Sencut Sachse vs Kizer Original XL vs Kizer T1??

[Chronovore]

"I really love AR-RPM9. It's one of my favorite steels. The first batches Artisan did weren't the greatest, but they have it dialed in now. Easy to sharpen, great stainless qualities, decent toughness, and edge retention that can compete or beat any other budget steel. Edge retention is higher than Civivi 9Cr, toughness is a bit less, stainlessness is about equal. From my experience." (Gideonsstuff)

That would be awesome but I'm still skeptical. One thing that pushes my skepticism here is that AR-RPM9 should have more toughness than 9Cr18Mov, not less. In theory, a major point in making a PM version of 9Cr18Mov is to decrease grain size and increase toughness. In practice, most of the positive reports I've seen have mentioned improved toughness (and improved corrosion resistance).

Comparisons with 14C28N, such as in the other quote, may well be trading on the increased toughness and corrosion resistance I've seen in those anecdotal reports.

 

[nhobo]

I snapped these quickly when I had it apart so forgive the image quality. Notice that there are two sets of divots along the bearing races that just happen to be bearing-space apart. I'm not sure how it happened but I'm guessing they cranked the pivot down hard enough to press the ceramic bearings into both blade and liner, twice. Now they act like speed-bumps for the bearings.

Some bronze bushings would fix that. Not sure if you can find the right size stock, but they could certainly be machined for you.

Definitely a black eye for Artisan, and makes the their name oxymoronic.

 

[Chronovore]

Some bronze bushings would fix that. Not sure if you can find the right size stock, but they could certainly be machined for you.

Definitely a black eye for Artisan, and makes the their name oxymoronic.

I just sent another email and tried calling again. Their voicemail is still full like a month later...

 

[Truesome]

That would be awesome but I'm still skeptical. One thing that pushes my skepticism here is that AR-RPM9 should have more toughness than 9Cr18Mov, not less. In theory, a major point in making a PM version of 9Cr18Mov is to decrease grain size and increase toughness. In practice, most of the positive reports I've seen have mentioned improved toughness (and improved corrosion resistance).

Comparisons with 14C28N, such as in the other quote, may well be trading on the increased toughness and corrosion resistance I've seen in those anecdotal reports.

Yeah, these are all anecdotes, hard to know.

That would be awesome but I'm still skeptical. One thing that pushes my skepticism here is that AR-RPM9 should have more toughness than 9Cr18Mov, not less. In theory, a major point in making a PM version of 9Cr18Mov is to decrease grain size and increase toughness. In practice, most of the positive reports I've seen have mentioned improved toughness (and improved corrosion resistance).

Comparisons with 14C28N, such as in the other quote, may well be trading on the increased toughness and corrosion resistance I've seen in those anecdotal reports.

skepticism is healthy with all the speculation by armchair metallurgists flying around. Things often look different on paper than in reality. But I do hope some of this anecdotal reporting—that Artisan has improved their steel since it first dropped—is accurate. I haven’t seen much reporting that the 2022 was NOT better, but I also don’t see enough reporting to know for sure if it’s getting better.

 

[Truesome]

I will say, I don’t typically take extreme Amazon reviews too seriously, but the theme throughout many of those Amazon reviews deals with poor edge retention. Bummer.

 

[Truesome]

While there are general principles, ergonomics can be subjective. Personally, the Kizer Original does not fit my hand well. It has to do with the spacing of the finger groove in relation to the butt of the handle. While those corners are nicely rounded, the finger groove forces them into a weird spot for my hand. Among their recent thumb-stud knives, the larger Begleiter 2 is a very good fit for me.

Straighter can be good but not always. Sometimes, a little curve goes a long way in terms of fit. Both of these are reasons why I like the Sencut Neches so much. The ergonomics are relatively neutral with a slight forward curve. The edges are nicely rounded. For a smaller knife, it feels wonderful in my hand. If I recall correctly though, the OP tried it and it wasn't a good fit for him.

As far as tactical or self-defense use, no folder is particularly good in those roles but that's another discussion entirely.

I like the Gemini-esque blade shape on the original, but the handle looks a little goofy. The xl Begleiter may just be the ticket…

 

[Truesome]

154CM has a little more carbon but that isn't the only issue here. It definitely has a better reputation than 9Cr18Mov but some of that has to do with the knives that have used these steels over the years. Essentially, 154CM with a decent heat treatment will hold a significantly better edge than 9Cr18Mov with an iffy heat treatment. In this case, we've got 9Cr18Mov with about the best heat treatment you'll find on it. So the question comes down to how well Kizer runs their 154CM.

While I've recently acquired a few Kizers in 154CM, I'm a relatively light user and they've been splashed into an already crowded EDC rotation. So I can't say how well they run it. I also haven't seen any testing on it. From anecdotal reports among the greater EDC community, people seem to like it on edge retention. On corrosion resistance, 154CM is stainless enough for most users but this category is a clear win for 9Cr18Mov.

Composition Comparison Graph For The Knife Steels Crucible 154CM, GB 9Cr18MoV Version 4.36

This is a tough choice and honestly, I wouldn't make it based on steel. In other areas, I generally prefer the feel of Kizer's button locks but the Sencut costs a lot less. The overall quality of the Kizer might be slightly better. (This Kizer is on par with the Civivi stuff whereas Sencut is more budget-focused. That's not bad but for instance, Sencut saves a bit by using free-spinning pivots. The fit and finish is still generally quite good, and materials like Micarta provide enough traction that I've had zero issues with mine.) At the end of the day, both of these should be decent EDC knives. So go with the more appealing design and give it a try.

How did I miss the Kizer T1?! Seems like a real sleeper! Lines like the Gemini without the flipper tab to get in the way at the liner lock. Nested liners. Almost nothing on the micarta version here…