Home Forums Gear Knives and Blades Guide to knife steels

Good deal!!

Nutshell.

With knives/steels as with reloading, what works for one may not work for another.
With all the variables in getting to an end product knife I know there will be differences in the final products and how it is rated by users and groupies.

Im taking the girls to Kauai in May. Where do you boar hunt there?

The one I got from Tim is a little bitty thing. About 2 1/2 inches of cut. I would bet whatever you get from him is going to have more cut and be a little heftier. I don't see any reason to even consider it wouldn't do a couple of elk. I used mine to cut everything that even remotely looked like it needed cutting for a few months and then resharpened to ~15 degrees before deer season. I normally shoot four, but this year I passed on too many early on and didn't like the looks of a few later, so I only had two to cut up. For what it's worth, M4 is not stainless and I did NOTHING to protect the blade and all the has happened is a little patina has started on it.

Several places, got a few buddies that have a shiit pile of dogs, fun times

This is no nutshell, and yet it does not mention Walter Sorrells:(
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_blade_materials

Tim Hard to give you an answer on your criteria for several reasons.

1) I have not broken down multiple elk in a season.

2) No to animals are the same, some are relatively clean, some not so much, Some have a lot of fat, some not so much.

3) What is needed touch up to you, might be different to me, or the next guy.

So I have used both steels including one of yours on multiple deer, coyote, bobcat, and bear. I can't speak for the 1.2562 as I have only gotten to test it on ducks, geese, coyote, in the kitchen, and some fish.

The two that I can speak for breaking down multiple deer and predators is the CPM 154 and M4. Before I get to that a few things to touch on with the two. Sharpening as in establishing an edge is easier with CPM 154 as is touching it up. M4 is a tougher steel that can take more abuse. I think a more fair comparison would be both steels at 61RC. Last M4 is not a stainless, apples to apples non-stainless is always going to have a better sturdier edge than a stainless.

So between the two in my experience based on your criteria I would say double for the M4.

1.2562 needs time and further testing but it looks very promising for a solid choice with easy of sharpening and edge retention.

don't venture into any of the rifle forums then!

If you are not a knife loonie then of course you won't get it. there are a bunch of great steels out there. Why live with only one?

not to mention handle material!































ya!


GWB

Very true GWB

Tim,
My 2 cents on the questions you asked earlier. I've never been able to skin and quarter 2 elk with a cpm154 knife until I purchased one from you. With that cpm154 knife I can skin and quarter 2 elk. With the M4 knives I've got from you I would say they can do 3 easy and 4 if I'm careful. Other 3v knives I have had I would say fall somewhere in between. I've had 3 s30v knives that I would rate below all the above in edge retention. My one knock on m4 is that is stains and discolors about as easy as any steel I've used. Doesn't bother me a bit, I'm not driven by appearance, and I live in a pretty dry arid climate. This isn't a scientific test, I'm not a metallurgist. Just based on my use in the field and my thoughts.

I'm using "elk" as a relative quantitative measurement. I skin a good number of big "game" animals each year ranging from antelope to hereford bulls with a good dose of elk thrown in. I compare these steels or knives based on how long they stay sharp. How well they retain their edge. When I am hunting or doing large volume skinning I carry two knives. One used for disarticulating joints, severing heads, splitting ribs, rough work etc.. The second knife is used for all skinning and skinning cuts. I just about refuse to skin with a dull knife and rarely sharpen, strop, or hone a knife in the field. I always carry two knives, partly just for redundancy but there are lots of other reasons. It works for me. Not to distract from the thread, just for reference when discussing elk per edge....

I really like m4 and 3v steel. My tastes in design and steel have changed a bit through the years and I'm sure they will continue to change. I've bought 5 knives form Tim they have all been great. GW your collection is outstanding.

GW
Who made the 5 knives in your 2nd to last pic, please? I like every one of them.

Not that at all. It's just that your opinion bounces around worse than a ball in a handball court.

"wwy" cuts up more animals in a year than all the rest of us together, so I really listen to
and respect his reports. Glad to hear how things have been working for you.
Also always glad to hear others reports too.

The question(s) I posed were searching for relative experiences, not absolute parameters to be followed.
IE: Trade elk for deer or pigs or??? Trade 154CM for ATS 34, etc.
Take some hands on experience and extrapolate a little.
Anyhow, thanks for the responses and I apologize if these questions should have been on a stand alone post.
Tim

Those are by Rocky Menefee, Rick's younger brother, as are the four in the last photo.

Whether he is currently making knives I do not know.

For a period, several years ago Rocky made a number of knives. I was fortunate enough to be able to acquire a few.

Here are a few more.







one of which I call my "Sweet Sixteen".










It is Rocky's interpretation of Rick's "16 Bore"



ya!

GWB

Thanks much. That Sixteen is sweet

What has my opinion changed on?

Well, since you asked... Less than two weeks ago, S45 was your new wonder steel. Now, you come up with the 123456 steel. I don't know if you realize this, but you have a very annoying way of posting. Most people, if they find new information on something, say "hey guys, look at this new steel I was just made aware of. Its properties are x, y, z". You post a cryptic reference and then play "I've got a secret" and make people beg for more information. You also denigrate and belittle anyone whose opinion differs in the least from yours. IMO, you have a bit of Aspergers since you don't seem to realize the way that you come across.

t

Yes S45V was just released this past year, not many new steels are released often. It looks promising and worthy to talk about. I didn't post anything about secrets. I don't make anyone beg for anything. I am sorry that you lack the ability to use google. Not very hard to find the information. What I really find funny is you clowns that say you don't like whoever post, yet you waste your time reading them and responding to them. Makes me think they have shown you something you didn't know. Now you are pissy because you don't like the way they post. A lot of weak thin skinned cry babies on here. Man up and add something of value or keep moving not really hard!

I come here to learn and just in this thread, learned a lot from MRK, wwy and Canezes9. You're just a sideshow. In your last sentence, you try to be another thing you're not--a moderator. It's interesting that a month ago, you said that M4 was an inappropriate steel for a hunting knife. Now, others say it works great and, all of a sudden, you're quiet. Speaking of which, you don't even know when you're insulting people. At the time you said how bad M4 was for hunting knives, half the forum had orders for them. So, you were basically telling the rest of the forum that they didn't know anything.