- Joined
- Dec 16, 2007
- Messages
- 152
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS GREATEST OR THE FINEST STEEL FOR KNIFE MAKING. Don't be shocked as we always mislead a great knife by the steel it's made out of. But, we forget the man who's behind that knife who builds it. There are lots of good knife makers out there who makes great knife with proprietary steel. It's not their steel that makes their knife so great, but their effort, dedication and compassion for their blades.
Everybody knows in the blade world that BUSSE makes great knife with their INFI steel. Believe me, if anyone, besides the Busse family, comes with knives out of INFI steel will not perform like when Busse people make it. Without their hard work and devotion, those knives will never be born.
Blade is the oldest and the first tool of man. So, we men have been interested in making this great tool for a long long time. But, now days we look for the shortcut and finding bypassing good old fashioned metal forging and making great knife out of ordinary steel. Like the powder steel from CPM series from crucible steel that is supposed to break all disadvantages of making good knife (the dilemma of perfect blade steel - knife that holds an edge will sharpen easily, will not rust but perform like a carbon steel, will be very hard RC rating but will have good ductility like a sword).
Now, the Japanese people overcome this problem thousands of years ago. Their choice of steel 1045, a very ordinary carbon steel. Now, as steel it’s very simple, but after the Japanese makes blade out of it, it become super steel, even capable of cutting other High Carbon steel. The swords blade’s edge having a RC60, and the spine having RC40. So, the edge is very hard and capable of cutting through virtually anything it comes in contact with. Also, spine remains ductile and tough enough when metal to metal impact. So, it’s lot less brittle. Now, being a carbon steel it’ll rust very fast. They overcome that problem by giving their blade’s a mirror image so iron oxidation will not happen as the surface is very smooth. And heat treatment is done in such a way that the bonding between iron atoms so good that it’s chemically very stable.
Another great knife manufacturer who uses old and traditional steel and still makes knives that outperforms modern 21st Century knives is RANDALL MADE KNIFE. Using basic knife steel like 440 series and O1 as carbon steel. They used old fashioned HT and forging to make great knives. This is the same company that gave birth to Bob Loveless as their waiting for a knife was so long that he started making his own.
So, current manufacturer is trying to bring that great steel for us at an affordable price using modern technology to create that steel man been making over thousands of year. Unfortunately, technology fails in this case and we are not even close.
As an Engineer and great admirer of man’s oldest tool, I still believe technology is helpless to make a great knife that makes time stand still to it. Just need a knifemaker’s devotion, passion and love for making that great blade. :thumbup:
Everybody knows in the blade world that BUSSE makes great knife with their INFI steel. Believe me, if anyone, besides the Busse family, comes with knives out of INFI steel will not perform like when Busse people make it. Without their hard work and devotion, those knives will never be born.
Blade is the oldest and the first tool of man. So, we men have been interested in making this great tool for a long long time. But, now days we look for the shortcut and finding bypassing good old fashioned metal forging and making great knife out of ordinary steel. Like the powder steel from CPM series from crucible steel that is supposed to break all disadvantages of making good knife (the dilemma of perfect blade steel - knife that holds an edge will sharpen easily, will not rust but perform like a carbon steel, will be very hard RC rating but will have good ductility like a sword).
Now, the Japanese people overcome this problem thousands of years ago. Their choice of steel 1045, a very ordinary carbon steel. Now, as steel it’s very simple, but after the Japanese makes blade out of it, it become super steel, even capable of cutting other High Carbon steel. The swords blade’s edge having a RC60, and the spine having RC40. So, the edge is very hard and capable of cutting through virtually anything it comes in contact with. Also, spine remains ductile and tough enough when metal to metal impact. So, it’s lot less brittle. Now, being a carbon steel it’ll rust very fast. They overcome that problem by giving their blade’s a mirror image so iron oxidation will not happen as the surface is very smooth. And heat treatment is done in such a way that the bonding between iron atoms so good that it’s chemically very stable.
Another great knife manufacturer who uses old and traditional steel and still makes knives that outperforms modern 21st Century knives is RANDALL MADE KNIFE. Using basic knife steel like 440 series and O1 as carbon steel. They used old fashioned HT and forging to make great knives. This is the same company that gave birth to Bob Loveless as their waiting for a knife was so long that he started making his own.
So, current manufacturer is trying to bring that great steel for us at an affordable price using modern technology to create that steel man been making over thousands of year. Unfortunately, technology fails in this case and we are not even close.
As an Engineer and great admirer of man’s oldest tool, I still believe technology is helpless to make a great knife that makes time stand still to it. Just need a knifemaker’s devotion, passion and love for making that great blade. :thumbup:
