Recurve and A2 questions

[mayfly]

I have a camp knife with a 6" blade and a slight recurve. This seems to me to improve the overall cutting ability and I like it. I am thinking of commissioning a knife and working out some ideas for my ideal smaller user. I was curious to figure out what are the general pros and cons of a recurve on a smaller blade, or any blade for that matter? Why would you NOT have one? Any comments?

Also, I recently got an A2 knife, which I have used a lot over the last few weeks. It is definitely less prone to marking and holds an edge really well. But having read that this steel is not as good as 01 on a firestick, I've been trying it out and it definitely seems to produce less sparks than 01 (same stick). Why would this be? Anyone else had this experience?

Chris

 

[demographic]

About my only experience with A2 comes from it being the iron (blade to you lot) in my awfully nice Veritas block plane.

It holds a hell of an edge and this is what they have to say about A2 versus 01...

 

[stuart m]

Also, I recently got an A2 knife, which I have used a lot over the last few weeks. It is definitely less prone to marking and holds an edge really well. But having read that this steel is not as good as 01 on a firestick, I've been trying it out and it definitely seems to produce less sparks than 01 (same stick). Why would this be? Anyone else had this experience?

Chris

Hi Chris, would you say that the spines of the two blades are ground equally "square"? If it's the spines you are using...

 

[Draven]

Personally I find them more difficult to sharpen. Depending on how great the recurve I suspect this would be considerably more difficult on a small blade....

Though a recurved blade does mean that for the blade length, you get a longer cutting edge..

 

[demographic]

Personally I find them more difficult to sharpen.

Thats pretty much what that blurb from Veritas says, as I use diamond hones I don't find it a problem at all.

I am after one of their low angle jackplanes at some point and will be getting an A2 iron for it but its going to have to wait till I have a spare 160 quid

 

[mayfly]

Thanks for the feedback.
Stu: good question, I've had a careful look. Yes, I am using spines, near the handle. The A2 is a Skookum Bush Tool. The 01 is a SWC Bushy clone. I'd say both are well flat. It could be just me on the spark thing, for sure, but it seems A2 is less good with a fire stick?
Chris

 

[Shinken]

maybe the spine on the Spine on the A2 is softer?

seems a bit wierd though as A2's optimum hardness is a tad higher than 01.

send both to me and ill see if i can tell the difference, ill send you a mora in return. lol

 

[eraaij]

I have no problems geting sparks with both my A2-Skookum Bush Tool knives and a firesteel. The first one sparks marginally better, but both work well. It is not the steel. The spine is probably not as sharply angled as could be. A firesteel is so soft that you can use a number of materials to get a spark, even soft scrapers from various materials. As long as the material is and remains sharp enough.

The debate on getting sparks from steel knives is often confused. The problem of getting a spark from a knife blade at all is important in the flint & steel method of firelighting - not the firesteel method.

-Emile

 

[mayfly]

Thanks for the comments. I can instinctively see the sense in the comment that the steel should make no difference, and I can certainly get enough sparks from both to light the tinder, but I definitely noticed a difference What set me off on this was reading comments by Rod Garcia on his website about this, see here. From my playing, I think Rod is right, but I'll keep fiddling. I am going to try with a Sandvik 12C27 knife next for curiosity; and then get someone else to try for comparison. I am using the same fire stick and same tinder (tumble dryer fluff), and my technique may well be cr*p but at least it's the same each time

Chris

 

[demographic]

Thanks for the comments. I can instinctively see the sense in the comment that the steel should make no difference, and I can certainly get enough sparks from both to light the tinder, but I definitely noticed a difference What set me off on this was reading comments by Rod Garcia on his website about this, see here. From my playing, I think Rod is right, but I'll keep fiddling. I am going to try with a Sandvik 12C27 knife next for curiosity; and then get someone else to try for comparison. I am using the same fire stick and same tinder (tumble dryer fluff), and my technique may well be cr*p but at least it's the same each time

Chris

I can get great sparks off a ferro rod using a Falkniven F1 which as far as I know has stainless sides to the blade but a very square edges on the spine.