Best steel for knife - M2?

nozh2002

nozh2002

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More I use 710HS, more it convince me that this is that super steel I always looking for in knife.
60-62 HRC - I scratched my friend crystal glass (first he chalanged me with his "swiss" watches glass and then with "really hard" crystal glass).
and according to web it is tough -tougher then any stainless steels.
Why it is only BM using it?
And as I see they have less and less HS knives.
Thanks, Vassili.
 
Pinoy Knife uses M2, also. So does Gary Bradburn.

According a service rep from Gerber Legendary, M2 makes a great blade, but it's very difficult to work with. According to Pinoy Knife, M2 is very difficult to work with, but it's worth it.
 
So it is only Benchmade who offers production M2 knives.
Are M4 knives awailable?
Thanks, Vassili.
 
M4 is only available in custom knives. First, find a maker that does great work, but whom you don't mind causing irreparable damage. That's how you'd get an M4 knife. 3V will probably give you a lot more of what you're seeking, but with higher toughness.
 
The reason you don't see more factory knives with M2 is the difficulties in working it. Once hardened(and, it's supposedly tricky to heat treat properly) M2 is super wear resistant(which means it wears out equipment quicker).
 
Way back when (late 60's or early 70's?) Gerber used to make knives with high speed tool steel blades (M2). They were virtually impossible for ordinary users to sharpen in an era when water stones and diamond hones were unknown. M2 also takes a rather smooth edge which does not slice well if your edge has too obtuse an angle. An ordinary guy would sort of be forced to use an obtuse sharpening angle in order to accomplish any kind of sharpening at all. I do not have fond memories of M2 from that era.

Nowadays M2 is great since I have diamond hones and belt sanders to do my bidding. Bring on your M2 or M2--I'm ready.
 
This means that this is that super steel every knife shuld be made from, but only Benchmade is able to produce knife out of it because of difficulties in working it.
I hope they'll continue with it!
Thanks, Vassili.
 
Benchmade CHOOSES to work with it. Other factories do not at this time. M2 is not the perfect knife steel. Like already mentioned, it is extremely wear resistant, so sharpening(even with diamond hones) is not fun. And, a lot of people want stainless. M2 sure aint stainless. Not one of the strongest steels either.

I remember those little Gerber M2 knives also. They still show up, from time to time. Not fun to sharpen. I still like M2, but would only want it on a super thinly ground knife meant for slicing.
 
M2 is excellent stuff. My had a homemade knife made from a piece of broken metal sawmill blade. He chopped a nail with it, hard and it just dented.
 
I have two Benchmades with the stuff. 710hs and the Forum 705. Great steel for most things. I tore the heck out of a Gerber pen knife opening a package and hit some wire. The M2 cut it like nobody's business.

I leave the M2 knives at home when I head into the bush though. When around water (often salt) I have had it rust on me. I just am unable or arguably unwilling to give it the attention it deserves while jumping in and out of float planes, hiking through wet alders, fly fishing,... in order to make sure it never spot rusts.

Then I bring a griptilian, dozier, or this year the Cuda Talon (made from talonite) that I won on this very web site. :D

Bruce
 
Well, I have hard time to buy things like "easy to sharpen". Am I sound PC enough? Kind of - "it is sharp - sombody can even cut finger! Oh!". Common, guys! I can understand complains like - outdoor it is hard to keep it dry all times or in cold weather it will catch condensat from air anyway (like my friend from Russian forum mentioned), but
KNIFE CAN NOT BE TOO WEAR RESISTANT
as well as
KNIFE CAN NOT BE TOO SHARP.
Sorry, I just can not belive in this.
Thanks, Vassili.
 
Bud Nealy stopped using M2 and now continues with ATS-34 and S30V, in addition to a special damascus steel by Daniel Meir.
 
The first knife I had made was by Ken Largin. I specified 440-C...Ken suggested M-2 tool steel (he'd charge the same as 440-C) and filled me in on this heavy duty steel - it's made for high speed cutting tools and a knife made with this stuff '...could cut a Lincoln in half!' I went with the M-2 & keep it well oiled. Stood up a lot better than my old Army boots!
 

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I just ordered Benchmade 140 HS, (even I can not pronounse this thing, without dislocating my tongue).

Thanks, Vassili.
 
I have a Benchmade forum knife with M-2 That I have been using as an EDC and I just don't see the problem with sharpening? It get scary sharp and the edge lasts longer than the 154CM made blades from Benchmade. It is prone to rusting though. I ride motorcycles and occasionally I get caught out in the rain. Wherever the blade isn't covered with BC-1 coating it will rust almost immediately. I even have noticed a little rust on the butterfly logo in normal day-to-day carry. I don't really mind maintaining the knife but someone who goes out into the field often then M-2 is probably not the best choice.
 
Hi nozh2002

crystal glass is not that hard but the "crystal" (glass cover) on a fine swiss watch is. expensive watch crystals are made of lab grown or man made saphire. in the gem world, saphire is ranked #2 in hardness. #1 being diamond. if the point of a m2 blade can "easily" scratch a watch crystal then all i can say is good luck in sharpening that blade when it gets dull.
 
Greting's all i just had to chime in here . M-2 tool steel does indeed make a real good knife. my guess is that production company's don't like it beacuse it is difficult to work , and it is a expensive steel , a 36 inch bar is usually aroung $100.00. i find that if the knife get's a good finish it will repel rust better . im not saying that is is stainless. i personally have not had a blade rust after it was made. ive kept them stored in leather sheath's for month's without a problem yet . just give it a little TLC. Sharpening this steel is about the same as most good knife steel's maybe a little more difficult . i find a good grind help's the sharpening alot by making it a little easier to align the edge. i often recomend ceramic stick's for touch up if the edge need's it . a friend of mine used a butcher steel on a m-2 knife and got it pretty sharp quickly. i have a knife made from this steel for work use cutting leather for sheath's it will cut 3 pieces of " Shoe leather easily for about 4-6 month's before requiring any touchup. these are just my opinion's .
 
Sorry I should say that my friend's watches was $10 or something. This is why I quite word "swiss" in that post, but it was glass.
Thanks, Vassili.
 
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