Al Stohlman Round Knife On Special.

[mlapaglia]

Tandy has this Al Stohlman round knife on sale for members for between 28 and 32 dollars depending on level. Is it worth that price. I do not yet have a round knife and its over 50% off. It seems like a good deal for the price. I just want to make sure its not a waste of money. It's normally retail for $69.99 My price $54.00. Id like one so I hope its worth it. at least for a starter.

Thanks for the input

Michael

Sale ends 1/15/12

[Art]

This Tandy knife is a round knife, not a head knife.

Blade of round knife is usually a circle if extended.

Blade of head knife is a oval if extended.

Stainless steel can be anything with a chromium content over 12%. I would expect carbon over .85% for the production of cutting carbides during quench. For good blade production, I would expect martensitic steel (it should attract a magnet). This is all just technical crap; it should be made of good steel acceptable to the function and should be acceptably hard, i.e. RC-58 or better.

I think they should declare the steel if they have nothing to hide. The problem with mass produced knives is that they make them to a price point, they actually shop for how inexpensive a knife they can have made, that looks good and will cut something. They don't go to the manufacturer and ask how much to make a knife with certain specifications or criteria.

Honestly, I would stick to a box cutter with a sharpened, stropped blade and save up until I could afford something better in an older knife or one of the new hi-tech customs. We've went over and over this and there is advice all over the board.

Good utility knife handle -- Hardware store or Amazon

Irwin Blue Blade Bi-metal utility knife blades -- Amazon

A good strop with micro fine honing compound -- Tutorial in How to forum

The above will cost a little more than that knife from Tandy, but will probably serve pretty well.

Art

Tandy has this Al Stohlman round knife on sale for members for between 28 and 32 dollars depending on level. Is it worth that price. I do not yet have a round knife and its over 50% off. It seems like a good deal for the price. I just want to make sure its not a waste of money. It's normally retail for $69.99 My price $54.00. Id like one so I hope its worth it. at least for a starter.

Thanks for the input

Michael

Sale ends 1/15/12

[mlapaglia]

This Tandy knife is a round knife, not a head knife.

Blade of round knife is usually a circle if extended.

Blade of head knife is a oval if extended.

Stainless steel can be anything with a chromium content over 12%. I would expect carbon over .85% for the production of cutting carbides during quench. For good blade production, I would expect martensitic steel (it should attract a magnet). This is all just technical crap; it should be made of good steel acceptable to the function and should be acceptably hard, i.e. RC-58 or better.

I think they should declare the steel if they have nothing to hide. The problem with mass produced knives is that they make them to a price point, they actually shop for how inexpensive a knife they can have made, that looks good and will cut something. They don't go to the manufacturer and ask how much to make a knife with certain specifications or criteria.

Honestly, I would stick to a box cutter with a sharpened, stropped blade and save up until I could afford something better in an older knife or one of the new hi-tech customs. We've went over and over this and there is advice all over the board.

Good utility knife handle -- Hardware store or Amazon

Irwin Blue Blade Bi-metal utility knife blades -- Amazon

A good strop with micro fine honing compound -- Tutorial in How to forum

The above will cost a little more than that knife from Tandy, but will probably serve pretty well.

Art

Art, Im confused, You said,

"This Tandy knife is a round knife, not a head knife.

Blade if round knife is usually a circle if extended.

Blade of head knife is a oval if extended."

I called it a round knife, the page at Tandy called it a round knife. Did you mean that its actually a head knife and not a round knife?

Ive got a great utility knife that works very well. I figure if its worth it Id get this to play with to see if I like it.

Thanks

Michael

FYI according to Stolhmans Leathercraft tools book this is Head knife. But I have seen them called both all the time.

(the only advantage of buying the tools book as a digital file is for posting examples. I wound up buying the paper version too. )

Edited December 15, 2011 by mlapaglia

[Art]

As well you should be, the knife at the linked Tandy website is a round knife. Then they also go and call it a head knife.

Now the AS book on the page you have posted:

The first knife (on the left) is actually a Head knife, the tips come back to the bolster or ferrule.

The second knife (in the center) is a round knife, note the tips don't come anywhere near the ferrule.

The third knife (on the right) is a head knife and is properly identified.

