Swivel Knife Blades Ceramic Or Steel

[HellfireJack]

Thanks! I have a ceramic that doesn't work well. Now I know why. I don't even need a magnifying glass to see the serration. A couple hours of wet sanding should fix the problem.

[hidepounder]

Sierraleather,

I prefer steel over ceramic blades for a variety of reasons. First of all, ceramics are very fragile. It's way too easy to chip the edge or break the entire blade. To sharpen a ceramic blade properly requires some expensive equipment. It can be done by hand but not easily. To sharpen one to it's potential requires a power hone with multiple plates. Steel blades are easy to sharpen and nearly impossible to ruin. Finally, the last reason I prefer steel is because I can get it in a number of different configurations, few of which are available in ceramic.

There is absolutely no question that a sharp ceramic blade is a real pleasure to use. It stays sharp for a long time and cuts like butter. However an equally sharp, quality steel blade cuts just as well. If I happen to drop it or ding it, it is easily repaired and I'm back in business. That means a lot to me. And IMHO, the biggest problem that people have with steel blades is learning to sharpen them.

I agree with Bruce's list of blade makers but need to add Bob Beard's name. I love my Henley blades and I think Chuck Smith's new cobalt blade cuts like a dream and so does my Leather Wrangler blade. I haven't used Barry's blades but many of my friends won't use anything else. But the blades I use the most are Bob Beard's. There are two reasons for my prejudice. The first is each blade is made to order. He'll make them however you'd like them. The other reason is that they are made out of O1 tool steel. They are tough and hold an edge for a long time. I have literally chiped both my tooling rock and my concrete floor from dropping them and I was able to re-sharpen them quickly and get right back to work.

Anyway, for my money I still prefer steel......

Bobby

Edited October 2, 2011 by hidepounder