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Rifles, Reloading, Optics, Equipment
Equipment Discussions
What is a Really Good Hunting Knife
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<blockquote data-quote="Hand Skills" data-source="post: 2941206" data-attributes="member: 103303"><p>Sounds like you have some experience - I like thinner blades for cutting (.090-.125), but as a general use tool, thicker blades offer more strength and are better for bushcraft and general utility.</p><p></p><p>Maintenance is a big deal to me as well. For general use tools, I prefer softer and more simple steel. Softer means the edge is more likely to roll than chip when stressed, and professional butcher and kitchen knives are often in that 57-58hrc range of hardness. Many professionalas choose these types of steels for easy maintenance.</p><p></p><p>When it comes to a hunting knife, the problem is that nobody wants to pack a butchers steel out to the woods with them to keep their knife sharp.</p><p></p><p>My favorite hunting knives are all in the 62-64hrc range - these are not general utility blades, they are specialized tools. Even a relatively simple steel at 62hrc gives a lot better edge holding than she same knife at 58hrc, but hardness isn't the whole story.</p><p></p><p>Some makers like Phil Wilson (seamount knife works) really pushed the envelope with 'super steels', trying to get attain the maximum edge holding possible.</p><p></p><p>Higher alloy steels like S90V contain very high concentrations of carbon and vanadium which form very hard carbides when the blade is quenched. These carbides are so hard that the knife will skate over a regular Arkansas stone or even aluminum oxide - special abrasives are required for sharpening. Silicon Carbide (SiC) at the minimum, or diamonds are required for grinding.</p><p></p><p>Anyway, that's a basic primer on hardness and alloy. Heat treatment is really an art, and working with small batches (or even individual blades), custom makers can get better results than mass produced 'factory' blades which are done in large batches.</p><p></p><p> Here is a good (and recent) thread with lots of pictures;</p><p></p><p>[URL unfurl="true"]https://www.longrangehunting.com/threads/favorite-hunting-knife.342434/[/URL]</p><p></p><p>I made a submission there, and further to that I'll recommend;</p><p></p><p>Phil Wilson, Ingram, Dozier, Crotts</p><p></p><p>Dunn knives makes a great working blade</p><p></p><p>[URL unfurl="true"]http://www.dunnknives.com/products/[/URL]</p><p></p><p>Grohmann makes decent stuff - Canadian made, and the 'Canadian' pattern has a lot of history!</p><p></p><p>Cheers, and good luck in your quest [USER=126670]@Small Lady[/USER]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Hand Skills, post: 2941206, member: 103303"] Sounds like you have some experience - I like thinner blades for cutting (.090-.125), but as a general use tool, thicker blades offer more strength and are better for bushcraft and general utility. Maintenance is a big deal to me as well. For general use tools, I prefer softer and more simple steel. Softer means the edge is more likely to roll than chip when stressed, and professional butcher and kitchen knives are often in that 57-58hrc range of hardness. Many professionalas choose these types of steels for easy maintenance. When it comes to a hunting knife, the problem is that nobody wants to pack a butchers steel out to the woods with them to keep their knife sharp. My favorite hunting knives are all in the 62-64hrc range - these are not general utility blades, they are specialized tools. Even a relatively simple steel at 62hrc gives a lot better edge holding than she same knife at 58hrc, but hardness isn't the whole story. Some makers like Phil Wilson (seamount knife works) really pushed the envelope with 'super steels', trying to get attain the maximum edge holding possible. Higher alloy steels like S90V contain very high concentrations of carbon and vanadium which form very hard carbides when the blade is quenched. These carbides are so hard that the knife will skate over a regular Arkansas stone or even aluminum oxide - special abrasives are required for sharpening. Silicon Carbide (SiC) at the minimum, or diamonds are required for grinding. Anyway, that's a basic primer on hardness and alloy. Heat treatment is really an art, and working with small batches (or even individual blades), custom makers can get better results than mass produced 'factory' blades which are done in large batches. Here is a good (and recent) thread with lots of pictures; [URL unfurl="true"]https://www.longrangehunting.com/threads/favorite-hunting-knife.342434/[/URL] I made a submission there, and further to that I'll recommend; Phil Wilson, Ingram, Dozier, Crotts Dunn knives makes a great working blade [URL unfurl="true"]http://www.dunnknives.com/products/[/URL] Grohmann makes decent stuff - Canadian made, and the 'Canadian' pattern has a lot of history! Cheers, and good luck in your quest [USER=126670]@Small Lady[/USER] [/QUOTE]
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