best steel

**smokelessfire** · 07-27-2008, 09:53 AM

what is the best steel, is it 440? if not, how good is 440? i have an old hunting knife with 440 and i haven't seen any in the stores lately, it's all 420 and other stuff.

**Sarge47** · 07-27-2008, 12:29 PM

...you just opened. There are all kinds of different types of steel. Many moons ago I did a series of posts on the differentt types of knife steel used & the properties that make them unique. Knife steel is not only about the type of steel used, but how it is tempered/treated in the heating process. Buck knives, for example, use a "high carbon" 420 steel that is just as good as 440.
Ka-bar uses 1095 carbon steel (which can rust easily & is best used in "dry" climates) in a lot of their fighting knives. Ontario knives use both 1095 steel & stainless D-2 steel in several of their models, including the high quality RAT series. The D-2 steel has a harder RH factor, making it harder to sharpen, but keeps an edge longer. My Ka-Bar "Bull Dozier" is made from "AUS-8" steel. Now that I've got you thoroughly confused you need to google for knife steel info & do some homework as your life may depend on what you know about the qualities of your knife. There is no substitute for studying. I'll try to find my old posts, but do some checking on your own, okay?

**crashdive123** · 07-27-2008, 12:35 PM

Yep - what Sarge said.

**pgvoutdoors** · 07-27-2008, 12:48 PM

Asking what the best knife steel is a good question, but it's also like asking why another mans wife is better than his own!

**Sarge47** · 07-27-2008, 02:05 PM

At this time I've been unable to locate my old posts, perhaps our "Forum Historian" Rick might be able to locate them, I'm not sure, as the member's post section only lists the last 500 posts; however i got the following off of Google:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...=Google+Search

Enjoy!

**smokelessfire** · 07-28-2008, 09:09 AM

wow, what a headache, all those types of steel to sort thru. but it looks like 440 is a rarity these days, so i'll hang on to mine. i wish i was rich though, cuz back in the day i was in a knife shop in of all places, a mall, and they had a japanese tanto that looks like a miniature samurai sword of about a foot long, which was made the samurai way, being folded upon itself roughly 400 times in its making. it was also several hundred bucks at the teime, waah! maybe it'd make a good investment now though.

**Rick** · 07-28-2008, 09:43 AM

Sorry, Sarge. I didn't find it.

**Gray Wolf** · 07-28-2008, 01:10 PM

Here's a great link on knive steels explained.

The Knife Steel FAQ by Joe Talmadge
http://www.knifeart.com/steelfaqbyjo.html

**ledzeppie** · 07-28-2008, 02:27 PM

It all depends on the climate and use for it

For all we know your a scuba diver and need a rust proof knife.

**crashdive123** · 07-28-2008, 02:43 PM

Nice link GW. I was wondering why I hadn't run across it before, then I noticed the section titled "knives over $2000".

**Gray Wolf** · 07-28-2008, 03:22 PM

Originally Posted by crashdive123

I was wondering why I hadn't run across it before, then I noticed the section titled "knives over $2000".

I've posted it here a couple of times before. I originally found it when I was looking for a birthday present for you.

**crashdive123** · 07-28-2008, 03:46 PM

Couldn't find anything I'd like? Honest.....I'm not picky.

**nell67** · 07-28-2008, 04:38 PM

I think I found what you were looking for:

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...read.php?t=412

**Sarge47** · 07-28-2008, 06:23 PM

Originally Posted by nell67

I think I found what you were looking for:

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...read.php?t=412

That's the one! It was almost a year ago, wow! Hey Rick, Nell beat you in the "History" dept; you owe her a dozen Twinkies.

**Rick** · 07-28-2008, 06:24 PM

Nell beats me hands down but I'm not tellin' Trax about it. I sort of enjoy it.

**nell67** · 07-28-2008, 06:25 PM

Originally Posted by Rick

Nell beats me hands down but I'm not tellin' Trax about it. I sort of enjoy it.

Just remember,I prefer ding dongs to twinkies,and easy on the beatin' stuff,eh? You're gonna get me in trouble!

**crashdive123** · 07-28-2008, 06:28 PM

Well, there was that rope and feather.....

**Rick** · 07-28-2008, 06:43 PM

And I don't know nuthin' 'bout no ding dongs and my twinkies have stayed in the box. Honest, Trax!

**crashdive123** · 07-28-2008, 06:44 PM

Rotflmao.....

**Sarge47** · 07-28-2008, 07:50 PM

This is probably the best "quick read" one page faq sheet on Knife steel. You'll find there are 3 different grades of 440 steel as well. It comes from the A.G. Russell site:

http://www.agrussell.com/knife_infor...les/steel.html