Steel comparison

[Shorttime]

Yeah, we've been there, done that already. But I'm going to do it again

I've been looking at steel chemistry charts, which seem to say that Busse's INFI has some similarities to S30V.

But there are differences, too, and even small changes in a steel's chemistry can make a difference.

I am looking down the road at (maybe) getting a knife made, and I hear good things about INFI, especially for, um, "general purpose" knives that may be called upon to do more than simple cutting. But, S30V is easier to get.

This is a question probably better suited to the Shoptalk section, but, I'm reluctant to post in Shoptalk (long story).

Can S30V exhibit a similar balance of hardness, toughness, and wear resistance to INFI, or do the small differences in composition result in a steel that trades too much of one quality to get to another?

Put another way: If S30V is heat treated to have the same toughness as INFI, does it's hardness or wear resistance change so much that the two are very different?

 

[james terrio]

I've been looking at steel chemistry charts, which seem to say that Busse's INFI has some similarities to S30V.

Indeed... they're both mostly iron.

Can S30V exhibit a similar balance of hardness, toughness, and wear resistance to INFI...

In a word, no.

In more words, S30V and INFI are entirely different in almost every aspect. CPM-3V is much, much closer to INFI, performance-wise.

 

[Shorttime]

Indeed... they're both mostly iron.



In a word, no.

In more words, S30V and INFI are entirely different in almost every aspect. CPM-3V is much, much closer to INFI, performance-wise.

James, I should have just asked you first. Duh. Thanks.

 

[CWL]

How are you planning on getting INFI steel for a custom knife?

You should probably start your research with what's reasonably available, or just buy a Busse blade if you want INFI steel performance. They do come in an amazing range of designs already.

 

[SomeNewGuy]

Gerbers Chinese mystery steel shares alot of similarities with a soda can.

 

[Shorttime]

Gerber's Chinese mystery steel shares a lot of similarities with a soda can.

That's funny, right there.

I had a Ridge for a while. It's size limited the tasks it could be comfortably used for, so I didn't have trouble with it. Chisel grind with a wide secondary bevel made it easy to sharpen. Got rid of it because it was actually a little too small, and I didn't like the partial serrations.

Funny thing, I have a Micro Recon with about the same amount of blade, and it finds a way through much larger tasks than the Ridge ever did.