Toughest steels?.

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These_Nutz

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Except INFI and S7 what are a list of the toughest steels?.
Anyone got any charts on the tougher steels like CPM3V which on a chart i read next to M4 was about 3 times tougher and about 4 or 5 times tougher than D2 etc.
With the new Mule's coming out it will be intresting to see how such a slim knife holds up in steels like 3V which i read was next in line.
M4 looks great stuff guess why it wins most of the cutting chopping contest but what are the real tougher steels near INFI or S7 for toughness and strength?.
 
What exactly are you going to use it for ? Yes CPM3V ,S7 ,L6 are on the tough guy list.
 
Some of the toughest steels I know of, besides the two you mentioned are 3V, 5160, 52-100, A2, and 1095. I have used all of the steels I listed except for 3V, all are more than tough enough for me.
 
I think there are different kinds of 'tough.' I have a RMJ crash axe in 4140 steel that I bought a couple years ago at a Blade Show. I asked maker Ryan Johnson, who is an engineer, why he used 4140 instead of the more common S7, and he said that S7 did not have as much tensile strength as 4140. S7 excels in inmpact toughness.

Also from what I've read, titanium is very tough and much more resistant to fracturing that any steel. I am no engineer nor expert....
 
Chromoly axe? Its definately good to structural applications but how does it hold an edge???
 
Buck268 said:
Chromoly axe? Its definately good to structural applications but how does it hold an edge???
Click to expand...


Well, this would be a good time for someone more knowledgable than me to jump in. The RMJ axe is differentially hardened and the edge is around 56 hRc, so that sounds good. I don't know how the wear resistance compares to more conventional choices like S7, A2, or 5160.

To be honest I haven't really used it, so I can't comment on its edge-holding. My excuse for buying it was that I live in earthquake country (the media here every so often runs stories about the looming 'big one') and I figured that I needed that crash axe. But I have yet to do anything with it but sharpen it, clean it, and admire it lol.
 
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I am no expert but I guess that toughness has a lot to do with the HT. Maybe we shouldn't be talking about toughness only, but also about RC hardeness, profiles, etc.

Mikel
 
Well, if a softer steel bends easier, that is not, what i call toughness.

Toughness is, to resist stress or impact without breaking. It is related to the hardness. Some may say, a D2 blade at HRC 56 is as tough as L6 at HRC 62 or some HS grade at HRC 59. But you surely loose edge quality.

Generally low carbon low alloyed steel grades are tougher than high carbon high alloyed steel grades. A homogeneous steelstructure offers greater toughness.

Nearly all steel grades meet at maximum hardness around HRC 67. The differences are shown inbetween the usual hardness spectrum.

Other words: If you want a tough blade, don´t choose a soft one made from high alloyed steel grades. They don´t match it.
 
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