KnifeCenter FAQ #178: Best “Apocalypse” Knife Steel?

Picking the best steel for surviving the apocalypse. Also, how to find the right sharpening angle for your edge, whether 420HC is still a good steel in 2024, and digging deeper into finger choils than anyone has to.

Featured Knives

00:00 Intro
00:29 Finger Choils Explained
08:06 Best Steel for the Apocalypse
12:57 How to Find Your Sharpening Angle
16:47 Is 420HC Still Good Steel?
18:15 Nessmuk VS Lambsfoot
18:59 Ghostbuster Knife

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[cardocann]

re: sharpening: Back in the late 60's, I was in the Air Force stationed on an Army base and no one was sure about what we could do so we all grew mustaches, wore aviator shades and a Buck 110. We sat around for hours trying to bring these Bucks up to hair popping sharpness. An old (maybe in his 30's) lifer said to just keep sharpening/stropping at an angle that feels natural and eventually you would bring the edge to your 'natural' angle and then, without thought, a few swipes on the stone or leather would bring it back to "your angle". HYOH - hone your own hone.

[KellyRobinette]

LOL! Thomas beat me to it! “The Shaman’s right there!”. You had me for a minute when you said “smudging”. I was like, “Is there a Spyderco called the Smudge? Because that looks like a Sage”. Then it hit me! Well done, sir! Thanks for the great video, as always!

[josephmartin]

Someone has to smart off and say it: “The knife steel you have on you when the apocalypse starts.”

[danielnarbett]

Ha! The 'burning Sage' joke is great DCA ❤😂

[wayausofbounds]

I tend to think that 14C28N is the best apocalypse steel. Tough, stainless and reasonably hard, it's also an ingot steel so it can be repurposed with traditional smithing methods. I do have a question though for DCA. Can you reforge a particle steel with traditional smithing? Let's say you want to beat your 3V Trailmaster into a plowshare. If you try what would the result be?

[timtitus]

A lot of my knives are in 14C28N or NITRO-V. These are mostly folders. My larger fixed-blade knives are primarily 1095, SK5, or 5160, all of which are forms of carbon steel. If the apocalypse happens, I will have a device to sharpen my knives, I carry it in my pocket every day.

[dylanbauer]

That choil question is fantastic and thought provoking.

I think quality questions like this should be saved and presented to designers at blade show.

[JPK]

I have a 5" in 3V, a 9" in 80crv, and another 5" in 1095. I have endless folders also. Each pack out has its purpose.

[gaberoo]

Off Grid knives 6 inch chef/camp knife...in 14c28n, 6 inch blade...love this knife

[DampActionRC]

Really saved the best for last, the most serious question was hilarious, and the blooper reel at the end. Chefs kiss

[amalgam]

Thomas is the best. Few words but always profound.

[uncalm]

The "apocalypse steel" question and the 420HC steel question actually go together really nicely. People love to hate on 420HC but 420HC actually has traits very similar to the AEB-L/14C28N family in that it is tough, easily sharpenable, and stainless. 420HC is also, crucially, inexpensive, meaning you might be able to afford multiple knives in it that you can stash in multiple places or give to multiple people etc., vs. affording only one knife in say, Magnacut (which is very good, don't get me wrong, just more expensive). For a knife you're actually going to use a lot, you're going to be resharpening it a fair amount no matter the steel, and 420HC makes that quite a bit easier than say S90V or M390, especially if you're resharpening it in the field with improvised tools like rocks, glass, etc. This is also why a lot of kitchen knives are made in what a lot of people consider to be fairly simple steels: you're using them a ton and sharpening them a ton on often rudimentary sharpening systems.

[barrybaldwin]

Regarding edge retention vs steel composition, at 74, I've been a knife nerd for many decades & have very good sharpening skills, so in an apocalypse, I would not only have multiple blades at my disposal but many sharpening tools also, so high grade, high hardness, high corrosion resistance would be my choice. I also believe, "A tool for every purpose & a purpose for every tool", would be the theme, so no excessive abuse. In the flavor of "preparedness" my favorite cliché is "Never bring a knife to a gunfight"!!!

[JaneThorson-dmev]

That Buck 192 feels SO GREAT in the hand.

[Ice_Berg]

I think using the Shaman and the Bodacious is an unfair example for finger choils. The reason I prefer finger choils on a lot of knives is because I feel much more in control of the blade the closer I can get my hand to the cutting edge, so if you compare designs like the Spyderco Delica and the Byrd Meadowlark (ignoring material and quality differences) then I will always prefer the choil version instead of the one that "wastes" that same space for no benefit.

The Bodacious design is already really optimized for minimizing that distance, but that is not true of most knives (especially ones not made by Spyderco, they have always prioritized ergonomics and utility more than just about anyone).

It's often worse on flipper knives because if you don't add a finger choil in front of the flipper tab then you are almost guaranteed to be left with at least a half inch between the grip and the edge because the flipper tab itself is in the way. With other opener types it's at least possible to minimize the gap, but many companies choose to have an oversized sharpening choil (but one still undersized for a finger) or ricasso or something and leave a big no mans land between the grip and edge anyway.

Another good example would be the Steel Will Cutjack vs Modus where the alternative to the finger choil is just a large sharpening choil. I would much rather have the ergonomics and versatility of the finger choil than an extra 1/4 inch of cutting edge.

[nelsoncam]

i recall reading or seeing a reason for the choil in hunting/tactical as a way to pull the knife back out quickly from in front of the guard with out cutting oneself

[marko]

I would choose a softer steel for apocalypse. Most of its work would be processing wood so lots of chopping and batoning. So a knife with the least chance of snapping from abuse. My big knife is the Condor Heavy Duty kukri, because I saw Alan Kay win the first series of Alone with it. 1075 carbon steel. It would need constant care and attention, which is another bonus, because I'm sure some people would think this a chore, it actually gives you something to do when, what else is there to do all day in an apocalypse?

Self defense and zombie killing is a breeze for the kukri. Tool of choice for the British Gurkhas.

The first half of the spine is flat and sharp, the second half is smooth and rounded, perfect to use as a draw knife and goes easier on your baton.

Many other details to mention, I just think it's a perfect knife for the end of days. Although I would upgrade to the K-TAC version for the G10 handle and steel pommel.

[TheGuidedSharpeningGuide]

As far as sharpening instructions it's easy. Form a burr on both sides with roughest stone and then switch to a finer grit making the burr smaller and smaller until you reach your final grit then strop to remove any burr remaining. What you use doesn't matter as long as you get an edge your happy with.

[Nudel-nccp]

Congrats on the new collab with Begg, Cronos. You deserved it. 👏👏👏

[gaberoo]

for a larger chopper I'd go with the Nata tool by Silky for a tough-as-nails affordably priced chopper. I missed out on the larger (210-240 mm) versions when Daitool had it in stock for only...72$ I think (and free shipping).