Help with steel choices

rodriguez7

rodriguez7

Gila wilderness knife works
Joined
Feb 1, 2009
Messages
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hey guys, so I'm in need of some help. Currently I'm designing 2 different size knives. I'm looking for a good steel for both, and I'm currently having a hard time deciding. I'm in need of something with pretty good corrosion resistance, extreme toughness, and decent edge holding and edge stability. The uses for these knives is, they will be designed for back country wilderness guide trips, I'm talking long treks, backpacking type stuff. We'll be in, and around water daily. We'll be guiding groups of people through the river valley with around 100 plus river crossings a day. One knife is a smaller camp style, 5 1/2 inch blade .188 inch thick. The other is around 9 1/2 inch long blade, full tang heavy duty chopper, batonning, anything blade! The steels I'm going between are cpm-3v, and possibly nitro-v because of corrosion resistance. I've thought of 52100 with a spring tempered spine, but the rust resistance sucks. Any suggestions from people much smarter than me? Thanks
 
Why not Elmax or Z-FiNit, I have never personally used this steel yet but I have heard good things about them.
 
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I thought about Elmax the smaller blade, and I can't really find much feed back on Z-finit. I know hunter Martin is using nitro-v in his machetes with good results.
 
Aeb-l is pretty tough, and stainless. S35VN has a bunch of vanadium which helps toughness as well. I have no experience with nitro-v. I'm going to get some with my next order.
 
rodriguez7 said:
I thought about Elmax the smaller blade, and I can't really find much feed back on Z-finit. I know hunter Martin is using nitro-v in his machetes with good results.
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Z-finit is damn nice stuff. Chuck @Alpha Knife Supply is the only guy i know of who has it, and hes great to deal with.

If im not mistaken, it is being used in ball bearings as a replacment for 52100, so it should be tough as nails. Chuck likes it and knows more.
 
I like S35VN. Its only drawback is it isn't easy to re-sharpen in the field unless you carry a diamond sharpener. The good thing is it isn't likely to go dull in the field during a long trek. The edge life is great. Very rust resistant, and takes a wicked edge.
 
You already answered your own question. CPM3V! Hands down best steel for hard use knives that need good wear resistance/edge retention. If I was going to Mars & could only take one knife..... it would be made of 3v, and I would have Brad Stallsmith at Peters heat treat it!
 
Niolox has the proporties you want.
But not much of it around on your side of the big pond
 
I'm tossing the idea of using s35vn for the smaller knife. I've read plenty about it, and it seems like a tough steel. How does it compare to Elmax as far as toughness? The bigger knife, I think I've settled on 3v. I'm not sure what kind of finish to put on the blade, to kind of mitigate rust as much as possible. And I'm having peters heat treat all my blades.
 
rodriguez7 said:
I'm tossing the idea of using s35vn for the smaller knife. I've read plenty about it, and it seems like a tough steel. How does it compare to Elmax as far as toughness? The bigger knife, I think I've settled on 3v. I'm not sure what kind of finish to put on the blade, to kind of mitigate rust as much as possible. And I'm having peters heat treat all my blades.
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Elmax should be a little tougher, and a little more stain resistant with higher chromium. S35VN should be a little better in wear resistance, and is still relatively tough.

Either will be excellent performing in the knife you're describing I think.
 
If sharpening in the field is an issue on any steel, a $8 Ez-Lap diamond hone will do a perfectly acceptable job, with practice as good as you can with a bench stone. And it's lighter and even less obtrusive in a pack than a pocket oil stone.
The blue handle extra fine would be my recommendation.
Could even glue a piece of leather on the back side to use as a strop
 
I had a bar of 3v lying around, and decided to use it for the smaller knife, but I think I'll order another in s35vn too. I really like that steel in my folders.
 
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