When shopping for a decent quality hunting knife are their some steels that are best suited to the generic hunting tasks than others ?
In other words in trying to narrow down a particular selection of possible hunting knifes across major MFG's do most large scale Mfg's all utilize similar steel compositions in their hunting knives at various $$ clip levels ?
How does a laymen know if that 100.00 Knife from one MFG contains better steel compositions than lets say that 50.00 Knife from another?
What are some of the steels one should look for in various price ranges across all MFG's that might help laymen such as myself make informed decisions if laying out additional cash is truly buying a better product?.
Does $$ range across well know MFG;s truly correlate into purchasing a better quality steels - generally speaking?
Any general guidelines?
Hope I am asking this correctly.
You're asking it correctly, but the answer is somewhat complicated. When buying a factory knife there are some steels mentioned that can automatically be written off. Such terms as "surgical steel" are misleading. It refers to the steel being non-reactive to human flesh rather than super sharp. Many scapels are one time, throw aways so the steel doesn't always have to have the need to hold edges for a long time. There is an old axiom in the knife world that if a manufacturer is using one of the better quality steels, they mention it by name/nomenclature. Just saying the blade is stainless steel usually means one of the cheaper grades. However.....even when you see some of the better grade steels mentioned such as 440C, 154CM, ATS-34, S-30V, BG-42, VG-10,D-2, A-2, 1095, the CPM series(both carbon and stainless) etc it's important to keep in mind that some factories heat treat their steels on the soft side since their impression is many of their customers can't really sharpen a knife(which is true), and they will abuse them and then blame the manufacturer if the blade breaks(also true) and so on. The majority of the people in this country are not "knife nuts" and as long as the knife lasts long enough to do the job they're satisfied...i.e. the casual pocket knife, or a hunting knife that field dresses out one animal, and so on. When you go for optimum performance with a knife steel, you need to understand the term optimal hardness. It's the Rockwell C value(Rc) at which the steel is hard enough to take and hold a very good edge , yet not exhibit brittleness. Toughness is the term used to describe a steel's ability to resist lateral forces over a certain number of degrees; edge holding means the ability for that steel to hold an edge(resist abrasion) for a certain period of time. If the steel is heated and tempered to that particular number you have that balance, however many factories opt for toughness over edge holding; for the reasons described. If you find a knife that interests you, the only way to be sure the blades is at it's optimal heat treat, if it's not listed, is to contact the manufacturer. Then of course you have to trust the answer. Some have been known to add a couple of numbers to the Rc value. Reputable companies normally don't. For instance, as a custom maker who sends his blades out for heat treat, I specify the Rockwell I want the steel to be at, based on the number I look up in reference charts, and the heat treater tests the blade and provides the number I request. I pass that number on to the customer. Then again, as a knifemaker I aim my business at the "knife nut" and expect them to be more knowledgeable than the average individual. It's a bit different. I suggest you do some research on particular knife that interests you, keeping in mind these factors. Generally, you will spend more money for a knife that uses a higher grade steel; but I think it's up to the manufacturer to either list or make available the specifications on the steel you're getting. As as general reference many manufacturers harden their blades to an Rc of 53-56, which is fairly soft. When you see numbers starting at 58/59 and upwards into the low 60's, for the most part, then you're getting your money's worth for that particular steel.
All this might not matter to you, but it does to me, so that how I'm answering it. Bottom line......casual use means staying away from the real junk, but being satisfied with mediocre performance. High performance/high cost...research the model and ask questions before laying your money down.
