The Knife of Man's Desiring

[Jester]

Bought my first Opinel today at REI.

Pretty cool. Now I need to find something to use it with.

I'm thinking of getting a #6 for my son who is 12. The website even has engraving available.

What blade do you think I should I get. Stainless or carbon? I fear he wouldn't keep the blade clean, so I'm leaning stainless.

Most blades are made of carbon because they are strong, easy to sharpen and stay sharp longer.

Stainless dulls quick and is hard to sharpen.

[Thunktank]

Bought my first Opinel today at REI.

Pretty cool. Now I need to find something to use it with.

I'm thinking of getting a #6 for my son who is 12. The website even has engraving available.

What blade do you think I should I get. Stainless or carbon? I fear he wouldn't keep the blade clean, so I'm leaning stainless.

Most blades are made of carbon because they are strong, easy to sharpen and stay sharp longer.

Stainless dulls quick and is hard to sharpen.

The REI I bought mine from only had the stainless version. So stainless it is. I did sharpen mine yesterday. It sharpened very well. It didn’t come sharp enough out of the box IMO, so it got introduced to my Arkansas stones. I prefer carbon steel though, but I won’t sweat the small stuff and for a knife that goes into a tackle box or used to slice apples, stainless might be better. But I wouldn’t keep this anywhere very wet for long due to the wood handles.

Having carried it around for a couple of days and not using it much yet. I think this knife is better served as a tool to be kept handy in a drawer, glove compartment or brief case. I prefer to carry my thinner Swiss knives or a Buck/Case knives.

[FredS]

Bought my first Opinel today at REI.

Pretty cool. Now I need to find something to use it with.

I'm thinking of getting a #6 for my son who is 12. The website even has engraving available.

What blade do you think I should I get. Stainless or carbon? I fear he wouldn't keep the blade clean, so I'm leaning stainless.

Most blades are made of carbon because they are strong, easy to sharpen and stay sharp longer.

Stainless dulls quick and is hard to sharpen.

You and Goose should start a fake news site filled with old wives tales and rumors about knives and pipes.

There are some pretty dang good stainless steels out there for knife making and some pretty good methods for heat treating and tempering them.

[Jester]

Bought my first Opinel today at REI.

Pretty cool. Now I need to find something to use it with.

I'm thinking of getting a #6 for my son who is 12. The website even has engraving available.

What blade do you think I should I get. Stainless or carbon? I fear he wouldn't keep the blade clean, so I'm leaning stainless.

Most blades are made of carbon because they are strong, easy to sharpen and stay sharp longer.

Stainless dulls quick and is hard to sharpen.

You and Goose should start a fake news site filled with old wives tales and rumors about knives and pipes.

There are some pretty dang good stainless steels out there for knife making and some pretty good methods for heat treating and tempering them.

And carbon is better. Not a wives tale but a mans fact. There are good stainless blades out there but they are inferior to carbon blades.

[FredS]

Bought my first Opinel today at REI.

Pretty cool. Now I need to find something to use it with.

I'm thinking of getting a #6 for my son who is 12. The website even has engraving available.

What blade do you think I should I get. Stainless or carbon? I fear he wouldn't keep the blade clean, so I'm leaning stainless.

Most blades are made of carbon because they are strong, easy to sharpen and stay sharp longer.

Stainless dulls quick and is hard to sharpen.

You and Goose should start a fake news site filled with old wives tales and rumors about knives and pipes.

There are some pretty dang good stainless steels out there for knife making and some pretty good methods for heat treating and tempering them.

And carbon is better. Not a wives tale but a mans fact. There are good stainless blades out there but they are inferior to carbon blades.

'Carbon" or carbon steel is a pretty broad term. There are literally hundreds of carbon steel alloys. Which ones do you prefer for knife blades?

FTR - 440C (stainless) has carbon in it. Around 1%.

[EDIT] I'm not trying to be a dick. I know you work in a steel shop and likely understand why/how carbon content relates to hardness, so I'm seriously interested in what types of carbon steel(s) you like for knife blades.

[Jester]

Bought my first Opinel today at REI.

Pretty cool. Now I need to find something to use it with.

I'm thinking of getting a #6 for my son who is 12. The website even has engraving available.

What blade do you think I should I get. Stainless or carbon? I fear he wouldn't keep the blade clean, so I'm leaning stainless.

