GREAT PRICE, surprisingly tougher than expected
SZCO makes some good things and some total garbage. This is definitely one of the good things! As other reviewers have pointed out, it is definitely not equal to the quality of the originals, but it's also a lot less money than an original. At just a small fraction of the cost for getting an original, you get a surprisingly tough and accurate replica of an iconic piece of American history. It says it's "stainless" and gives no further details, but after abusing one for a while in the woods, and then re-sharpening it, I'm guessing that it's a 420 or similar steel. 420 is never my favorite choice for ANY knife, but this one is very thick and heavy, and takes a lot more abuse than I thought it would. The soft steel cleans up pretty fast with a good sharpening stone. It's definitely not the best bushcraft knife, but that was never it's intended purpose. For what it is, this is one of the great SZCO bargains you can get here at SMKW. If you really want an original, save your pennies and get an original. But if you just want the historic look on a knife that you can put to work at the campsite, this is definitely a good bargain. At this price, just get a few extras for when you finally wear out the first one.
J.