Horrigan Fighter pictures after some heavy use

[Debo]

All,
Here are some pictures of my Horrigan Fighter after hard use during a certain survival school in NC. The knife performed tremendously and I was very pleased with how the edge stood up. I used it for everything from deboning rotting roadkill deer to splitting up to 3" logs for cooking firewood. I would bury the blade into the log and then beat it through with another piece of timber. After all of this, it was still sharp enough to effortlessly whittle some chopsticks to eat with. Half of my team took multi-tools and the other half took fixed blade knives. My knife did the lions share of the work and was flawless in its many uses. When I got back, I dressed the edge with a diamond stone and had it shaving again in about 4 minutes. Thanks to John Horrigan for turning out such a great piece of equipment.

Shameless plug for some great gear----> Horrigan's Website (http://www.eliteknives.com/gallery.htm)

Regards,
Debo

[Debo]

a couple more.

You can see before pictures at this thread when the knife was new.

http://www.professionalsoldiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15528

[Bill Harsey]

Good report.

Do you know what alloy of steel your knife is made of?

[cornelyj]

Nice report and even nicer knife. I just got one question, How do you get a nickname like Debo? did you steal the knife? sorry didn't mean any disrespect if that is your last name.

[BoyScout]

I need more S/A. How I got sell from steal IDK.

[Debo]

Do you know what alloy of steel your knife is made of?

440c I am not sure exactly the process that John uses to heat or cold treat. You would have to ask him. I hear alot of people put down that formula of steel but I have never had any problem out of it and John sticks with it for his fighters which means something I guess. What do you use in similiar designs?

I just got one question, How do you get a nickname like Debo? sorry didn't mean any disrespect if that is your last name.

:) None taken. My first name starts with "D". I am a rather large human being and friends thought it funny to liken me to the big guy in the movie "Friday". I had my head shaved which didn't help. That is it, boring but it stuck.

D.

ETA- BTW, that is not surface rust on the blade. It is tree sap and bits of bark that was beaten onto it during various tasks. D.

[Bill Harsey]

Debo,
Thanks.
440C has the highest carbon content of the 440 series of martensitic stainless steels and is often used for knives.
I have always thought that the 440C can make a good knife when heat treated correctly. This steel has been used here in the past but not since having the liquid nitrogen capability for freeze treating. This would make the heat treat of the 440C better.
Years ago this alloy got a bad reputation when some in industry didn't get the heat treat right or didn't think it important enough to try. This would have had the same bad result for any steel they used.

If John is doing the work, I know without asking that the heat treat is right.

The knife steels here are 154CM, CPM S-30V and CPM 154. All are made by Crucible Specialty Tool Steels in the USA.