Go to steel! Simple or super?

rodriguez7

rodriguez7

Gila wilderness knife works
Joined
Feb 1, 2009
Messages
1,428
Just wondering what everyone’s go to steel is? I’m wondering if it’s even worth (upgrading) to more complex harder to heat treat steels! The reason I’m asking is because of the results I’m getting from 8670. We get caught up in the marketing of super steels. But a simple carbon steel, is easily touched up in the field, easy to heat treat, and cheap to buy! I’m sure it won’t hold an edge as long as 3v or z-wear. But in the limited testing I’ve done, it’s just as tough if not tougher than 3v, and easier to field sharpen. The only test I haven’t done, is skinning big game, or extended meat cutting.
Been a rough year for my big game hunts! Hopefully this next year will be different. Just trying to get a feel whether it’s worth changing steels, or just trying to continue improving my heat treat on this steel. You guys have been in his game much longer than I have, so there’s no better place to ask. Thanks for everyone who decides to weigh in!
 
The reality is the knife steels we use are just fine for about all knife needs.

Some need a few licks on a strop sooner then others but many will not really be bother by that because if heat treated well they will do the job.

I have used 01,A2, W2, 8670, 154CM, 3V, 1084, N690 , AEB-L, 440C, Zfinit, D2 with no complaints on their ability to do the task at hand.

It reminds me of when I bought a VCR for $700 back in the day. It could do everything and the manual was about as thick as a college text. Sure it was cool to have a super machine but the reality is it simply needed to play and record and all the other features never came into play.

Knife steels are a lot like that
 
Tin.Man said:
Adam you just dated yourself so bad, $700 vcr.... can get a whole laptop that makes dvds for about half that these days ;)
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I was there for reel to reel, 45's, LP's, Rotary Phones, 8 tracks, cassettes, VCR, Betamax, laser disc, Prodigy etc.

I remember paying $1000 for a Rodime 100 meg hard drive for my Mac 1 computer :)

Old as fuch
 
“Super” is in the eye of the marketer. Your personal steel choice should be based on other factors, such as cost, whether you are forging or stock removal, how you will heat treat it, toughness, corrosion resistance, ease in sharpening, wear resistance, the type of knife that you are producing, what the customer will do with the knife, etc. There is no need to bring “hype,” or following trends, or bucking the trends, etc. into the decision. The only reason to use a steel based on its reputation for being “super” is to be able to utilize marketing and brand recognition that has already been done for you. Otherwise the steel’s reputation is irrelevant. Maybe 3V is a better choice, maybe 8670 is a better choice.
 
i have 2. the easy to get is O1 precision ground flat stock. I don't know what Starrett or FM Parkin do to it, but it is as easy to machine as plain jane cold rolled. very simple heat treat, excels at Rc62 or higher.
the hard to get is 1.2519. close to O7 in chemistry, the steel is easy to work, simple heat treat, excels at Rc64 or higher, especially with a very fine edge(10dps or less)
to show my age, I had the hottest PC in town 80287 processor with 387 math co processor, 3.5 meg of RAM and 2 20 meg hard drives with 6 remote terminals hooked in.
 
My opinion....I prefer the simple low alloy carbon steels. Why? They can be taken thinner at the edge while tempered to higher HRC numbers and hold up to lateral loads better than a carbide laden steel at the same geometry and hardness value. Easier to sharpen as well.

But if your work requires cutting in abrasive media, then the higher carbide % steels will have an advantage in actual edge retention in that medium.

Because the knives I make most often (and use most often) don't see a lot of abrasive medium, I tend to prefer the lower carbide % steels, with thin geometries and high HRC numbers.

The thoughts on knives, steel, geometry, and heat treatment by Roman Landes have helped establish my thoughts in this area.
 
AEB-L, 440C , and CPM-154 are my Go To Steels, they work excellently for Culinary and the B & Ts and skinners I make.. I prefer SS while others prefer simple carbon steels. We all have found/made a niche that we sell to and as long as my Customers are happy! I’m happy!
 
Well i dont have too mich expierence with different steels. Ive been using 80crv2 and i dint really see a reason to change anytime soon. Ive fiddled with 15n20 and cru forge V. And 80crv2 is juat easier to forge, ht, and just performs excellent.
But id really like to try some w2 when i get a better forge and some parks 50.
 
AVigil said:
I was there for reel to reel, 45's, LP's, Rotary Phones, 8 tracks, cassettes, VCR, Betamax, laser disc, Prodigy etc.

I remember paying $1000 for a Rodime 100 meg hard drive for my Mac 1 computer :)

Old as fuch
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I can splice audio tape.
 
15N20 at 62 rc has been my sweet spot for just about everything these days. I have some thicker 80crv2 for the big choppers, and plan on starting to mess around with AEB-L soon, but 15N20 is my go to.
 
Simple can be super if done right. It doesn't really mater what steel a maker uses.

We were on a party line as late as 1995. Think that was after Al Gore invented the interwebs...
 
Dang, dude. And I bet that you thought that Wakulla County was primitive! My grandmother was the last person that I knew that had a party line and that was like 1968 and she lived out in the country in Kentucky. :p The only "complex" steel that I have used was a bit of 3V.
Don Hanson III said:
Simple can be super if done right. It doesn't really mater what steel a maker uses.

We were on a party line as late as 1995. Think that was after Al Gore invented the interwebs...
Click to expand...
 
jdm61 said:
Dang, dude. And I bet that you thought that Wakulla County was primitive! My grandmother was the last person that I knew that had a party line and that was like 1968 and she lived out in the country in Kentucky. :p The only "complex" steel that I have used was a bit of 3V.
Click to expand...

We had party lines in sturgeon county until the late 1980’s, early 1990’s.
 
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