• Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! I hope that you all have something to be grateful for this year and for many years to come

  • The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is available! Price is $250 ea (shipped within CONUS).
    Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/

  • America has reached 250 years, and I am grateful to be here, in the best country in the world. Thank every one of you who helps make this country a better place, those who have gone before and risked it all, and those who've paid the ultimate price to make the United States what we are today.

    Happy Birthday America! Let Freedom Ring for all time!

Emerson CQC-T steel

E

edmundl

Joined
Jan 28, 2010
Messages
63
Just curious on why the newer Emerson hawks are made of s-7 steel instead of 4140. RMJ tactical uses 4140. It seems to work out very well for them.
 
S-7 is jackhammer bit steel so obviously it has an amazing shock resistance to it. The 4140 RMJ uses is differentially heat treated which i don't think the emerson is. So this might make the 4140 better for that heat treatment.

Only speculation on my part as i'm not a metallurgist:foot:
 
4140 is a dang good steel. Ive used it myself plenty of times, but S-7 it aint. S-7 is used in cold chisels and the like. Its tougher and more shock resistant than 4140. A good bit more expensive too..Though to be honest I have a hard time seeing where you would normally need anything tougher than 4140 in a hawk.
 
S7 rocks, that's what I'm using for my axe build. A good heat/cryo treat on S7 and it will keep going and going...
 
From what some people have told me S7 is a little more shock resistant than INFI. I don't know if it's true but I'm just putting it out there.
 
I've used it in various combat robotics applications for about 5 years now, it's a great steel capable of taking some huge amounts of abuse. I use it for weapon heads on kinetic energy weapons, usually hardened around 45 rockwell. It'll shatter under too much strain but for the forces a human can put into it, I don't think you'll have a problem.
 
For impact weapons and tools, S7 rocks the house. It won't hold an edge as well as many other tool steels, but you can pound the hell out of it.

It is more shock resistant than INFI, but won't hold an edge as well.

Metal selection is a game of compromise, you have to look at your intended uses and pick the steel that is strong in as many of the areas of primary use as you can.

For things like blades, hawks, etc, I'd prefer INFI or 5160 over just about anything else. 4140 and 4150 are very good. You don't need the shock resistance of S7 for a handheld tool, but I think they are aiming this at the kiond of person that could destroy an anvil with a rubber mallet.
 
I do remember reading something in these forums some time back that said the CQC-t (I think it was a thread about the VTAC) failed a test where the spike was hammered into 40 gallon drums 50 times. I can't find the link at the moment but I know it is here somewhere. From memory no further details were given but I wonder if that is the reason for the use of S7 - to give the spike shock resistance.
 
So, I purchased an Emerson Design CQC-T Tomahawk from ATC through Dave's Knife World recently (August?); what kind of steel is it? ATC website lists the steel as 4140. Where does the S7 come in?
 
Last edited:
It looks like the site is outdated...click on the order now tab and it brings you to there rep. and the specs are right....S7
Looks like the earlier model was 4140
 
I just ordered the S-7 version. Do you think 4140 steel would been a better choice for this tomahawk?

I don't know well the non-stainless steels, so I simply ordered the last version.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top