8670 "L6 alternative" question

rustyrazor

rustyrazor

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Oct 13, 2011
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I've ordered the 8670 as an alternative to L6 for some of my hard use knives. I've read over and over that L6 is an amazing steel for this application (even so much that reading in a few posts/polls that most of the master smiths would choose this steel above all others for their own user blade steel... as good a commercial as any) and from the ones i have used i have been very happy with their performance... that being the case, has anyone ever used the 8670 in hard use knives and tested it? If so, how does it actually compare to the real L6 in so far as toughness and edge holding?
 
If I'm not mistaken, 8670 (from Admiral steel I presume) isn't quite as close to L6 as they would like you to believe.

As for how it actually performs, I don't have any experience with it, but I imagine that most properly beveled and heat treated tool steels should give you adequate results in a "hard use" knife.

Regarding 8670 specifically, I think the topic has been covered a few times, and the search function should help you out.
 
Yep... I have one of Mr. Greco's fighters. i just haven't pushed it to see how much it can take... nor do i still have my Gerber in L6. I gave it to a soldier buddy of mine years ago and it was a different geometry anyway, so it's hard to compare. I was just wondering if anyone who had worked with both of these steels and can give me their take on it. or better yet, if there are any of the Metallurgical wizards on here who know the difference.

cheers

Royce
 
You should be able to research all this but ....there were two makers o "L6" , Crucible and Carpenter .However they were different !!! ,significantly. So you should have picked one brand that you preferred and stuck with it . Then Admiral started to sell 8670 as a L 6 "equivalent " That was different again !! A rep of Admiral came on the forum to explain. Theyb shouldn't have sold it as L 6 but rather L6 equivalent. Any time you see info on a XXXX "equivalent " be carefull ! Find exactly what you have , it can be very different . The three mentioned above have significant differences in forging and HT .Don't switch steels or suppliers .
 
the stuff from admiral is exactly the stuff I ordered... knowing the reputation of L6 and John Greco (using 8670) I figured I was on to something pretty special, so that's why I bought it. I am hoping it's not going to be a disappointment now that I read that. Does anyone have experience with it and should I know anything about it before I start marketing it as "tough steel?

Thanks Mete
 
I have several Greco knives in 8670 and I've tested them over several years and it's pretty tough stuff. Holds an edge and is not too difficult to resharpen. John has a really thick edge and I changed my edge profile a bit but that was my only issue. I have had my MST since 2001 and I carried it on a SORT team and used it to pry open doors, cut through different thicknesses of screen, used the butt to break glass. I've used it camping for food prep and processing firewood. As a knifemaker, I would use it and trust it.
 
I have used it and used to make a lot of my knives from 8670M. I found it to be extremely tough, take a razor edge and hold it a very long time.
It's not stainless, but it is just about perfect other than that.
 
The last 10 or so of my knives have been made from it. It's a wonderful knife steel. Kind of a pain in the ass to machine finish compared to others it seems. It grinds nicely, gets hard as hell in the quench. I've noticed that if you temper at around 400 for your tempering cycles you are going to be working with a very hard and brittle blade. My steel likes a little hotter temper. Knives turned out alot better at 450.
 
Awesome Guys... I plan on making a tester blade out of it and beating the snot out of it... will post pics and results when finished, but it might not be for a while as my real job is getting in the way, lol. Ben, I do hope you mean a tough steel, and not just tough to work with right? Much appreciated Josh, thanks for the tip. I can't HT my own stuff yet, but i'm convinced Peters will get it right. they have done amazing stuff with my blades so far and i've had ZERO complaints. Tidefan: I only assume if you were part of a SORT team that you beat on your equipment and abused it like every other soldier i ever met, and if it worked well for prying and hacking through stuff it shouldn't have, then also a plus for me.

cheers guys
 
in the meantime, i'm going to post a few pics of testing out my stainless utility knives to see how they perform and evaluate toughness... likely not a distruction test (intentionally at least, lol) but i've switched to 12c27 for my hard use stainless as it's known as a bear for toughness for stainless, and i want to see how it holds up.
 
Give Admiral steel a call. If they can't help you, call Aldo (new jersey steel baron).

That said, what exactly is the scope of your project, if you don't mind me asking? Is there a certain reason it needs to be 36" x 36" and 8670? That's also a very specific (and not common) thickness. You might have better luck starting with a standard finished thickness, or prepare to pay a good chunk of money to have it ground.
 
He probably meant .187" as in 3/16"


EDIT* I'm also curious of the project that requires a 36"x36" plate
 
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