BK13 Remora no longer 440a

V

V84mystang

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Jul 23, 2017
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Anyone know why the Remora from Ka-bar is now 1095 Cro-Van instead of 440a? According to Ka-bar's website they've been produced with carbon steel since December.
I know 1095cv has many practical advantages over the ever-so-hard to sharpen 440a but I do occasionally like a stainless option: frequent salt water use/deticated tackle box knife, etc.

I'm also curious, if there's even an easy way to answer, why some of the Beckers aren't offered in a stainless option kind of like the Izula and ESEE-4.


Thanks.
 
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More diligent searching: I finally found the "Would you buy a stainless steel Becker" thread from 2014. It has my answer about why other models haven't been offered in stainless.
I bet the answer about the Remora being changed to 1095cv is pretty much in there too.
 
pretty sure it changed to 1095CV when they moved production of it from Taiwan to the USA.
 
well, iirc, taiwan made, then Olean but still stainless... then at some point 1095...

also think i've seen it with clear and black coatings?
 
Still seems too bad to not have at least one or two models that can be had in 440 or something. I know the reasonably priced stainless steels like 440 and AUS8 are not quite as tough or easy to sharpen as 1095. But for the rare instances when I want a dedicated salt water tool or something to leave and forget (i.e., in a boat, tackle box) I'm not really looking for batoning toughness: just a good useful cutting edge that's relatively simple to maintain. Could find an old Remora or BK24 used I guess.
I'm a bit of a Ka-Bar/BK&T fanboy so I usually try to find excuses to buy more. But I guess I need another stainless mora...
 
440A: Meh.
It would be nice if Ka-Bar moved to a decent, modern stainless option for a couple appropriate items produced in Olean. 154CM, 12c27, or AEB-L are probably the cheapest of the decent stainless steels. Doesn't have to be cutting edge (technologically) if it's done well. But I think they do all the heat-treating etc. in-house, and moving to stainless in quantity would require a rather different set of production equipment, procedures, and maybe QC too if they're not already set up for doing it at a large scale.
 
The stainless remoras are still easy to come by. Just pick couple up while you still can.

I am glad I have the stainless verison. I have zero affection for 440A but since it just sits in the little sleeve in my BK4 sheath in case of an emergency then I am glad it is low maintenance.

The BK16 seems to be a solid seller and they have shown that they can works with D2 and S30V. When do we see a BK16 in one of them?
 
bearfacedkiller said:
The stainless remoras are still easy to come by. Just pick couple up while you still can.

I am glad I have the stainless verison. I have zero affection for 440A but since it just sits in the little sleeve in my BK4 sheath in case of an emergency then I am glad it is low maintenance.

The BK16 seems to be a solid seller and they have shown that they can works with D2 and S30V. When do we see a BK16 in one of them?
Click to expand...

Yeah, "can", but are they sending those out for heat-treat or doing them in-house? (and S35VN for the Snodies, right?) I wonder. And also wonder at the economics of the various options.

How about a hybrid BK-16/BK-11 in S35VN? 90% of the size of the BK16, 4" blade, bottle opener on the back. Yeah!
 
daizee said:
How about a hybrid BK-16/BK-11 in S35VN? 90% of the size of the BK16, 4" blade, bottle opener on the back. Yeah!
Click to expand...

With micarta scales as the stock option, and yes, I'd buy that in a heartbeat...
Would also be fine in D2 (in fact, I'd prefer it)
 
daizee said:
Yeah, "can", but are they sending those out for heat-treat or doing them in-house? (and S35VN for the Snodies, right?) I wonder. And also wonder at the economics of the various options.

How about a hybrid BK-16/BK-11 in S35VN? 90% of the size of the BK16, 4" blade, bottle opener on the back. Yeah!
Click to expand...
I was thinking this, but with a 15.
Choil delete, cap lifter in the tang, and S35vn would make for a killer camp and kitchen knife.
 
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