The best Military?

LorenzoL said:
So why is Sal making the Bradley using M4?

Going back to the original question, my favorite Millie would be S90V, followed by CPM-D2.
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Maybe because that's what Gayle Bradley wanted? That would be my guess. But 28 years, a hundred or so models, and millions of individual folding knives in stainless before even considering a non-stainless tool steel certainly qualifies as reluctant in my worldview. YMMV.
 
There are a whole bunch of both carbon/alloy, and stainless steels that would have both the strength and wear resistance befitting a millie.

20CV a stainless with a bit more wear resistance than S30V
CPM 154 ( if crucible stays viable)
S110V ( likewise a crucible product. Big, big potential. Greater wear than S90V, similar toughness, better corrosion resistance. etc. Good, good stuff)
19C ( sandavik. Good, clean steel. Prone to rust for a stainless steel. It likes to be sharp and RC62 is where this stuff lives :) )
Etc.

Carbons and alloys:
3V Crucible only source so far
Particle M4 : Several sources
M2: Always good stuff. Lots of sources
Duratech Mega 4 (latrobe)
Micro melt PD#1 ( Carpenters upgraded powder steel vascowear analog) which puts it a bit above D2 in both wear resistance and toughness.I can scrape steel with my vascowear knife. Tough stuff, but not a chopping steel,

All of the above are corrosion prone to one extent or another.

There are also some newer ones that Sal has, or is already testing.

If I had to pick one it would be S110V. It's tough as S90V, more corrosion resistant and certainly more wear resistant. Plenty of the big "devil worshipping" vanadium and now Niobium carbides. 50% more of these evil ones than S90v supposedly.

Being an M2 ? M4 fan I'd love to see one of these too.
 
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Also, I know Sal would never go for it but aside from corrosion, the W1/W2 steels are really good folding knife material. It takes a savage edge and holds it pretty well. Sharpens easy too. Heck, It's file steel. Everybody who is a knife afi should have at least 1- W1 knife, just like they should have something in O-1.

No, I'm not stating it's the best for production millies as we hear guys complaining about any matter or form of oxidation as if it's a serious defect in the whole concept of the knife, and someone must have switched out for a fake.
 
The custom XM18 is for the most part 20CV. At blade he introduced what looks like a stainless particle D2. I don't know what the average new make is currently.

More accessable, SOG has a fixed blade "team leader" IIRC, in two versions. 20CV http://sogknives.com/store/TL-01.html, and a cheaper "lite " version with 8a or 440c, I can 't recall. I have one in 20 CV. The design is not a camp knife, a chopper, or a traditional hunter. It's so pointy I believe it would go through a level 3 ballistic vest.

It works, sharpens, and even smells like a tool steel. It's a good steel IMO, but I'd prefer S90V. It does wear harder than S30V

The numbers on wear resistance put out is

440C, being reference standard is %100
154cm is %120
S30V is %145
20Cv is %180.

That's what Latrobe says. Data sheet here: http://www.latrobesteel.com/technical_datasheets.cfm

I do seem to recall custom maker Lightfooftusing it in his line of customs for a while( 458 magnum maybe), but has moved on. ( BG42 last I saw over a year ago I think....but am not sure)

Anza knives are using file steels, most likely W1

W1 appears in some zone tempered knives here on the custom forum from time to time.

Believe it or not I got a Pakistani knife made from File steel ( sawmill cutlery) from Smokey mountain for about 5 dollars. It was a real file, and took a good edge. The first ever in my experience with Pakistani knives. I swear they even smell bad coming out of the boxes from Pakistan. Fit and finish were of course junk. Here it is ( * note : not deal spotting, they have been out of stock for a while.) http://www.smkw.com/webapp/eCommerce/product.jsp?Mode=Text&SearchText=sawmill+cutlery&Search.x=10&Search.y=10&SKU=SM10

My Anza is great. I love it even though it's smaller than the folders I carry.

Best bet are the SOG team leader, and Anza IMO, unless you want a custom made.

Good luck, and if it works out let me know how you like the two steels. Joe
 
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BTW Lorenzol , Gayle Bradley used CPM M4 in his competition knives. He was known as a top competitor and gained sponsorship from Spyderco in his cutting competitions.

He got to know M4 pretty well. He uses it in customs he makes, as well as some other steels.

A bradley folder in M4 seems correct to me. Personally I just hope they keep the RC's up to around 62 so it's performance is what it's capable of being. That's not really even pushing it hard.
 
Thank you, Joe, for the always useful education. I never really researched Anza, I will check them out.
BTW, that Latrobe data sheet is very nice.
I am looking forward to the Bradley folder, but in the meantime I managed to get myself the new BM 806-901 AFCK in M4, the dealers are getting them by the end of next week, so I should have it in about 2 weeks.
 
Congratulations on snagging that 806-901. There are a lot of people that signed up on the list but aren't getting one. I'm one of those. No big deal though. I already have 6 CPM M4 knives of various kinds.

I am looking forward to the G. Bradley Spyderco. It should be nice. I've seen pictures of a few of his customs that I'd like to have. Not fancy, but users. Joe
 
The one (s90v, Peel Ply CF) that rides shotgun in the Carhart overalls and it has done more than well for the 7 months i have been carrying it. I always ask if they need a screwdriver first before i lend it to anyone i learned the hard way my dumb self :( That why it's missing about 1/8" of the tip

Its awesome because i can snap the button closed through the spyderhole on my overalls to secure it. I buggered up the clip awhile back and like the way it rides in carry and handles in hand without the clip.

I have been able to decently reprofile the blade with a convex edge it only took 4 months of stropping after every touch up but it shaves like a razor :D and is mirror shiny :thumbup: (the edge that is) and can take quite a beating :eek: i know

When i take it apart to clean it though (once a month or so) i don't use any lubricant i'm worried about grinding dust and whatnot, i'm a Steamfitter. Should i be lubing it :confused:

I was able to snag a s30v with the Peel Ply CF handles recently, should see it in a couple of weeks. :cool:

So those are my current fav's
 
I bought a digi-camo with the darkened blade, s-30v. I just bought another with the black scales and stainless blade a couple of days ago also in s-30v.
I absolutely love this knife and might buy one more but with full serrations. I never buy more than one of the same model, this is my first!
I did take a look at a para in d2 but found the blade to short for me, loved the handle size though.
 
sadly i only own one Millie, and it's destined to be a safe queen. S90v version. Oh sweetness. Carbon Fiber and exotic steel? what's not to love!!!

BG42 version is something I'd like to pick up one day and maybe actually EDC it!
 
The BG-42 flavor is going for about the same price as the S90V variety on the street these days.
 
Josh K said:
No, I don't actually know if they are coming out with the #1 and #3 models, but damn I wish they would.
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I’ve got an idea. Why don’t we talk about, a Military in 1095, H1 or M4 like they’re a done deal and maybe Sal will wonder by see the posts, call down to the factory to ask how the progress on the M4 military is going. The guys in the factory will then hurry up and make one, after all they don’t want to keep the boss waiting.

It could work…right…?
 
J.Mattson said:
I’ve got an idea. Why don’t we talk about, a Military in 1095, H1 or M4 like they’re a done deal and maybe Sal will wonder by see the posts, call down to the factory to ask how the progress on the M4 military is going. The guys in the factory will then hurry up and make one, after all they don’t want to keep the boss waiting.

It could work…right…?
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Damn straight it might. :D Someone should start a thread asking for release dates of those models.
 
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