In both the custom and production knife worlds, the current steel of choice is ATS-34. Some insight as to how ATS-34 gained this status would be appreciated.
My first custom knife was a Loveless utility in 440C bought about 25 years ago. Shortly thereafter I lost interest in knives, and didn't follow the industry at all until a couple of years ago when I became interested in defensive knife techniques. So I missed the emergence of ATS-34 to its current status. I'm curious why it is held in such esteem, and why, when corrosion resistance is an important factor to the user, ATS-34 is
considered superior to 440C.
The standard explanation is you give up a little corrosion resistance for a tougher knife, and this is often justified by reference to the alloy composition
of both steels. But how does one verify or quantify this theoretically-
superior toughness in the real world? Has anyone done it? After all, if the intended use is as a weapon, how much tougher does it have to be? Will ATS-34 perform better than 440C when striking human bones or slicing
flesh? Perhaps our resident medical pecialist can shed some light here. But since a lot of other factors (heat treatment, design) come into play, why the preoccupation with ATS-34?
In the Shop Talk forum there's a thread on steels, where some makers seem indifferent to or even negative towards ATS-34. I remember another negative post on recdotknives by another well-known maker. Does anyone care? This is not exactly a vote of confidence from those who get up close and personal with these materials every day, yet in the mind of most knife users, ATS-34 reigns supreme.
I wonder if it is analagous to the PC software world, where the Windows 95/98 operating system rules. Anyone who is familiar with the evolution of PC software
knows this did not come about because of superior technology. Through shrewd business moves, a lot of hype, and some blunders by the arrogant Apple crowd, Microsoft was able to build enough marketshare and mindshare to practically eliminate everyone else who offered competing operating systems.
Similarly, don't those who own or make ATS-34 knives have a vested interest in maintaining the perception that it is the steel of choice? Personally, I'm interested in the potential of 440V and 420V, and its a shame that so few makers are using it. Given the current marketshare and mindshare of ATS-34,
I wonder if its possible for any of the lesser-used steels to gain a following.
My first custom knife was a Loveless utility in 440C bought about 25 years ago. Shortly thereafter I lost interest in knives, and didn't follow the industry at all until a couple of years ago when I became interested in defensive knife techniques. So I missed the emergence of ATS-34 to its current status. I'm curious why it is held in such esteem, and why, when corrosion resistance is an important factor to the user, ATS-34 is
considered superior to 440C.
The standard explanation is you give up a little corrosion resistance for a tougher knife, and this is often justified by reference to the alloy composition
of both steels. But how does one verify or quantify this theoretically-
superior toughness in the real world? Has anyone done it? After all, if the intended use is as a weapon, how much tougher does it have to be? Will ATS-34 perform better than 440C when striking human bones or slicing
flesh? Perhaps our resident medical pecialist can shed some light here. But since a lot of other factors (heat treatment, design) come into play, why the preoccupation with ATS-34?
In the Shop Talk forum there's a thread on steels, where some makers seem indifferent to or even negative towards ATS-34. I remember another negative post on recdotknives by another well-known maker. Does anyone care? This is not exactly a vote of confidence from those who get up close and personal with these materials every day, yet in the mind of most knife users, ATS-34 reigns supreme.
I wonder if it is analagous to the PC software world, where the Windows 95/98 operating system rules. Anyone who is familiar with the evolution of PC software
knows this did not come about because of superior technology. Through shrewd business moves, a lot of hype, and some blunders by the arrogant Apple crowd, Microsoft was able to build enough marketshare and mindshare to practically eliminate everyone else who offered competing operating systems.
Similarly, don't those who own or make ATS-34 knives have a vested interest in maintaining the perception that it is the steel of choice? Personally, I'm interested in the potential of 440V and 420V, and its a shame that so few makers are using it. Given the current marketshare and mindshare of ATS-34,
I wonder if its possible for any of the lesser-used steels to gain a following.
