How does 1095 ranked compared to stainless steels?

Caffeinepirate

Caffeinepirate

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Jan 29, 2009
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Obviously 1095 will rust easier, but how does it do in terms of edge retention and other categories when compared to Vg-10/S30V, etc.? Where would you rank it on the continuum of stainless steels that are frequently talked about on this forum?

Thanks!
 
1095 with the Right HT will perform as well if not better than both.
It also depends on Edge geometry and grind
 
Caffeinepirate said:
Obviously 1095 will rust easier, but how does it do in terms of edge retention and other categories when compared to Vg-10/S30V, etc.? Where would you rank it on the continuum of stainless steels that are frequently talked about on this forum?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

For edge retention, in preliminary testing, 1095 from GEC, the best I have tested for edge retention so far, retained an edge better than AUS8, but not quite as well as 440C. I haven't finished testing, but that is my result so far.

My results are tainted in that I am unable to test the hardness of the 1095. GEC anneals the tangs of their blades. For a Rockwell test you need a flat piece with parallel sides. Since the GECs I have are flat ground, the tang is the only place with the proper geometry for a measurement. The 440C was 58HRC. The AUS8 was 59HRC.

Since I use a manila rope slicing test, which does put a premium on abrasion resistance, it is not to be wondered at that the 440C did better.

To put that result in perspective, 440C performs a step below VG10 and 154CM in edge retention when all ar hardened to approximately the same hardness.
 
knarfeng said:
For edge retention, in preliminary testing, 1095 from GEC, the best I have tested for edge retention so far, retained an edge better than AUS8, but not quite as well as 440C. I haven't finished testing, but that is my result so far.

My results are tainted in that I am unable to test the hardness of the 1095. GEC anneals the tangs of their blades. For a Rockwell test you need a flat piece with parallel sides. Since the GECs I have are flat ground, the tang is the only place with the proper geometry for a measurement. The 440C was 58HRC. The AUS8 was 59HRC.

Since I use a manila rope slicing test, which does put a premium on abrasion resistance, it is not to be wondered at that the 440C did better.

To put that result in perspective, 440C performs a step below VG10 and 154CM in edge retention when all ar hardened to approximately the same hardness.
Click to expand...

1095 doesn't hold an edge as well as 440C? That seems to contradict what TheArizonaKidd says about it performing better than VG-10 and S30V.

I thought that 1095 would outperform Vg-10 and S30V in almost everything except corrosion/rusting otherwise companies like Rat Cutlery wouldn't use them in their fixed blades, right?

I recently got a Rat-4 (it's 1095 steel) and I was wondering how much better it will perform than if its steel was Vg-10/S30V/whatever.
 
Joe Talmadge has a steel FAQ over in the Maintenance and Tinkering forum that is worth reading:

Link

Also, another member here "gator97" has a website with some good info (and a very cool interactive database) on knife steel and other info, including a repro of Joe Talmadge's FAQ:

Link
 
Caffeinepirate said:
1095 doesn't hold an edge as well as 440C? That seems to contradict what TheArizonaKidd says about it performing better than VG-10 and S30V.

I thought that 1095 would outperform Vg-10 and S30V in almost everything except corrosion/rusting otherwise companies like Rat Cutlery wouldn't use them in their fixed blades, right?

I recently got a Rat-4 (it's 1095 steel) and I was wondering how much better it will perform than if its steel was Vg-10/S30V/whatever.
Click to expand...

I love 1095 but it won't hold an edge as long a Vg-10 or S30v but it is very good steel.
 
Caffeinepirate said:
1095 doesn't hold an edge as well as 440C? That seems to contradict what TheArizonaKidd says about it performing better than VG-10 and S30V.

I thought that 1095 would outperform Vg-10 and S30V in almost everything except corrosion/rusting otherwise companies like Rat Cutlery wouldn't use them in their fixed blades, right?

I recently got a Rat-4 (it's 1095 steel) and I was wondering how much better it will perform than if its steel was Vg-10/S30V/whatever.
Click to expand...

That depends on what you want it to do. Each alloy has a combination of properties. No one alloy does everything best.

1095 is easier to sharpen than VG10.
1095 is tougher than VG10.
1095 takes a very fine edge with less work than VG10.
VG10 holds an edge longer.

You specifically asked about edge retention.
 
I might add that I have a lot of pocket knives in a lot of alloys. At the moment I'm carrying one in 1095 because I like the properties of that alloy.
 
VG10 if heat treated optimally may have a tiny advantage in edge retention -otherwise correctly heat treated 1095 is better in every category (except corrosion resistance).
 
1095 is infinately more resistant to microchipping along the edge, which sets it apart from stianless steels for rough work. If you're slicing, the high end stainless steels will beat 1095 out. If you're doing any kind of chopping, prying, woodwork, etc, 1095 edges will last much longer because the steel is less brittle than the high RC stainless blades.
 
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