ATS34........ GOOD OR BAD?

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NAN

Joined
Mar 29, 1999
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I have been wanting to buy a new pocket knife for a while, and I have finally come across one I like. It is a Schatt & Morgan Stockman. Anyway, it has ATS 34 steel. I was wondering what everybody's take on the ATS 34 steel is? I am looking for a steel that will keep a good edge but can be sharpened with ease, and I don't really care if it is really resistant to rust.
THANK YOU!!!
-JOE-
 
ATS-34 is OK, but some people say it is rather brittle. I hit a staple with my BM 910 that uses ATS-34, and a small teeny tiny chip appeared. I wasn't cutting very hard either. In terms of edge holding, it seems to be a fairly decent edge holder, but there are still better edge holders out there.


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Chang and the Rebels of the East!
Southern Taiwan Will Rise Again!
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Joe a lot of people have turned their collective backs on ATS-34, but I have a lot of knives that use that and they take a good edge and hold it well. Nothing wrong that I have ever come up against. As Chang mentioned it can chip and on a Genesis I I had it did but they ground the edge very thin, after resharpening it, never a bit of trouble.

G2

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"The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions!"
Take the time to read your Bible Now, don't be left behind...

G2 LeatherWorks
 
I own several ATS-34 blades. Not bad. Not the best, but not bad (ie, there's better stuff out there, but if you like the knife, don't let the steel choice stop you)(unless, of course, it's 'Stainless,' with no other description.

--JB

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e_utopia@hotmail.com
 
I'm not a blade expert. However, I think you have to consider other factors as well.
You cannot generalize and say whether ATS-34 is a bad steel. It depends on the manufacturer and how they utilize ATS-34

You have to consider:

1. The tempering process. The more a steel is tempered, the more rigid it becomes. However, there comes a point where it may border on being brittle. That would go for any steel, not just ATS-34

2. Blade design: thickness, structural integrity, etc. I would expect the thinner ATS-34 blade on my Gerber Covert to give out before the blade on my BM-710 Axis. And I dare any staple to come up against the thick "commando"-style blade on my SOG Magnadot (actually that's 440A, but you get the picture).

3. Knife use. A knife is for cutting. It's not a prybar, a staple remover, a chisel, or the substitute slotted screwdriver. Of course it will malfunction if it's used in a way that it's not meant for. REMEMBER: If God had meant the knife to be used as a chisel, he wouldn't have invented the multi-plier!
 
I think it is good stuff. I find it to hold an edge fairly well and fairly easy to sharpen.

Last year I tried a Wegner folder while deer hunting (ATS34). I field dressed 3 deer with it, and as I always do I split the rib cage completely open starting at the sternum. The knife opened the deer effortlessly and would still shave afterwards. I consider this to be good performance.

Matt
 
A steel is only as good as it`s heat treat. Benchmade has historically made their ATS34 very hard, and subsequently, brittle. It`s unfair to judge ATS34 by the way benchmade treats it.

Personally, I like ATS34 a lot. I think it`s laudable for Schatt & Morgan to use it in traditional pocketknife patterns. I`d go for it.
 
Good steel, if it is heat treated properly. Paul Bos makes great ATS-34. It does not well tolerate being heat treated in large batches; you can't get the temperature down from the hardening temperature fast enough to prevent grain growth. That causes the brittleness. Custom knives are done in small batches and that makes a world of difference in the resulting steel.

IMHO that is generally true of all knife steels, and one of the distinguishing factors between custom and factory knives.

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Jerry Hossom
www.hossom.com
The Tom & Jerry Show
 
I agree with the others, ATS-34 is only as good as the heat treat (this is true for any steel actually). For instance, I get much better edge holding on my Kershaw "Wild Wild Turkey" than I have on any of my Benchmade blades (all of which have been ATS-34).

Even if the Schatt & Morgan ATS-34 isn't optimal it should still give much better results than the standard 440A.

I'd go for it!

Jon
 
Originally posted by Steve B.:
A steel is only as good as it`s heat treat.
Click to expand...

Agreed, wholeheartedly. It took me a while to learn and accept this... I resisted, but I now understand.

Originally posted by Steve B.:
Benchmade has historically made their ATS34 very hard, and subsequently, brittle. It`s unfair to judge ATS34 by the way benchmade treats it.
Click to expand...

I have numerous Benchmades and this has not been an issue for me. YMMV.

Originally posted by Steve B.:
Personally, I like ATS34 a lot. I think it`s laudable for Schatt & Morgan to use it in traditional pocketknife patterns. I`d go for it.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Hard to find a production multiblade traditional folder in ATS-34. I'd give it a whirl.

Hossum's (GaKnife) comments are very interesting and bear your consideration. I listen when custom makers bother to enlighten us on heat treating. Especially when they use/test their knifes to the extremes like I suspect Jerry does.
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rdangerer@home.com


[This message has been edited by rdangerer (edited 08-01-2000).]
 
NAN; just below and to the right of the 'Post Reply' button is the 'Search' button. Enter 'ATS 34,' and you will have over 130 threads to look through, with a great deal of good information.

The answers given above are valid and useful, but if you wish to read most of what has been said about a subject, use the search function.

Walt
 
the S&m stockman is very nice and worth getting. If you are not worried about corrosion the Schrade Oldtimmer stockman is made with 1095, holds a great edgeand will sharpen up easier than the ATS 34 blades. Great price for the OT too.
 
Hi Joe,
I think ATS34 is fine. I agree that I do not like it on the Bench Made knives but I have a bunch of knives by Lynn Griffith in ATS34 and they don't chip at all.

ATS34 in a Stockman? Sounds like a great knife.

It is a fine steel. 5 years ago if someone got a knife with ATS34 there would strut around like a peacock.

Good luck!

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~Greg Mete~
Kodiak Alaska
 
I think Benchmade ATS-34 is great stuff! If you don't break the edge on metal stuff, it holds an edge a good long time, and it really isn't any less tough than anybody else's mass produced ATS-34. You don't want to pry with it though.
 
Thanks everybody for your input. I have decided to go with the knife. Hope it turns out good!
-JOE-
 
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