What steel is better for a hunting knife?

The first and most important requirement for hunting knives is quality knife steel. A high-quality knife is easy to sharpen, it does not dull for a long time in the course of work, it will serve for many years. A hunting knife should cut, chop and prick well.

Steel grades differ in the percentage of carbon in them. It is important to keep the optimal balance so that the knife is not only solid, but also durable.

If in the process of steelmaking in the alloy carbon turns out to be more than 2.14%, then this, in essence, cast iron will quickly rust and is very fragile, which makes it unsuitable for solving the tasks assigned to the knife, as if it were a tool.

Hardness of steel is considered in units of Rockwell - HRC. It is determined by the percentage of coal in the steel alloy. With a high number of these units, the knife will keep sharpening for a long time. However, with careless or unskillful movements, it will not be difficult to break his labor, and it is not easy to sharpen him - not every grinding stone is suitable for this. The difficulty of sharpening limits the use of the knife in the hike. Here, steel with a hardness of 55-60 HRC has proved itself well: the fabric melted out of it cuts decently, but it is useless in cutting or sawing.

Choosing a durable knife, you will inevitably save on its hardness - these two parameters are mutually exclusive. The higher the hardness, the lower the strength. This is all the essence of the difficult choice of the optimal steel for hunting knives. A durable knife, on the contrary, is elastic in itself - even with considerable bending, it will not crack.

Damascus steel has a hardness of 60 units. Fears of moisture and quickly rusting, needs a thin layer of gun oil. The recipe for boiling the old Damascus steel was lost, and its modern technologies have been significantly deviated from those used previously.

Bulat today is among the rare steel grades. The exact recipe for boiling steel damask steel is also not preserved. They tried to recreate it, but managed only to get closer to the original, but not to repeat it exactly.

Damask steel does not require frequent sharpening, resistant to blunting. Perfectly replace Damascus steel.

Russian tool steel - U-8/9/10, H12MF. The latter has a hardness of up to 65 units. The steel grade XB5 hardness reaches 70, it also has remarkable strength.

In foreign analogues labeling is slightly different. These are stamps AUS-6/8/10, in parameters very close to Russian steel grades 440-A / B / C. P6M5K5 - high-speed steelfrom which also metal drills are made; To reduce its fragility using secondary hardening. Steel M-2 suitable for extremely high temperatures. But 95x18 steel - typical "stainless steel".

So, the Americans have their own steel grade 155CM. The Japanese also did not stand aside the ATS-35. These two brands are perfect for the product.

Stainless steel 110H18MSHD has a hardness of 60 units. The analog is the German alloy X105CrMo17 / 1.4125, the American 440C and the Japanese SUS440C.

In any case, the steel knife of the blade should be indicated on the company knife.

S35V steel is manufactured using powder technology and contains an increased amount of carbon - 1.45%. This composition also contains 14% chromium, 4% vanadium, a small amount of niobium and 2% molybdenum.The content of the increased amount of vanadium carbide causes an increased hardness (60 units), strength and toughness of this alloy. Does not rust.

Steel Grade Sandvik produced in Sweden, very difficult to quench. In addition to the hardness of 59 units, it has considerable flexibility and holds a good sharpening.

Rust on a hunting knife is formed by contact with blood and water, not removed from the blade in time. It is important to choose a rust-resistant alloy - ideally non-rusting.

To improve the performance of steel, alloying components are added to it: manganese, chromium, nickel, vanadium, molybdenum, silicon, tungsten, and others. For example, manganese and silicon allow you to forge a knife. Tungsten, chrome and nickel do not allow steel to rust quickly.

Knives have the best characteristics coated with titanium or cobalt. The hardness of such a blade reaches 90 units, which allows it for a long time not to lose the factory sharpening, not losing at the same time in strength, but it costs a lot of money. Titanium or cobalt coating is easily identified by a brownish-golden hue.

Real practical tasks in field conditions - flaying the carcass of a dead animal, cutting food, cutting tree branches, protection from predators. In third place after the strength and protection against rust is the convenience of using a knife. With each use the knife is subjected to strong shock loads, which are only possible for the original product. You will not find the ideal knife, and there is always the opportunity to choose the best product available. Some knives break when throwing and from careless handling.

The knife is not an ax and not a dart: it cuts well first of all, and does not chop or pierce.

When presenting a hunting knife to a friend or acquaintance who is actively involved in active leisure, pay attention to the well-known brands of knives. The best in performance and quality knives are made the German company "Solingen", the Swiss "Wenger", the English "Winkison". The Germans are in the lead here, their products are of the highest quality, but the price is not cheap. After them, the quality of knives are Sweden and Finland, producing knives made of steel Elmax.

Japan, USA and Finland are the countries where hunting as an occupation and as a hobby does not lose its popularity. They responsibly treat the manufacture of hunting knives, optimally combining age-old traditions and modern technologies.

"Tourist" has a low butt line, ideal for cutting carcasses of dead animals or cooking in the parking lot. The knife is perfectly commensurate with the length of the male hand, it is very convenient to use. Has a non-slip, comfortable handle, comes with a scabbard.

"Wolf" somewhat thicker and has a small bevel, facilitating the cutting of fishing line or mesh. It is completed with an African wood handle and leather sheath.

"Dace" more versatile, suitable for chopping and chopping. Its sharply sharpened end easily pierces the skin of the animal. The handle is made of three high quality materials.

"Combat-2" longer and longer, good at separating meat from bones and cutting food before cooking.

"Mole" possesses a natural pattern on its blade, resembling an oil film on water. The average length of the blade cuts well and pierces the material being processed.

All these knives are sharpened with a fine-grained grinding stone, which allows the precise blade to hold its sharpness for a long time. Such products have a very good rating in the overall standings for high-quality, highly specialized knives.

For information on which steel the hunting knife is best for, see the following video.