Home Forums Gear Knives and Blades Knives of Alaska Yukon and Grohmann Original

I'm looking to buy a friend of mine a knife for Christmas and I might pick one up for my wife as well since she did great this year and bagged a nice fat doe for the freezer.

I know the Grohmann Original is the original and KoA Yukon copied the design but what I'm more interested in is which of the two has the better steel that will do what I need it to.

I live in Manitoba, Canada and it does get cold here during hunting season. I was out on Saturday and it was -15F and it will get colder still. I need a knife that won't get brittle (if that can even happen with knife steel), hold an edge and I can get sharp again in the field if I need to.

I know nothing of metalurgy. The Yukon has D2 steel and I'm not sure what the Grohmann uses but they do offer carbon and high carbon steel blades. Which of those 3 would be best for what the knife would be used for, namely skinning deer and maybe a moose now and then and also de-boning if needed to pack stuff out of the field. Which of the 3 steels will hold an edge, not chip in the cold and can be re-sharpened without to much effort in field conditions? As in freezing cold with gloves on so oil stones etc. won't really work. Which of the 3 won't rust?

Basically I want a knife that will last forever and do the job. I really like the design of those knives but the person I spoke to at a store really didn't know much about anything (more and more the case these days it seems) so I came to ask the experts.

Also the Yukon is a plastic handle is this correct? Will it hold up in the cold? Does it chip?

If you know your stuff I'd love to hear your recommendations on which knife I should get for less than $100 (I think they both are) that will last a life time and will be something that my friend and wife will cherish as a piece of quality workmanship and utility.

Also the Grohmann knives are available in a flat grind version. Is this an advantage for the proposed uses? I didn't see this option on the Yukon.

Lastly both knives are either made in USA or Canada is this correct? I do NOT want to buy anything made in China or elsewhere other than perhaps Germany (I have a nice Puma knife from there).

Cheers

Great knifemakers on here. In my opinion, Bob Dozier may be the best "no wait" blade out there ($250). I think that Buck's are a great $50 knife. I recommend Cold Steel's for a $20 knife (Tiawan).

FWIW, I also own Grohmann and KOA knives. IIRC, KOA knives are made in Texas. Good luck.

+1

I also like Boker, Muela and Puma for $100.00+ knives

AND

http://www.orionknives.com/clippointwood.html

I got an Orion knife for my birthday and it is nice

I am by no means ungrateful when people reply to a thread I posted but with all do respect neither of you answered any of my questions. I like the "original" design and look/feel and am looking to find out what company makes the best version of this design.

If you know your metalurgy please feel free to comment on the questions I had regarding the different types of steel used.

I am not trying to be rude but I would like to get these ordered sooner rather than later to ensure I get them for Christmas.

Thank you kindly.

IMO High carbon steel is the way to go for a good user, as long as you intend to maintain the steel properly. If you do it spareingly then look at the stainless varieties. But in my opinion high carbon steel gets razor sharp and is very easy to keep that way. Heard good things about D2 as it is a more stain resistant steel, not a true stainless. It is more of a tweener between carbon steel and stainless. As for the cold, maybe someone else can chime in. I live in Mississippi.

kman, I'm in NY, and it don't get near as cold as you. That said, is it gets cold enough, any steel will break, some perhaps sooner then others, but this I dont know.

I don't have any expreience with either of the knives you mentioned, but I prefer simple carbon steel in all my cutting tools, and my limited experience has never suggested a need for anything else. Carbon steel will develope a patina, which I don't mind, and if kept oiled shouldn't rust outside of salt water environments. By keeping it close to your body, it would mitigate the effects of cold on the steel.

I hope this helps. Regards, Jim

Thanks for the replies. Still not sure which knife is better but oh well.

I have a Grohmann Original Canadian Belt Knife with a high carbon stainless steel blade. I'd recommend it. Mine has the regular grind. I think it'll last me forever.

I really like the Grohmann with the flat grind, in plain carbon steel. It will rust if you don't take care of it, so take care of it.

kman: I have owned a number of Grohmann and KOA knives, still have a few of each. Both companies make a quality product though the KOA knives do seem to be of a harder temper. I have never had a knife break from the cold and used to live/hunt/fish in Manitoba for a number of years. My current favourite Grohmann knife is the Canadian Forces Survival knife, I have carried it in many unfriendly places, both very hot and frigid cold areas ie: CFS Alert. No issues. The Grohmann will easily sharpen in the bush as will KOA's.

The reality is, they are both good knives, the design is great. I have had my Grohmann for 30 years. In this case, buy Canadian!

I can't see cold being an issue for consideration when picking a knife steel.

kman,

Cold is not usually an issue here in Alaska unless you try to chop bone with the blade. That said, the old Gerbers of 40 years ago chipped very easily when trying to seperate a knee joint or some such.

D2 steel is highly regarded but I find my KOA D2 knives to not sharpen as well nor hold the edge as well as my Dozier D2 blades....friends say Dozier has better tempering....the KOAs are going to the next gun/knife show to be sold.

I've used Grohman's in the past and liked them....they were of carbon steel.

There is something about the Canadian Belt Knife design that goes with your region.....freight canoes, birch bark moose calls etc.....I like it a lot.

I always wondered about those old Gerbers and what they used for steel in the late `60s early 70s. I had a smaller Gerber lock blade that I took a hunk out of prying a aluminum pull tab off a beer that the ring had snapped off.
The blade held a very good edge and I carried it for ~ 20 yrs until I set it down at work one day and it grew legs.

I believe that was M-2, Joe. Still are a lot of fans of those older Gerbers around, it seems.