I would still tend to go with carbon steel because of the typically better toughness and less finicky sharpening in the field. But I'll add that NO ONE should carry carbon steel knives unless they are willing to adjust their mental attitude about knife maintenance/management. Keep it dry, keep it oiled. Cleaning with water in the field is questionable at best. Are you equipped to really dry and oil it afterwards? Bring a small tin of vaseline or softened beeswax for coating the blade. Have you lightly greased the inside of your leather sheath?
I go with stainless steel most of the time. The reason is exactly what you said above: I don't want to worry all the time. My knives get cleaned and oiled when I get home, but not while I'm out in the woods. Exception: my food prep knife is always cleaned, especially after touching meat or dairy products. There is no right/wrong choice in steel selection, but the choice has to match the way the knife is treated. Stains and rust are caused by the user, not by the steel! ( Yes, a bit provocative, take responsibility! )
the Camillus fixed blade thats this size is like $25 at any Maynards.. it stays razor sharp and is prybar strong and cheap enough to buy 4 and have a 4in fixie for ur hip for life just saying
Looking at the steels, HX 5cr, Cold Steel 4116 and Mora C100, pretty much ended as I expected. The Stainless Moras never performed as well as the carbon ones for me, but try the Hultafors in stainnless. It's cheaper than Mora and edge retention is not that much diifferent to the Mora carbon. I very much like it better than the carbon Mora since it does not rust and II get the same performance. I primarily use it to carve wood annd the stainless Mora lost its edge so fast compared to the carbon, so I never touched the Hultafors until recently. The carbon Hultafors is not as good as the Moras but also cost about half as much where I am.
@@knivessportsandadventures9523 Central europe, yeah. I have seen a few US based people talking about them as well, so they should be somewhat available (the brand isn't that well known, even around europe). There are tons of different blade shapes, but most don't show up on the US page, only on the global one. Might be some import restrictions or something in place now limiting availability in the US? I know knifecenter sold them a few years ago. The stainless ones are RFR (blue handles) and VVS (grey) [SKR as well but it has a rounded tip], all others are carbon steel. If it costs more than a Mora, it's not worth it unless you "need" to test one. The sheaths aren't as good as the Mora and the blade arrives with a worse grind, taking a lot more time to get as you want it (assymmetrically sharp, dull at the grip, gets sharp at the belly and duller towards the tip). Good hunting.
@@knivessportsandadventures9523Sorry youtube seems to have deleted my post yesterday. Do they think it makes things better having to redo everything all the time? Well, sorry for the rant, but yes, I am in central europe. They where available for a while in the US but now it looks like the US page shows only very few items while on the global page there much more. I have seen Hultafors in the hands of US knife reviewers, maybe they were there a while ago? There are only two stainless knives, blue handle called "RFR" and grey handle with file on the blade called "VVS". Their carbon isn't as good as the Mora, but comes close, only worth it if you can get them really cheaply. Unless you have a real "need" to try one, I would not pay more than for a Mora. Good hunting
@Snarlacc Excellent! I found one distributor here in the US that sells them. If they end up being too expensive here I will look for one when I am traveling. I have plans for some European knife content.
@@knivessportsandadventures9523 If you want to go over everything you'll never finish :D You didn't ask, but: Stay away from the cheap crap like Haller or Herbertz, never had good experiences with those. I'd almost put PumaTec here but it's a mixed bag, some good, some sad excuses for a knife... There are a few Ukrainian companies producing knives that have gotten a good rrepuation, BPS and Beavercraft (it feels like they are the same, but they aren't?). Also good for the Price are Peltonnen and Casström from up North and Joker form Spain. Walther has a few good ones, but most are pretty tacticool and I don't like their looks/feel (the 78/81 is very good for the price, but I find it's not a good allrounder, also the sawback seems to be a weak Point where I have heard of relatively many breaks). Kizer also had a very good reputation, but since it's a russian company I am not sure if new stock gets out. This cathegory is bigger though, a bunch of smaller companies like Otter produce only a limited selections of knives, either only folders or only hunting knives. The more expensive brands like Böker, Fallkniven, Victorinox, Eickhorn, Fox Knives, Pohl Force, Extrema Ratio or (to a lesser extent) Lionsteel are often a bit too pricy for what you get. You often get low to mid range steel for premium prices. Then there is the outrageous Midgards Messer. Those Things are just insane(ly useless). Well, dem's my opinions, do with it as you please ;)
I have been splitting wood with a m tech for a few years now never had a problem never let me down a knife is only as good as it is hardened and 3 13 is very good if it is hardened right and m tech has that down to a art I will never buy a knife for over 20 dollars again and I will put my m tech up agents any knife over 20 dollars any day I have been burnt to many times with these high priced knives that are not hardened in the right matter I spend months in the bush surviving off the land and for some strange reason I always make it out alive with a good cheep knife Mora has very good knives with proper heat treat but man I have had problems with cold steel for sure thanks for sharing semper fi.
Bloke that wasn’t a feather stick, it was more like a notch stick. Good video. Probably shows 5cr and 3cr are a waste of time.
I completely agree... nowhere even close
Hell yeah dude, i'd still use the broke knife as a scraper, LOve being resourceful.
Awesome!
I would still tend to go with carbon steel because of the typically better toughness and less finicky sharpening in the field.
But I'll add that NO ONE should carry carbon steel knives unless they are willing to adjust their mental attitude about knife maintenance/management.
Keep it dry, keep it oiled. Cleaning with water in the field is questionable at best. Are you equipped to really dry and oil it afterwards?
Bring a small tin of vaseline or softened beeswax for coating the blade. Have you lightly greased the inside of your leather sheath?
