FP Laguiole blade steel?

[lucky21]

Hi, does anyone have any experience EDC'ing the Fontenille Pataud 11cm Laguioles? If so what blade steel would you reccomend I go with?

I prefer carbon steel so I'm looking at the XC75 but I've not had any experience using a blade of this steel before, so I'm not sure how good it is? Deliberating between this or paying out a bit more for the rwl34 which is a great steel but obviously not a carbon steel.

Any thoughts?
Cheers

[Chris Grant]

It's like 1075 or CS70, just what is like in an opinel; sod all stain resistance, no carbides for rope cutting etc, but a lovely fine edge that gets super sharp and easy to sharpen...

[lucky21]

So would you go for the xc75 or spend the extra £15 for the rwl34 which is better edge retention? And how much better would the edge retention on the rwl be?

[Chui]

The Gareth Bull group-buy is all RLW34.........and its freakin awesome. I'd pay the extra, no regrets.

[Chris Grant]

Well to me a laguiole is an eating knife amonst many other uses, so RWL-34 for me I reckon.
My friend Magali Roques uses 12C27, as do many laguiole makers.
RWL-34 will have much better edge retention due to the higher carbon and large chrome content.
Stainless (or high alloy) steels make great slicers because of the carbide formations on the edge.

It'll take longer to sharpen, but it's fine enough for the job

So would you go for the xc75 or spend the extra £15 for the rwl34 which is better edge retention? And how much better would the edge retention on the rwl be?

[Nice65]

The Gareth Bull group-buy is all RLW34.........and its freakin awesome. I'd pay the extra, no regrets.

Ghost-like edge. So glad I got to see one.

[Noddy]

The RWL is lovely as is the X75C for edge putting - but you need to ask if you actually want that on a primarily eating knife

I have both on their laguioles, also the Sandvik 12C27, which I prefer - but that is probably my idiosyncracy.

Their 440A is as useless as everyone elses 440A - except it is good for eating cutlery, obviously .. tough, deformable, will take a kind of edge, can kind of hold on to it

As to FP's overall qualities - fit, finish, walk, talk, heat, treat, - they are good, I've found.

Re the question itself .. do you want a stainless razor or a carbon one. I find X75C to be not as 'flavourful' as 1095 or whatever that stuff Opinel uses is ... no idea why, as I suspect that it is X75C that Opinel actually uses

[lucky21]

The RWL is lovely as is the X75C for edge putting - but you need to ask if you actually want that on a primarily eating knife

.

Primarily eating knife? It would be used as a day to day user pocket knife, it should handle everyday tasks other than eating should it not?

Would you happily edc yours Noddy?
Cheers

[lycanthought]

Whilst I don't have a FP laguiole (yet!), I do have a carbon opinel and a knife in 12C27 and (in my opinion) the 12C27 is a stainless that behaves very similarly to a carbon steel but without the rusting - it's very fine grained for a stainless and takes a very, very sharp edge. it's easy to sharpen and tough for a stainless and I don't think there is any place for carbon steel in a folder! Given the choice on the FP site, I'd pick anything but the XC75!

[Noddy]

I carry them all, but one of them a lot Lucky21 - for edc all-sorts. But I vividly remember scraping a bit of that hard fungus off a tree and thinking to myself 'this really isn't the thing for this job'. It is a long and slender blade and the the pivot pin will suffer with torque no matter how well made

But ask St-Just - his views on the proper life of a laguiole around say a market might be different

Just saying the laguiole has its niche in life, it is good at it, but it has a particular sphere of competence. I might be misunderstanding what you have in mind as everyday tasks. FPs are expensive, you know

I have a cheaper laguiole in 440 something - it will get sharp, but you have to pay attention to it with the kitchen steel. But it has had a hard life and I have had to tighten the pivot once or twice on it. this involves a couple of bangs with a hammer - not something I would be delighted to do to an FP

Just context

.

Primarily eating knife? It would be used as a day to day user pocket knife, it should handle everyday tasks other than eating should it not?

Would you happily edc yours Noddy?
Cheers

[lucky21]

But ask St-Just - his views on the proper life of a laguiole around say a market might be different

So now we just need St Just to elaborate....

[lucky21]

Well this is killing me, I still cannot decide between the rwl blade or the xc75. I much prefer the edge holding abilities etc of the rwl, but to me it lacks the character that a carbon blade develops. Talking to Gilles at FP he describes the 75 as being a soft steel that should be sharpened daily. Has anyone found this?

If only they would start making them with M4 blades ;p

[Chris Grant]

Maybe if it's really soft!! But it depends what you're cutting.

I use the equivalent to that steel and it doesn't need sharpened daily after correct heat treating, maybe if you're cutting nylon rope!!

RWL would be my choice

CG

Well this is killing me, I still cannot decide between the rwl blade or the xc75. I much prefer the edge holding abilities etc of the rwl, but to me it lacks the character that a carbon blade develops. Talking to Gilles at FP he describes the 75 as being a soft steel that should be sharpened daily. Has anyone found this?

If only they would start making them with M4 blades ;p

[woodcutter]

Well this is killing me, I still cannot decide between the rwl blade or the xc75. I much prefer the edge holding abilities etc of the rwl, but to me it lacks the character that a carbon blade develops. Talking to Gilles at FP he describes the 75 as being a soft steel that should be sharpened daily. Has anyone found this?

If only they would start making them with M4 blades ;p

When I looked at using XC75 I was told to expect 55-56HRC tops by the supply company here in Normandy but Ben aka Cardoso5fr uses it a lot and could advise on its characteristics in real life rather than a lifted quote from a spec sheet. Try a pm

[lucky21]

Cheers for that mate I shall drop him a pm.