1095 carbon steel

[defenestrate]

1095 is certainly something that can rust - I like it in larger blades like machetes as in the heat treat they use it is typically fairly tough, with decent edgeholding for that purpose, and not a lot of issues with chipping. M4, 3V, etc would be awesome, but they'd turn my $25 ontario into a $150 item I reckon.

[dbcad]

When I found the my grandfathers knife in my father's basement it was pretty much a rectangularly shaped piece of rust. I'm geussing it's a plain high carbon carbon steel because that's a lot of what Sheffield produced at the time and it fits the description hardware stores sold around 1910 or so.

The Bushcraft speaks for itself :)

If you're dealing with a carbon steel it would be advisable not to let the rust gain any significant foothold. Get the rust off as quickly a possible. For me polishing the blades has helped keep it away. Clean and dry thoroughly after use and oil or polish to help keep it at bay. When serious pitting starts you're getting into trouble :)

[bdblue]

1095 is very tough stuff. I don't know if there are any stainless steels that are that tough. I've watched plenty of knife tests where people did destruction tests of 1095 and almost couldn't destroy it. I've also read where people snapped the tips off of normal folders with minor prying. I prefer stainless in my folders but I have some interest in a 1095 FB knife for edc that I could use for hard use if need be.

[Blerv]

It's tough but not as much (given similar applications) as 1060, 1075 or the spring steels like 5160, 9160, etc.

The upcoming Tuff will be the one to watch. M4 is probably a good peer to 1095 but with superior edge retention and corrosion resistance.

[thallium]

Wood isn't really that abrasive on edges so that video means nothing really, that's an old video.....

Good edge holding compared to what? Something like AUS 6 or 440A.....

Doing what?

That is the question one should be asking and prepare to start laughing once they give their answer.....

HT on 1095 isn't really nuclear science at the hardness we usually see of 55-58 HRC.

1095 is 1095 is 1095 is 1095... Unless it's at 64-65 HRC then it gets better somewhat.

You're right, that was an old video. I don't know what I was thinking. I'm such an idiot.

[mcjhrobinson]

fuss and bother, 1095 is an awesome steel. i can go into the woods and bring a 1095 knife and a blue folding DMT sharpener and ALWAYS have a sharp knife without bringing a grinder with belts or some fancy sharpener (certain stones work as well). sure it rusts, i found rust on my para2 s35vn knife too after cutting ONE sausage and not properly cleaning it that night. i lost a mora at work then found it a year later (living in hawaii at the time*rain*) rusted to heck but after some elbow grease its one of my sharpest knives (its not 1095 but is some variation). supersteel superschmeel. right tool for the right job i says.

my suggestion is force a patina (vinegar/potato), finding an old rag (sock, shirt, whatever) getting some mineral oil and in a small ziplock bag putting that in yer kit to clean your knife off with.

we are long past the times of traders knives, most any *american* knife you buy today will be worthy. find one that fits your palm n move on! :)

[Mocean]

I love both my Esees, edges do rust easily, but its a simple matter to sharpen it off. Give the blade a quick wipe with a Tuf Cloth or similar and you're good to go. Great steel.

[Ankerson]

fuss and bother, 1095 is an awesome steel. i can go into the woods and bring a 1095 knife and a blue folding DMT sharpener and ALWAYS have a sharp knife without bringing a grinder with belts or some fancy sharpener (certain stones work as well). sure it rusts, i found rust on my para2 s35vn knife too after cutting ONE sausage and not properly cleaning it that night. i lost a mora at work then found it a year later (living in hawaii at the time*rain*) rusted to heck but after some elbow grease its one of my sharpest knives (its not 1095 but is some variation). supersteel superschmeel. right tool for the right job i says.

my suggestion is force a patina (vinegar/potato), finding an old rag (sock, shirt, whatever) getting some mineral oil and in a small ziplock bag putting that in yer kit to clean your knife off with.

we are long past the times of traders knives, most any *american* knife you buy today will be worthy. find one that fits your palm n move on! :)

One would be amazed how easy it is to maintain those super steels out in the field.... That's if they need sharpening at all while in the field.... And that's a big if....

And that's with nothing really fancy or expensive and just a few strokes..... Takes seconds....

I guess 1095 is fine if one wants to be sharpening out in the field instead of doing something else... Or at work for that matter.

[Ankerson]

I get your point, Jim. I'm sure I'd feel differently if I used my knife hard all day, every day. I did when I was younger. I'd appreciate a blade that holds an edge longer. Now that I'm older I use them occasionally. I appreciate the really fine edges I get from carbon steels. I've even gone back to carbon steel for my kitchen knives. Like many things, better is in the eye of the beholder.



IIRC Aogami makes a White, a Blue and a Super Blue. No Super White, but White is no slouch by my understanding.

Ken

It's really funny how fast 1095 gets dull compared to other steels, no really it is... :D

That edge will smooth out and lose bite so fast compared to something like S30V it would surprise some, the same can be said for the rest of the 10XX steels also.

They just don't have the alloy content so no amount of wishing, hype, dreaming or wanting will ever turn any 10XX steel into something like CPM 10V..... Or even something like D2....

But there are those who talk about it like it will.....(too much Cool-Aid) After those so called super duper magical heat treatments that are supposed make it walk on water or something......

In short they don't... And they never will because the alloy content just isn't there to make it happen.... Sorry to bring some reality into the picture, but that's just how it is in real life.

And that's really amusing to the point of outright laughter......

[Ankerson]

IIRC Aogami makes a White, a Blue and a Super Blue. No Super White, but White is no slouch by my understanding.

Ken

Those steels get their reputation from those Japanese kitchen knives and or Japanese style kitchen knives made by people like Murry Carter.

Make no mistake, those knives do perform, but notice I said knives because it's the knives and how they are designed, ground thin and with very thin edge geometry that makes them perform at such high levels.

That's were perception comes into play here to make people think it's the steels that are the main factor when it's really not.

Understanding the why they really perform is important instead of just saying X steel is awesome, we see that a lot in the knife world.

Sure some kitchen knife in White steel that is ground really thin like I described above can and likely will perform better than some standard folder that is 4X thicker as it should because that kitchen knife doesn't even have to be sharp to cut or use in the kitchen due to the very thin grind.

That's not saying those steels are bad because they aren't, but it's understanding why these knives perform is just as important as the performance itself.

Edge and blade geometry is a HUGE factor in performance and it can and will trump alloy content.

But remember it's the knives, not the steels that matter here when comparing apples to oranges and why there is so much misinformation floating around on the net.

Perception is a very bad thing and often cause a lot of problems.