Any diver here ? Mystery Ti alloy blade

[Riz!]

I think there was a company called Mission Knives (or something like that) that made pretty nice titanium knives

 

[nattynarwhal]

My question would be how long does it take for each steel to develop corrosion upon contact.

I’m no metallurgist, and I don’t have a ton of experience with testing these steels, but from the data I’ve read from people who are metallurgists, Vanax is at the top, followed by H1, and then LC200N, Nitrobe 77, and M390. And then supposedly 14C28N is next in line.

Vanax and Nitrobe 77 aren’t really popular enough that I would consider them viable options for most people to use in saltwater situations, and H1 supposedly needs incredibly frequent sharpening, so that leaves LC200N, M390, and 14C28N as the front runners (in my opinion).

I was actually surprised to learn that M390 is so close to LC200N and higher than 14C28N.

I would personally consider all three as options myself for saltwater use, as I wouldn’t leave my knives for the multiple hours all three of these steels might require to rust.

The variable I saw was that LC200N remained almost corrosion free even after long durations of exposure (eight hours +).

So yes, what I learned definitely supports your statement that other steels will definitely rust, but I think it makes a significant difference if a knife rusts after ten minutes or five hours. I.E. both will “definitely rust”, but one can be used for multiple hours at a time with no issue.

Do you have personal experience with these steels that might suggest something different? (I’m not meaning that sarcastically at all. I hate text for communicating things like this.)

Also, I think price would factor into my personal decision, as I can choose between so many more knives in M390 and 14C28N than LC200N, which I think tends to have a disproportionately high price point for what you get.

Nitrobe 77 is an incredible steel in my opinion. Sharpens better than most carbon steels I've used, is incredibly stable at the edge and is completely corrosion resistant. The only downside is that it won't cut for as long as say vanax because it has such a low volume of carbides. Too bad they stopped making the stuff because it really was a unique steel.

 

[Leo Greer]

Nitrobe 77 is an incredible steel in my opinion. Sharpens better than most carbon steels I've used, is incredibly stable at the edge and is completely corrosion resistant. The only downside is that it won't cut for as long as say vanax because it has such a low volume of carbides. Too bad they stopped making the stuff because it really was a unique steel.

Yeah, nitrogen steels really appeal to me, despite the fact that the properties actually coming into play vs something like M390 is something I would probably never notice or know the difference.

 

[nattynarwhal]

Yeah, nitrogen steels really appeal to me, despite the fact that the properties actually coming into play vs something like M390 is something I would probably never notice or know the difference.

I’ve really noticed the edge stability on steels like nitrobe 77 and magnacut as a big upgrade over m390. The issue m390 has is it’s inherent chippiness, which means that it’s difficult to make user knives that are extremely thin behind the edge with it. Knives that are thinner behind the edge just cut better and I love their performance

 

[Leo Greer]

I’ve really noticed the edge stability on steels like nitrobe 77 and magnacut as a big upgrade over m390. The issue m390 has is it’s inherent chippiness, which means that it’s difficult to make user knives that are extremely thin behind the edge with it. Knives that are thinner behind the edge just cut better and I love their performance

That’s exactly why I’d love to see more variety in premium steel choices for knives. And even things like blatantly tougher steels. Like a super thin slicer in D3V.

 

[OrangeBlueOrangeBlue]

The blade on my wife's 420 stainless dive knife is pristine, but salt and UV killed the plastic/rubber handle after 15 years or so. Ti will not rust, but it doesn't hold an edge well, although the infrequency of actual use makes that less of an issue. Honestly, most of the use you'd get from a dive knife, particularly a blunted one, is as a pry tool - titanium is great for that.

 

[vjb.knife]

Gauranteed not to rust, bust or collect dust.