vintage dexter russel blade ?

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kiwiblade

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Jun 26, 2015
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Hi all a newbie here ,Ive been asked to make a salmon knife for friend of a friend, he wants a very flexible mild steel blade .

and described what i find is a dexter russel knife #41910.no longer in production apparently.
Can anyone tell me what steel was used for this?
see images on http://ralph1396.com/DXVlox10Rvs2.JPG

Richard Shields, NHA TRANG VIETNAM.
 
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I am not sure exactly what steel was used in that knife that you linked to. It is more than likely a stainless steel....sort of like the stainless steel used in the Victorinox kitchen knives. Dexter Russell did use carbon steel in many of their blades, but I don't think carbon steel would be used on a salmon knife made by Dexter Russell. I can almost promise it is some sort of stainless steel.

Just remember tho, flexibility really has nothing to do with steel type, but rather it is all about geometry. A carbon steel will flex just the same as a stainless steel, if both were identical.

Usually "mild steel" refers to straight carbon steel, but with only around maybe .4% or .5% carbon. You can certainly make a serviceable knife out of "mild carbon steel", but I recommend something with at least .7% carbon in it for better edge holding.

If I were to make a "salmon knife" for a friend, AEB-L stainless steel would probably be my choice. If in carbon steel.....15n20, 1084 or 1095 or any of the carbon knife steels would work.
 
Mild steel? The flexibility or elasticity, before it deforms, of steel depends more on the thickness of the profile... any thin properly heat treated steel should be fine... although the bandsaw steel should be brilliant... and already 1.xmm thin... sure there are better steels for the purpose, but thinner steel will trump the type...
 
Thanks for that, he refered to the blades he had used as mild steel,with strong patina and showing rust readily, and taking an good edge readily, I assumed that would rule out stainless.
The flex shown in the pic's impressed me greatly, would I be able to produce that quality?
Looks to me that he'd buy cheaper online than I would have to charge to make him one .
He's a top knife hand and knows what he needs for the job,just cant get them in this neck o the woods.
 
Thanks for your input,
I'd probably go with 1084, just had no idea if such flex was remarkable or as you suggested could be expected of stock grades of carbon steel.
He insisted that the knife was "mild steel", needed frequent sharpening but took a great edge, as do the Green River blades ive had. Never pretty to look at but honed to a great edge and used till they were a shadow of former self.
 
I will never understand why anyone would want a blade that "takes a great edge but needs frequent sharpening". Why not use a great stainless like AEB-L which takes a great edge, does not rust, and holds a great edge so you are not sharpening it all the time? Unless your friend wants cheap and likes sharpening knives.

Tim
 
The guys a highly paid Professional,he uses what he likes and trusts,and while he can afford to buy top line he spurns them.He chooses to use a blade that will take a quick lick to sharpen and slices lox so thin you can read through it, all day every day. Cost is not the deciding factor and sharpening is not the sort of chore you seem to believe it is.
Why should he change to suit your bias?
 
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