My new knife, maybe need some of your help.

T

twoblink

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Apr 26, 2001
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The same place I bought my cleaver, and the same metal used (here in Taiwan, Taipei). I just purchased 2 traditional taiwanese folder knives. One for my gf, and one for myself.

Mine is awesome. The knife is done in the traditional method of steel folding, with the visible steel folds, and the edge is SHARP and if my cleaver is any indication, it will stay sharp for a long time to come.

The guy says it won't stain; which is not true; it turns a bit brown, but is not rust. It's oxidation of some sort, but wipes off easily, and doesn't happen if you don't let it soak.

I talked to the actual knife maker today; and he was the one that convinced me to buy both (one for my gf for her bday, one for myself)

I asked him what he used for a metal, and he said in chinese, it's called "Hi Tungsten Steel". That's all he was able to translate for me.

I hope that together with your help, I can deduce what kind of metal my knife is. after reading the steel FAQ, the only one that it talked about with a good amount of Tungsten is the M-2. I have no clue what "high-speed steel" means (Is high speed a good thing??) and I don't know if the darkened fading constitutes rust, but it doesn't look like rust. It looks like tarnish (if that is different from rust) it looks like silver tarnishing, not rust.

So whatever help you can give me in ID'ing the metal of my knife, I'd appreciate it.

BTW, I spent half an hour today, just cutting paper into little hair-like strips.. :D
 
hurmmmm could you post a pic? Sounds intriguing.... It may not be a normal steel...most steel charts only have common steels used my more than one maker...:confused:
 
Sorry. The closest I've come to that blend is on my cartridge resizing dies. They have a ring of metal called 'tungsten carbide.'

I wipe them down after use with an oily rag, and yes, some have a slight grey patina, but that's after 15 years.

I was told never to drop them or ram the shell holder into their edge. I was told that they are quite brittle.
 
Forgot to add Tungsten is a very hard metal, making it more likely to brake than to flex...not always a good thing:eek: but if this was folded i suspect it was made by folding Tungsten and a high carbon steel together then it sould have the best of both worlds...:D
 
Do I have a Tungsten Carbide blade?? It looks like regular steel to me, I'm so ignorant about knives.. Time to start reading up..
 
Actually, I would really be surprised if the maker was using M2 for these knives. M2 is fairly expensive and not very friendly to the person forging it. There's really no telling what steel was used.
 
http://www.hydrocarbide.com/pg6.htm

Hmm.. This sounds pretty close. My gf and I have the same knife, but mines got the folds, her's doesn't but it's got white gold trimming and so both were the same price.

The edge is INCREDIBLY sharp, and it holds and holds and holds. The cleaver I have, he told me to slice with it only, and chop veggies and meat, no bones; they have another knife for bones, and so I suspect that after reading about tungsten carbide, this is what I have for a cleaver. My knife he says is "right under the ceramics" as far as hardness of edge.

I will try to take a pic, but I don't know how much you can tell from the pics. If I take a pic, I'll slice a few pieces of paper next to it ;)

He went into great length about how for my knife, he commissioned a company in Japan to high pressure smash and fold the steel to his specifications. I totally thought "BS" until I saw the knife, and took a few swipes with it. My friend has a sword made the same way.. All I know is that I LOVE my knife and my gf is now very into knives; because she's amazed at how much sharper my cleaver is then her mom's.
 
I would highly doubt that your entire blade is "tungsten carbide". A pure tungsten carbide blade would be very expensive and very brittle.

This is probably more likely the case. What you get with when you put a small percentage of tungsten into a steel is that when heat treated properly the tungsten and some of the carbon from the steel will combine and form "tungsten carbides" along with "chromium carbides", "vanadium carbides" or whatever other elements are used in the alloy. They are typically very small and form within the steel matrix, similar to the way stone is suspended in concrete. They are very hard and very wear resistant. Make any sense.
 
Originally posted by twoblink
I have no clue what "high-speed steel" means (Is high speed a good thing??) and I don't know if the darkened fading constitutes rust, but it doesn't look like rust.
Click to expand...

Originally posted by Will'em
Forgot to add Tungsten is a very hard metal, making it more likely to brake than to flex...
Click to expand...

(highlighting done by me)

Hey, high-speed steels don´t brake! :D
 
The tungsten and high speed designations mean that it is more than likely a tool steel. As we all know, tool steels can make very nice knife blades, the drawbacks being the cost and difficulty in working them. M2, D2, BG42, Vascowear, 154CM are all tool steels.

phantom4
 
If its folded (pattern welded ? damascus? ) Then I don't think its possible for it to be M2. The high speed designation means it will withstand being used for a cutter running at high speeds, or that it resists heat and doesn't lose its temper. Pretty sure I've read that M2 stays too hard to forge, more likely to break or crumble under the hammer.
 
It looks like little ripples you'd see when the tide recedes.. layer layer layer layer, bigger layer, and blade edge.

That's what I was looking for; There is a petina on my cleaver, but not rust.

So I have a blade that has a lot of tungsten added to it, and that's it??
 
when you say steel folds, do you mean damascus?

One traditionally asian method of metalwork consists of "folding metal" as one would fold a thin strip of paper from one end to the other. Is that how your knives were made?

Third, your gammatical context and the way you write hints to me that you're asian who's primary language is English, but certain grammatical phrases tends to have an asian grammar structure. am I correct? If so, are you Ethnically Taiwanese? My Mother is from Fengyen, and my Father from Jiji in Central Taiwan.
 
Made in Taiwan, moved to US when I was 5, currently in taiwan (again). Yep!

Like taking a piece of paper, folding it in half, and in half and in half etc... And the folded edge would then be the blade edge.

My friend tells me that's a stronger blade, but then if that is how it's made, it couldn't be a pure tungsten carbide as i don't think tungsten carbide "folds".

???
 
the steel is folded in the manner that Japanese swords are folded. It's almost a Damascus type of steel. I think the translation that says "tungsten" is actually carbon... it's a high carbon steel. Also, High carbon steel gets a "patina" or color after you use it for a while it's actually a mild rust... Rust is not always bright orange/red. A patina type of rust will offer a "character" to your blade without detracting from performance.
 
is like "mixing" the steel. It evens out the consistency of the metal. In situations where steels are not consistently smelted, it is a method of making sure that the alloy is the same at the tip as it is at the base of the blade. It should have approximately the same strength as a knife of an identical alloy, manufactured the same way. Another factor is the method in which the knife is forged. I, along with many others believe that a forged knife posesses greater stength than one made purely by stock removal. A blade that is folded and hammered is essentially being "forged". Other factors include the content of the alloy, as well as the heat treatment. Any deficiency in any of these factors will effect the edge-holding capability as well as the strength of the blade.
 
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