1084/95 vs 440c Which is stronger?

T

Theforerunner

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Jul 11, 2018
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Im about to make a knife for firefighters and rescue personnel thats going to also function as a prying tool, and im just wondering which type of steel is going to perform better and resist breaking/snapping. I have a paragon heat treating oven and am open to suggestions to different steel types be it stainless or carbon. im sort of leaning towards stainless because i have the means to work with it, simply for the corrosion resistance in wet environments. Any thoughts on the topic? thanks
 
Theforerunner said:
Im about to make a knife for firefighters and rescue personnel thats going to also function as a prying tool, and im just wondering which type of steel is going to perform better and resist breaking/snapping. I have a paragon heat treating oven and am open to suggestions to different steel types be it stainless or carbon. im sort of leaning towards stainless because i have the means to work with it, simply for the corrosion resistance in wet environments. Any thoughts on the topic? thanks
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Carbon steel is virtually always going to be tougher than stainless. I highly recommend you go with the carbon steel and get it cerakoted or blued or something to resist corossion.

I also recommend that you look at the Becker bk3 and the boker cop tool for some inspiration. A knife will need to be shaped sort of like these to resist prying.
 
Okay ill stick with Carbon i think. I tend to keep the blackening from heat treating on my blades for aestetic reasons and ive come to believe that helps with corrosion resistance as well.

Whats funny is i literally sketched up something that looks almost exactly like the bk3 without even looking at any sort of reference images online lol.
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Lapedog said:
Carbon steel is virtually always going to be tougher than stainless. I highly recommend you go with the carbon steel and get it cerakoted or blued or something to resist corossion.

I also recommend that you look at the Becker bk3 and the boker cop tool for some inspiration. A knife will need to be shaped sort of like these to resist prying.
Click to expand...

Do you have any specific brand recommendations for gun blue? i want a really dark, almost black look if possible
 
There are a number of grades of carbon steels that are pretty tough. If you want to go stainless, the data on AEB-L is showing pretty surprising toughness.
 
Deepest black finish I have done without hot bluing (and it may rival hot bluing) Is 'plum brown' followed by steel wool. Multiple applications. Comes out thick and matte black.

https://imgur.com/6TufnfD
 
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Do you have a firefighter/EMT actually asking for this?
I know a few, and they typically carry a pretty specific load out. I'm not sure what function a "prying knife" would fit into that they wouldn't already be using a dedicated tool for.

If something needs pried, they're gonna grab a halligan bar/kelly tool, or some other dedicated pry bar. Having a sharp edge on a pry bar just seems like an accident waiting to happen, not to mention if the thing fractures while in use.

If it's a cutting job that needs more delicacy than an axe, most FF/EMTs are going for their shears or some variation of a rescue knife. Some firefighters I've known carry a beefy folder occasionally, but for forced entry and extrication there are much better tools on the trucks.

Not trying to crap on your idea, but it seems like a tall order that may not be all that practical.
 
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