5160

Infi is better than all with corrosion resistance s7 is the toughest edge holding sr101 5160 is not far behind sr101 which is 52100, both are rust magnets when stripped but with propped maintenance they are fine, both are tough and hold a good edge. I disagree with above poster, not that large a discrepancy, depends on your purpose
 
Cappy2cap said:
How would 5160 rate amongst INFI, SR-77, SR-101,
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Edit to add: Your post is very generalized. The following post is assuming that you are referring to edge-retention. Please read it as such. S7 is for jack-hammer bits. It is very shock-resistant and 'tougher' than most knife steels. But it falls shorter in edge retention than many knife steels.



5160 is pretty close to 52100. Although, I'd give the edge to 52100.

A2 is also a very good steel.


When discussing steel, the thing that most folks miss is that they steel is FAR LESS IMPORTANT than the heat treatment. I'm pretty sure a guy like Ed Fowler or Jerry Busse could take a beer can and make it cut a thousand times on 1" hemp.

I've seen 1095 heat treated properly that will out-cut D2 and other 'superior' steels.


Thing is... is just ain't that easy to say one steel is better than another steel. We all have a tendency to 'like' a particular steel, but it's a lot more complicated. The more time you spend on the forum the muddier your opinion's will get. But I think that may be a good thing... :thumbup:

ALL blade steels are a COMPROMISE between durability, edge retention, and ability to withstand corrosion. Trick is to find one that works for YOUR needs.


So... now that I've made things clear as mud, carry on! :D



.
 
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Properly treated 5160 can be very good, good enough that the difference with INFI, especially in a big blade, would be marginal. Just the way it is folks, its got much more to do with the steel treatment than with the steel itself. Even 440A steel can be a best of a work knife.
FerFAL
 
If each of the listed steels was heat treated properly I bet no one would see much difference in use. It would only be in destruction/corrosion tests where you would see slight differences. INFI, 52100, SR77, and 5160 are all great knife steels. I suggest buying several of each material :)
 
Bill Siegle said:
If each of the listed steels was heat treated properly I bet no one would see much difference in use. It would only be in destruction/corrosion tests where you would see slight differences. INFI, 52100, SR77, and 5160 are all great knife steels. I suggest buying several of each material :)
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And what would you know? LOL ;)
 
I think if you had to choose a test where you would see the most difference it would be corrosion resistence. all three steels rust faster than INFI, and deeper. INFI's rust tends to be at a really shallow surface level, where 5160 takes some sanding to get rid of.

The only other two tests I can think of where you'd see the difference are sharpening and really extreme abuse. INFI is a really easy sharpening steel, and you'll see better performance when trying to break the knife. But in general use, all three can be heat treated to be very similar.

It is worth noting though that 5160 is often differentially hardened or tempered to keep the spine softer and more pliable/maleable, and jerry/swamp rat chose to differentially harden/temper their sr101 in most of their blades. I beleive sr77 is most often through hardened (could be wrong, I tend towards busse), and INFI is always through hardened. Even though you might not see the difference as your using it, it says something that jerry chose to keep the rockwell of the spines different than the edge (regarding toughness, strength, and shock resistence).
 
Bill Siegle said:
Not much..........just guessing :D
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uh huh, says the person that has forgotten more than I'll ever learn about metallurgy. :p

btw, I still wanna talk about that little project form a while back, I need more of your work. :)
 
Bill Siegle said:
Not much..........just guessing :D
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Right.

SiegleSAR-4.jpg


Just saying...

8
 
River, that has to be the sexiest blade I've seen in a long time! :eek: HOLY CRAP!!
 
That Siegle is saweeet! OP congrats on the Miller Bros knife, I was eyeing it and didn't know too much about 5160.
 
A while back I picked up an Ontario Gen II SPF 53 in 5160 . I beat the ever living crap out of that knife, not holding out at all, bashing through everything. It's my back yard beater that anyone can use. It holds a great edge, I even took the grind down to about 20 degrees, no chips or rolls. I don't know if I got a good one or they are all like that but it's mind boggling that a $60 knife can take that much abuse.
If you are on a budget and need a heavy chopper you cant go wrong.
 
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