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- Jun 5, 2012
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It's irrelevant whether the other steels that are "tougher" can't reach the hardness 3v can or are brittle when they do. Whether they can't or won't they are only tougher than 3v under the certain conditions.S7 is listed as tougher than 3V by Crucible by nearly 50%. S1 is tougher than S7. Based on it's similar composition to S7, A8Mod likely has toughness between 3V and S7. It has less carbon, less carbide volume, and can withstand elevated tempering while maintaining relatively high hardness. 5160 has been addressed. 6150 is tougher still, though the two are used for the same purpose at times.
Same hardness comparisons are not as simple as one might think. It may put one steel or the other into an embrittlement range. Some steels may not realisitically reach the same hardness levels.
I feel it necessary to point out that the differences in toughness of 3V at various hardnesses are not due to the hardnesses. The hardness and the toughness differences are due to changes in heat treatment temperatures. Hardness is not the end goal. It is a relatively easily measured indicator that the desired procedure was followed and worked as planned.
Furthermore, the shock steels excel at what they were intended to do...take impacts. As knives:
1. They aren't widely used
2. Fall WAY short of 3v in every other category a that actually makes a good knife.
My point stands, plenty of steels are tougher than 3v under certain CONDITIONS. Ran soft, or sacrificing every other attribute in order to have that toughness, or a specialty steel that can only be found by a handful of custom makers.
Jerry busse could use s1 steel for his knives, it's tougher than infi.. why doesn't he? Because it gives up every other attribute important to a knife lol.
Criminy.