- Joined
- Apr 6, 2003
- Messages
- 1,913
thombrogan:
Yes, a softer steel that would bend would be less likely to snap the tip as on harder rockwelled steels.
Take a look at the crkt m16 review I did on the site at www.folders-r-us.org under knife tests.
In soft pine, the tip bent right over like it was soft plastic. In a defensive situation, I'm not sure I want a knife whose tip will bnend to 90 degrees and then not be capable of further stabbing if necessary.
Though the harder rockwelled steels can be prone to point breakage, if the point is not thinned to much, it should hold well enough even under hard targets.
Another, [ Ed ] mentioned "before all the wonder steels came along aus6 was fine for a selfdefense knife". Actually, that statement isn't totally correct. Many moons ago, these steels were what we had available so we had no better choices. They really were not acceptable blade steels but we didn't have much choice in those days.
The search for better performing steels was necessitated precisely becuase the med grade stainlesses like aus6 were not optimum for hard use blade work. They have their place in the bigger picture but they do not perform, can not perform and will not perform as well as the better steels out there available to us today.
Advances in technology have helped the industry, why not take advantage of that whenever we can.
Can aus6 be a good defensive steel? It's subjective at best. It is not acceptable to me, while it is for others. The reason it isn't for me is I make a living woprking the streets and run into bad things at the worst times often enough to know that I want the best available to me as it is a real world for me and equipment choices will either get you killed or save your butt. They will get you through or they won't.
I would no more choose aus6 over ats34/2154cm/cpm30v etc when I have the choice than I would a Lorcin 25acp over a Seecamp of the same caliber. Sure they both shoot the same bullet, but one will fail long before the other and when it's my Arse on the line, failure is not an option, go with the odds.
Brownie
Yes, a softer steel that would bend would be less likely to snap the tip as on harder rockwelled steels.
Take a look at the crkt m16 review I did on the site at www.folders-r-us.org under knife tests.
In soft pine, the tip bent right over like it was soft plastic. In a defensive situation, I'm not sure I want a knife whose tip will bnend to 90 degrees and then not be capable of further stabbing if necessary.
Though the harder rockwelled steels can be prone to point breakage, if the point is not thinned to much, it should hold well enough even under hard targets.
Another, [ Ed ] mentioned "before all the wonder steels came along aus6 was fine for a selfdefense knife". Actually, that statement isn't totally correct. Many moons ago, these steels were what we had available so we had no better choices. They really were not acceptable blade steels but we didn't have much choice in those days.
The search for better performing steels was necessitated precisely becuase the med grade stainlesses like aus6 were not optimum for hard use blade work. They have their place in the bigger picture but they do not perform, can not perform and will not perform as well as the better steels out there available to us today.
Advances in technology have helped the industry, why not take advantage of that whenever we can.
Can aus6 be a good defensive steel? It's subjective at best. It is not acceptable to me, while it is for others. The reason it isn't for me is I make a living woprking the streets and run into bad things at the worst times often enough to know that I want the best available to me as it is a real world for me and equipment choices will either get you killed or save your butt. They will get you through or they won't.
I would no more choose aus6 over ats34/2154cm/cpm30v etc when I have the choice than I would a Lorcin 25acp over a Seecamp of the same caliber. Sure they both shoot the same bullet, but one will fail long before the other and when it's my Arse on the line, failure is not an option, go with the odds.
Brownie
I hope these turn out, it's the first time I've tried to post pictures on these forums. 
