Blade steel question.

I know you said you don't have an experience with Spyderco's 154CM steel, but do you have experience with Benchmade's? If so, is it better than VG-10 in terms of edge holding?
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IMO, they are very close. I'd give VG10 a slight edge (and has a better grain structure so it takes a better edge :) ) though to be honest a high hardness 154cm blade might beat out a low hardness VG10 blade. It would get chippy at high hardness faster than VG10 though from what I've seen. CPM 154 is a better steel than regular 154cm as it takes an extra point of hardness ( makes it more wear resistant) without getting as brittle as non CPM steel.
 
The Mastiff said:
IMO, they are very close. I'd give VG10 a slight edge (and has a better grain structure so it takes a better edge :) ) though to be honest a high hardness 154cm blade might beat out a low hardness VG10 blade. It would get chippy at high hardness faster than VG10 though from what I've seen. CPM 154 is a better steel than regular 154cm as it takes an extra point of hardness ( makes it more wear resistant) without getting as brittle as non CPM steel.
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Ah ok, thanks.
 
ryts100 said:
I know you said you don't have an experience with Spyderco's 154CM steel, but do you have experience with Benchmade's? If so, is it better than VG-10 in terms of edge holding?
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Most of my non-Spyderco 154CM experience is with Benchmade's.
 
Loving the S30V on my PE Military. Sees lots of use and very easy to touch up. Perhaps not as a long lasting edge as my D2 Miltary but easy to get a hair-popping edge.

Worst steel is the ATS-55 on my Delica. Edge is hard to put on and just does not last. I may need to pull out my EdgePro and reprofile...
 
Herr Noobien,

Interesting thread, thanx.

These types of questions draw in the steel-heads and good information is shared.

sal
 
I've got agree with Yab's observations here too, like wise I work in an abusive environment which can really push the blades edge holding limits.
I haven't been in this game long enough to have experienced such wide range of steels though.

Sorry gotta run now (GF's on a rant..), will finish up my comments later....
 
The Mastiff said:
I will agree with Yablanowitz but will add Vascowear ( not a spyderco steel) above D2, just under CPM M4. I'll add these just for perspective

At the top will be S110V , and 10V, both not yet Spyderco steels but still worth putting on the list as they will be wear resistance kings. Both are high Vanadium extreme wear resistant high carbide fraction steels that do good at moderate/high hardness. Both are not meant to be choppers.

Spyderco also used N690Co, which I'll put above 440C, in the 154cm/vg10 class
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Yeah, I knew about the N690Co, but the only knives I have with it are a couple of the Hossum collabs, neither of which has seen enough use to give me an inkling as to the steel's performance. The others you mention will just have to wait until I can get my hands on knives made with them before I rate them.
 
There is an article in Blade about Sandvik steels. Just wanted to drop this in on this post. My two most used knives are a blade of ZDP-189, and one of Sandvik 13c26. The Sandvik blade is remarkably easier to sharpen to an extremely fine edge. I can get the ZDP-189 almost as sharp but it takes alot more work. ZDP-189 is also much more prone to micro chipping when the edge is too shallow. I also have a fondness for VG-1.

One other thought. 52100 seems to be rather particular about how it is heat treated. Some heat treats seems able to put this steel much closer to the top of the list.
 
I've tried all the sandvik steels except 19C ( so far) and like them. 13C is pretty easy to sharpen. I can see you having better results with it than ZDP. ZDP is a learning process to sharpen but the results for it are pretty remarkable.

They are two different classes of steel IMO, with 13C being both small carbides, and a low carbide fraction. ZDP has a large carbide fraction, but it's carbides aren't the huge, "devil worshipping" vanadium ( MC?) type. Comparing the two types of steels is an old argument here.

For the amazing chemistry that ZDP has it's in no way chippy or fragile especially considering it's typical hardness. Comparing it to 13C is like comparing a Mazda Miata to a Ferrari 355. Guess which one is the Ferrari.
( 10V would be a 71 chevelle SS 454 C.I. :) )

VG1 is a good steel, as are all the Takefu steels I've tried. I like it, but not as much as it's bigger brothers VG10, and super gold.
 
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