M390 use in a wakizashi

navman said:
I would still say 3V or AEB-L over magnacut. Magnacut is relatively tough for a stainless steel, but I still would not make a machete out of it..or a Waki. AEB-L I absolutely would.
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Agreed. MagnaCut would do it just fine and be perfectly durable - IF you are willing to compromise on geometry. Not a compromise I'm ever interested in. So if you need a "dive sword" then sure have it made it from MagnaCut with a super obtuse grind, by anyone but me. ;)
 
Crag the Brewer said:
If stain resistance is something you want, then I would Only pic
AEB-L or its cousins (Nitro-V & 14C28N) they are all kinds the same.
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Well, LC200N has close to the same toughness as AEB-L, and can be hardened up to 60-61 RC. So if stainlessness is the most important feature, then this is the steel I would choose. It's even more expensive than MagnaCut, though.


Crag the Brewer said:
Way more stain resistant than 3V, and way Tougher too at higher hardness.
less expensive as well. It's difficult picking a Better steel than AEB-L
No brainer
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Mmmmm...... about the same hardness at the sweet spot range of 60-61 for big knives. But AEB-L is finer grained, so it will take a keener edge, where 3V will take a more aggressive edge. How it seems to me anyway.
 
I wouldn't hesitate to make a wakizashi from AEB-L. Or rather, I didn't hesitate. Here is a WIP picture from almost a year ago to the day:

img_0945-jpeg.2250115
 
David Mary said:
I wouldn't hesitate to make a wakizashi from AEB-L. Or rather, I didn't hesitate. Here is a WIP picture from almost a year ago to the day:

img_0945-jpeg.2250115
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Goodness that's a looker! If you'd rather not say here, would you mind DMing me a price for a similar build done these days? I might have to be good and save up.

Also to stay on topic--

From my own experiences with 20CV and M390, while it's more than tough enough for life as a folding knife blade, it's not exactly the composition I'd want on something I'd be beating up. I've had the TANG of a ZT break off upon dropping, right where some jimping acted as a stress riser, and that was only a 2' drop.
 
gatsnknafs said:
would the difference be that big in terms of performance
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The answer is YES. If you grind the blade so that it can cut as well as the AEBL one above can, then you are almost certainly going to have problems with chipping when you chop into hard materials, whereas the AEB-L one will just cut. And if you back off the geometry to make the edge more durable, so that those same cuts will no longer damage the blade, then you are going to only frustrate yourself when instead of biting, your blade keep bouncing off or making only small indentations to hard materials.
 
Warren Zevon?
 
gatsnknafs said:
So I have a very rudimentary understanding of metals. I was thinking how a 16” Wakizashi would fair if it was made of m390. I understand that it won’t be optimal and there are much better steels for the job. But would the difference be that big in terms of performance.
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Wally Hayes is your man, he's a Master Bladesmith and an expert in all things Japanese weaponry. Hayesknives@hayesknives.com
 
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