Steel Guide

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caclem89

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Mar 7, 2011
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I am pretty new to the knife game, so in my research I have come across a few steel guides that give detail on the composition various steels with regard to different elements (carbon, manganese, chromium etc.). The problem is, I don't know what that's supposed to tell me. How should I interpret this information? Is there a certain element that increases the quality of a blade as it makes up a higher percentage of the blade's composition? Any elements that I should stay away from?

Thanks for any help!!
 
I would say not to start there. Blade geometry, heat treat, and the functionality of the overall knife for the intended tasks, are more important.
A person doesn't need to know the chemical composition of a knife to use a knife. There are websites that can explain metals, their properties, and define hardness, edge retention vs. toughness.
A reputable knife maker will not use a "bad" steel. A good steel with a bad heat treatment would be more likely a reality.
 
Just as foxx said, it isn't all in the material itself. Still, if you're curious about blades steels, Joe's old thread on it is still one of the best single bits of reading you can do to begin an understanding. It's a tad out of date (a lot of the newest super-steels and Chinese steels that are being used now are not in this list) but all of the information that is there is still absolutely good:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=368828
 
Honestly this topic is so ridiculously complicated that you literally can't make sense of any of it until you've owned a few knives.

I would suggest you start off with a few cheap(:rolleyes:) knives in S30V, D2, and 1095 steels before thinking about complicated stuff like that. Each one would probably run $50 a piece.

That should give you an overall idea of how each steel behaves. 1095 is simple carbon and iron with little to no alloying elements. D2 has a relatively large volume of chromium carbides. S30V has both Vanadium and Chromium carbides.

There are knives with mostly vanadium carbides and little chromium that might give a better idea of how it works, but those are neither cheap nor easy to get ahold of.

Anything more than carbon, chromium, and vanadium would get too complicated to explain.

Just identify the properties of the steel that you like and it'll be easier to go from there.

I've started out like you and tried to find my ideal super steel right off the bat. This is something you can't know until you've handled a few knives.
 
Aside to Joe's sticky that T1mpany listed, my best recommendation is to not worry about the alloy as much as just focusing on buying from top line manufacturers. They won't use a steel that does not perform well for the use that particular knife is designed to perform. There are no bad steels, there are just steels that are more appropriate for some uses than others. There is no one alloy that is better than all others for all purposes. The alloys that are best for knives used for cutting aren't very good for chopping and vice versa.

Aside from that, of the list of things that factor into the performance of a blade, choice of alloy isn't all that near the top. Ergonomics, balance, shape, and edge geometry are all more important.

Just buy from a top manufacturer and let them worry about choice of alloy. Their knowledge is a great part of what you are paying for.
 
knarfeng said:
The alloys that are best for knives used for cutting aren't very good for chopping and vice versa.
Click to expand...

All good info, but let me take the liberty of re-wording this sentence...

The alloys that are the best for cutting aren't necessarily the best for chopping, and vice versa, though some do both pretty well when heat treated properly.

I have very good skinning knives in 5160 and a couple of really solid choppers in D2, even though I'd never commission the knives that way.

Just had to throw that in there, if nothing else to show just how damned confusing the steel world is. ;)

But yes, listen to knarfeng, and utilize these boards and the experiences of individual members who're knowledgeable about the knives you like.
 
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