Non-vanadium super steels?

dkb45

dkb45

Joined
Dec 16, 2012
Messages
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We all know about the vanadium super steels. From Maxamet to S30V, vanadium pretty much dominates the super steel market. It has very odd behavior, though. If you don't use diamonds, you can have an unstable apex that is prone to deformation (as I recently discovered), and without diamonds you never quite get the same feel of cutting.

That leads me to my question. What super steels can compete in the same league as the vanadium steels, but don't have high vanadium (under 2%)? Pretty much all I know about is ZDP-189 and CTS-XHP. S35VN, Elmax, and Cru-Wear don't act like high vanadium steels, having under 3%, but variety is the spice of life.
 
I have recently become a big fan of spectrumwear. It is similar to Cru-Wear and PD#1, but is ESR instead of PM steel. It also has less vanadium, but more tungsten and chromium. It is a great steel that sharpens very easily, but still holds a great edge. K340 and K360 is along those lines as well. Been wanting to try K340 or K360, but have not found a maker that will make a blade for me out of it, yet.
I would look into nitrogen alloyed steels. They sharpen very easily, have good edge holding, are tough, and good corrosion resistance. Z-Finit, N360, Vanax, etc.
All of those are worth looking in to. IMO
 
Forgot about CPM-154, and it's my favorite steel too. I'm a bad knife collector!
 
dkb45 said:
Forgot about CPM-154, and it's my favorite steel too. I'm a bad knife collector!
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Seriously though, get the diamond waterstones

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I do have diamond stones, up to DMT EEF. The problem is I'm a religious stropper and diamond paste is really expensive to use all the time. I bought some, but I'm not going to be able to strop with it all the time while idly watching TV, for example.

Also less common and more exotic steels are cool to knife nuts.
 
basmca said:
Great stuff, but not everyone has the money and time to invest into something like that.
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Eh, if you feel Strongly enough about something you make the time and money.

We all have the same 24 hours a day.

We pick and choose our priorities and what's pertinent in our short lives don't we?

While some people go on lavish vacations or drink at bars every weekend, I bought some nerdy stones to make my silly little knives sharper because it fufills me.

If I just needed to get by, 8cr13mov and a $10 stone would do just fine and I'd focus on other passions, pursuits and interests.

Also I certainly wouldn't waste time posting here, all the information here would be esoteric and overkill.

Problem is this IS my passion, pursuit and interest so I enjoy all the little details past the diminished return on value.

I'm not saying your not as passionate about knives, you don't need to spend all you time and money to love them.

Just understand your dealing with a Madman :D
 
DeadboxHero said:
Eh, if you feel Strongly enough about something you make the time and money.

We all have the same 24 hours a day.

We pick and choose our priorities and what's pertinent in our short lives don't we?

While some people go on lavish vacations or drink at bars every weekend, I bought some nerdy stones to make my silly little knives sharper because it fufills me.

If I just needed to get by, 8cr13mov and a $10 stone would do just fine and I'd focus on other passions, pursuits and interests.

Also I certainly wouldn't waste time posting here, all the information here would be esoteric and overkill.

Problem is this IS my passion, pursuit and interest so I enjoy all the little details past the diminished return on value.

I'm not saying your not as passionate about knives, you don't need to spend all you time and money to love them.

Just understand your dealing with a Madman :D
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Hey Madman :) I admire your hand sharpening skill , I really do .I could never do it ................ BUT as you say we all have same 24 hours a day .I will sharpen ten knives with my 2 $ sharpening tool and my only one DTM diamond stone wile you still struggle with first one . And today is popular 60-120 grit finished edge not shining one :p
 
Natlek said:
Hey Madman :) I admire your hand sharpening skill , I really do .I could never do it ................ BUT as you say we all have same 24 hours a day .I will sharpen ten knives with my 2 $ sharpening tool and my only one DTM diamond stone wile you still struggle with first one . And today is popular 60-120 grit finished edge not shining one :p
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Is that a challenge Natty? :D
 
OP, in addition to what's been shared, here is a short list steels in the sweet spot your looking for.

PM stainless

CTS 40CP
CTS XHP
CTS B70P
CTS B75P


Cast Stainless

CTS BD1N
Niolox
BG42

Carbon

1.2562

The problem is you will be waiting a LONG time for a production company to make a knife out of these steels, if ever, so you would need to order a custom knife. Even the barstock can be hard to source or just plain not available as well as there is little experience in working with some of these materials so it's unlikely to be used.

That's why picking a knife on just what the steel is isn't reasonable

And why I recommended better sharpening stones that can give you more push cutting abilities with high alloy steels.
 
DeadboxHero said:
Eh, if you feel Strongly enough about something you make the time and money.

We all have the same 24 hours a day.

We pick and choose our priorities and what's pertinent in our short lives don't we?

While some people go on lavish vacations or drink at bars every weekend, I bought some nerdy stones to make my silly little knives sharper because it fufills me.

If I just needed to get by, 8cr13mov and a $10 stone would do just fine and I'd focus on other passions, pursuits and interests.

Also I certainly wouldn't waste time posting here, all the information here would be esoteric and overkill.

Problem is this IS my passion, pursuit and interest so I enjoy all the little details past the diminished return on value.

I'm not saying your not as passionate about knives, you don't need to spend all you time and money to love them.

Just understand your dealing with a Madman :D
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Where are we getting these stones? I want! I need!:)
 
Honestly, I'd just like to see less S30V and S35VN. Those steels are fine, but not my taste and they are seriously overflooding the market. Everybody and their grandma now has close to half their catalog in one or both of those steels.
 
There are some steels that have higher tungsten carbide amount rather than higher vanadium. Can’t remember what they are. Maybe someone more knowledgable can chime in.
 
Lapedog said:
There are some steels that have higher tungsten carbide amount rather than higher vanadium. Can’t remember what they are. Maybe someone more knowledgable can chime in.
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Isn't tungsten carbide as hard, if not harder, than vanadium carbide? Wouldn't that be the same issue where the carbides are plentiful and plow out or deform from the matrix steel being weakened?
 
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