Is anyone making slip joints using super steels???

knowtracks said:
Then please tell me what is considered a "super steel" today, Brad.
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Well I would say from the slipjoint standpoint they are "Super Steels". S30V is pretty pedestrian with the one hand opener group of which I kind of fall into. M4 and S90V Carpenter Steel and the like are now the "Super Steels"
 
From Ankerson's great thread over in the Testing forum, these are the highest ranked steels for edge-holding, and would be considered super steels.

Category 1

CPM-S90V (Military and Para 2) (60)
CTS-20CP (Para 2) (60)
M390 (Mule) (60.5)
CTS - 204P (Para 2)

Category 2

M390 (60)
CPM M4 (62.5)
CPM-S90V (59) (Manix 2 with 30 Degree Micro Bevel)
CPM-S60V
VANAX 75 (Kershaw Tilt)
 
Not entirely sure what makes the cut as a super steel, but G Sakai makes a SAK style knife with ZDP-189 blades. I believe it's called the Trekkerman.

Correction, it's called the Fieldman Trekking Tool.
 
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black mamba said:
From Ankerson's great thread over in the Testing forum, these are the highest ranked steels for edge-holding, and would be considered super steels.

Category 1

CPM-S90V (Military and Para 2) (60)
CTS-20CP (Para 2) (60)
M390 (Mule) (60.5)
CTS - 204P (Para 2)

Category 2

M390 (60)
CPM M4 (62.5)
CPM-S90V (59) (Manix 2 with 30 Degree Micro Bevel)
CPM-S60V
VANAX 75 (Kershaw Tilt)
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I love me some good steel but I will say this, having had experience with larger blades and the harder tougher steels, having to go through the same sharpening routine on a smaller bladed, multi-bladed slipjoint would suck.

I can actually see a purpose for having slightly softer, easier to sharpen steels on a slipjoint. I mean the D2 that Queen uses is a pain in the butt to sharpen for me because I always change the profile to fit my methods and wow it can take a while!
 
Insipid Moniker said:
Not entirely sure what makes the cut as a super steel, but G Sakai makes a SAK style knife with ZDP-189 blades. I believe it's called the Trekkerman.
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Yeah ZDP-189 is some hard stuff that gets razor sharp! I have a William Henry with a ZDP blade and its good stuff!
 
akadave2 said:
Queen seems to be doing a pretty good job of getting some good upper end steels into their productions. D2 and ATS-34, both fine steels. I find it odd that they are the only ones doing this and if Queen isnt your cup of tea you have to spend hundreds to thousands for a knife using ATS-34 or its twin 154-CM.
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black mamba said:
From Ankerson's great thread over in the Testing forum, these are the highest ranked steels for edge-holding, and would be considered super steels.

Category 1

CPM-S90V (Military and Para 2) (60)
CTS-20CP (Para 2) (60)
M390 (Mule) (60.5)
CTS - 204P (Para 2)

Category 2

M390 (60)
CPM M4 (62.5)
CPM-S90V (59) (Manix 2 with 30 Degree Micro Bevel)
CPM-S60V
VANAX 75 (Kershaw Tilt)
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Jeff, this is great info except that super steels are ranked in three categories not one. Edge holding is one of them. Can anybody guess the other two?
 
ptradeco said:
Jeff, this is great info except that super steels are ranked in three categories not one. Edge holding is one of them. Can anybody guess the other two?
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Actually, there is no ranking for "super steels". There is no defined point where a steel becomes super. "Super steel" is just a marketing buzzword.

With that being said, steels considered super steels generally are those that have very high maximum hardness and edge holding, without much concern for toughness or corrosion resistance.

In my experience, most of the steels that are considered super steels are the new and up coming offers from Crucible, Bohler, and Carpenter, plus a few others such as zdp-198
 
I get your point but CPM-154 and CPM-D2 are pretty SUPER for the traditional world.

I'm a supporter of legitimate class leading steels but I don't let them take away from good old traditional steels either.

For what it's worth I would take 1095 over S30v which was considered super on someone's scale a while ago.

I really like CPM-M4. Not sure if it's considered a super steel but I have used, sharpened and tested it to and past it's limits.

I don't spend much time reading about what others consider super though :)


ptradeco said:
A bit of research might be in order guys. Most of the steels being mentioned in this thread are not super steels.
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Cpm154 isn't a super steel? What is a super steel? One that takes a lot of abuse, holds it's edge and sharpens easily? Sounds like A2! You don't need 110v or Elmax on a traditional folder.
 
