BEST STEEL!!!

C L Wilkins · Mar 4, 2001

Made you look.

I have just finished a couple of blades in RWL-34. This stuff shines like a new diamond. As someone else stated, it looks like a pool of mercury. It takes a mirror finish like nothing I've seen before but does anyone know how it performs? It is my understanding that it is akin to ATS-34 as far as performance goes.

Comments....

C Wilkins

Nikk · Mar 4, 2001

where did you get it?

Tom Anderson · Mar 4, 2001

Mr. Wilkins:

RWL-34 is one of the powdered metal alloys found in Damasteel. While I have not worked with sole RWL-34 stock, I can attest that the cutting performance of Damasteel is excellent. I find it every bit as good as ATS-34, and the material is MUCH more consistant to work with than ATS-34,

Some of my customers use their Damasteel knives for EDC and love it!

Had it not been for the increased availability of BG-42, I would probaby be using RWL-34 in lieu of ATS-34 right now.

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Tom Anderson
Hand Crafted Knives

Ansoknives · Mar 4, 2001

I will second that! I use RWL-34 or Damasteel on almost all my knives. I still use ATS-34 in some sizes where I can´t get RWL.

I like it alot. It is easy to sharpen, holds a very good edge, gets really nasty sharp and grinds very nice.

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Jens Anso, jens@ansoknives.com
(check out my homepage)
Ansoknives.com

cjensema · Mar 5, 2001

So.... Where'd you get it?

Bob Lyon · Mar 5, 2001

Sounds great.
So, how much is it? Who sells it? And how do you heat treat it?

Tom Anderson · Mar 5, 2001

Michael Walker sells damasteel and RWL-34 in the U.S.

I don't have the link handy right now. Hopefully, someone else can help!

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Tom Anderson
Hand Crafted Knives

jeffj · Mar 5, 2001

Yep, I looked...but mostly because the title was posted by YOU!

I figured you had found the "HOLY GRAIL". RWL-34 sounds like it is the ideal steel for collecting knives with mirror finishes. Gonna hafta git sum...is it expensive?

jj

C L Wilkins · Mar 5, 2001

Gotcha Jeff!

I got what I have from a piece I had in the garage!

Seriously, I was at TKS one day talking to Jim Lemcke in his shop and looked over at his steel rack and noticed that he had RWL-34. I bought all that he had left, which wasn't much.

I have seen on other sites where it has been mentioned that a fellow named Wolf Borger in Germany supplies it. His email address is:

wolf.borger@t-online.de

His website is:

http://www.wolf-borger-messer.de/index.htm

Michael Walker's website is:
http://www.ssdamascus.com/
He has it listed for $1.50/inch (18 inch minumum order)

After working with it, the mirror finish is unsurpassed. If someone knows a good quality steel that finishes better, please me know. It is my opinion that if a person is not going to mirror a blade, then ATS34 or 154CM would be the way to go for a comparable steel. You would be wasting your money otherwise with RWL-34 in my not so humble opinion.

C Wilkins

[This message has been edited by C L Wilkins (edited 03-05-2001).]