Nitrogen in INFI

B

BG-S4

Joined
Sep 3, 2015
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Hi Guys,
This is my 1st post on BF. I'm from the UK and been into knives since I was young, I've been wanting a Busse for ages and finally ordered a combat grade SOB in INFI a few days.
I was doing some research on INFI and there seems to be two compositions kicking around the Internet on with and one without Nitrogen.
The latest I've seen shows no nitrogen, does anyone know if Jerry had Nitrogen removed from the INFI composition recently and why.
Looking forward to contributing to this forum and will post pics of my SOB when it arrives.
 
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Mate, I'd love to answer your question but I have absolutely no idea what the answer is. So, instead I will welcome you to the forums! Hide your credit card now :D
 
Hi Rob,
Thank you for the welcome, the credit card has already taken a hit :0( and I expect more :) I'm waiting for a 4 inch satin in INFI to come out which I can use as a small camp knife.
When my SOB arrives will give it some use camping and in the woods to see how INFI holds up against the other knives I own. From what I've read I won't be disappointed.
 
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I've heard the same. Nitrogen in INFI. Idk how he gets a gas into a metal... . but. I know how I get gas into my belly. Popcorn.
 
Welcome!
When Jerry sobers up, he will gladly answer your question.
rolf
 
Helium with a dash of plutonium :)
Will be cool if Jerry could choke in, might have to get myself some SR101 from Scrap Yard when they launch new range
 
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Google 'steels with nitrogen' -- there's a lot of information out there. I believe they were developed around WW II for tank armor. Tough stuff, reputedly. Busse has developed its own heat treat, I understand, which gets the most out of the steel.
 
Buses makes wonderfully good knives that are exceptional performers, nearly indestructible and have the best warranty in the business. Those who are scientifically minded occasional find the lack of steel data, grafts and charts (like cpm gives) a little frustrating. In the end I have decided just to embrace the magic and drama. Is sr77 a fancy name for s7? Is SR-101 really different from 52-100? Who knows. It may be a marketing gimmick, or maybe they actually do have the steel tweaked. The heat treatment is good which will always keep the steel preforming better than other cheaper makers with lesser skills. As for infi... The current rumor (since no one I know of really knows) is that pre 2002 infi had some nitrogen added here is what we think was the old composition:
http://www.zknives.com/knives/steels/steelgraph.php?nm=infi
Post 2002 most people think infi is either A8 or possibly some "modified" A8. like this http://ess.elwd.com/product/a8/
In the Iliad, Homer does not describe the epic beauty of Helen of Troy in specific terms, though she was the most beautiful woman in the world. Part of the genius of the work was the fact that Homer knew a little mystery would provoke imagination and it the long term be more effective than an attempt to specifically describe her appearance. Like Helen, forget the specifics, love the art. Buy a Busse.
 
Nitrogen in steel promotes rust resistance as one of it's properties...check out H1, LC 200 N

INFI is regarded by users as a high quality tool steel with some stainless qualities...

I have found that to be very true...I am not a sharpening guru, but I have EASILY (relative to other steels) reprofiled and thinner a couple of Busses...

It was easy for me to knock down the shoulder on my TGLB, reform a more acute profile and hit the apex...took around one hour...

I also have never had INFI to rust beyond the surface and that one instance was probably due to me leaving behind traces of decarb after a strip job...

So, it seems plausible that INFI could be based on a high quality tool steel with a bit of Nitrogen added to the recipe-- perhaps when it's quenched or during one of those cryogenic cycles Jerry puts INFI

through ( with liquid nitrorogen, maybe? ) :confused: ...

A lot of the knowledge base "out there" on INFI is based on circumstantial proof...just like my musings :rolleyes:

Just one piglet's experience, YMMV
 
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2006

Gentlemen

I was told that this is the formula of the INFI steel:

INFI steel - .50 C, 8.5 Cr, .36 V, .95 Co, .74 Ni, 1.3 Mo, .11 N

Would anyone like to coment?

