Can someone give me a rundown on the various kershaw steels?

scotchleaf

scotchleaf

Joined
Oct 23, 2006
Messages
2,232
Is the following basically in increasing order of quality?
  1. Sandvik 13C26
  2. Sandvik 14C28N
  3. CPM-D2
  4. S30V
  5. Metal injection molded 440C
  6. 154CM
 
To put it in perspective, you have to look at steel like you would a car. Some are made to do very specific things, others are used for more general purposes. Some more expensive, with certain performance increases, some just fancy for the sake of fancy.
I'm not a metalurgist, so I don't know all the ins and outs of each alloy, but I think I've got a pretty good idea.

Sandvic 13C26 is a good all around steel. It resists rust well, holds a decent edge, and most importatnt for Kershaw is it can be fine blanked to stamp out the blade shape (as soon as you need lasers, the cost shoots throught the roof).
14C28N is exclusive to Kershaw, made to one up 13C26 and still use the cost-efficient fine blanking process. It's both more wear resistant (better edge holding) and significantly more rust resistant. This will replace 13C26 as their flagship steel.

CPM D-2 is made by Crucible in the U.S. and is in my opinion one of the most balanced steel types available. It is an upgrade from the classic tool steel, D-2. Where D-2 is very wear resistant and decently tough, its major flaw has always been a huge carbide structure (why, I don't know, that's one of those things only a metalurgist could explain), which would limit how thin an edge you could put on it. While not a problem for most people, it is an oddity for knife steel. When you take the D-2 formula, and use it with the CPM process, it is an all around upgrade. You get a fine grain structure, with increased toughness and hardness. While it still won't technically compete with S30V in edge holding, it should be in the same league, with a little extra toughness.

Here's a basic rundown of the CPM process.
http://www.crumetals.com/products/CPM/index.cfm

S30V is Crucibles most common CPM knife steel. It is a bit of an anomaly in the steel production world in that it was specifically developed as a knife steel, where most steel types are developed for various industrial purposes and adapted for use in knives.
S30V will hold an edge better than most other steel types, due to a high percentage of Vanadium, which produces the hardest carbides you can get in steel. S30V was developed to be a high performance knife steel, good edge retention, good toughness, and good stain resistance. It doesn't go to the extreem in any one area, but it does do very well in all.

Metal injection molded 440C is just that. 440C that is shaped by injecting it into a mold.
440C was the staple high end stainless steel up until the 90's, when 154CM became popular, and then the more recent S30V. If you count S30V as the standard, 154CM is one step below, with 440C being another (small) step down from that. They all hold a good edge and are decently tough.
 
Thanks, but one issue I have with your list is that it doesn't jive with the prices on kershaw knives - see chart at http://scotchleaf.googlepages.com/kershaws

For example, the S30V knives are more costly than the 14C28N knives of the same type (leeks). Also, the 2nd most expensive kershaw is the G10 Offsett which is 440c.
 
There's a difference between run-of-the-mill 440C and high-tech metal-injection parts of powderized 440C. Not to mention the fact that blade steel alone is not necessarily the only thing that drives prices in knives.
 
440c
13c26
14c28n
154cm
D2
S30V

This is the breakdown (bottom to top) as I see it in my warped little world view. It is all up for debate though.
 
spiralarchitect said:
440c
13c26
14c28n
154cm
D2
S30V

This is the breakdown (bottom to top) as I see it in my warped little world view. It is all up for debate though.
Click to expand...

+1 - that's how I see it, too.

I haven't had too much experience with S30V (yet), but I can see that I almost exclusively use the CPM D2 around the house, and the one thing that has really impressed me is how easy it is to keep an edge on it - cut down boxes, carpet, a little wood carving...and a few minutes of touching up and the edge is perfect again.
 
spiralarchitect said:
440c
13c26
14c28n
154cm
D2
S30V

This is the breakdown (bottom to top) as I see it in my warped little world view. It is all up for debate though.
Click to expand...

This is interesting, you put your list in almost the exact opposite of what was listed above. I'm curious, since S30V is, supposedly the king of blade steel now and you rate it dead last? I have some 154cm blades and they dont even come close in the sharpness catagory as to my CPM S30V blades. What gives? Is this just you r personal preference?
 
I think that heat treatment process has a lot to do with performance as well. One companies S30V may not perform the same as another.
 
scotchleaf said:
Thanks, but one issue I have with your list is that it doesn't jive with the prices on kershaw knives - see chart at http://scotchleaf.googlepages.com/kershaws

For example, the S30V knives are more costly than the 14C28N knives of the same type (leeks). Also, the 2nd most expensive kershaw is the G10 Offsett which is 440c.
Click to expand...

Joshua J. said:
...(as soon as you need lasers, the cost shoots throught the roof).
14C28N is exclusive to Kershaw, made to one up 13C26 and still use the cost-efficient fine blanking process.
Click to expand...

Yes, S30V has to be laser cut.

