-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Blade materials
- Thread starter almark
- Start date
Hey almark,
There are several charts to look at the chemistry of different steels...but the chemistry does not tell everything. Heat treating is the another important characteristic to a blades quality. But here are some steels that I have been following on this and other forums (pay close attention to what the makers are saying). Since there are so many steels, I will only talk about some of the premium steels used in high-end production and custom knives available to makers in the U.S.
Stainless steels:
CPM steels are produced somewhat differently than the "classic" stainless steels. These steels are sensitive to heat treat and when improperly treated can be brittle at the edge. 420V (S90V) is considered the best followed by T440V (S60V). These are the best edge holding stainlesses.
"Classic" stainless all seem to do well in the 58-60RC hardness range and are tougher than the CPM steels. BG-42 is becoming a very popular as a very good all-round stainless for stain resistance, edge holding and toughness. ATS-34 is a very good stainless if properly heat treated and has almost identical chemistry to 154CM. 440C has the highest stain resistance and when treated correctly should hold an edge as well as 154CM/ATS-34.
Non-stainless (carbon) steels:
52100 is the champion steel in this category according to most makers who forge...as long as it is properly heat treated. 5160 is much tougher and used on larger knives. 1095 is also used now and again and holds an edge well, but is not as tough as the previous carbon steels. There are also some alloy steels that are popular A2 being a prime example. A2 is supposed to take a very sharp edge.
There is also a new cobalt material called Talonite...but that is another story!
Other members can add to this list...my fingers are getting tired.
Again, remember that you probably would do best to learn this by just listening to the makers...they are a VALUABLE source of information.
Jeff Jenness
[This message has been edited by jeffj (edited 07-20-2000).]
There are several charts to look at the chemistry of different steels...but the chemistry does not tell everything. Heat treating is the another important characteristic to a blades quality. But here are some steels that I have been following on this and other forums (pay close attention to what the makers are saying). Since there are so many steels, I will only talk about some of the premium steels used in high-end production and custom knives available to makers in the U.S.
Stainless steels:
CPM steels are produced somewhat differently than the "classic" stainless steels. These steels are sensitive to heat treat and when improperly treated can be brittle at the edge. 420V (S90V) is considered the best followed by T440V (S60V). These are the best edge holding stainlesses.
"Classic" stainless all seem to do well in the 58-60RC hardness range and are tougher than the CPM steels. BG-42 is becoming a very popular as a very good all-round stainless for stain resistance, edge holding and toughness. ATS-34 is a very good stainless if properly heat treated and has almost identical chemistry to 154CM. 440C has the highest stain resistance and when treated correctly should hold an edge as well as 154CM/ATS-34.
Non-stainless (carbon) steels:
52100 is the champion steel in this category according to most makers who forge...as long as it is properly heat treated. 5160 is much tougher and used on larger knives. 1095 is also used now and again and holds an edge well, but is not as tough as the previous carbon steels. There are also some alloy steels that are popular A2 being a prime example. A2 is supposed to take a very sharp edge.
There is also a new cobalt material called Talonite...but that is another story!
Other members can add to this list...my fingers are getting tired.
Again, remember that you probably would do best to learn this by just listening to the makers...they are a VALUABLE source of information.
Jeff Jenness
[This message has been edited by jeffj (edited 07-20-2000).]
Search the archives here, there is a bunch of stuff to read. Also check out David Boye's how to make Knifes and Wayne Goddard's The wonder of Knifemaking. Blade steel will also depend on the type of use your knife will see. What do you want to make?
------------------
Sola Fide
------------------
Sola Fide
Thanks jeffj. I appreciate yoiu getting back to me.
Originally posted by jeffj:
Hey almark,
There are several charts to look at the chemistry of different steels...but the chemistry does not tell everything. Heat treating is the another important characteristic to a blades quality. But here are some steels that I have been following on this and other forums (pay close attention to what the makers are saying). Since there are so many steels, I will only talk about some of the premium steels used in high-end production and custom knives available to makers in the U.S.
Stainless steels:
CPM steels are produced somewhat differently than the "classic" stainless steels. These steels are sensitive to heat treat and when improperly treated can be brittle at the edge. 420V (S90V) is considered the best followed by T440V (S60V). These are the best edge holding stainlesses.
"Classic" stainless all seem to do well in the 58-60RC hardness range and are tougher than the CPM steels. BG-42 is becoming a very popular as a very good all-round stainless for stain resistance, edge holding and toughness. ATS-34 is a very good stainless if properly heat treated and has almost identical chemistry to 154CM. 440C has the highest stain resistance and when treated correctly should hold an edge as well as 154CM/ATS-34.
Non-stainless (carbon) steels:
52100 is the champion steel in this category according to most makers who forge...as long as it is properly heat treated. 5160 is much tougher and used on larger knives. 1095 is also used now and again and holds an edge well, but is not as tough as the previous carbon steels. There are also some alloy steels that are popular A2 being a prime example. A2 is supposed to take a very sharp edge.
There is also a new cobalt material called Talonite...but that is another story!
Other members can add to this list...my fingers are getting tired.
Again, remember that you probably would do best to learn this by just listening to the makers...they are a VALUABLE source of information.
Jeff Jenness
[This message has been edited by jeffj (edited 07-20-2000).]
- Joined
- Jun 27, 1999
- Messages
- 804
Check the bookshelf at http://www.engnath.com/ .
Bob Engnath wrote quite a bit of info from a practical perspective on the subject.
------------------
Oz
"Sticking feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken!"
http://www.freespeech.org/oz/
Bob Engnath wrote quite a bit of info from a practical perspective on the subject.
------------------
Oz
"Sticking feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken!"
http://www.freespeech.org/oz/
- Joined
- Nov 17, 1999
- Messages
- 676
You started a discussion that goes on and on.
Check the tread on talonite in the blade forum. Every knifemaker has its own favourites, some agree, others do not.
All steels which can be classified as knife steels hold good edges, and usually it's a trade-off between price, edgeholding, grainsize, toughness and rust resistance.
If you want a steel for this or that, first determine your price limit, then if it should rust or not, then if you want fine grain or coarser, then determine how tough it should be and then how good the edgeholding should be. In the list you ended up with, takes the one closest to your pricelimit, and that steel will do fine if treated right.
In my opinion, you'll end up with a lot off 5160 and 52100 when rusting is not so important and a lot off CPM-420 or ATS-34 if rustresistance is a factor.
Mind you, don't compare stainless to carbon-steels. I think they both are good, but behave differently in a knife, and can't be compared.
greetz, Bart.
Check the tread on talonite in the blade forum. Every knifemaker has its own favourites, some agree, others do not.
All steels which can be classified as knife steels hold good edges, and usually it's a trade-off between price, edgeholding, grainsize, toughness and rust resistance.
If you want a steel for this or that, first determine your price limit, then if it should rust or not, then if you want fine grain or coarser, then determine how tough it should be and then how good the edgeholding should be. In the list you ended up with, takes the one closest to your pricelimit, and that steel will do fine if treated right.
In my opinion, you'll end up with a lot off 5160 and 52100 when rusting is not so important and a lot off CPM-420 or ATS-34 if rustresistance is a factor.
Mind you, don't compare stainless to carbon-steels. I think they both are good, but behave differently in a knife, and can't be compared.
greetz, Bart.