Nitrogen-Alloyed Knife Steels

:) Thanks ! Great article , very enlightening . But thru the whole thing I'm waiting for H1 and then at the very end just a teaser ! :(
 
H1 is just weird... http://www.zknives.com/knives/steels/steelgraph.php?nm=H1
0.15% C
0.1% N
...
so right there - full stop - wth? it doesn't seem like there is anything there - basically no chance of those doing any carbides period, soft stuff
...
then about 7% Nickel completely changes this to into high alloy territory, a lot changes... historically high Nickel has been problematic in steel

I also would like Larrin to go in depth on that one
 
Nitrogen-alloyed steel is easy to identify without any fancy lab equipment, using what I call the “scratch n’ sniff” method of alloy I.D.

Simply take a tungsten carbide bit of some sort and scratch forcefully into the side of your knife, then smell the scratches. What you’re sniffing for is a whiff of an ozone or “burned ‘80s electronics” smell. This is the nitrogen being released from the metal. Be sure to waft the nitrogen into your nose for olfactory identification, don't breathe it in deeply, as the State of California has found that overexposure to Nitrogen is linked to brain damage.

Anyone can use the “scratch n’ sniff” method to identify an knife’s alloy. You may not smell anything right away, but just keep scratching your knives and smelling closely. Be sure to ask your friends and coworkers to smell your knives also. Once you get a proper whiff, nitrogen steel - and other alloys - will be unmistakeable.
 
Mecha said:
Nitrogen-alloyed steel is easy to identify without any fancy lab equipment, using what I call the “scratch n’ sniff” method of alloy I.D.

Simply take a tungsten carbide bit of some sort and scratch forcefully into the side of your knife, then smell the scratches. What you’re sniffing for is a whiff of an ozone or “burned ‘80s electronics” smell. This is the nitrogen being released from the metal. Be sure to waft the nitrogen into your nose for olfactory identification, don't breathe it in deeply, as the State of California has found that overexposure to Nitrogen is linked to brain damage.

Anyone can use the “scratch n’ sniff” method to identify an knife’s alloy. You may not smell anything right away, but just keep scratching your knives and smelling closely. Be sure to ask your friends and coworkers to smell your knives also. Once you get a proper whiff, nitrogen steel - and other alloys - will be unmistakeable.
Click to expand...
:eek: I sometimes can't tell when you're joking ! o_O http://teachertech.rice.edu/Participants/louviere/comp.html Air is ~78% nitrogen . :p:thumbsup:
 
Larrin said:
Yep H1 is a completely different kind of steel; that nickel is in there for a specific reason. All will be revealed, eventually. When I get to it.
Click to expand...
I eagerly await ! ;)

I hope you will deal with H1 hardness/ edge retention as effected by work hardening . I've read all sorts of contradictory claims of H1 performance especially on Spyderco serrated edges . :confused:

Some claim H1 to be hopelessly soft while others say that after much work hardening by (owner ?) sharpening they measure up to 68 at the edge and are very durable . But this only seems to apply to SE ? I've never heard any such weirdness about other steel types . o_O
 
Mecha said:
Nitrogen-alloyed steel is easy to identify without any fancy lab equipment, using what I call the “scratch n’ sniff” method of alloy I.D.

Simply take a tungsten carbide bit of some sort and scratch forcefully into the side of your knife, then smell the scratches. What you’re sniffing for is a whiff of an ozone or “burned ‘80s electronics” smell. This is the nitrogen being released from the metal. Be sure to waft the nitrogen into your nose for olfactory identification, don't breathe it in deeply, as the State of California has found that overexposure to Nitrogen is linked to brain damage.

Anyone can use the “scratch n’ sniff” method to identify an knife’s alloy. You may not smell anything right away, but just keep scratching your knives and smelling closely. Be sure to ask your friends and coworkers to smell your knives also. Once you get a proper whiff, nitrogen steel - and other alloys - will be unmistakeable.
Click to expand...
A simpler method is to "butterfly kiss" the steel. People's eyelashes are highly sensitive to nitrogen in the steel due to the second crainial nerve being more responsive to nitrogen via proprioception.

So after five minutes of butterfly kissing the bar of steel, if you don't sneeze then it's not Nitrogen steel.

If having trouble you can always lick the blade.

Also I'm told making fierce eye contact with friends or strangers while testing helps increase awkwardness. I recommend not explaining the testing to help as well.
 
DeadboxHero said:
A simpler method is to "butterfly kiss" the steel. People's eyelashes are highly sensitive to nitrogen in the steel due to the second crainial nerve being more responsive to nitrogen via proprioception.

So after five minutes of butterfly kissing the bar of steel, if you don't sneeze then it's not Nitrogen steel.

If having trouble you can always lick the blade.

Also I'm told making fierce eye contact with friends or strangers while testing helps increase awkwardness. I recommend not explaining the testing to help as well.
Click to expand...

Fierce eye contact, damn that’s pro. Larrin Larrin - I guess you’ll have to lick and sniff your knives in the park, alone, making fierce eye contact with the pigeons.
 
DeadboxHero said:
A simpler method is to "butterfly kiss" the steel. People's eyelashes are highly sensitive to nitrogen in the steel due to the second crainial nerve being more responsive to nitrogen via proprioception.

So after five minutes of butterfly kissing the bar of steel, if you don't sneeze then it's not Nitrogen steel.

If having trouble you can always lick the blade.

Also I'm told making fierce eye contact with friends or strangers while testing helps increase awkwardness. I recommend not explaining the testing to help as well.
Click to expand...

Fierce eye contact, damn that’s pro. Larrin Larrin - I guess you’ll have to lick and sniff your knives in the park, alone, making fierce eye contact with the pigeons. :(
 
Mo2 said:
Was reading about nitrobe77 and the heat treatment requires 4 cryo sessions for optimal heat treatment per Des Horn.
http://www.sablade.com/forums/showthread.php?85-Blade-steel-Nitrobe-77

Ive also heard this for vanax super clean (though I've heard a few others are not doing this).

Can you explain why this is important in the heat treatment of this unique nitrogen based steels?
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Yes, a good question for the Metallurgist


Larrin Larrin

Nitrobe77

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Vanax
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