I go with stainless steel most of the time.
The reason is exactly what you said above: I don't want to worry all the time. My knives get cleaned and oiled when I get home, but not while I'm out in the woods. Exception: my food prep knife is always cleaned, especially after touching meat or dairy products.
There is no right/wrong choice in steel selection, but the choice has to match the way the knife is treated. Stains and rust are caused by the user, not by the steel! ( Yes, a bit provocative, take responsibility! )
I own that Mora and have had it for years. It’s just a really good knife for anyone on a budget or wants something they can beat on in the woods.
the Camillus fixed blade thats this size is like $25 at any Maynards.. it stays razor sharp and is prybar strong and cheap enough to buy 4 and have a 4in fixie for ur hip for life just saying
Looking at the steels, HX 5cr, Cold Steel 4116 and Mora C100, pretty much ended as I expected. The Stainless Moras never performed as well as the carbon ones for me, but try the Hultafors in stainnless. It's cheaper than Mora and edge retention is not that much diifferent to the Mora carbon. I very much like it better than the carbon Mora since it does not rust and II get the same performance.
I primarily use it to carve wood annd the stainless Mora lost its edge so fast compared to the carbon, so I never touched the Hultafors until recently. The carbon Hultafors is not as good as the Moras but also cost about half as much where I am.
Thanks for the recommendation! Hultafors is less common where I live, but I will look for one. Are you somewhere in Europe or Scandinavia?
@@knivessportsandadventures9523 Central europe, yeah. I have seen a few US based people talking about them as well, so they should be somewhat available (the brand isn't that well known, even around europe).
There are tons of different blade shapes, but most don't show up on the US page, only on the global one. Might be some import restrictions or something in place now limiting availability in the US? I know knifecenter sold them a few years ago.
The stainless ones are RFR (blue handles) and VVS (grey) [SKR as well but it has a rounded tip], all others are carbon steel.
If it costs more than a Mora, it's not worth it unless you "need" to test one. The sheaths aren't as good as the Mora and the blade arrives with a worse grind, taking a lot more time to get as you want it (assymmetrically sharp, dull at the grip, gets sharp at the belly and duller towards the tip).
Good hunting.
@@knivessportsandadventures9523Sorry youtube seems to have deleted my post yesterday. Do they think it makes things better having to redo everything all the time?
Well, sorry for the rant, but yes, I am in central europe. They where available for a while in the US but now it looks like the US page shows only very few items while on the global page there much more. I have seen Hultafors in the hands of US knife reviewers, maybe they were there a while ago?
There are only two stainless knives, blue handle called "RFR" and grey handle with file on the blade called "VVS". Their carbon isn't as good as the Mora, but comes close, only worth it if you can get them really cheaply.
Unless you have a real "need" to try one, I would not pay more than for a Mora.
Good hunting
@Snarlacc Excellent! I found one distributor here in the US that sells them. If they end up being too expensive here I will look for one when I am traveling. I have plans for some European knife content.
@@knivessportsandadventures9523 If you want to go over everything you'll never finish :D
You didn't ask, but:
Stay away from the cheap crap like Haller or Herbertz, never had good experiences with those. I'd almost put PumaTec here but it's a mixed bag, some good, some sad excuses for a knife...
There are a few Ukrainian companies producing knives that have gotten a good rrepuation, BPS and Beavercraft (it feels like they are the same, but they aren't?).
Also good for the Price are Peltonnen and Casström from up North and Joker form Spain. Walther has a few good ones, but most are pretty tacticool and I don't like their looks/feel (the 78/81 is very good for the price, but I find it's not a good allrounder, also the sawback seems to be a weak Point where I have heard of relatively many breaks). Kizer also had a very good reputation, but since it's a russian company I am not sure if new stock gets out. This cathegory is bigger though, a bunch of smaller companies like Otter produce only a limited selections of knives, either only folders or only hunting knives.
The more expensive brands like Böker, Fallkniven, Victorinox, Eickhorn, Fox Knives, Pohl Force, Extrema Ratio or (to a lesser extent) Lionsteel are often a bit too pricy for what you get. You often get low to mid range steel for premium prices.
Then there is the outrageous Midgards Messer. Those Things are just insane(ly useless).
Well, dem's my opinions, do with it as you please ;)
I have a bunch of moras in various sizes. I own a champion and find it to be a damn good knife.
Once again the Mora runs away with it. And stainless is the better choice. Less fussy.
@ronagoodwell2709 I need to test a stainless Mora. I am more impressed with them all the time. I love them, but their carbon steel REALLY rusts quick.
So, basically all three will build fires to cook your victims? Just kiddin. I gave you a thumbs up!
I have a HX and paid for it less than 7 dollars. Good knives, is a razor blade
What about Flissa or Ganzo or a Holtzman's?
@stefcat5331 good idea! I plan to do a cheap folding knife test video soon!
That knife that got destroyed at the end, would be the knife I would use in a shed as a pry bar slash do all the shitiest jobs knife.
The American Joe X. Now you need to pull out your Glock
The HX does his job well, i got one and I love it
I have been splitting wood with a m tech for a few years now never had a problem never let me down a knife is only as good as it is hardened and 3 13 is very good if it is hardened right and m tech has that down to a art I will never buy a knife for over 20 dollars again and I will put my m tech up agents any knife over 20 dollars any day I have been burnt to many times with these high priced knives that are not hardened in the right matter I spend months in the bush surviving off the land and for some strange reason I always make it out alive with a good cheep knife Mora has very good knives with proper heat treat but man I have had problems with cold steel for sure thanks for sharing semper fi.
Amen.