I'd choose any carbon steel with a decent heat treat over the more brittle stainless steels for a good hunting knife![]()
I'd choose any carbon steel with a decent heat treat over the more brittle stainless steels for a good hunting knife![]()
Or you can stay within 300 yards and keep life a lot simpler.
There are some excellent stainless steels that are tough enough for any sort of hunting, and some carbon steels that that don't stain much that are even tougher (3V for instance). And some very tough carbon steels that won't hold a edge.
It is correct to say though that the more stainless a knife steel is in general it is less tough.
The best carbon steels of today are also way better than the old traditional carbon steels - but are more difficult to sharpen. There are no free lunches.
There is a difference between tough and brittle. A good tough edge will roll and not chip. A poor temper and it will chip - brittle. You see that a lot with D2.
Ah, but Bob dozier could make D2 dance...it really does come down to heat treatment a lot there sure are a lot of interesting steels out there these days, one day I would like to get a forge and a cryogenic tank to be able to deal with super steel, in the meantime I still have to find a steel that will match O1 in cost, ability to take an edge and ease of heat treatment, if yiu put enough effort into your heat treatment you can go a long way with a simple steel, maybe not for a dive knife though...
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