READERS COMMENTS

All of the "expert" advice in this e-zine--and the printed one for that matter--is directed to newbies and wannabes: the very people all the copious advertisements are aimed at. I take it all with generous grains of salt. Too bad for those that take it seriously because their lives might depend on it someday...
Posted: Aug 20, 2011 Cal 20 Sailor

Bernard Levine is retarded if he thinks stainless holds a better edge and is better than high carbon.
Posted: Jul 14, 2010 slazyks

your expert is an idiot stainless always is harder to sharpen and hold an edge than carbon
Posted: Jul 13, 2010 knife maker

I understand that this is written for the layman with little knowledge of steel, but to make the blanket statement of "use stainless over high carbon" is inaccurate. Any steel with more than 0.5% carbon is considered "high carbon steel." However, there is a HUGE difference in 420J2 stainless and 154CM stainless (the former gets dull when you look at it, and the latter is very good).

Without going into excruciating detail, the amount of chromium in a steel defines it as "stainless", and generally any steel with more than 14% chromium is considered stainless.

Great knife steels include ATS-34, 154CM, 440C and AUS-8. They take and keep an edge quite well and resist corrosion. Fancy steels include D2, D7, BG-42, CPM S30V & S60V, but these are the knives you will pay a premium for, which just might not be worth it to some.

My personal favorite is D2, which is a "semi-stainless" steel used in many industries to cut other materials. It has about 11% chromium and 1.5% carbon, and I have NEVER had a D2 blade corrode as long as its kept clean. Holds an edge VERY well, I might add!

It would do your readers good to visit knife manufacturer's websites and research some steels before buying a cheap knife that they may have to rely on to save their lives. Reputable knifemakers include Benchmade, Spyderco, Kershaw, Gerber, Cold Steel and Ontario Knife Company.

Enjoy yourself out there!
Posted: Jul 13, 2010 bikernoj

I'm totally disagree stainless steel blades are better than high carbon steel. The truth is carbon steel blade will holds it edges more longer than s.steel due to their steel characteristic! and pros/military always prefer these type of blades.
Posted: Mar 13, 2009 charliedelta155

Carbon steel has its advantage because it can be sharpened in the field. Fixed blades are far superior to folders because of their durability. Folders are held together by one pin. On the Backpackers forums where knives are discussed, there is a strong preference for multi-tool knives over either fixed or folders. Few seem to understand the advantages of a longer blade that is durable. Also, no one seems to consider that a knife can be a last resort survival weapon if attacked by some scumbag. Unfortunately, I'm afraid that most carry their knives in their packs where they would be inaccessible for defensive purposes.
Posted: Feb 19, 2009 Striker

I agree with a few comments posted by "faultroy". Although the fact that the article says invest in a good steel, which i have no problem with if you can afford it and good for you, but in the economy we live in is that many are on tight budgets so we by the cheap stuff and i have found that the cheap 20 dollar knives to hold an edge for a few months and then just sharpen it and they are easier to sharpen to the right edge. Plus you can replace easy if you lose them or damage for any reason. OH and i have no problem the brand winchester but there knives i just can not sharpen really good and the don't hold an edge for ME. But you may say different.
Posted: Jan 24, 2009 backcountry~junkie

I certainly disagree with almost everything this expert says. For example: "Invest in good steel." Well, there is average steel, good steel and great steel.
The truth is all of them will work superbly--IF YOU KNOW HOW TO PROPERLY SHARPEN A KNIFE !!!!
If you cannot get it sharp enough for your needs, the best steel in the world will not do you any good. For the record, most survival experts would disagree with the idea of using a stainless steel knife. Most experts prefer a knive of average grade steel such as 1095 which is prone to rusting, but which is very useful for survival applications since you can sharpen it on a rock very easily whereas some of the stainless steels are not as forgiving, and do not take a efficient an edge.
"Cut the Right Stuff."--Nonsense and ridiculous. Furthermore, I have used combination knives and found them pretty worthless unless you get one in the full tang 5 inch plus category. The problem is that a four inch blade with a substantial amount of serrations gives you the least efficient and worst of two worlds as opposed to the best. I have no problem with some serrations on a longer knife, but under 4 inches stick with either one or the other.
"Keep it Sharp"--totally true, but purchasing an india stone as opposed to a diamond stone is absurd. From a survival standpoint, a diamond stone is much superior because 1)it is much lighter--by at least 400 per cent. Furthermore,
there is no difference in sharpening between a diamond stone and an india stone other than the fact that the diamond stone will always hold its
"flatness," while the india stone will become "dipped" within time. The issue is the coarseness or fineness of the grit and that is determined by you and what you personally prefer. 2) Many of the very high quality steels today are so hard, that it is very difficult to utilize an india stone efficiently. You are much better of with a diamond stone. 3) India stones require copius amounts of lubricant--usually oil, but diamond stones can sharpen using spit or a little water or nothing.
Handle it Wisely--True, but in a survival application, bearing down on the tip may be necessary, and utilizing the tip as an awl is perfectly appropriate and in many cases necessary.
Just be judicious and mindful and use your head.
So much for the "experts."




Posted: Dec 23, 2008 faultroy

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