Same knife blanks, different sites? Different steels and prices? Your opinions?

[GrizzlyBear]

So in browsing tonight, it seems that a lot of the blanks offered by Texas Knife are the same blanks found in the Jantz catalog and some are found on Premium Knife Supply among other sites.

I wouldn't really have a problem with this except that the steels are all labeled different. One blank from TKS might be 6A, at Jantz it might be labeled 440C. And the Jantz blades are usually cheaper than TKS.

Who's right and who's wrong? Can these different sites be getting the same blank cut from different steels?

Any opinions on this are welcome.

 

[kevinc]

This has been touched on before not so long ago. Since that earlier post I have looked out an old Jantz catalogue, one with coupons good through December 2004 in the back. Now on page 23 of that catalogue in connection with the Traditional Cutlery Blades Jantz state "Hollow ground from 440C (6-A) stainless steel...." I think that Jantz have made a genuine mistake and that this mistake goes back some time. I also think that most of the blade blanks that Jantz sells that are claimed to be 440C are actually 6-A. Particularly if another supplier is providing the same blade blank in 6-A. My main reason for this is the price differential, I am damn sure you cannot buy 440C anywhere in the world for less than 6-A.

My advice is to buy blade blanks that are listed as 8-A or 8-AUS, because that is most likely what they are. In terms of the 440C/6-A thing err on the side of caution and expect them to be 6-A no matter who supplies them.

 

[GrizzlyBear]

I agree, no where should 440c be cheaper than 6a lol.

Also, Texas Knife has some blanks they state as 'high vanadium stainless' yet they don't tell what the actual type of steel it is. Any ideas?

They charge a fair bit more for them too.

 

[Joe Yach]

I called Jantz awhile ago to ask about how they know which steel they sell. The lady said when they get a batch in they have it checked for type of steel and they are randomly tested for hardness. Call for yourself to ask.