Opinion on the best tool steel?

A

AJ1

Joined
Apr 18, 1999
Messages
34
Hey everybody I was just wondering what tool steel in your opinion is the best i.e.(A-2, A-6, A-7, D-2, D-3, D-4, D-5, D-7, H-13, L-6, O-1, P-6, S-1, S-5, S-7) too name a few.
I guess what i mean by tool steel is just a high carbon non stainless steel i guess.

Thanks Aaron G.


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My 3 cents: A2, CPM3V and CPMM4. A2 for value, stock size availability, and all around excellent properties, CPM3V for better wear resistance and the ultimate toughness, and CPMM4 for the most outstanding wear resistance.

Remember, none of the steel's properties matter at all without perfect heat treat!

RJ Martin
 
How do you consider one tool steel better than another i.e. edge retention, toughness, abrasion resistance?

Will
 
Will

Actually I don't try to compare one blade material to another without considering what the knife will be used for and what type of abuse the knife will have to endure.

In other words if you are trying to make a knife that must endure all of the chores faced in moose hunting as an example your criteria will take into account more than edgeholding, criteria such as flexibility(toughness if you will) stain resistance, and resistance to edge damage while prying and twisting. Some tool steels have very good edgeholding characteristics but only if used near their maximum limit thus they tend to be brittle. Some stainless steels are very easy to work with but do not hold an edge very well because of a low carbon content, but they are very stain resistant.
These variations go on and on, some have very good edge holding characteristics like stellite but the large crystal size prevents sharpenig it to a razor edge, and it cannot be polished to a mirror finish.

Basically what a maker has to do is define the end use and what characteristics are deemed desirable then he has to shop around for a steel that meets as many of the requirements as possible.

For my own product I have found that 440C thathas been cryogenically treated is a good all round choice. Other knifemakers will argue for other types, and all with good reasons because we each have set our own set of criteria for the ideal steel and we all
are right in a way.

Do your own homework and you will probably come up with your own particular favourite.

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george
 
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