stellite 6k v 440c

M

manzico

Joined
Jun 11, 2002
Messages
6
I'm looking at purchasing a chef's knife from Tichbourne. I noticed that he mentions that although most of his knives are made from 440c he also will make one offs out of stellite 6k. So which do I want? Is 440c perfectly fine? What does the 6k buy me?
 
Do a search for "Talonite" (it is similar to 6K), sit back, and get ready to do some reading!

Aloha
 
Nothing wrong with 440C.
Sharpens easily, holds an edge reasonably well.
Joe Talmadge gives a good breakdown of steel's properties.
Should be easy to find in this or other forums.
 
i use 440c for alot of my culinary knives. it has great stain resistance and holds a great edge. also i fine that the novace type sharper seems to be able to do fine touching up the blades. its also alot less money than those cobalt alloys, 6k or talonite.
 
Just my opinion ...

440C is stainless, stellite is stainPROOF.
Stellite keeps a better edge but will definitely be harder to sharpen.
440C is WAY cheaper.
If you want the best of two no matter the price, go with stellite. If you want a good performance/price go with 440C.
 
The 6K buys you corrosion immunity at the cost of a lot of hardness and thus a much lower resistance to edge impaction and rolling, the two main forms of blunting for kitchen knives. If you want more corrosion resistance than 440C (which is a lot, you would want to be leaving your knives uncleaned in acidic juices or salt water), then I would suggest 420HC.

-Cliff
 
Gotta go with Cliffy on this one. I've used most of my knives at one point or another in the kitchen, and Talonite hasn't impressed me very much. It will do fine cutting veggies (what knife won't?) and meat (beef, chicken, pork, venison), although it really is overkill for those in the kitchen. But hit a bone with it, or nick a plate, and that fine edge has gone bye-bye. It is fairly easy to touch up, as long as you haven't impacted the edge too much; if it is impacted much, you'll need a diamond hone, preferably coarse or at least medium, unless you want to spend a looooong time getting it honed out. The cobalt alloys work great for those materials that are verrrrry abrasive, like cardboard, or the hides of animals. But in the kitchen, I'd go with 440C (of those two). Cheaper, holds its edge well, reasonably corrosion resistant, and easy to touch up when it impacts something hard.

And to be honest, the best kitchen knife my family has right now is a Spyderco, in MBS26. It seems to be just about the ideal kitchen steel of what I've used. Or maybe it is just the thin blade.
 
Yep, go with 440C. It is a very good blend of all the
properties needed for kitchen work with nothing you
don't need.

One of my favorite knifes is an old Buck 110 with
a 440C blade. Cuts great doesn't stain with blood and
is easy to keep sharp. Yep, I'd buy the 440C in a heart
beat.:D :D
 
Can't comment on Stellite, but I just picked up two Tichbourne kitchen knives in 440C, and I can't imagine I'd get better preformance out of anything more expensive (in regards to steel). They are well ground, and hold an edge. I the kitchen I'm not to far from a steel and my sharpmaker, so ultimate edge retention isn't necissary. Oh, and from first hand experience, the 440 handles being dropped pretty well:D
 
I have several of George's knives, all in 440C. I also have several stellite and talonite knives, but none from George. Cliff is right about stellite vs 440C, of course. Stellite will hold a working edge longer and will not corrode, but it is softer and the egde could roll much more easily. It's my impression, entirely subjective, that 440C stays "razor" sharp a longer, which could be useful for some purposes in the kitchen. Touching up a knife in the kitchen is no big deal, and rust shouldn't be either.
The truth is, George's 440C is exceptional. I dunno why exactly. 440C is, IMHO, very under-rated when it is done right - and George's knives certainly are done right. I wouldn't hesitate to go with George's stellite, which I'm sure is amazing. But I guess my point is that a Tichbourne in 440C would be exceptional too. Whichever you choose, you won't be unhappy.
 
I've talked with David Boye about ordering some of his kitchen knives in dendritic cobalt, a cobalt/chromium alloy elementally similar to Talonite. He said no, recommending his dendritic 440C over the cobalt for any use which brings the edge into contact with ceramic (such as china plates) or hard plastic surfaces (such as cutting boards). Same reasons given above--basically too soft to be worked, edge-on, against these surfaces. Stellite 6K is harder by virtue of about 50% more carbon content than the other alloys mentioned, but is still below 50 Rc. Go with the 440C.
 
This one is the first piece done by George Tichbourne in Stellite.
Backside of blade has the Stellite logo on it. Damasteel stainless damascus bolsters,mastadon handle and filework.

He really did great on this knife and he bulit it to be used.
You can't go wrong with George. He did what he said and in a timely maner. One of these days I am going to see if he will build me a Bowie.

Sorry for the bad pic. I'll try to get a better one.

tichbourne.htm
Click here for the pic
 
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