Best Chopper Knife Steel

My concern with 3V in a blade meant for "serious abuse" is how easy will it be to resharpen once the edge is trashed from that use?

I'm pretty lazy in that regard though and tend to favor ease of sharpening as an attribute, especially in large blades.
 
Forced to pick one steel for chopping, I would pick Infi. It’s toughness is up there with just about anything available plus with a touch over 8% chromium it has excellent corrosion resistance for a non stainless. If I was on a budget, 5160 would probably get the nod.
 
A8 (mod) is about as close to Infi as someone will get. It's a great chopper steel and has pretty good corrosion resistance. There is no stainless steel I would use on a large chopper but that is just me. Steels like L6 and 1084 may not be as sexy but they can still make fine choppers. There are a lot of that can. Find a maker you want to work with. Listen to what he has to say and make decisions on what is best for you. Every steel and heat treat is a compromise so pick the best one for you. I'd go with 3V, Infi/A8(mod), L6 or 5160 but that is me. My needs undoubtedly differ from you but they and many more steels can do fine large chopping knives.

Gaston has had the opportunity to learn and correct his mistakes and he refuses so best thing is to ignore everything in his posts. The damage you see is operator caused.

Joe
 
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I don't know, but you can see quite a few blades chopping, in action on a new History Channel show I watched last week, Forged in Fire: Knife or Death. It's a spin-off from the original Forged in Fire, in which contestants compete with their own knives--most are either made by the contestant or custom-made for them. The specs of their knives are discussed prior to when they are unleashed on a timed course of various chopping tasks, through different materials and dead animals or fish, etc. So, if you're interested in chopping...

https://www.history.com/shows/forged-in-fire-knife-or-death
 
My vote is CPM 3V. With professional HT.
I reccomend 59-60HRC with cryo. (I have mine done by peters).
Or use 8670. Much cheaper and still very tough with good edge holding. I would shoot for 57-58HRC. Very tough.
Below is a kukri i made in 8670. The final version will be 3V for the customer.
Screenshot_20180509-214435_Gallery.jpg
Also completely ignore anything Gaston444 says about particle steels. He is a best a troll. At worst someone who intentionally misleads new members or those seeking honest information.
In my testing CPM 3V is nearly indestructible. Light years better than 420J. Tougher, stronger, better edge holding. Less corrosion resistance but even then its decent.
 
what do you guys think about a8 ? in these graphs there is controversial info about its toughness . one is very high ,on par with s7 ,the other one is way below s7 ...?
A8Modified.jpg


Tb.B1.bmp
 
kostadinov1977 said:
what do you guys think about a8 ? in these graphs there is controversial info about its toughness . one is very high ,on par with s7 ,the other one is way below s7 ...?
A8Modified.jpg


Tb.B1.bmp
Click to expand...
To make real comparisons, they should all be tested at the same HRC+/- .5
 
Gotta throw my vote in for 3V as well. With an industry standard treat and cryo it's a beast anywhere from 57-60rc really. Keffeler and Carothers use 3V with a special proprietary heat treat labeling it Delta3V which is made by wizards and magic iirc and it's fantastic. Others have had good luck with 4V and 10V in competition choppers. Big Chris has even used PD1.
 
I am partial to 5160. It is a tough durable steel that has been used the world over for heavy duty knives. There may be better choices for competitive knives, but not for general outdoor use. In the real world these heavy choppers are going to frequently be damaged by contact with rocks and other hard items, and you want something that not only performs but that can be easily repaired as well.

n2s
 
SpyderPhreak said:
It should be noted for anyone reading this necro, that gaston is no longer with us here at BF. He finally got the banhammer to the head for all his crazy talk. ;) His post in this thread is a perfect example of why. :rolleyes:
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Aww, I'm kinda gonna miss him. I mean, obviously I think he deserved the ban, but I found him entertaining. I guess I have been spending too much time in my own corners of the forum to realize he was no longer around.
 
kostadinov1977 said:
what do you guys think about a8 ? in these graphs there is controversial info about its toughness . one is very high ,on par with s7 ,the other one is way below s7 ...?
A8Modified.jpg


Tb.B1.bmp
Click to expand...

The first graph compares A8 with other steels, the second graph shows A8Mod, so I’m not sure its the same steel. And, as mentioned above by Danbot, it’s not the same hardness either
 
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