INFI as a small blade steel? vs. others

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wacki

Joined
Sep 12, 2009
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how does INFI compare to the powder/super steels on small blades. I know INFI is a great chopper but not sure about the small stuff.

Im talking Rodent Solution sized blades.
 
It is more suited to a chopper because of its toughness. It is fine as a small blade with good edge retention, but its worth is really more in larger blades IMO.
 
Why wouldn't it be good for small blades? Toughness is good for small blades, too. It means you can grind/sharpen the edge nice and thin with less fear of chipping.

It's silly that so many folks seem to think small blades should "only" be crazy-hard and wear-resistant, and big blades should "only" be insanely tough and easy to sharpen. There are several steels that can give a great balance of toughness and strength, hold an edge well, and not be ridiculously hard or "chippy" - in knives big or small.
 
james terrio said:
Ranking above all the "standard" factory steels in his very narrow and specific testing (not that that's a bad thing) doesn't really seem like "not faring well" to me. If pure edge-holding is what a person needs, INFI's probably not the very best choice.
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it ranked below a lot of the powdered/supersteels in cutting test which is what wacki asked. "not faring well" is an appropriate statement in this case.
 
Toughness doesn't apply much to small blades since they can't chop. Maybe if you want to baton with them. Otherwise toughness described with izod and charpy tests don't demonstrate something useful for the edge since they are a measure of impact resistance and not torsional or strength against fracture.

I think that since INFI is proprietary, pricey and really only shines in toughness with middling wear resistance, attainable hardness, and stain resistance, it doesn't shine for small blades. It can certainly work, since most steels can, but it doesn't play to its strengths relative to other alloys.
 
james terrio said:
It's silly that so many folks seem to think small blades should "only" be crazy-hard and wear-resistant, and big blades should "only" be insanely tough and easy to sharpen. There are several steels that can give a great balance of toughness and strength, hold an edge well, and not be ridiculously hard or "chippy" - in knives big or small.
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I don't think it's silly, just a reflection on how people use their knives. Picking the right steel for the job is part of why a lot of us are here talking. Most steels work in a bunch of different applications but why settle for just okay when you don't have to?
 
If you want good edge toughness in a small blade, with better abrasion resistance than INFI, use CPM154.
 
Or if you want to stay in the Busse camp, just use SR101 (52100). I prefer it to INFI for small blades and ain't too bad for biggen's either. ;)
 
bld522 said:
Or if you want to stay in the Busse camp, just use SR101 (52100). I prefer it to INFI for small blades and ain't too bad for biggen's either. ;)
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True. The Scrapivore is a great blade if you don't find the prybar end uncomfortable when using it as a knife. And, of course, there is the SYKCO 311 if you want a very comfortable handle.
 
gomipile said:
True. The Scrapivore is a great blade if you don't find the prybar end uncomfortable when using it as a knife.
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I'm going to leave that one alone. ;)

My SHTF knives are a Camp Tramp and a RatManDu. I keep the Camp Tramp in my home BOB and the RatManDu in my vehicle BOB. That should give you some idea of how I feel about SR101 knives.
 
There is no such thing as the perfect steel or knife. All steels will cut when needed, but not all steels will be able to cut and do everything else without chipping or breaking. I want a small knife that won't fail if I ever need it to do more than slice. It is also helpful that the company will replace this knife of said steel if it ever fails. On top of that, this steel is highly coveted both for its collectibility and resale value. This is why I both use and collect small Busse knives with INFI steel. Just saying. :)
 
rwdata said:
It is also helpful that the company will replace this knife of said steel if it ever fails.
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SR101 . . . check!

rwdata said:
On top of that, this steel is highly coveted both for its collectibility and resale value.
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Camp Tramp, Howling Rat, Ratweiler, Taliwacker . . . check!

And you forgot one . . . cost. SR101 . . . BIG CHECK!!!

Don't get me wrong. I own and love INFI knives. But notice what I carry in my BOBs. ;)

:)
 
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rwdata said:
There is no such thing as the perfect steel or knife. All steels will cut when needed, but not all steels will be able to cut and do everything else without chipping or breaking. I want a small knife that won't fail if I ever need it to do more than slice. It is also helpful that the company will replace this knife of said steel if it ever fails. On top of that, this steel is highly coveted both for its collectibility and resale value. This is why I both use and collect small Busse knives with INFI steel. Just saying. :)
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There's a guy that posts in Gossman's sub-forum who's used his 3 inch 154cm blade to baton kindling for his home. It's tough, stainless, and will hold it's edge longer than INFI all in a 1/8" stock . INFI's a great steel. It's just my opinion that it's not perfect or right for all purposes.

Also, the warranty(except for lemons which any quality manufacturer covers), the collectibility and what other people covet don't mean anything to me. YMMV
 
Can't disagree with you bld522 about the price thing. :). That is why I also collect and use Busse Kin.
 
Shotgun said:
There's a guy that posts in Gossman's sub-forum who's used his 3 inch 154cm blade to baton kindling for his home. It's tough, stainless, and will hold it's edge longer than INFI all in a 1/8" stock .
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That really doesn't surprise me. When Dan Busse introduced the 3.5" Mud Puppy in 154CM, he demonstrated its toughness by batonning it with a hammer through a steel pipe unscathed (other than some minor scratches on the side of the blade, of course). It's amazing to me that some people actually consider 154CM to be trash steel. :rolleyes:

What impresses me more than Jerry Busse's alloys is his genius at heat-treating them. I mean, nobody gets more out of S7 than Jerry does. And that's not just my opinion . . . it's Mike Stewart's opinion as well.
 
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bld522 said:
What impresses me more than Jerry Busse's alloys is his genius at heat-treating them. I mean, nobody gets more out of S7 than Jerry does. And that's not just my opinion . . . it's Mike Stewart's opinion as well.
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That's why I use SR101 as well. Good steel with great heat treat. Only issue I have with bussekin really is one of geometry. Not every knife needs to be thick and not every knife needs an edge that can chop through concrete. An SR101 blade with a thin edge at 3/32" stock thickness and about a 4-5" blade, fully convexed and with a gradual belly going most of the length of the blade would be my dream knife.
 
hardheart said:
Toughness doesn't apply much to small blades since they can't chop.
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Shotgun said:
I don't think it's silly, just a reflection on how people use their knives.
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Not everyone uses small/thin knives just for slicing rope or sushi all day. Many (perhaps most) of us need to be able to whittle, carve, debur, scrape, etc. with a small, light, handy knife. That can put a lot of side-load on a blade - hence my comments about thin edges and chipping.

Toughness is definitely a factor to consider for all but the most highly-specialized knives. Except for those blades designed only for very specific needs, I'll trade a little edge-holding for higher toughness every time.

I would never advocate design, steel or HT that is "just OK". It's my job to promote the exact opposite of mediocrity! There are great gobs of choices available that are much better than OK across the board. Again, if the OP needs pure edge-retention in a knife that will only be called on to slice, there are obviously better choices. If his needs cover a wider range, INFI certainly worth considering.
 
Shotgun said:
That's why I use SR101 as well. Good steel with great heat treat. Only issue I have with bussekin really is one of geometry. Not every knife needs to be thick and not every knife needs an edge that can chop through concrete. An SR101 blade with a thin edge at 3/32" stock thickness and about a 4-5" blade, fully convexed and with a gradual belly going most of the length of the blade would be my dream knife.
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Believe me, I hear you loud and clear! Maybe you could talk Tom Krein into doing one of his regrinds on a Howling Rat. He could make a slicer out of a boat anchor if you know what I mean . . . ;) :D
 
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