The ELMAX 375 is my first choice. After everything I have read and all the testimonals I am certain it is perfect for my needs. That being said it is hard to get one right now so I have gone with a Weiner Dog as this was my second choice while I look for a 375.
Your comments on thickness is noted with the other types of steel. However, if one were to thin the blade out putting a FFG grind bringing thicknesses all down to roughly the same then what??
1. Is that possible to do with these steels? Reduce the thicknesses that way?
2. Would that reduce the quality of the blades if one did that?
3. If no problem to thin out the blades to the same thickness, approximately, then my questions in above post would need to be re-addressed and this is what I am really curious about.
** edge retention, sharpness and ease of sharpening of each of these different steels for a pure slicer / field dressing knife.
In other words i am very curious with the properties of the different steels.
First, there are a couple of ScrapMax 460's available on the exchange if you don't mind the extra length. I have one to sell but intend to give it a sheath first, then will post an ad for it.
1. Yes it is
possible to FFG almost any knife, but it takes a lot of work and be careful not to over-heat the blade in the process. It might be worth the cost to simply buy a custom one from the shop.
2. If you grind the knife down yourself, you risk messing it up or over-heating the blade, but it can be done. However, the result would not have the structural support provided by the original design and you might void the warranty, so if it broke from prying you might be SOL. If you do not alter the steel matrix during the grinding, then the "quality" of the blade
steel remains the same, but i am not sure if that is what you meant.
3. Highest Sharpness, as defined by apex diameter (geometry), is achievable in SR101 followed by INFI, then ELMAX, then 154CM and D2. This is based on
carbide size, but all of these steels should take an edge sharp enough for any cutting task normally required of a knife of this size/design, i.e. a few dozen microns or less, less than is required for field-dressing.
With the proper abrasives, all will sharpen relatively easily but SR101 and INFI (with the lowest carbide volume) will evince the best response (i.e. quickest/easiest to touch-up). However, that assumes the same amount of metal removal is required for all, but a thinner edge requires less metal-removal to restore an edge of equal dullness, so it sharpens more quickly/easily. Using a diamond hone, you may find that a thin ScrapMax sharpens more quickly/easily than a Hog Muk or anorexic Basic 4 (both INFI), etc.
Edge retention also depends on geometry first - thinner knives encounter less resistance during a cut so cut more easily through more material - but at the same geometry matrix hardness and carbide composition take over.
Ankerson has built up a list comparing edge retention is various steels (SR101 isn't on the list yet)
HERE
Here is a chart comparing some of the steel compositions:
