ALLBLACK is hot

This is my latest Swiza knife and it is the D03 Allblack. This is a completely AllBlack version with PVD coating on all the functions, liners, dividers and Tweezer. The only thing that is not black is the edge, cross and rivets. It is the most masculine Swiza knife. It is in a nice slide box. Without any doubt there are several advantages with coated Swiss knives and pocket knives in general. Swiza knives are also made with a serious solid construction and durability on the knife blade edges. This I have tested a bit and i am very glad to read about tests done on the Swiza knives that confirm all my information very well. In my opinion in the today’s world we live in versatile pocket knives and tools with different functions are needed not only for EDC but also for all types of outdoors activity. The advantage with this design is that it can fit any need and can just as well be a gentleman pocket knife or a general EDC knife. It also fit very well for all types of services. The cool factor on this is sky high and you feel it that it is quality made. Another very important factor with Swiza knives that I have mentioned before is that it is created by a legendary heritage. It cannot be called a Swiss Army Knife maybe but it can for sure be called a Swiss knife!

MTs and versatile pocket knives fit very well in combination with fixed blade knives. This can be fixed blades in different sizes with the blade design you prefer. Personally I would prefer a fixed blade from Helle, Brusletto or Casström in combination with MTs and versatile pocket knives. It can be fun to experiment with different grinds and edges. There are several combinations you can make depending on what use you are going to have. The best edges on fixed blades are the Scandinavian grind and not flat grind. That said flat grinds are very good too. There are also no problem with using only the MTs and Swiss knives also. It is not so that one must have a fixed blade in combination.

If you are looking for a lot of wood cutting for example you many times need a fixed blade knife. The High Carbon Tool steels can be very well suited for such. In general  the non stainless steels like High Carbon tool steels for example O2 is superior to stainless steels for wood cutting, this without exaggerated force used. The Sandvik 12c27 stainless is also ok on wood. The triple laminated stainless by Helle is also well there.  Flat grind blades are not as solid as Scandinavian grind.

Screwdrivers, can openers and a wood saw are very smart functions to bring with you.

The Swiza steel bite in wood and it without any doubt quality made.

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The 14C28N  is a very good stainless steel and it can be used for several different cutting tasks. I would look for stainless steels that are easy to sharpen and it is. In general there are today many good stainless steels on the market. If you know how to sharpen and use stainless steels only for cutting then they are wonderful tools. Many are looking for super steels and I have no problem understanding this as well. If you are ok with stainless steels that are not over 60 HRC then I believe you are doing the absolute best choice. The magic area for stainless steels is 57-60 HRC in my opinion. On fixed blades it is 58-60 HRC that is the absolute smartest choice I believe. I have sharpened knives for many years so I can handle 60 HRC steels. Many can or will struggle with super steels. Also remember that it is the hardening process that is the most important factor from a Company. Advanced super steels and stainless steels are complexed for the hardening process and a super steel with have mediocre abilities if not done correct, failure may happen if not.

I believe that the Scandinavian grind is the best for fixed blades. The most durable edges are maybe the convex edges. Plain Scandinavian edge is my choice.

Carbon Tool Steel alloys is very good for use on wood and you must get a super stainless steel to compare with O2 for example.

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Some stainless steels are best for use on other materials than wood and it can be a problem with how some of them look on the edge after use. Brittle steel that get micro chipping from cutting on wood may be more demanding to sharpen again because you have to remove so much metal to maintain the edge. It could be close to putting on a new edge and that is more than just maintenance. That is more like a repair. It is better that stainless steels are on the softer side then. The Victorinox steel is a good type of steel that is 56-57 in general and it bites wood and it is easy to sharpen. The Wenger and Swiza steel depending on what model was 55-58 HRC. They are good too. Pocket knives with versatile functions like the D03 or models with wood saw can also be smart to bring. Another powerful combination can be large pliers on MultiTools together with a fixed blade. It is just as well for use at work, for the outdoors and for services. The best length for the fixed blade knives are 10-12cm. I would recommend using an axe if you must split wood, baton or doing extra hard tasks. The solid full tang stainless steels and non stainless High Carbon Tools Steels can do some light work there too but I would recommend an axe for chopping, batoning and splitting wood that require some force. Functions on versatile knives and MTs can relieve a fixed blade knife from harder tasks. The wood saw can cut a branch and it can be used in several combinations making things in the outdoors. It is better to have a combination philosophy rather than just one fixed blade for everything. The O2 K720 used by Casström is pretty much a cutting machine for wood.

Traditional stick tang blades by Helle or Brusletto can be very smart and valuable in combination. The wood handle that is ergonomic are usually designed to be used in the hand during all types of weather. I like the ones with a 3mm stock blade with traditional Scandinavian grind. For full tang knives they should not be over 4mm thick. Traditional stick tang or hidden tang knives got an advantage with comfort and they got a balance that is a match made in heaven.

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If you looking for a knife that you can swing with and do some chopping with or in general be a knife that can take impact on wood then the Strømeng is a good choice. The number 8 with 8 inch blade is a MultiTool in its own and a great Sami knife for combinations.  It is a carbon steel and require some maintenance.

Swiza use a 440 type steel that is pin-pointed at 57 HRC. In other Words it is very good for a versatile Pocket knife

Many times it is the older and more well-known steels for fixed knives that can do the wood cutting the best. If you are looking for stainless steels that can do everything with wood included then:

Helle laminated stainless

Sandvik 12C27 and 14C28N

Aus8A

420HC

VG10

Before I mention more steels then I would like to mention that the reason for why the steels above are suitable for wood is because of the way the edge become after use. If you are not putting too much force upon them then they are good.

S30V and 154CM are very good steels for a type of knife that are going to be used for everything. They are not stainless steels that can take abuse or be used hard on wood. If you use common sense then most steels mentioned would be good.

For pocket knives, versatile pocket knives and MTs it is a bit different because the size of the blades are in general smaller and automatically you are not putting much force upon them. They can cut many materials very quickly but for wood cutting you take some more time to cut with. This means that you can use a lot more steel types for such knives with a very good result. It is one of the advantages in my opinion because you can have up to 60 HRC blades that give a longer durability of the edges. Longer between each time you sharpen. Steels that are on the softer side 55-57 HRC can also be used because you are not using force anyhow. Wood is the material that exposes most stainless steels today and for fixed blades this is the biggest factor.

Everything is about having the edge sharp all the time because a knife is designed to cut with. I like steels that require maintenance and sharpening on a regular basis. If you are not using your fixed blades or folding type knives on wood then many stainless steels or super steels will outperform the mentioned steels for edge durability. Remember that if edges gets a lot of micro chipping from wood cutting it will require unnecessary much sharpening. If you are looking for knives that are going to be used for force cutting or use that require extra force then the Carbon steels and High Carbon Tool Steels will be the best option for the money. They require some oil before and after use with some cleaning after use first.

Super steels are not always very good for hard use on wood. For general use they are excellent.

“I am all for the development of new stainless steels or super steels because i find it important to bring things forward. It is also important to remember that it is not always the case that because super steels are developed it is automatically a type of steel that you can increase the amount of force used upon the edge. The development of a complete all use stainless steel can be complex. The heat treatment or the hardening process becomes more and more important to bring out the super abilities. In some cases it is also believed by many that because of such super steel alloy that you can make the blades thinner with less material behind the edge. This can be a dangerous mindset. If steels become very hard and chips then there could be a problem with the amount of metal that must be removed after hard use. The best philosophy to have with super steel is to study what area it is intended for and why it was made. How easy it is to sharpen and how it takes wood. It is important that if a steel should be used for wood that it bite with the good feeling. It should not be steel that require extra force to bite into material. Many times steels are developed to have great edge retention. It is important to know what happens to this edge after harder use and how it looks. The best mindset with extra quality steel is to use it with common sense. Then you can get super abilities. Most steels can take some force cutting and some hard use with common sense. Edges that can get larger chips may require a completely new edge each time it is extra hard used and that is out of the question. Use an axe instead. Sharpness can become just a good on medium steels or steel just above medium as the super steels. They may not stay sharp as long and require maintenance regularly to have it fully sharp. Knives that are going to be used almost like an axe and be able to take abuse must be specifically made for this with every part of the blade for such use. Blade material, thickness, edge type and angle plus the tang must be correct. The heat treatment must be perfect.  Another factor can be how stainless steels take strong cold”

I am really glad I managed to secure myself another D03 AllBlack Swiza knife. This is a 2018 model and it is a knife for the future. I am very sure these are going to be extra desirable in the future. Another reason is to look for some production variations. It is a very complete pocket knife and it got that quality feel.