Do you need cpm 3v steel for wood carving, and batoning?
For uk weather, do you need to consider stainless steel like elmax? Will 3v rust easily?
For uk weather, do you need to consider stainless steel like elmax? Will 3v rust easily?
O2 steel vs cpm 3v vs elmax
- Thread starter Peter Dong
- Start date
No. It is the edge hardness/tempering and thickness of the blade that matters. Plus technique.
(Why baton? Batoning is a bad practice, made the 'New Normal' only a few decades ago. Any blade/knife can brake while batoning, which can be devastating if you are far away from civilisation)
No. Take normal care of a carbon blade and you will not get excessive rusting. Discoloration yes.
No, not if 'normal' care is given. Discoloration yes. Wabi-sabi.
(Why baton? Batoning is a bad practice, made the 'New Normal' only a few decades ago. Any blade/knife can brake while batoning, which can be devastating if you are far away from civilisation)
No. Take normal care of a carbon blade and you will not get excessive rusting. Discoloration yes.
No, not if 'normal' care is given. Discoloration yes. Wabi-sabi.
I have had knives in them all , they all do what they say.
The knife I use a lot at the moment is in o2 from casstrom. It holds it edge for a good enough amount of time a d is easy to sharpen.
I found elmax also easy to sharpen.
Cpm3v takes more time for me to get a good edge
I have battoned with them all
None have rusted , the o2 has a patina tho
The knife I use a lot at the moment is in o2 from casstrom. It holds it edge for a good enough amount of time a d is easy to sharpen.
I found elmax also easy to sharpen.
Cpm3v takes more time for me to get a good edge
I have battoned with them all
None have rusted , the o2 has a patina tho
If you are looking for a knife that is good for carving and batoning then you're going to have to compromise on performance somewhere. A knife that is thick enough and long enough for prolonged batoning is going to be a bit unwieldy for detailed carving (not good practice to baton with a knife anyway unless it's stuff around thumb thickness that's safer to baton with a knife than chop with an axe).
I'd say you need an axe, and a knife like the Mora companion, a good size and shape for general camp carving and available in carbon and stainless, both excellent.
I'd say you need an axe, and a knife like the Mora companion, a good size and shape for general camp carving and available in carbon and stainless, both excellent.
OK, I'm going to jump in on the 'don't baton' discussion - It has been done for a very long time - as long as we have had enough steel to make full tang knives. I know none of the Scandinavians like batoning but they all use stick tang knifes which will break. A decent full tang of the right dimensions will not break (unless it has been very badly tempered). A knife is a tool; you choose it to suit what you want to do with it.
However, other than making basic camp tools and gadgets, I couldn't do detailed carving with my camp knife.
I like carbon steel; yes you have to look after it by wiping it dry and so on but you have to do that to your axes anyway.
However, other than making basic camp tools and gadgets, I couldn't do detailed carving with my camp knife.
I like carbon steel; yes you have to look after it by wiping it dry and so on but you have to do that to your axes anyway.
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Us Scandis are gentle on our knives, but hard on the bottle.......
One trick I was taught when young was to ( after through drying/viping) rub a your fingers through the hair, and then rub the (carbon) blade.
One major negative with the classic design of the Scandinavian knives ( carbon steel/ tang) is that eventually the tang will get weakened by rust inside the wooden handle, just inside the handle seen from the blade.
Both me and dad had that happen on knives that we used extensively while fishing.
One trick I was taught when young was to ( after through drying/viping) rub a your fingers through the hair, and then rub the (carbon) blade.
One major negative with the classic design of the Scandinavian knives ( carbon steel/ tang) is that eventually the tang will get weakened by rust inside the wooden handle, just inside the handle seen from the blade.
Both me and dad had that happen on knives that we used extensively while fishing.
I confess, my sea fishing knife is a very cheap (Norwegian) stainless steel and plastic handled knife for that very reason. Sea fishing and carbon steel do not mix well
So, to add to the response to the OP, if you intend to use the knife on or near the coast, I'd go for a stainless (corrosion resistant) knife.
+1.
I prefer carbon also ( difficult to teach an old dog new tricks) , but find todays stainless steels virtually the same as the Carbon steels.
Powder steels like the 3V are a pig to field sharpen (and hone) with a piece of glass or natural stone, so those I avoid.
did I live a cheap postage away from UK, I would get rid of all mine Fallkniven knifes, all except two.
Which I have never used.
I prefer carbon also ( difficult to teach an old dog new tricks) , but find todays stainless steels virtually the same as the Carbon steels.
Powder steels like the 3V are a pig to field sharpen (and hone) with a piece of glass or natural stone, so those I avoid.
did I live a cheap postage away from UK, I would get rid of all mine Fallkniven knifes, all except two.
Which I have never used.
This is rather an strange question, at least the first part is. "Do you need CPM3V steel for wood carving and batoning?" That is like, "Do I need a Range Rover to drive off road?" or "Do I need GoreTex to go hill walking?"...only more so. It is almost as if Peter has had someone tell him something and is looking for second opinion.
So, to answer that, whoever told you you needed 3V for carving and batoning is wrong. Sure, 3V is tough and will be stronger than some other options for batoning, but it isn't needed. Properly designed, lots of steels will work fine. Just as a poorly designed knife in 3V will neither carve nor stand up to batoning.
To me, saying "don't baton" because you might break a knife is a bit like saying "don't walk in the woods" because you could step in a hole and break a leg. There are clear benefits and a lot of risk can be mitigated by care, attention and practice.
For carving, you don't need high carbide loaded steel.
For general outdoors use in Britain, stainless is nice, but far from necessary. Higher spec stainless can be nicer than cheaper stainless, but you do have to be careful that you get what you want, and that what you want isn't unreasonable. For instance, my experience is that 12C27 is quite good, but is not as stain resistant as RWL34, but it is cheaper. Elmax has a good reputation for toughness and stain resistance, but I don't know what sort of edge it takes. S30V is good for stain resistance and has been hyped as great steel, but it soon loses its razor edge (although a coarse working edge last a long while). Hunters are often more interested in a toothy edge that will slice hide and resist blunting from abrasive wear, that does not chip when it hits bone, compared to carvers who like a smooth razor edge that can be worked to a low angle.
Chris