Firestrike said:
Is anyone making slip joints using super steels???
Basically looking for someone making a stockman using something better than 420hc, D2, and the like, looking more for s30v, m390, or something of it's ilk.
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If you want powder metallurgy alloys in a stockman, you'd have to go custom.

I'm not aware of anyone making a stockman in M390. CPM M4, or S30V.

A number of custom makers offer CPM 154.
Rick Menefee offers CPM S60V, and he will make a stockman.

Just a side note, D2 offers better edge retention than S30V.
 
I was looking for M4, S110v, Elmax, Sleipner, M390, or Infi would be cool (never going to happen though).

All of the above with the exception of Infi I have tried. I am interested in the KaBar Dog's Head line-up, but I have owned D-2 and 440C before and don't really want that in a traditional.

I want something totally new all the way around, as I only have a few slipjoints of very marginal quality.

I got to say there is a lot more options than I ever thought existed, thanks guys for some great suggestions.
 
Some of us consider good old 1095 steel to be pretty "super".;)
 
Are you looking for production knives with these steels??

Someone mentioned Richard Rogers using M4. Worth a look. He is an incredible maker.

Firestrike said:
I was looking for M4, S110v, Elmax, Sleipner, M390, or Infi would be cool (never going to happen though).

All of the above with the exception of Infi I have tried. I am interested in the KaBar Dog's Head line-up, but I have owned D-2 and 440C before and don't really want that in a traditional.

I want something totally new all the way around, as I only have a few slipjoints of very marginal quality.

I got to say there is a lot more options than I ever thought existed, thanks guys for some great suggestions.
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Firestrike said:
I was looking for M4, S110v, Elmax, Sleipner, M390, or Infi would be cool (never going to happen though).

All of the above with the exception of Infi I have tried. I am interested in the KaBar Dog's Head line-up, but I have owned D-2 and 440C before and don't really want that in a traditional.

I want something totally new all the way around, as I only have a few slipjoints of very marginal quality.

I got to say there is a lot more options than I ever thought existed, thanks guys for some great suggestions.
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Infi is great in a large knife but I don't think you'd want it in a thin bladed traditional knife. Many fans of Infi like SR101, which is basically 52100, in smaller knives for edge holding, which some makers already use. How many 1095 slip joints do you have? If none, wouldn't that be totally new for you? Just sayin ;)

If you want a stockman in those steels, no one here is going to stop you. You're probably going to have to go custom and wait a bit to get it. While you're waiting, or even deciding, why not get a GEC #81 Abilene stockman in 1095 so you have a slip joint with better quality than your current traditional knives and you get to try out 1095 in a traditional. Here's a link of the #81s GEC has made (scroll down to see the stockman, muskrats come up first) http://greateasterncutlery.net/blog/patterns/81-coon-skinner/
 
I completely agree with this. I have a lot of INFI. I like to call it the rubber steel. Great stuff but for a small slicer it's about the furthest from what I would look for.

Even Jerry Busse would agree it's not the choice for a small slicer.

I also agree to get a 1095 GEC. So much of the problems with knives is user error on sharpening. For everything up to cardboard and the likes 1095 and similar with a GOOD edge will stay sharp for a very long time.

Heck, I can take my opinel and slice carboard until I'm bored and it will still slice newsprint after.



2Dead said:
Infi is great in a large knife but I don't think you'd want it in a thin bladed traditional knife. Many fans of Infi like SR101, which is basically 52100, in smaller knives for edge holding, which some makers already use. How many 1095 slip joints do you have? If none, wouldn't that be totally new for you? Just sayin ;)

If you want a stockman in those steels, no one here is going to stop you. You're probably going to have to go custom and wait a bit to get it. While you're waiting, or even deciding, why not get a GEC #81 Abilene stockman in 1095 so you have a slip joint with better quality than your current traditional knives and you get to try out 1095 in a traditional. Here's a link of the #81s GEC has made (scroll down to see the stockman, muskrats come up first) http://greateasterncutlery.net/blog/patterns/81-coon-skinner/
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richstag said:
Are you looking for production knives with these steels??

Someone mentioned Richard Rogers using M4. Worth a look. He is an incredible maker.
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Either/Or, a production would be in my pocket much quicker and cheaper.

Rogers work is beautiful, might take a year or two to get one of them in my pocket.
 
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