Thanks Lance!
I haven't test much with production knives. Only recalled 2 memorable instances
1. Spyderco Stretch zdp-189 with very thin edge cut sadine can - loss about 3mm edge depth
2. Benchmade Pardue D2 5" fixed-blade thin edge - loss 4mm edge chop green palm frond
While my early heat-treated blades in many steels (used std ht params as baseline for comparison). Cutting 3/16 brass rod with 15dps thin edge (0.015 - 0.03 thick) were disastrous 1-4mm chipped and or rolled. That was before I've a hardness tester and hardness of these blades were probably 61-64rc. After hardness tester and I am get better with ht. Keeping hardness to around 60rc for high alloy, would reduce damage to around 1.5mm (for baseline & mine). Sometime mine experimental ht would chipped 3-8mm deep (quite wide - semi circle shape).
For given edge geometry of 15dps, 0.015" thick and task to cut 16d nail. Use whatever optimal (strength+toughness) for particular steel.
Yes, it would be interesting to see results std ht vs SQ ht.
I've a few std ht 52100 & few slightly modified std ht 52100 blades, I might put through this test. Also have baseline knives ~62rc in cpm-m4, s90v, s110v, cpm154, 20cv, elmax, many D2, M2, aeb-l, 14C28N, rex121, w2, 10xx, 5160, etc... Probably better if I make crude test blade for cutting-nail test than possibly destroy my baseline knives (w/ nice handle).
I've 3V but very thin bars (0.05" thick), not fit for this test.
Nathan's 3V at 60rc (20dps, 0.02" thick before sharpening) did great in cut 16d nail.
Great test! Thank you! I am curious, have you done this testing on other steels? It would be very interesting to see a comparison of performance of steels with different compositions at different hardness.
Yeah, I'd like to see something like 3V at the same thickness with a standard heat treat, 52100 at the same thickness with a standard heat treat, and something like 154cm at the same thickness with a standard heat treat. That's a pretty thin blade taking some pretty heavy shocks and blunting forces with very minimal damage.
Further more, cutting nail best suited edge with high strength and high toughness. Else, too soft = big deformation, brittle = big chip. From Charpy & Izod #s for various steels, we can sort of infer that nail cutting is not a friend of your edge.
D2 is one of the steel has lowest toughness # (rex121, cpm125v, are worse). I will make test SQ D2 61+rc blades (0.13" thick; 15dps; 0.015" edge thick). Use this result to interpolate other SQ ht steels. For comparision, I will throw in Benchmade Pardue Fixed D2 as a baseline blade.
All, please keep in mind. This thread/discussion is about testing steel limits, which is far remove from practical/reality edge tools usage. :thumbup:
edit to add:
i) Bodog, this knife is a different one than the previous one. I over heated the edge of that one when I was distracted while lazily hollow grinding the bevel with an 8" wheel.
ii) Shameless plug: PM/email me - End date of 'Muc', get one time rain-check 33% off knives - good through 20160229