Most blades are made of carbon because they are strong, easy to sharpen and stay sharp longer.

Stainless dulls quick and is hard to sharpen.

You and Goose should start a fake news site filled with old wives tales and rumors about knives and pipes.

There are some pretty dang good stainless steels out there for knife making and some pretty good methods for heat treating and tempering them.

And carbon is better. Not a wives tale but a mans fact. There are good stainless blades out there but they are inferior to carbon blades.

'Carbon" or carbon steel is a pretty broad term. There are literally hundreds of carbon steel alloys. Which ones do you prefer for knife blades?

Generally you are going to get a 1011 hot rolled. This is the most common from the mill and best to use. Anything else would be special order and higher price. The only time you would order anything different is at special request. Most of the time to make the material more form-able, which is what you don't want in most blades. There are exceptions with fillet knives, you sometimes want that bend you get from stainless, although I would agree with stainless for all food related knives.

[FredS]

That's surprising. 1011 is pretty run-of-the-mill stuff (get it?). I see 1075/1080/1084/1095 or O-1 used a lot for knives. There are steel sellers around who cater to knife makers so getting small quantities of specialized steel isn't a problem. The sellers buy in large lots and resell small batches or single pieces.

[Bloodhound]

That's surprising. 1011 is pretty run-of-the-mill stuff (get it?). I see 1075/1080/1084/1095 or O-1 used a lot for knives. There are steel sellers around who cater to knife makers so getting small quantities of specialized steel isn't a problem. The sellers buy in large lots and resell small batches or single pieces.

Are you thinking of expanding into the knife making biz?

[rgcurrey]

That's surprising. 1011 is pretty run-of-the-mill stuff (get it?). I see 1075/1080/1084/1095 or O-1 used a lot for knives. There are steel sellers around who cater to knife makers so getting small quantities of specialized steel isn't a problem. The sellers buy in large lots and resell small batches or single pieces.

I know you asked a steel guy, but as a knife guy, it depends sometimes on who makes the steel (thinking O1 here) and even more depends on the heat treat. That said my favorite carbon steels are O1 and 52100. Additionally, Bohler k510 and 80crV2 are a good carbon steels too.

[FredS]

That's surprising. 1011 is pretty run-of-the-mill stuff (get it?). I see 1075/1080/1084/1095 or O-1 used a lot for knives. There are steel sellers around who cater to knife makers so getting small quantities of specialized steel isn't a problem. The sellers buy in large lots and resell small batches or single pieces.

Are you thinking of expanding into the knife making biz?

My old man makes knives and I hope to get his stuff when he shuffles out the gate so you never know. Drill presses, belt sanders, buffers - the craft actually overlaps a lot with pipe making. And honestly, once you can build a well engineered product, it's mostly about aesthetics in the end for both. Like Jester, my father prefers carbon steel blades. He's 80-some years old and it's hard to get a new groove at that age. But Jester is 16 so he should be all about the modern way.

I think rgcurrey is right on about the heat treat. Especially with the new whiz-bang alloys, having perfect control of your heat treating with ramp ups/downs, soak time, etc is critical. Heat treating and tempering is fiddly. It's not just a 'heat it up with a torch and dunk it in oil' deal any more for top bladesmiths.

[rgcurrey]

Sometimes I think the heat treat is more important on the more common steels. I have had quite a few O1 knives, however, the Behrings, Jim "Treeman" in Michigan and his son James out in Montana have dialed it in that their O1 is head and shoulders above the others I have had.

[Bloodhound]

Well I went old school and got the little brother to my Schrade Sharp Finger, a drop point skinner.


Not expensive but vintage

[JimVH]

Well I went old school and got the little brother to my Schrade Sharp Finger, a drop point skinner.


Not expensive but vintage

I've got that pair, also. Good, solid, practical knives.

[FredS]

Well I went old school and got the little brother to my Schrade Sharp Finger, a drop point skinner.


Not expensive but vintage

I've got that pair, also. Good, solid, practical knives.

Back before Home Depot and Lowes, young FredS rode his bike downtown where he'd stop at Ben Franklin's Five & Dime, Strawberry Fields head shop (to buy snuff and Army surplus coats and packs), and Ersnt & Son Hardware store. They had a flat glass display case full of Shrade knives on a red felt field. I saved money and bought a few knives there over the years. I stopped in there a couple years ago and the case was still there. The front edge was worn a little more than 45 years ago and it was mostly empty but it was there. The 113 year old store closed last year.

