M2 and M4 steel

[John L]

I thought that M2 was looked down upon by knife makers....and then at the Chicago Knife Show...M4 popped up at several makers tables. Is there a big difference? Anyone here use M4?

 

[Danbo]

I think if it's frowned upon by makers, it's only due to the difficulty in working and finishing it. I know Gayle Bradley likes it quite a bit, but I remember him telling me he didn't like finishing it too much.

 

[mlovett]

I don't know much about M-4. M-2 holds an edge like nobody's business. It is very brittle though. To change its heat treat to do away with the brittleness, does away with the advantages of its edge holding superiority.

 

[Larrin]

I don't know much about M-4. M-t holds an edge like nobody's business. It is very brittle though. To change its heat treat to do away with the brittleness, does away with the advantages of its edge holding superiority.

The M4 popping up more and more is mostly CPM-M4. It has a very high balance of toughness and edge retention. It is getting used more and more in competition choppers. It has near A2 toughness and wear resistance between 3V and 10V.