Bohler makes interesting metals for blades!

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Stainz

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Jun 24, 2007
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Check out Bohler-bleche.com - they have an English language choice. Some of the more interesting recent Bohler steels I've run into - like M390 - weren't even designed for knifes! In it's case, it is designed for making precision plastic molds - as for CD's! It is hardenable to Rc >65, too - often at the expense of corrosion resistance - and wearability, too. My Benchmade 480-1 Shoki & 755 MPR have blades that could have been made into molds that would have been punching out 'The Best of Twisted Sister' CD's! What a waste that would have been. N690 turns out to be a decent blade material - my Boker Haddock, PryMate, and Savannah - not to mention my new Arno Bernard 'Wild Dog' - really should hold up well. I am still wondering about the N695 I saw on an Argentine-made Boker Arbolito sale priced knife yesterday at a local store. It could be great - it's all in the heat treat.

Come to think about it, stay away from that site - I've spent some time there perusing the site - and I now have a headache that won't quit. Maybe my Cr, V, or W content is too great... or I quenched myself too much with cold water in the shower this AM?? Maybe it's the thought of music from 'Twisted Sister'?? Interesting reading... I wish I knew what it meant...

Stainz
 
Yeah, that's definitely the norm. The vast, vast majority of the steels in the knife world -- including "super steels" like M390, Elmax, the CPM "V" steels (with the notable exceptions of S30V and its successor S35VN), etc. -- were originally developed for non-cutlery industrial applications.
 
Bohler-Uddeholm produces quite a bit more than what's listed on that site, including Vanadis series not mentioned there. Bohler-Uddeholm steel listing.
Never seen M390 hardened to 65HRC, though. I do have Vanadis 4E knife from Fred Haakonsen at 66HRC, outstanding edge holding for light cutting works.
 
neuron said:
Yeah, that's definitely the norm. The vast, vast majority of the steels in the knife world -- including "super steels" like M390, Elmax, the CPM "V" steels (with the notable exceptions of S30V and its successor S35VN), etc. -- were originally developed for non-cutlery industrial applications.
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What Neuron said also applies to melt alloys. 440C, 154CM, and D2 were all developed for other applications and just happened to have properties that made them suitable for cutlery.

But you are right. Bohler makes some top notch alloys.
 
I thought 154cm was a cutlery specific steel. D2 is a tool steel, so that's a given that it was made for tooling. 440c I know very little about other than it used to be called surgical grade 440c.
 
AFAIk, it was for jet turbine blades. You'd be hard pressed to find a steel actually developed for cutlery, especially in western metallurgy. Just there's bunch of categories from which alloys work well kn knives too, when HTed properly, e.g. high speed tool steels, die steels, plastic mould steels, ball bearing steels, etc...
 
Stainz said:
Check out Bohler-bleche.com - they have an English language choice. Some of the more interesting recent Bohler steels I've run into - like M390 - weren't even designed for knifes!
Click to expand...
Very few steels are actually designed for use in blades. I think the trend is on the increase, but I think S30V is the first general purpose steel (certainly the best known) that was specifically designed as a blade steel. We knife nuts tend to think that steel is exclusively for knives and swords, but there are actually a few other (admittedly obscure) uses steel can be put to. :D
 
BG-42 was a ball bearing steel... but has almost a cult following (Count me in - I have a few Custom Shop Buck 110's in it...) as a blade steel. It was my favorite - then CPM154 - then S30V - now, maybe N690... maybe M390... or ElMax...

I'm fickle - I still like 420HC!

Stainz
 
Most of the highest wear resistant steels used in blades came out of the Plastics industry.

S90V, S110V, S125V, 10V, 15V, M390, ELMAX
 
harkamus said:
I thought 154cm was a cutlery specific steel. D2 is a tool steel, so that's a given that it was made for tooling. 440c I know very little about other than it used to be called surgical grade 440c.
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Gator97 said:
AFAIk, it was for jet turbine blades. You'd be hard pressed to find a steel actually developed for cutlery, especially in western metallurgy. Just there's bunch of categories from which alloys work well kn knives too, when HTed properly, e.g. high speed tool steels, die steels, plastic mould steels, ball bearing steels, etc...
Click to expand...

Gator's almost correct. 154CM was developed for compressor blades, not turbine blades.

In a gas turbine engine, compressor blades are up front where the temperature is lower. Turbine blades are in the hot part of the engine. Too hot for steel.
 
Böhler-Uddeholm makes M390, Elmax, Vanax 35 and 75. All are very good steels for knives.
 
If memory serves me, VG10 was created specifically as a blade steel before S30V, for Japanese grafting blades. I could be wrong, but I don't think so. ;)
 
By the way, in all of my years of knife use I've yet to find a better over-all stainless than VG10. When you consider what most users look for in a knife steel (edge holding, toughness, and ease of sharpening), when you throw in the "stainless" element, VG10 hasn't been beaten. It possesses well-above averages in all categories. I hear N690 is very similar, but I haven't had the opportunity to use that steel yet. For now, VG10 is the best stainless in my book (and yes, I've tried others). Just my opinion.
 
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