Magic Steel . . .What would it be?

[VorpelSword]

Materials science in knife making steels is moving along. Last year THE steel to have was Manicut. Everyone (nearly) said it was ballanced and pretty good all around, though there were other formulations with some superior characactritics at the expense ofr others.

So, what would be the un-obtainable goal of steel makers for the near or distant future? What performance characteristics would the ethe holy grail? How sharp, how tough, how corrosion resistant, how workable, how hardinable . . .?

All the stable lelments are all well known to metalergists and how they behave when alloyed with iron. Are we there yet, or is there room for a Magnicut-2.0 (by any other name)?

Back in the 1980s, NASA launched a space probe that needed a small window for an instrument that could only be made from a large flawless Diamond. They bought one and had it ground into a non-jewelry window. If NASA, Blue Origine or Space-X needed a superior blade material for some demanding reason, and cost was not a consideration, what would that look like?

 

[Bill Siegle]

Tough as a crowbar, hard as a razor blade, stainless, and heat treat can be performed with a torch……………and cheap too!!!!!

 

[DA170]

 

[ShaiHulud]

The knife "steel" of the future probably won't be steel, but some kind of composite plastic steel "plasteel" hybrid stuff
Who knows--- Maybe bone from a alien dragon for all we know
But this is getting really sci-fi and far out in the future. Until then it will be steel something for almost ever

 

[jlauffer]

A steel that can become non-reflective on command.

 

[VorpelSword]

Any Materials scientists out there?

 

[navman]

Adamantium combined with vibranium, with a jacket of unobtainium.

 

[jbmonkey]

RB44VN

 

[DMG]

A light sabre

 

[Mk-211]

Around he F'd, find out, he will.



ETA: beat by a mere mortal!

 

[Hashishiin]

The knife "steel" of the future probably won't be steel, but some kind of composite plastic steel "plasteel" hybrid stuff
Who knows--- Maybe bone from a alien dragon for all we know
But this is getting really sci-fi and far out in the future. Until then it will be steel something for almost ever

I'm thinking vibroblades, cause I can get through plasteel cylinders with a vibroblade in Star Wars - Knights of the Old Republic.

 

[Railsplitter]

A self-sharpening steel. The more you use it, the sharper it gets.

 

[Jdottinger]

A steel that can become non-reflective on command.

Randall needs this technology immediately

 

[edgelion]

Something that will cut an Abrams in half but still slice a ripe tomato into Post-it notes.

And not rust.

 

[shunsui]

NASA is fond of LNC200N. Very tough, very stainless. Edge holding not as good as some other steels. Personally when I reprofiled the factory edge to 30 degrees the edge holding seemed fine for EDC. Doesn't hurt that Spyderco's Siren and Waterway are great knives.

If toughness isn't a big concern for your pocketknife, you will probably love MagnaMax. Stainless and great edge holding.

If you like serrations, H1/H2 steel is very stainless and quite the little chainsaw.

 

[Tsujigiri]

As a materials science engineer, I don't think materials science for knife steels is moving along the way people think it is. There hasn't really been an unexpected quantum leap in knife steels recently. We went from using truck spring steels to tool and die steels to ball bearing steels to injection molding steels. Remember, M390 is pretty cutting-edge for a knife steel, and that formulation is from the 1980's.

The most recent developments starting with steels like S30V and winding up with Magnacut have more to do with small batch formulations intended specifically for knives. The knife industry is so small that we had to use leftovers from other industries, but now mills are more willing to take small orders for niche applications. Even something like Magnacut, though, isn't a jump in our understanding of materials science. It's just an application of the same materials science principles we've known for decades, used in a way more tailored to blades. What you're describing sounds more like a new discovery that allows metallurgists to do something never done before. If something like that comes along, it'll most likely come from a larger and better funded industry and be reappropriated to knives.

 

[DMG]

A steel that can become non-reflective on command.

I hear that Randall will help you out with that if you ask nicely

 

[LEGION 12]

I hear that Randall will help you out with that if you ask nicely

 

[Drop bear]

The knife "steel" of the future probably won't be steel, but some kind of composite plastic steel "plasteel" hybrid stuff
Who knows--- Maybe bone from a alien dragon for all we know
But this is getting really sci-fi and far out in the future. Until then it will be steel something for almost ever

Yeah. Everything high end steel does but doesn't set off metal detection.

 

[jjg6319]

The new hot steel from Larrin is MagnaMax. Go to the spyderco forum and read all about it.