steel vs steel

[Omega Leather Works]

I'm shaping the bevels right now on the first knife out of this CPM M4. I thought it was going to be difficult to file. It sure does seem VERY easy to file. Like I have to be careful with a chipbreaker!!! I guess the PM helps in machinability?

Not sure how relevant this is, but I find m4 to be pretty easy to sharpen. Much more so than s30v or d2.

I did a ton of wood carving with my m4 knife the other day, then cut up a bunch of cardboard. There is zero noticeable degradation in the edge. It's sharpened to 28° total and it never ceases to amaze.

 

[elementfe]

That chart shows 440c with significantly better wear resistance than D2.....Hm?? Wha???
There's a reason that industry uses D2 for things like paper shears and slitters.....

 

[james terrio]

That chart shows 440c with significantly better wear resistance than D2.....Hm?? Wha???
There's a reason that industry uses D2 for things like paper shears and slitters.....

Like I said earlier, those types of charts are vague at best, sometimes almost useless and ocassionally totally misleading if not outright BS. People love to throw them around though... and yes I've been guilty of that myself.

One would be much better off comparing actual datasheets side-by-side, and even then there are sometimes wide variations in what hardness/HT regimen each steel was tested at, V- vs. C-notch Charpy tests and so forth.