Best Alloys for knives ?

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preventec47

Joined
Nov 25, 2007
Messages
58
Now that metalurgy is a relatively modern and well understood science
I was wondering if there are any guidelines or parameters used to
determine when a specific alloy will be good for use with a knife
and which treatments will work the best? I see many claims by
the manufacturers ( basically everyone says they use the best )
and for instance I dont have an idea whether the best stainless alloys
can be better than the non stainless alloys. Things like hardness,
and stiffness and PSI tensile and compression strengths can easily
be tested in laboratories. Is it just a matter of picking favorites
due to all the marketing or has there been some objective
and credible testing by credible sources?
 
Some of the factors that determine what the best steels for a knife are:
-Blade dimensions
-Intended use
-Intended environment
-User preference

There's no such thing as a 'best' steel across the board, although it's easy to pick a few favorites.
 
preventec47 said:
just a matter of picking favorites
due to all the marketing
Click to expand...

for 99% of what a knife gets used for

I like to look at ease of sharpening mostly, adjusting edge finish for retention for the job. I worry more about chipping than rolling, but geometry is really important for that too.
 
I have to always ask myself what the job at hand is and use whatever I have that'll take care of it. For some things I'm in love with VG-10, but I've got a good piece in 154CM, and a couple of AUS8....easily sharpened in the field, and get the job done effectively. I just bought a 1.4116 blade I'm messing with and when I get the edge bevels set right it should be a go getter! I've got a $1 store knife I cut ragweed with (cheap stainless), and wouldn't even think of taking my Mcusta to that job. How many knives have you ever owned that would still shave after field dressing a deer and skinning it? My old D-2 at Rc60 would do it. More than I can say for my AUS8 blades! Nothing against AUS8 'cause I have jobs these work well on too! Blood has acids in it, and an edge can take a beating just in blood alone.
 
CaptInsano said:
Adamantium?





Sorry, had to be done.
Click to expand...

I second that vote! Actually, after something Ed Schemp said when discussing Spyderco's H1 the other day, I wonder why there aren't more 300 series stainless steel blades? That's right, go backwards far enough and you may actually find yourself going forward... :)
 
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