154cm vs ats- 34

E

exiled13

Joined
Oct 16, 2011
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These 2 steels are pretty much the same. Has anybody found a difference in the these steels? I'm want to buy a csar-T 095. I'm having trouble getting over the japanese steel used in the blade. I take pride in carry a all American knife. Does anybody else feels this way or am I just that petty?
 
I've got a variety of knives in both steels and while there isn't really any difference I can tell for some reason I just prefer the ATS-34.
 
I'm not a steel expert,but i do not like the ats-34 steel as i find it rusts like crazy ,unlike any other Buck knife i've owned.I keep it clean and dry after use but it still developes a lot of rust spots.It holds a good edge but rusts too much to make it practical for me.It could also be because of my location,surrounded by Atlantic ocean and lots iof salt air.The 154 is just as good as the rest of my bucks in terms of not much rust going on.
 
I'm thinking the finish on the steel itself might be an important factor in keeping it clean and rust free,the ats 34 that rusts so easily is the bead blasted dull finish,the 154 cm that is fine has the satin finished blades.I wonder if it plays any role in resistance to rusting?
 
I prefer American made knives. All that I have are indeed American.:) As far as the steel, they are exactly the same. Literally. No difference. Ats-34 is just a Japanese name for 154cm.
 
Razorblades......do you have any D2 knives......if so, have you had rust problems with them?

:confused:

Myself, I like a good knife. Don't care if it's made in Timbuktu if it's a good knife.

;)
 
Yes,i've got several handmade in D2 and one 118 personal in d2,no rust problems at all,even my damascus and 1095 carbon steel don't rust like the ats -34.I've used the ats-34 out fishinbg lobsters and never took it out of my pocket,it had a lot of rust on it from just the moisture in my pocket.
 
The steels are basically made from the same group of elements, and this graph shows the comparison http://zknives.com/knives/steels/steelgraph.php?nm=154CM,ats-34&gm=0. ATS-34 is Japanese, but they supply American mills, http://www.hitachimetals.com/product/specialtysteel/cutlery/ & http://www.hitachimetals.com/product/rolls/ , and have a subsidiary mill in Pennsylvania, http://www.sintermet.com/ . 154CM was developed by Climax Molybdenum Co, hence the CM designation, http://www.climaxmolybdenum.com/Products/Metallurgical/Metallurgical.htm

You can find other good reads here on BF: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/132730-ATS-34-vs.-154CM
 
Hey Razor, have you tried silicone? If you like the knife and want to use it more it might be worth a try. Scrub all the rust spots off and dry it well. Then apply a coating of food grade silicone as a barrier.
 
Well, if you don't have the same (or worse) problems with D2, it must be that particular knife, not your local conditions, because D2 should be less resistant to rust than ATS-34.

Maybe somebody cooked up a bad batch of ATS?
 
Yes,you never know what it is that could be doing it,my d2 knives show no signs of rust and they come along for the ride rain or shine,and in camp they don't get any special attention,until i get back home and give asll my gear a good cleaning and goin over.I had a 420 hc buck 110 made around 95-96 that i couldn't do a dam thing with,it wouldn't stay sharp,i coulkd get it sharp,but it was useless in minutes.I just don't have an answer as to why my ats 34 rusts up like it does.
 
I can't get over it. There's no need in using another steel from another country whennthe American version is the samething. It cantnbe thenprice of the cause like wise knives cost the same w/ 154cm.
Razor my 154cm gets little rust spots on it. I fear if I didn't keep 3 N 1 oil on it, it would rust worse. D2 will have a slight more of a problem with rust. D2 has a lower % of cromium in it. But D2 being #2 tool steel (if IRCC) the rust will just turn the color of the blade. The steel is to hard for it to damage it.
 
Scott Hartman said:
The steels are basically made from the same group of elements, and this graph shows the comparison http://zknives.com/knives/steels/steelgraph.php?nm=154CM,ats-34&gm=0. ATS-34 is Japanese, but they supply American mills, http://www.hitachimetals.com/product/specialtysteel/cutlery/ & http://www.hitachimetals.com/product/rolls/ , and have a subsidiary mill in Pennsylvania, http://www.sintermet.com/ . 154CM was developed by Climax Molybdenum Co, hence the CM designation, http://www.climaxmolybdenum.com/Products/Metallurgical/Metallurgical.htm



You can find other good reads here on BF: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/132730-ATS-34-vs.-154CM
Click to expand...

154CM was made adn patented by Crucible Metallurgy, that's where the CM comes from. ATS-34 is a Japanese version. Like everyone else ahs said, they are almost the same steel, though I have noticed a slightly better corrosion resistance in 154CM, which makes a difference becasue i live in Louisiana. We ahve enough humidity here to rust rust
 
Yessir!Your people came from where i live originally,someof them anyways.We have the same humidity here,its unreal at times,knives go through a lot of different c,limate changes here,most of them wearther fine,the odd steel gets eaten up with rust,i wish i could understand why some stainless steels rust more than carbon steel knives in own???
 
If that's the results you're getting, someone sold you a blade with some other steel that was marked ATS-34. I have had ATS-34 blades for close to 15 years and have had 154CM blades since the steel was first introduced. At equivalent HT and grind, there is zero difference in performance in real life, and there is no chance of different corrosion performance.

RAZORBLADES said:
I'm not a steel expert,but i do not like the ats-34 steel as i find it rusts like crazy ,unlike any other Buck knife i've owned.I keep it clean and dry after use but it still developes a lot of rust spots.It holds a good edge but rusts too much to make it practical for me.It could also be because of my location,surrounded by Atlantic ocean and lots iof salt air.The 154 is just as good as the rest of my bucks in terms of not much rust going on.
Click to expand...
 
Now that we're on the same page that the steels are elemently the same. They can produce different results. What I mean is some has said they had ats-34 steeled knives, but don't mention what brand knife it was. I would think that 154cm and ats-34 would preform the same w/ Buck's heat treat. If your compairing the steels on different brand knives that just doesn't cut it. Sorry for the pun.
The finish on the steel has a lot to do w/ it's rust resistance. After the heat treat the steel depends on the final layer of protection the "finish" which protects it from the elements.
 
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