The MIM process is also quite pricy right now. If it were to become more popular the prices would go down, but that's not what is happening.
 
2manyblades said:
This is interesting, you put your list in almost the exact opposite of what was listed above. I'm curious, since S30V is, supposedly the king of blade steel now and you rate it dead last? I have some 154cm blades and they dont even come close in the sharpness catagory as to my CPM S30V blades. What gives? Is this just you r personal preference?
Click to expand...

He put it in increasing order of greatness.
 
knivesandguns said:
He put it in increasing order of greatness.
Click to expand...

I would think you would want S30V at the top then? Then list the others going down in order of preference. Since we dont live in Russia, I would think left to right, top to bottom would apply in listing things as well?


Thats how I got confused, thanks for clarifying.
 
On a related note, would S60V be rated better/higher than S30V? Seems I read something about S60V being discontinued in favor of S30V, though.
 
Isn't Kershaw using S110V???

If so, that would be the king of production knife steels.

Supposedly even better than the magnificent S90V. :thumbup:
 
2manyblades said:
I would think you would want S30V at the top then? Then list the others going down in order of preference. Since we dont live in Russia, I would think left to right, top to bottom would apply in listing things as well?


Thats how I got confused, thanks for clarifying.
Click to expand...

Yeah I was confused too :)
 
Joshua J. said:
To put it in perspective, you have to look at steel like you would a car. Some are made to do very specific things, others are used for more general purposes. Some more expensive, with certain performance increases, some just fancy for the sake of fancy.
I'm not a metalurgist, so I don't know all the ins and outs of each alloy, but I think I've got a pretty good idea.

Sandvic 13C26 is a good all around steel. It resists rust well, holds a decent edge, and most importatnt for Kershaw is it can be fine blanked to stamp out the blade shape (as soon as you need lasers, the cost shoots throught the roof).
14C28N is exclusive to Kershaw, made to one up 13C26 and still use the cost-efficient fine blanking process. It's both more wear resistant (better edge holding) and significantly more rust resistant. This will replace 13C26 as their flagship steel.

Thanks Joshua! I've been wanting to now the difference between D2 and CPM D2 steels.

CPM D-2 is made by Crucible in the U.S. and is in my opinion one of the most balanced steel types available. It is an upgrade from the classic tool steel, D-2. Where D-2 is very wear resistant and decently tough, its major flaw has always been a huge carbide structure (why, I don't know, that's one of those things only a metalurgist could explain), which would limit how thin an edge you could put on it. While not a problem for most people, it is an oddity for knife steel. When you take the D-2 formula, and use it with the CPM process, it is an all around upgrade. You get a fine grain structure, with increased toughness and hardness. While it still won't technically compete with S30V in edge holding, it should be in the same league, with a little extra toughness.

Here's a basic rundown of the CPM process.
http://www.crumetals.com/products/CPM/index.cfm

S30V is Crucibles most common CPM knife steel. It is a bit of an anomaly in the steel production world in that it was specifically developed as a knife steel, where most steel types are developed for various industrial purposes and adapted for use in knives.
S30V will hold an edge better than most other steel types, due to a high percentage of Vanadium, which produces the hardest carbides you can get in steel. S30V was developed to be a high performance knife steel, good edge retention, good toughness, and good stain resistance. It doesn't go to the extreem in any one area, but it does do very well in all.

Metal injection molded 440C is just that. 440C that is shaped by injecting it into a mold.
440C was the staple high end stainless steel up until the 90's, when 154CM became popular, and then the more recent S30V. If you count S30V as the standard, 154CM is one step below, with 440C being another (small) step down from that. They all hold a good edge and are decently tough.
Click to expand...

Thanks Joshua! I have been wanting to learn the real difference between D2 and CPM D2.
 
Ben Dover said:
Isn't Kershaw using S110V???

If so, that would be the king of production knife steels.

Supposedly even better than the magnificent S90V. :thumbup:
Click to expand...

Yes they are along with ZDP-189 which shows the exact performance as
S90V in abrasion cutting tests.
 
2manyblades said:
I would think you would want S30V at the top then? Then list the others going down in order of preference. Since we dont live in Russia, I would think left to right, top to bottom would apply in listing things as well?


Thats how I got confused, thanks for clarifying.
Click to expand...

The original list was "in increasing order of quality", so the further down the list you go, the higher the quality.

As long as the list is specific to folding knives, and you're referring to D2 as the edge of a composite blade (you don't see many all D2 blades), I totally agree with spiralarchitect's list.
 
AUS8A stainless-steel is the steel on the folding field

I sharpenin alot of knoves but this is by far the best steel ive shaperned

5 field dressed deer and still shaves ! one sharpening !
 
Dear sweet God.......it's the night of the living thread.:eek:;)

glock 37....2 things.

1)Welcome. It's nice to see you have been digging around and reading. Keep at it and if there is anything we can help you with feel free to ask.
2)When it comes to blade steel it's all up for debate. The major variable in what will work best for you is how you use it.
 
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