Learning about different types of steels

S

southbeachlaw

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May 28, 2007
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Am new to knives and would like to learn more about the different types of knife steels. What are their main differences, advantages, disadvantages, etc. There seems to be so many. Any good place reference for this?

Thanks,
Nick
 
I'm new like you, but I'll give a very abbreviated answer. (If I mislead this guy in anyway please correct me)

The user and the maker have some unique considerations when we start talking about different types of steel. The user worries about corrosion, edge holding, and ease of sharpening among other things. The maker is concerned with these and other things like heat treating processes.

Stainless...
Doesn't corrode nearly as easily and Carbon steels. They are a pain in the butt to heat treat. They are very picky about how they are heat treated and its difficult to get it right without fancy shmancy equipment.

Because it doesn't corrode easily it will hold an edge better if used in environments that are generally considered corrosive. (Food prep, saltwater.) This is because the very fine cutting edge isn't pitted and effectively micro-"chipped" by the corrosion. They are also usually harder to sharpen. If you are looking at a stainless production knife be wary of a blade marked 440. There are three separate 440s. 440-a and 440-b are commonly used because they are easier to work. Steer clear. 440-C is what you want and it's what gives "440" its great reputation. It has the highest carbon content...this is usually a general rule-of-thumb indicator of good steel. AUS-6 AUS-8 VG-10 S30V are used a lot. The latter two are usually only used by custom makers, but there are production knives in those steels. Buck uses a 420HC which is better than the other 420s. (I like Buck for a value-price ratio)

Carbon...
It will corrode. It's edge holding can be every bit as good as stainless and even better alot of times IF corrosion is kept at bay. There are too many great carbon steels to be specific. They are generally easier to sharpen and "touch up". It doesn't have to be some fancy high-tech new-age alloy to make a great blade. They don't have chromium added...this the secret of the "stainless" steels. D-2 W-1 W-2 O-1 A-2 1045 1060 1084 1095 (the "10" series) 52100 and 5160 are all used by custom makers..along with others.

Damascus...
You take two different types of steel, fold them over each other time and time again to make a pattern. The pattern comes from the fact that the two steel essentially corrode at different rates. After the blade is made it is "etched" with a corrosive. This doesn't produce rust in the generic since. But it does allow the "fast corroding" steel to darken while the "slow corroding" steel stays shiny. Thus the pattern appears as alternating light and dark veins in the steel. There a a lot of myths about damascus, but few can argue that it's inferior to blades made of only one type of carbon steel. Fewer can argue that it's not stunningly beautiful when done right.

That's about all. It got long but I tried to keep it non-technical for both our sakes. As far as references I can't point to one site. I've had to glean what I could from this site and others. There are makers here who really know there stuff and be able to answer specific questions
 
Welcome aboard!

One of the best resources is here on the forums.
Read the Steel FAQ sticky on the "maintenance and tinkering Forum".

Another great resource is found on the AG Russel website.
Look at their "Knife Encyclopedia" and "Steel Guide".

Most knife OEMs have a page on their website devoted to talking about the steels they use and why they use them. Try the Benchmade and Spyderco websites especially.

A step farther is to look at the websites of the steel manufacturers.
Latrobe, Carpenter, Crucible, Sandvik, and other such all have data about their steels.

Fun stuff!
Enjoy!
 
Soilarch: Just a minor correction; Carbon steels can have chromium, but they have to contain less than 13%, I believe. If the steel has 13% chromium or more than it is generally considered stainless.

Otherwise, I would say that that is a pretty good summary. Various people have already posted links to more in depth knowledge about steel, so check those out.

P.S. Remember, that it is called stainLESS, not stainFREE. I've seen plenty of rusted stainless steel to know that they are not invulnerable.
 
Yep, pretty good summary Soilarch. I learned something.
But, I'm not sure you could put D2 in with the carbons...... and maybe not in with the stainless, either. Or maybe it fits in wherever it wants :D
 
Another correction. In addition to stainless, and "carbon" steel there is "tool" ateel.

A2,D2,M2 O-1 etc are tool steels.

IMHO, D-2 tool steel and S30V stainless are the best available today.

But look up the steel tutorial and study it. And read this forum regularly, and "that other forum" as well.
 
Ben Dover said:
Another correction. In addition to stainless, and "carbon" steel there is "tool" steel.

A2,D2,M2 O-1 etc are tool steels.

IMHO, D-2 tool steel and S30V stainless are the best available today.

But look up the steel tutorial and study it. And read this forum regularly, and "that other forum" as well.
Click to expand...

I think you are trying to differentiate into "carbon Steel" and "alloy steel".

Carbon steels basically consist of carbon and iron with a bit of manganese and silicon in the mix.

Alloy steels have small percentages of other elements such as vanadium, cobalt, molybdenum, etc deliberately added to the mix in controlled percentages. A2,D2,M2 O-1 etc are alloy steels.
 
That's probably right. There are carbons, stainless, then the alloys that fit inbetween. They ALL have carbon, but the alloys probably lack having enough of the chromium and other alloys to make them "stainless".
 
stingray4540 said:
P.S. Remember, that it is called stainLESS, not stainFREE. I've seen plenty of rusted stainless steel to know that they are not invulnerable.
Click to expand...

Very true. If you regularly put it away wet or dirty, it will almost assuredly rust.

Other than that, there have already been enough good links here that would explain inmuch more depth than me, so I'll let you check those out. Though a quick bit of advice, just because a steel is more expensive, doesn't mean it is necesarily 'better' for what you will use it for. Look at the steel, not the price (unless your cash-strapped like me, then just get what you can afford :p)

~Cody
 
Okay, "alloy" steels.

I was referring to the steels that are commonly used to make metal working and cutting tools, and are commonly referred to as "tool" steels, and in the case of M2, as "high speed" tool steel.

But you're right, "alloy" steel is probably more correct in the general classification.
 
Sorry. I go geeky sometimes. Comes from spending my days writing and interpreting engineering specs.
 
knarfeng said:
Sorry. I go geeky sometimes. Comes from spending my days writing and interpreting engineering specs.
Click to expand...

:D Believe me, as an historian, I am quite familiar with that problem! I have to constantly be on guard (not always successfully, unfortunately) to not "correct" people over minutiae and be a real nit-picker!:D
 
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