Help me make up my mind about steel choice

[Styksnstryngs]

First off, I'm not going to be heat treating this knife myself, I'm going to send it out to tru-grit or Texas knife supply.
The knife is a simple drop point, 4.75" blade and 9.125" overall, 1.5" wide and .14" to .18" thick, probably .156" stock though. I'm grinding a high saber grind with a secondary bevel. I have everything decided except for the steel, which is tough because my metallurgy is subpar, having minimal real world experience. The knife i going to be used as a companion in the woods, with a fair amount of use on hardwoods like maple, oak or hickory, as well as skinning and meat processing. I've been looking at A2 from Alpha, but if there's anything "better" for edge retention and corrosion resistance for not too much more, hit me up.

 

[kuraki]

A2 doesn't have much for corrosion resistance but imo is a great balance between toughness and wear resistance and ease of use for a knife like that.

 

[Styksnstryngs]

A2 doesn't have much for corrosion resistance but imo is a great balance between toughness and wear resistance and ease of use for a knife like that.

Yeah, I'm thinking I'll stick with that. I just have to find a heat treat service that will do A@ at 60HRC that isn't too expensive or single blades. I was looking at tru-grit, do they check for hardness and do A2?

 

[hugofeynman]

First off, I'm not going to be heat treating this knife myself, I'm going to send it out to tru-grit or Texas knife supply.
The knife is a simple drop point, 4.75" blade and 9.125" overall, 1.5" wide and .14" to .18" thick, probably .156" stock though. I'm grinding a high saber grind with a secondary bevel. I have everything decided except for the steel, which is tough because my metallurgy is subpar, having minimal real world experience. The knife i going to be used as a companion in the woods, with a fair amount of use on hardwoods like maple, oak or hickory, as well as skinning and meat processing. I've been looking at A2 from Alpha, but if there's anything "better" for edge retention and corrosion resistance for not too much more, hit me up.

Go with AEB-L, check Larrins threads. That’s the steel I would use from now on, if I where you. And I think is inexpensive! So, because it’s inexpensive, people think is crap? Go check Landes and Devin Thomas kitchen knives and ask them price!

 

[Tin.Man]

I would also send the blade to peters. I’ve sent hem over 100 blanks and they straighten and temper and cryo and hardness test

 

[skillgannon]

I thought one of the online knife supply companies had a discount through Peter's. It could be a page that wasn't updated to though.

 

[AVigil]

Tru Grit does a great job, they can do cryo and they will not no need to take a torch to your blade to straighten it.

They have done hundreds of blades for me and they come out straight as an arrow.

They do all blade steels.

Whoever you choose be sure they do not take a torch to the back of your blade to straighten it , that is totally unnecessary and not the best way to straighten the blade.