Manly Things [smile]

Since I got involved in hunting, I have learned the importance of a good, SHARP hunting knife. The knife I currently carry around is made of a harder grade of stainless steel called 440 steel. In the stainless steel category, there is only one form of stainless steel that is harder than 440, and that's 501. Technically, it's called 51440 and 51501. This is my 'utility' knife that I use and carry around every day:



It might look scary, but it's not meant to be. It's a tool, like any other. It has specific uses and fills a need. I like it. However, I have become tired of sharpening the bugger every couple weeks. Even though it's a harder-ish steel, it still requires sharpening many times per year.

I have recently studied a little about various steels and their hardness and have found some very interesting things. If there were a hardness scale that placed a diamond as a 9 (from 1-10), a ruby would be an 8, and Super High-Carbon Steel would be a 7. Tungsten Carbide is among this same class of steel. Titanium is pretty hard as well, but not as hard as High-Carbon steel.

I have yet to find a knife maker that uses high-carbon steel, but when I do, you can bet I'll buy a knife!