The "Ask Nathan a Question" Thread

[lozdesign7]

Hi Nathan,

Would you consider a War Hammer? They really don't get the credit they deserve and I'm pretty certain your one would be awesome.

 

[SpyderPhreak]

Nathan, what was the main reason behind the contour change between the FK2 and the BFK/FK3 scales?

Looked a bit and couldn’t find the answer. I personally like the more pronounced FK2 contouring much better.

 

[abraves]

Nathan the Machinist are you offering acid wash on the last Fridays sale? Probably not but can't hurt to ask. I just want something different because I'm never satisfied. LOL

 

[nu4an]

This new tweaked Delta 3V is not an improvement. It's not even very much different than regular Delta 3V. But it is a little better at higher hardness and it a good fit for certain knives and certain people who want that little bit more of a crisp edge.

"wow, big deal Nate, you cooked it hotter and tempered it lower. What a breakthrough. *shrug* "

If it were that simple, I'd have found this years ago during D3V development.

Back then I was buying the same 3V as everyone. Over time I started buying entire heats of it, to minimize variations. That also gave me the ability to change the heat condition and grain bias and % cross roll among other things. I can now buy entire melts which opens even more possibilities for little tweaks. While it is basically the same steel design, this tweak resulted in a much finer carbide distribution.

This reduces the edge stability issues at higher hardness and moves the sweet spot up a little bit so we're running it harder.

There is no free lunch. While this results in improved durability in certain use, it costs a little toughness in other use. So I won't be doing this with large blades. But it's a good fit here.

In practice, there honestly isn't much difference. But there is some.

Nathan-

Your write-up about the tweaked D3V that you've been posting on recent Friday sale threads leaves me with questions.

The impression that I get after reading through this is that the tweaked D3V is created not only (or not at all?) by tweaking the delta heat treat protocol, but that it involves some sort of tweaks which are somehow applied during the manufacturing process of the steel; i.e., independent from and before the heat treat process. Is this correct or nah?

The two comparison pictures captioned "New modified 3V" and "CPM 3V" show the modified version having smaller carbides which are more evenly distributed. I always thought this sort of carbide profile is advantageous at any given harness. I guess not though?

TIA!

 

[Nathan the Machinist]

Nathan-

Your write-up about the tweaked D3V that you've been posting on recent Friday sale threads leaves me with questions.

The impression that I get after reading through this is that the tweaked D3V is created not only (or not at all?) by tweaking the delta heat treat protocol, but that it involves some sort of tweaks which are somehow applied during the manufacturing process of the steel; i.e., independent from and before the heat treat process. Is this correct or nah?

The two comparison pictures captioned "New modified 3V" and "CPM 3V" show the modified version having smaller carbides which are more evenly distributed. I always thought this sort of carbide profile is advantageous at any given harness. I guess not though?

TIA!

That is correct

 

[nu4an]

That is correct

Very interesting...

I'm curious to learn more about the specifics of these tweaks, but I'm thinking that it would require a hella long explanation, and I'm not gonna ask you to go to the trouble to do that. But whatever these tweaks are, if they result in a carbide profile that is just categorically better, that's freaking huge. I feel like this isn't getting the attention and recognition it deserves here.

I know that the harder 62 HRC isn't going to be used for every knife. But hardness aside, will this new tweaked/modified, dare I say "better", version of 3V be the new standard for all CPK knives going forward?

 

[Synov]

Nathan-

Your write-up about the tweaked D3V that you've been posting on recent Friday sale threads leaves me with questions.

The impression that I get after reading through this is that the tweaked D3V is created not only (or not at all?) by tweaking the delta heat treat protocol, but that it involves some sort of tweaks which are somehow applied during the manufacturing process of the steel; i.e., independent from and before the heat treat process. Is this correct or nah?

The two comparison pictures captioned "New modified 3V" and "CPM 3V" show the modified version having smaller carbides which are more evenly distributed. I always thought this sort of carbide profile is advantageous at any given harness. I guess not though?

TIA!

#NotNathan but in simple terms, larger carbides serve as crack initiation points but more carbides distributed throughout allow already existing cracks to propagate more easily through the steel. So it's not necessarily advantageous in all circumstances.

 

[Moorik]

I have a question! (I’m new to understanding steels and knives, by the way I have a Field Knife, very cool)
Basically, Delta3v is 3V steel with cryo?
And, to be honest, I’m more interested in how it’s possible to have SUCH STRENGTH in steel, I mean, a knife that passes through the chain link. Is it all about cryo, or some other moments?
(sorry if my question sounds a little stupid)

 

[nu4an]

I have a question! (I’m new to understanding steels and knives, by the way I have a Field Knife, very cool)
Basically, Delta3v is 3V steel with cryo?
And, to be honest, I’m more interested in how it’s possible to have SUCH STRENGTH in steel, I mean, a knife that passes through the chain link. Is it all about cryo, or some other moments?
(sorry if my question sounds a little stupid)