Materials

Steel

There are two types of steel that I use, carbon steels and stainless steels.

Carbon steels are generally a bit softer than alloy steels, like stainless, which enables them to take a sharper edge. This also makes carbon steels easier to sharpen in the field or with basic sharpening tools. As well, carbon steels are considered “tougher” by many and are favored for tasks like bushcrafting. Carbon steels generally can handle more abuse, like batoning a piece of wood. This is not to say that alloy steels can’t take abuse, because they sure can. It’s also important to understand that carbon steels are more prone to corrosion. As a result a carbon steel knife that is properly cared for will develop a patina over time, some people desire this while others find it less attractive. Carbon steels are a common choice for hunting knives, edc knives, camp knives, culinary knives, etc.

Stainless steels are steels with high alloy content which makes them far less prone to corrosion. This also generally means that they can achieve incredibly high levels of hardness which yields a sharp edge that will last a long time. They can sometimes be a bit more difficult to sharpen than carbon steels. It’s important to know that stain-less is NOT stain-never! In reality, any steel will eventually corrode, though stainless is far less prone to. Stainless is preferred for any application where the knife will be in contact with moisture or the user desires a lower maintenance tool. Most production knives are stainless simply for the ease of care. Stainless is the obvious pick for something like my river knives.