Cheers,

André
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2015
I found this by search and it seems like this may be steel I am looking for. I have not seen steel like this. How is corrosion resistance? I read threads and it seems very tough.

I found this:
This was listed in 2002:

V .36% Vanadium
Cr 8.25% Chrome
Fe 87.79% Iron
Co .95% Cobalt
Ni .74% Nickel
Mo 1.3% Molybdenum
C .5% carbon
N .11% Nitrogen

But in 2009 it change to this:

Element Weight %
Carbon C 0.64
Silicon Si 0.63
Chromium Cr 8.12
Molybdenum Mo 0.85
Vanadium 0.33
Iron Fe 89.43

So INFI can change and remain INFI? Later INFI seems

I found Mod A8

Carbon, C 0.50 %
Chromium, Cr 8.0 %
Iron, Fe 88.35 %
Manganese, Mn 0.45 %
Molybdenum, Mo 1.3 %
Silicon, Si 0.95 %
Vanadium, V 0.45 %

So new INFI is similar to Modi A8? Seem like very tough steels.


Seems like INFI is steel I want. Do they make folding knives from this steel?
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2015
Yes, INFI is the steel you want for any situation.

Yes, the chemical composition has changed, it now has no Cobalt, Nickel or Nitrogen in it. I remember the big talk being about Nitrogen in the 90's and no one could figure out how the steel had it. In fact I even had one of mine tested and the place that tested were dumbfounded about N. The old INFI was expensive and probably not worth the extra cost and removing a few elements and dropping Rc a few points kept the steel tough(maybe even tougher) and reduced costs. If you think about the cost and availability of a BM today vs a BM in 1999, the BM's of today are a bargain. The new stuff appears to be closer to Modified A8 per your chart. I don't mind that, because it is Busse's HT that makes the difference. 80+ hours plus a deep cryo is unbeaten in the industry. INFI still has no Manganese which is one of the most common elements in steel. There has to be a reason for that. INFI does not have hi levels of Vanadium because it reduces toughness but allows harder edges. This is what CVPM3V has more of. So on paper 3V should not be as tough as INFI and in reality I am pretty sure that is the case. Edge holding wise they might be close, but INFI's edge wil roll not chip.
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Yes, the last two quotes are mine I think. So here is the big problem with Nitrogen. A lot of spectrometer tests do not detect it. So even though I stated that in my modern test of INFI it had no nitrogen, it could indeed be that the testing facility I used did not detect it. All of the other elements are detectable and there is no doubt in my mind that modern INFI no longer has Cobalt in it, which by the way was the difference between the old INFI and the old MINFI. MINFI did not have cobalt in it. But as for nitrogen, I cannot verify one way or the other.
 
Kev, welcome to BF and to the madness of our corner of it.

Hope you're prepared to not save any more money. One taste of INFI is all it takes... If you're married, better start buying the wife gifts and taking care of that HoneyDo list to get on her good side. If you have children, you may want to make sure they understand the importance of scholarships. And it might also be a good time to ask your creditors for increases to your credit lines.

Many very nice pieces show up on the exchange but you need to be ready to jump on them before someone else snags them. You may want to read up on ganzas as well if you're not familiar.
 
Thomas Linton said:
So one might wonder if one has a reduced cost INFI knife or not. :confused:
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Well maybe, but those costs are transferred to us and considering that MINFI had no equals aside from INFI I have no problem with it. In 1998 an SHBM cost $347 today a CG ASHBM costs $487. That is about a 40% gain. Far less than the inflation rates.
 
resinguy said:
I checked at work, our XRD instrument can see N.
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You should test the new INFI see if there is nitrogen. The problem is that the amount is 0.11% which can be less than the deviation in measurement, in which case it may not read it. I think the meter used when I did it, is supposed to detect it as well, but the deviation/error is the problem.
 
Would be cool if someone could test again on a recent Busse. I wish I studied metallurgy instead of IT the. Ore I read about it on forums more interesting it is.
Hopefully the SOBs will be shipping soon then I can get some 1st hand experience.
 
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