1095 or 52100

J

james1971

Joined
Nov 23, 2012
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6
Guys I need your opinion on this..What do you suppose is a more suitable steel for a survival knife that is around 10 inches long. I know 1095 is a good steel for big choppers, but what about for knives that is only 10inches long with a cutting edge of only 4 to 5 inches long :confused:
 
I use 52100, so I'm a little biased, but I certainly believe it can be better than 1095.

I've heard they are both kind of difficult to HT, but it's just a matter of learning, IMHO. For me 52100 is pretty easy, simply because that's the steel I chose to use, so that's what I focused on.
 
I would choose the one I felt I could do the best heat treat on. Any steel is only as good as its heat treat.
 
I think either would make great options. The thing with 1095 which I think messes with people is getting the blade into the quench fast enough, its gotta be really quick into quenchant. Ive had good luck with my small forge, doing a short soak and right into parks 50. Ive done a couple of test blades in brine as well and got good results just your running the risk of a crack when doing that (ask me how I know :rolleyes:)
 
Speaking of 1095, I'm not so sure it's getting the blade from the forge or HT oven into the quench that's critical. It's just going to cool off that much in the 1 to 3 seconds it takes you to get there (under most circumstances). IMHO, it's the time it takes the quench to cool the steel. If I remember some numbers from KC correctly, it's some where around the 1/2 second mark. I believe most people believe they have to get the steel from the heat source to the quench in under a second but I don't see it that way.
 
I think Darrin pretty much nailed it. Go with the one you can get the best and most reliable heat treat with. I like 1095 and use it for a lot of smaller knives and even my 15" competition knife.
 
Agree Mudbug I think it goes for just about any steel, gotta have the proper quenchant for the steel. Its just some steels can handle a slower quench so there ability to be quenched by various different types of quenchants makes them seem to be easier to HT, in truth its proper temp/time/speed of quench and various other rain dance stuff where applicable.
 
Why 1095?
Why not 1084? You don't have to be a time traveler to get the most our of it.
 
If I was making a survival knife, I would make it out of CPM-3V, or CPM-154.

Of the two you offered, 52100 would be best, as long as the HT was done right. Let the HTer know the source of the steel ( it matters).
 
1095 and 52100 are my most used steels and I have tested cutting performance, and toughness to destruction on a whole bunch of knives made from both of them.

Are you making the knife? or just wanting to know which steel a blade is made from to purchase?

if you are making it yourself, what equipment do you have to make the blade and are you doing the heat treat?
 
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