Sometimes (often) head knives have semi-circular cutouts on the back unsharpened edge, whereas round knives are often straight across on those edges or have a slight angle.

The small knife below the second and third knives has been modified through the sharpening process; I have no idea what it started out as.

The round knife is used for intricate cutting and the head knife for straighter or long curved cuts.

Head knives are generally bigger than round knives, but I have seen quite a few remarkable exceptions to that rule.

Art

Art, Im confused, You said,

"This Tandy knife is a round knife, not a head knife.

Blade if round knife is usually a circle if extended.

Blade of head knife is a oval if extended."

I called it a round knife, the page at Tandy called it a round knife. Did you mean that its actually a head knife and not a round knife?

Ive got a great utility knife that works very well. I figure if its worth it Id get this to play with to see if I like it.

Thanks

Michael

FYI according to Stolhmans Leathercraft tools book this is Head knife. But I have seen them called both all the time.

(the only advantage of buying the tools book as a digital file is for posting examples. I wound up buying the paper version too. )

[King's X]

You might be better off looking at something like this one to invest for a short or medium time period.

Good luck

http://www.ebay.com/itm/C-S-Osborne-Medium-Round-Knife-/290646697094?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43abe4a486#ht_500wt_1203

[Knipper]

I posted this before, but as I recall, the steel they are using is a 410 series stainless. Although this is still magnetic, it contains very little carbon so you can't get it very hard during heat treating. That translates into a blade that will not hold an edge very long and you will be honing it often. If they are using different steel for this particular knife, then I'd have to know what it was before I could comment. I just know that the "SUS410" they use for their Stohlman "damascus" head knives is not intended to be used for cutlery of any kind. If this is a regular carbon steel blade, and not stainless, try to find out if there is at least .75% or better carbon content in the steel. At least that will hold an edge for a while, provided it's heat treated properly.

Knipper

Tandy has this Al Stohlman round knife on sale for members for between 28 and 32 dollars depending on level. Is it worth that price. I do not yet have a round knife and its over 50% off. It seems like a good deal for the price. I just want to make sure its not a waste of money. It's normally retail for $69.99 My price $54.00. Id like one so I hope its worth it. at least for a starter.

Thanks for the input

Michael

Sale ends 1/15/12

[mlapaglia]

I posted this before, but as I recall, the steel they are using is a 410 series stainless. Although this is still magnetic, it contains very little carbon so you can't get it very hard during heat treating. That translates into a blade that will not hold an edge very long and you will be honing it often. If they are using different steel for this particular knife, then I'd have to know what it was before I could comment. I just know that the "SUS410" they use for their Stohlman "damascus" head knives is not intended to be used for cutlery of any kind. If this is a regular carbon steel blade, and not stainless, try to find out if there is at least .75% or better carbon content in the steel. At least that will hold an edge for a while, provided it's heat treated properly.

Knipper

Thanks for the info. I called my tandy and they had no idea what was in it. They are going to try to find out. I just got a call back and all they can tell me is that its Stainless steel. O well It looked like a good deal. Ill keep looking.

Michael

[King's X]

Michael....If you can only make a minimal investment take a look at www.brucejohnsonleather.com and see what he has listed for head knifes.

Good luck

[mlapaglia]

I posted this before, but as I recall, the steel they are using is a 410 series stainless. Although this is still magnetic, it contains very little carbon so you can't get it very hard during heat treating. That translates into a blade that will not hold an edge very long and you will be honing it often. If they are using different steel for this particular knife, then I'd have to know what it was before I could comment. I just know that the "SUS410" they use for their Stohlman "damascus" head knives is not intended to be used for cutlery of any kind. If this is a regular carbon steel blade, and not stainless, try to find out if there is at least .75% or better carbon content in the steel. At least that will hold an edge for a while, provided it's heat treated properly.

Knipper

This is what they sent me. It's the material data sheet for 410. This says its applicably for cutlery. But it doenst say GOOD cutlery.

http://www.suppliersonline.com/propertypages/410.asp

[mlapaglia]

Michael....If you can only make a minimal investment take a look at www.brucejohnsonleather.com and see what he has listed for head knifes.

Good luck

Thanks, At the moment his lowest is $80.00 The wife is buying me a Tippmann Boss Monday, early Christmas present, so thats so much. Ill just keep my eye out for something.

Michael