440V - strong enough?

[PiterM]

As far as I know 440V is a very good edge holder. It's also more stain resistant than ATS-34. But what about strenght? Is it going to break easly during slight prying with a knife like dendritic steel?

Thanks for info.

 

[Paracelsus]

Wow, not only are you questioning 440V's strength but you have also disparaged Dendritic steels. This should be fun.

I was unaware that either 440V or David Boyes Cast Dendritic Steels suffered from major strength or brittleness problems. Of course, the working properties of Any steel are determined primarily by its heat treatment. Any steel which is improperly tempered after hardening will be too brittle. It may chip, or break. In fact, tempering is a Reduction in hardness and brittleness, Not the reverse.

440V has good functional qualities which make it a good knife steel. So does Dendritic steel. There is no best steel for all things. There is only compromise of physical characteristics.

Some steels are better to me than others. That's why most of my knives are simple forged tool steels. I don't need exotic particle melted steels, or high concentrations of chromium, molybdenum, vanadium, or cobalt. Simple Iron and carbon crystal lattices work for me.

Paracelsus, who never prys

 

[Brian_Turner]

I've had 440V chip on the edge, and snapped the tip on one while prying up a computer room floor tile (sue me - they use those #@$$# tiles with carpet so you can't use a sucker).

------------------
AKTI Member #A000832

"Sometimes you eat the bear, and sometimes, the bear eats you."

 

[Cliff Stamp]

It does not take much to damage the dendritic materials. They are cast which is not in the same class strength wise as forged materials. The cobalt is so weak and brittle that just an extended period of cardboard cutting breaks the edge apart. The dendritic 440C is much stronger and more durable but still not in the same class as non-cast steels.

In regards to 440V there are some concerns about the durability, but the strength should be very high unless for some reason it is heat treated so as to not make it so. The way in which it is heat treated can make a huge difference so you really should discuss this with the maker.

-Cliff

 

[Joe Talmadge]

I've had 440V chip on the edge

Brian, I look at that as a statement on 440V's toughness, not its strength.

Given good manufacturing (which 440V has) and good heat treat (which we'll assume for the sake of discussion), a blade's strength is related to its hardness. 440V is often left softer than steels like ATS-34, due to concerns about 440V's toughness at higher hardnesses. You can't expect a 56 Rc 440V blade to be as strong as a 61 Rc ATS-34 blade. Lack of strength is not exhibited as breakage/chipping, but as deformation (e.g., the blade bending during prying, or getting dings in the edge). Still, I don't know that I'd be worried about it bending during "slight prying", depending on what that means.

I wonder if Piter might be more concerned with toughness. At the lower hardness levels companies are leaving 440V at, I haven't heard of toughness concerns, has anyone else?

Joe

[This message has been edited by Joe Talmadge (edited 09-01-2000).]