ask for your advice. I don't know wich to choose, Stainless Steel or Carbon Steel. I've read that carbon steel keeps an edge better and is stronger, but rusts if not cared for properly. And stainless steel doesn't rust but isnt as strong or looses its edge quicker.

First of all, is this information true? and is there any other for/against for carbon and stainless steel. And wich would you recomend, or choose for yourself. Thank you all very much

 

[dtalbot]

Any knife needs some tlc to keep it in tip top condition. Carbon steel is fine, just treat it like the friend it is. Also it will strike a good shower of sparks of a fire steel. All the fixed blades I make are carbon.
My puukko does alsorts and is as good now as it ever was with little more than a wipe off before putting it away and an occasional workover on my sharpmaker.
Though of course the Puukko is such a bargain you could buy one of each, decide which you like best then sell the other on, you will always find a buyer here or over on British Blades
Cheers
David

 

[Andy]

I never have a problem with rust and end up keeping most of my knives in the leather sheaths. I have no problem with stainless steels though. I think for cheaper knives I'd go with carbon.

 

[shanec]

Thx for your repplies, i have no problem with looking after the knife and keeping it in good condition but i was just wondering if there is any big difference apart from stainless steel not rusting, and is carbon steel stronger? And bye the way, at the moment the stainless steel and carbon steel are both at the same price £35 i have no problem with this price its not alot but i dont have alot of spare cash at the moment cus im saving so i cant really afford to buy both and sell one, i was just wondering the differences and if the differences i know are correct and if there is any more. Thanks again

Another thing, ive read the bcuk review and it sounds really good, is there any others here who have it and would recomend it?

 

[ChrisKavanaugh]

Shanec, take a look at www.ragweedforge.com If you've never owned a knife I would buy an inexpensive Mora, which has the same grind as your future puukko and buy the puukko over here later. You can learn to sharpen it properly and if it gets lost you aren't out so much money. There are more considerations to strength besides material. Tempering, the quality of the molecular grain, the blade profile and many more factors. Strength in a knife is an overdone affair anyway. These are precision cutting tools, not wrecking bars. Any operation that will break a stainless steel knife will likely break it's identical version in high carbon within % that can only be measured in a laboratory. Early rust resistant, aka stainless steels were notorious for being hard to sharpen. Todays stainless steels can be just as sharp and easy to sharpen as high carbon. A good bladesmith can take a leafspring from an old lorrie and create a family heirloom that will serve your grandchildren if cared for. You can also hand the latest wondersteel to a crosseyed tinker and get a very expensive piece of junk back. I have knives in plain vanilla 1065 carbon up to S30V stainless. They are ALL GOOD and the most humble would be treasured by people in the last remaining wild places on earth. There is one 'advantage' with a high carbon knife, happily found in Moras and some puukkos. A high carbon, high Rockwell 57+ ( Rockwell is a measurement of hardness) knife will readilly spark with a flint just like a traditional steel. A stainless knife with a properly squared edge will spark metal matches ( as will the carbon) but never with flints ( the carbon molecules in the knife are your ignition material) Again, considering your upcoming move I would hold off or practise with a Mora for now.

 

[qweeg500]

Great advice from Chris. I have a few expensive knives but I continue to use my first ever knife; my Mora Clipper, more than any other.
IMHO for bushcraft it's as good as anything, and also 'cos it's cheap I'm not afraid to put it under stress.

 

[Ahjno]

I would go for a carbon steel knife, for the simple reason it holds its edge longer / better. As you say, a downside of these knives is that they rust when not cared for properly ... Question for you: are you planning not taking care properly for your knife? If so, why not? It's your number 1 tool in bushcraft!! So you HAVE to take care for it! (Compare it with your rifle in the army: that's the first thing to maintain, after that your other kit and when you've time to spare yourself)

Only when you practice your bushcraft skills in and around salt water, for the simple reason that you life near a beach - I would go for the stainless steel ...

