steel for kitchen knives

Tiiiiiiiim

Tiiiiiiiim

Joined
Jun 11, 2010
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Thought I'd have a go at making a kitchen knife. Is D2 alright or will it corrode too easily? What's most typically used?
 
I prefer carbon steel to stainless. Just understand that it will patina with use. If you wash and dry it when you are done using it it will be fine. I like W-2 for my users. Here is the last one I made.
resized%20curtis%27chefs%20knife.preview.JPG
 
Don Hanson III said:
D2 is fine, but I'd use W2 :)

Very nice knife, Chuck!!!
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Don you dont use anything other then W2 :)

as stated 1084-1095 +w1/2 are great carbon steels and the cpm154 or the non cpm are good to (HT is 90% of if the knife is good or not in this case )

D2 is a tweener steel and i have not got a good use for it (i feel the same about cpms30v ) i think it is better to play to one steel strength or the other and not try to find the best avg. steel to use
 
It all depends on what you want. 1095 makes a great kitchen knife. S35VN does,too. A good starter stainless is CPM 154. For carbon 1084/1095/W2 are all fine.
On the extreme end ZDP-189 or Cowry-X are superb ( but not for the beginner).
 
the thing to remember in steel and kitchen knives is the fact that the kitchen knife can really show you how great steel can be and also if the HT is not right
grind the knife thin and then grind it soem more and you will get to see jsut how the edge holds up and this can help in refinment of the other knives you make
 
I prefer good old plain carbon steels first, but new CPM stainless are quite good IMO.

But i think it also depends from the recipient will to take care of this sharpies.

If the customer is quite a good guy taht loves and takes care of knives, carbon steel is unbeatable.

If the customer is someone that cares at the least of the edge once a month, better to stick to some Stainless steel, also a 420HC or MA5M is quite nice.

Currently I've an order of 4 kitche knives: three are for non professionals and they will be made in MA5M stainless steel.
The last for a Chef will be made in Takefu suminagashi, old plain carbon damascus steel...
 
I'd rather have a chefs knife in 440A that's thin and shaped correctly than a fat ass bowie slicer made from the best super steel with optimum heat treatment. We must prioritize in the kitchen. :)
 
I would recommend O-1 first of all, its the steel I use, 52100 second even though I havn't used it. W-2, w-1, and 1095 also would work well. It is important that you nail the heat treament, so choose a steel that you are confident in heat treating. If you are sending out for heat treatment, then definately use O-1. However, whatever steel you choose, the geometry is even more important, starting with a maximum steel thicknes of .100. This is the source of Daves comment above.
Del
 
Larry D. Davis said:
Hey chuck, what's that handle wood? Amboyna? Afzalia? ..or? Looks great..got a close up?
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Hey Larry,

Bought that from you a few years ago at Blade West. It is double dyed box elder I think. I forgot to look at the sticker before I ground it off.:eek: If it isn't that it is maple. No close up but I can get one possibly tomorrow.
 
butcher_block said:
D2 is a tweener steel and i have not got a good use for it (i feel the same about cpms30v ) i think it is better to play to one steel strength or the other and not try to find the best avg. steel to use
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I like D2 for EDC's and general purpose knives, but I agree that for a specialized kitchen knife it's not the best choice. "Tweener" steel is a good way to describe it. It will definitely work, don't get me wrong, but I would go for O1 or CPM154 depending on your preferences. Both are widely available and the cost difference is small when looking at a couple knives' worth. Get your stock surface-ground if you can, it will save you time and belts.

D2 is reasonably corrosion-resistant. The problem I have with it is, when it does corrode it doesn't take on a nice patina like O1 or W2, it just gets little nasty pits that are tough to get rid of and look like hell.
 
Not trying to be a smart @ss here, but why all the suggestions for carbon (non-stainless) steels? (would like a serious answer.)

I think 154CM has more carbon in it than O1 and some of the other 'carbon' steels mentioned. If not, it's really close.

I would think that 154 would be highly valued. Especially in the kitchen environment, over any non-stainless.
 
I will be making my first set of kitchen knives in the new year, and I am trying to decide between the two 154s I think that it will come down to which is available to me at the time I order.
 
seionage said:
Not trying to be a smart @ss here, but why all the suggestions for carbon (non-stainless) steels? (would like a serious answer.)

I think 154CM has more carbon in it than O1 and some of the other 'carbon' steels mentioned. If not, it's really close.

I would think that 154 would be highly valued. Especially in the kitchen environment, over any non-stainless.
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Carbon steels are still very popular for kitchen knives. Among serious users, I have found about half prefer carbon over stainless. Carbon really does not take that much extra care to keep nice, just a few seconds now and then.
Del
 
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