[rgcurrey]

Well I went old school and got the little brother to my Schrade Sharp Finger, a drop point skinner.


Not expensive but vintage

I've got that pair, also. Good, solid, practical knives.

Back before Home Depot and Lowes, young FredS rode his bike downtown where he'd stop at Ben Franklin's Five & Dime, Strawberry Fields head shop (to buy snuff and Army surplus coats and packs), and Ersnt & Son Hardware store. They had a flat glass display case full of Shrade knives on a red felt field. I saved money and bought a few knives there over the years. I stopped in there a couple years ago and the case was still there. The front edge was worn a little more than 45 years ago and it was mostly empty but it was there. The 113 year old store closed last year.

It is so sad to see places like this disappear.

[Bloodhound]

Well I went old school and got the little brother to my Schrade Sharp Finger, a drop point skinner.


Not expensive but vintage

I've got that pair, also. Good, solid, practical knives.

Back before Home Depot and Lowes, young FredS rode his bike downtown where he'd stop at Ben Franklin's Five & Dime, Strawberry Fields head shop (to buy snuff and Army surplus coats and packs), and Ersnt & Son Hardware store. They had a flat glass display case full of Shrade knives on a red felt field. I saved money and bought a few knives there over the years. I stopped in there a couple years ago and the case was still there. The front edge was worn a little more than 45 years ago and it was mostly empty but it was there. The 113 year old store closed last year.

That is cool...the old Hardware stores are just getting scarce. I love the pics in the story...it feels like I have been in that store even though I have not... There was one in your town (Ft. Collins) when I was a boy that was a Saturday morning regular stop for BBs and to drool over the Model 12 16ga that had a recurring role in my dreams. Tolliver's Hardware was a special shop and it too is gone now.

[Bloodhound]

Well I went old school and got the little brother to my Schrade Sharp Finger, a drop point skinner.


Not expensive but vintage

I've got that pair, also. Good, solid, practical knives.

I have wanted this pair since I was 15 years old...took me long enough...just 40 years

[JimVH]

Well I went old school and got the little brother to my Schrade Sharp Finger, a drop point skinner.


Not expensive but vintage

I've got that pair, also. Good, solid, practical knives.

Back before Home Depot and Lowes, young FredS rode his bike downtown where he'd stop at Ben Franklin's Five & Dime, Strawberry Fields head shop (to buy snuff and Army surplus coats and packs), and Ersnt & Son Hardware store. They had a flat glass display case full of Shrade knives on a red felt field. I saved money and bought a few knives there over the years. I stopped in there a couple years ago and the case was still there. The front edge was worn a little more than 45 years ago and it was mostly empty but it was there. The 113 year old store closed last year.

That is cool...the old Hardware stores are just getting scarce. I love the pics in the story...it fells like I have been in that store even though I have not... There was one in your town (Ft. Collins) when I was a boy that was a Saturday morning regular stop for BBs and to drool over the Model 12 16ga that had a recurring role in my dreams. Tolliver's Hardware was a special shop and it too is gone now.

I have a similar story as Fred, only it was in Lebanon, Missouri, I had to catch a ride to town, and there was no head shop. Not too similar, huh. Anyway, I was staying with my grandparents the summer my grandfather had heart surgery. As soon as I could I hit the hardware store and bought an Old Timer Mustang like the one pictured below. If I remember correctly, I paid about 13 bucks for it. I liked it so much I bought another one the next summer. Still have both knives, but I wore out both sheaths long ago.

[hugodrax]

Oh man. I have a Schrade Old Timer 3 blade pocket knife my grandfather gave me. Lost if for like five years when we were building a greenhouse, found it when digging a hole.

It resides in my safe.

[durangopipe]

Well I went old school and got the little brother to my Schrade Sharp Finger, a drop point skinner.


Not expensive but vintage

I've got that pair, also. Good, solid, practical knives.

I have wanted this pair since I was 15 years old...took me long enough...just 40 years

I have a very soft spot in my heart for USA Schrade Old Timers of all kinds, and these two in particular.
Oh, how I wish I’d bought a few more when they were inexpensive.

Gorgeous pair, Bloodhound.