KNIFE COLLECTOR FROM THE NORTHWOODS

 I'll be honest, as a newbie knife collector knife steel is one area where I often glaze over.  Obviously, my less expensive collections fall within the lower end.  But now even so-called 'budget knives', say Ozark Trails from Walmart, are upping their game and providing better steel and other features.   So, I thought I'd put some charts and info here as much for myself as anyone else who might stumble on this site.... On Gearjunkie.com  (https://gearjunkie.com/knives/common-knife-blade-steels) I found one of the more helpful comparisons for those of us who do not regularly purchase the really high end knives.  Here's their info:    420HC Soft steel with low carbon content Relatively stain-resistant and tough, but doesn’t hold an edge well Easy to sharpen 1095 Old high-carbon (non-stainless) steel, known for toughness Prone to staining and corrosion, often coated Performance varies with heat treatment AUS-8 Common st...

 Besides knives I have developed the related interest in multitools.  SAK (Swiss Army Knives) provides one of the best, although they lack a good, robust set of pliers.  My SAK Champ does have pliers, but they are small.  I have now settled on two multitools - one a smaller EDC, and one more robust, especially for work at the fire department and on calls.  The first is the SOG Powerpint , the second is the GERBER Dual Force.   One thing I have learned, however, in reading reviews of multitools, is that everyone has an opinion and they vary widely from high praise to disapproving mockery.  If I went with some reviews I would not only have passed on these two good tools, but I would never have learned firsthand their value.     I have also learned that you need different multitools for different settings.  My  Powerpint  is perfect for EDC where I might need smaller tools for limited uses.  The  Dual Force  h...

 Like BUCK knives, CASE knives also have a way to be dated by checking the stamp on the blade.  Below is a chart I found that goes from 2020 to 2029.