Photos Show your low end steel :)

Not sure if Rebar is low end steel or not? 😆

kZ3AjMA.jpg
 
Blade made of 8Cr13MoV stainless steel. The blade of this Kershaw Nura knife has a non-reflective Titanium Carbo Nitride coating. It was designed in Russia.
Kershaw NURA 3.0 3.5 (2).JPGKershaw NURA 3.0 3.5 (3).JPG
 
Crag the Brewer said:
Idk if This counts???

It's mid/high grade high speed steel (M2 likely) from lowly hacksaw blades.
I've been on a kick lately, and made about a dozen of these in various configurations..... I really Love them, they out cut/perform most everything. ;)

Other than being incredibly difficult to grind, I wonder why more makers aren't making knives with them.





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interesting, you say they are hard to grind since they were hacksaw blades, so I imagine very hard, how are they to sharpen them? We’re you able to anneal them first to bring the hardness down?
 
Some of the basic 8cr13mov in my AG Russell Cowboy is a good daily user, does the job. and my Manly Wasp in Sandvik does a good job too. My Old Hickory 1075 folder is doing well too and has gotten good pocket time, and I go back to my Buck 112 Slim just because I love the shape and it cuts. So if a steel does a job and the user is happy with it, a good bargain on a decent knife, go for it. The gaucho knife is made by Cahoon and in 8670.A2968134-5F71-4AF4-90D8-59F0D26E0F65.jpeg10FC247C-6CF3-4C05-9543-EE5090CEB818.jpeg81C5C795-0057-4875-818F-3C100C627354.jpeg
 
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cbach8tw said:
interesting, you say they are hard to grind since they were hacksaw blades, so I imagine very hard, how are they to sharpen them? We’re you able to anneal them first to bring the hardness down?
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Very Very Hard. I think the brand of blades were tested as 66-67HRC by another maker here, I'd have to dig through emails to be sure? But VERY hard.

I don't currently have diamond plates/stones.

I am using ceramic belts (50 grit) to profile, bevel, put edges on them.

Then I like to clean up the burrs with three different grades of @Baryonyx bench stones. Manticore, American Mutt, Artic Fox......I think mostly, the bench stones are made out of silicon carbide? They are pretty inexpensive..... and the I do testing with cutting Lots of cardboard. They really are Amazing at cutting!!!

*No annealing.
That would take away their Magic. Haha.
Plus, that would have to be like 2000 degrees about.

It's not a conventional knife blade heat treatment. They are also surprisingly durable and flexible too.

Yes, I have broke a few in vices, dropping one on concrete the tip flew off, and shattering two while drilling.

But other than that...... I'm Super impressed.
I can't stop playing with them. They blow Alot of knives out of the water!
 
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Crag the Brewer said:
Very Very Hard. I think the brand of blades were tested as 66-67HRC by another maker here, I'd have to dig through emails to be sure? But VERY hard.

I don't currently have diamond plates/stones.

I am using ceramic belts (50 grit) to profile, bevel, put edges on them.

Then I like to clean up the burrs with three different grades of @Baryonyx bench stones. Manticore, American Mutt, Artic Fox......I think mostly, the bench stones are made out of silicon carbide? They are pretty inexpensive..... and the I do testing with cutting Lots of cardboard. They really are Amazing at cutting!!!

*No annealing.
That would take away their Magic. Haha.
Plus, that would have to be like 2000 degrees about.

It's not a conventional knife blade heat treatment. They are also surprisingly durable and flexible too.

Yes, I have broke a few in vices, dropping one on concrete the tip flew off, and shattering two while drilling.

But other than that...... I'm Super impressed.
I can't stop playing with them. They blow Alot of knives out of the water!
Click to expand...
cbach8tw cbach8tw
I think easy to touch up.

I mostly use a sharpening steel made by Gossman. It's his larger one.
It's a tiny bit more aggressive than a strop
 
Deino said:
This is one of those "cheap labor, not cheap materials". I have the same knife in green g10, I don't think that N690 is low end as it is comparable to 154CM and VG10.
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Fair … maybe “lower end” steel. Definitely doesn’t perform like a cheap knife (I just crossposted it to an “underrated knives” thread.)
 
"Low end" meaning inexpensive? Easily my Kudu, Gerber 400, Valley Forge Connecticut (think old school Frost Cutlery) and the Buck Solo. I have an ancient Victornox bantam economy line that's in my lunchbox.

They are the most used knives too, Kudu in the garden and yard, a slayer of weeds and dandelions. Gerber is my "chicken knife" used for cutting up chicken to hide pills in for my 17 year old pup. The VFC is a "meh" knife I hand to the wife when is trying to open up another Amazon box. Buck Solo is I. The junk drawer awaiting its next small task, letter or box.

These get the bulk of my cutting done.

20221112_035108.jpg
 
John_B said:
"Low end" meaning inexpensive? Easily my Kudu, Gerber 400, Valley Forge Connecticut (think old school Frost Cutlery) and the Buck Solo. I have an ancient Victornox bantam economy line that's in my lunchbox.

They are the most used knives too, Kudu in the garden and yard, a slayer of weeds and dandelions. Gerber is my "chicken knife" used for cutting up chicken to hide pills in for my 17 year old pup. The VFC is a "meh" knife I hand to the wife when is trying to open up another Amazon box. Buck Solo is I. The junk drawer awaiting its next small task, letter or box.

These get the bulk of my cutting done.

View attachment 1986247
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The kudu is one of my favorites because it is a versatile and strong design. It would be a front runner in my "only one knife" contenders. Thanks for sharing.
 

Thanks sir, but most folks can achieve similar results, just practice, practice and maybe a little more practice...key is to get the burr, if you haven't raised a burr, you haven't reached the apex and will never get a good edge.
;)
G2
 
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