What are the Most Underrated Steels (MUS)?

N690co- The only knife I have in this steel is a TOPS folder. It sharpenes like VG-10 and also gets very sharp but seems to hold a edge closer to the level of S30V.

Cold steel's AUS8- They do a good job with this steel, about the only good thing I can say about CS.

S90V- Not that its underrated its just not used enough. More knives in this steel would be nice.
 
420 (50Cr13= .5C-content minimum) is a very underrated steel grade can achieve 59HRC and can perform well as a chopper.
 
Blop said:
420 (50Cr13= .5C-content minimum) is a very underrated steel grade can achieve 59HRC and can perform well as a chopper.
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The Condor line of machetes are a fantastic example of this.
 
shunsui said:
D2 obviously. ;)
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I do not see D2 as being underrated, a lot of manufacturers and custom makers like Bob Dozier use it. It is not considered a "super steel" like M4 but it is still a well regarded premium steel, IMHO.
 
It seems that 440A is used by a few European makers at about 57RC. Maybe they do the HT right. I still like my ATS-34 and Aus8 at around 58-60RC. Easy to sharpen, tough enough not get nicked up all the time, decent edge holding, and cheap enough not to worry about having to replace one if it gets abused :).
 
Some months ago I made a knife with salt pot treated M2 at 64.5 rc.
I think it's a very great steel if treated properly.
Maybe underrated compared to it's performance but I don't mind how my steel is rated.

Anyway, I cannot think using other steel for my blade.
There are few exceptions like HAP-40 (Hitachi powder HSS) though.
 
420HC as heat treated by Buck and Queen Cutlery, and definately 13C26! I like all the other steel mention too 6A, 440A etc.!
 
fujita yuji said:
Some months ago I made a knife with salt pot treated M2 at 64.5 rc.
I think it's a very great steel if treated properly.
Maybe underrated compared to it's performance but I don't mind how my steel is rated.

Anyway, I cannot think using other steel for my blade.
There are few exceptions like HAP-40 (Hitachi powder HSS) though.
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What about HAP-10?

I really like M2 at 64 as well, it is simply amazing. I wonder how CPM M4 would perform at this hardness.
 
DennisStrickland said:
last sentance i think you meant martenstectic.
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good catch!

A.L. said:
I wonder, if made well, is 440A chop-capable? Or is it too brittle like any stainless usually is for that kind of tasks?
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Chinese bladesmiths have been using 440A in butcher knives for several decades now to chop bone which is harder than wood, and these knives hold up very well. The heat treat is of course better since we're talking about custom knives here. Due to less carbides the edge is more chip resistant than high carbon stainless steels.
 
Joshua J. said:
CPM S90V/S110V/S125V/S150V(which was so hard that Crucible wasn't able to roll into usable form at the factory) and ZDP-189.

Most people think it's too hard to sharpen ultra mega alloys (or buy millions of dollars worth of equipment just to process it, in the case of S150V).
I think it's totally worth the effort.
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I agree, a few minutes on the belt grinder is all it takes.
 
we can talk about :"if the heat treat would be proper...." topic, but mostly in case of these cheap steels the heat treat is su**s.

im not a steel snob but i prefer high end steels, cause they are more expensive and manufacturers make sure to make the Heat treat properly. My favorites are Spydercos S30V and Emersons 154CM
 
Zozo*HC* said:
we can talk about :"if the heat treat would be proper...." topic, but mostly in case of these cheap steels the heat treat is su**s.

im not a steel snob but i prefer high end steels, cause they are more expensive and manufacturers make sure to make the Heat treat properly. My favorites are Spydercos S30V and Emersons 154CM
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Good point, but there does exist some cheap steels that do get heat treated well. 1095 is only $1-2 worth of steel per knife, yet it gets a decent heat treat most of the time.

I would note that 154CM and S30V have a history of being heat treated poorly and chipping. There are issues with grain growth and retained austenite in the blade transforming into untempered martensite over time, so the knives end up being really brittle. Also, the Japanese have been pushing the hardness of ATS-34 and VG-10 to 62 hrc in kitchen knives, including choppers, with no issues. 154CM and S30V are being run too soft in American folding knives IMHO, yet still some of them are brittle.
 
cotdt said:
What about HAP-10?

I really like M2 at 64 as well, it is simply amazing. I wonder how CPM M4 would perform at this hardness.
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Glad to see M2 at higher hardness lover :thumbup:

Both HAP10 and CMP-M4 at 64 should also be great for mainly wood-working fixed blade.
They both are basically improved M2.
HAP40 is quite different from them with certain amount of Co.
It has some significant presence in hand-plane cutting competition
held in Japan and that's why I'm much interested in this steel.
 
fujita yuji said:
HAP40 is quite different from them with certain amount of Co.
It has some significant presence in hand-plane cutting competition
held in Japan and that's why I'm much interested in this steel.
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What's the difference between the cutting competitions in Japan and in America?
 
It's not a knife cutting competition.
It's a competition for hand plane, a wood working hand tool typically used by carpenters.
Basically , the length of clean shavings is the theme of the competition so that both the
tool using technique and good tool are important.
Not much impact toughness is required compared to the world tour.
 
I think the 8Cr13MoV used on the Tenacious is a pretty surprising steel. Sure, it's Chinese, but the results are hard to argue against. Granted, it's also not the best steel I've used, but I'd say it's underrated.
 
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