For more on survival knives and which one to choose
read, “Not all knives are created equal...©”, HERE,
and “From a Little Spark May Burst a Flame...©”, HERE
– Author’s Note.
So,
which high carbon steel is the best for your survival knife, AISI 1075, AISI
1085 or AISI 1095? Well, that depends on
what you are using it for.
In
the past, steel makers had no uniform classification for the various kinds of
steel that they made, calling them “automobile steel”, “awl, axe and
hatchet steel”, “cutlery steel”, or “Crucible cast steel”.
Today
the term “cast steel” is used to distinguish a low to medium carbon
steel (.2 to .5% -- 20 to 50 points of carbon) that is poured into a mold,
hardening to a near approximation of its final form. This is confusing since older tools and
knives might be labeled as “crucible steel” or as “cast steel”,
which was a type of high carbon, tool steel.
High carbon, tool steel varies from 80 to 150 points of carbon, or 1% to
1.50% carbon and is used to make razor blades, butcher knife blades,
pocketknife blades, files, and other tools.
Thankfully
today, steel is classified by a system which originated with the Society of
Automotive Engineers (SAE) and American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), in the
early 1940s. This system uses a four
digit number, with the first digit indicating the class with plain carbon steel
being class 1 and the second digit being the approximate percentage of the
predominant alloying element, so plain carbon steels are “10”. And the last two digits indicate the average
carbon content in “points”. A
point is one ten-thousandth and 1% is one hundred-ten-thousandth. In other words, steel which contains 100
points of carbon, contains 1% of carbon.
1075
has .7 to .8% (70 to 80 points) of carbon in its makeup, and is considered a medium-carbon,
high-carbon steel that is often used in making springs and can be used for
cutlery because it is very tough. It is
very easy to sharpen the blade, has better toughness and flexibility than 1095
steel, and it keeps its edge very well. This
makes it a good choice for machetes, swords, and other tools that require a strong,
but flexible blade.
1085
and 1095 steel are both high carbon steels and contain between .8 to .93% (80
to 93 points) of carbon for 1085 steel and 1095 steel contains up to 1% (100
points) of carbon. However, this also
makes it more brittle, it breaks more easily under heavy use, and is harder to
sharpen. 1095 steel is often used in
hunting and survival knives because of its durability and ability to hold up
well against heavy use.
Razors or saw files have
1.4 to 1.5% (140 to 150 points) of carbon in their makeup; turning tools, 1.25%
(125 points); chisels, .85% (85 points); table knives, .7 to .9% (70 to 90
points); and pocketknives, from .8 to 1.0% (80 to 100 points) of carbon1.
So, for a hunting or
survival knife, a good choice would be a1095 high carbon steel, because it will
take and keep a good edge and can stand up well to hard use, but remember it is
more brittle than 1075 high carbon steel and can break!
Don’t forget to come back next week and read another installment of “The
Peculiar Case of Dr. Blank, Part Three ©”, where we will talk more about Dr.
Blank’s adventures and whether his tale is true or simply a tall tale!
I
hope that you continue to enjoy The Woodsman’s Journal Online and look for me
on YouTube at BandanaMan Productions for other related videos, HERE. Don’t forget to follow me on both The
Woodsman’s Journal Online, HERE,
and subscribe to BandanaMan Productions on YouTube. If you have questions, as always, feel free
to leave a comment on either site. I
announce new articles on Facebook at Eric Reynolds, on Instagram at
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That
is all for now, and as always, until next time, Happy Trails!
Notes
1
From A Dictionary of Applied Physics by Sir Richard Glazebrook, 1923
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