Hope these 2p helps

 

[shanec]

Thanks for all your repplies, espically yours Chris was a big help. Ahjno, i am gona take great care of my knife but i was just saying the downsides of each and the upsides of each i know the major problem with carbon steel is that it rusts but i see that as no problem if you look after it properly i just wonderd the big problem with stainless steel/if there is one. But i guess there really isnt that much of a difference.

Well thank you alot everyone for posting its helped me out alot im gona go search around for some resources about sharpning your knife cus i dont really know how tood it proplery

 

[Hoodoo]

I can higly recommend stainless knives. In a knife like this, cutting is more about geometry than the type of steel. If you plan on being in the field for several days or more where you anticipate lots of rain, it's hard to beat stainless. I've had lots of carbon knives rust in situations where I found it difficult to maintain the blade, especially on long backpacking trips. This happens. It doesn't mean that I don't like carbon blades. I have a pile of them. But with the quality of stainless blades out there today, I have not found any advantage of carbon over stainless and I have done all kinds of tests of slicing of rope, carving of wood, ease of sharpening, etc. Stainless will run with the big dogs.

If there's an easier blade to sharpen than a SAK, I haven't found it. And it takes a wicked shaving edge as well. SANDVIK stainless is great stuff for the field. AUS 8A is wonderful steel. If you go into the more premium stainless steels, you might find them harder to sharpen but 154CM, ATS-34, VG 10, and S30V all take a nice toothy edge and cut like mad.

Just my two cents.

 

[Biddlesby]

Could you take care of rust in wet conditions with a wipe of the blade every time, or does it take more?

I too am looking for a knife. I have never owned one, and like the Puukka very much. However, I think I shall heed Chris's advice and go for the Mora. I probably wouldn't notice the better quality of the Puukka anyway at this stage.

On that note - could somebody recommend a good supplier?

 

[RovingArcher]

I agree with the suggestion of going with a Mora. Used properly, they can be a lifelong, easy care and hard working friend.

 

[leon-1]

Allan Blade Scandi Pack Pal, is a good little knife and not massively expensive, O1 tool steel, but you may have to wait a while for one at the moment.

 

[ChrisKavanaugh]

Rust is the common name for even more common Iron Oxide. Iron loves to combine with oxygen and you just don't find nice billets lying about to make swords with, which is why ancient people who found big meteors said 'thankyou God' and made ceremonial and important tools out of them. I'm still waiting for a Playboy Bunnie to fall in my arms to get that religous. Our best, most lovingly cared for Blades want to go back to being iron oxide- the traitors. They do this with 3 elements; iron, air and water which acts as the electrolyte to facilitate this process. Pure water, or super heated water makes a poor electrolyte, which is why a good wash or dumping surgical tools in an autoclave is beneficial. But combine water with carbon dioxide, or better yet salt ( seawater, blood, sweat) or even acid rains from all our pollutants and Mother Nature is standing there with open arms to welcome her child back. You can slow things down by introducing other metals to SLOW the process. This is our so called stainless steel. Notice it's not called rustless, unless your german and call it rostfrei. I can destroy any wonder steel, given time and indifference. Other older methods are simple variations to keep that electrolyte from doing it's damage, wiping the blade dry, creating a temporary ( oil) or permanent ( paint and even stable rust formulas called bluing as in firearms and other finishes) protective layer. Some knives will even acquire a patina of a thin protective film from chemical interaction with, ie potatos. So thats it. To reduce rust, keep your knife clean and dry. This includes fingerprints from admiring friends, humidity, falling into the Clyde river or storing them away carelessly. I guarantee if conditions are bad enough the best cared for knife will rust. But by then leather and cotton are mildewing and our toes glowing in the dark. So don't feel bad if it happens. In 500 years some kid will find our Woodlore's battered remains, sell it to the British Museum, use the proceeds for a scholarship and get expelled for packing a Ray Mears the VIII's lazer