Received my Winter 2002 A. G. Russell knife catalog yesterday and in it was this ad:
[url]http://www.agrknives.com/gerber/ge5710.html[/url]

I have 3 questions for ya:

1. Other than the knife being smaller than the original, how many of you 'Nam vets thought the original "Gerber Mark II CS" was [b]weird[/b] because of the canted blade?

2. In your opinion, (I believe I know) why was the blade canted?

3. Do you think the "154CM at 59-61 Rc" is better than the original steel used for the Mark II?

While I don't have an original and am not interested in a copy that isn't accurate, I do own a Guardian II the later version in [b]tooled[/b] steel which I consider to be one of the best steels ever use for a knife of this type and was offended by Mr. Russells' assertion that the "CS" model was weird.

Looking for feedback,
Mike

I seem to remember hearing that the Mark II was made in L6 sawmill steel then M2 high speed tool steel.
If you're looking for people who know what they're talking about when it comes to knives, you might want to check out [url]www.bladeforums.com[/url]

I'm a former machinist, now a buyer of about 1M of steel a year....what's "tooled steel"?

Celt as crookshanks noted: "M2 high speed tool steel" is I believe what my Guardian II is made of. Mine has a serial number w/ [b]T[/b] behind it indicated is was made from tooled steel, I was unsure of exactly what the proper name was, but for certian it is one of the best blades I own.

Hope this answers your quere,
Mike

"Tool Steel" refers to a class of steels that are metallurgically very "clean" and fall within strict limits for alloy proportions. Vanadium, tungsten, and molybdenum are often added to tool steels to make the steel resist annealing (softening) when used in "high-speed" (high heat) applications. Chromium is added in very large quantities for corrosion resistance ("stainless"). High-speed steels are essential in metal-working tools (drills, milling cutters, etc.) and "stainless" steels can be cost effective by resisting rust during the manufacture, shipping, and storage of the tool itself. Correctly heat-treated, tools made from high-speed, stainless, and "chrome-vanadium" steels may hold an edge well in woodworking applications, but, due to the large, hard carbide particles that form during hardening, they are difficult to sharpen and cannot be honed as sharply as a blade of plain high-carbon steel.