What is currently your favorite steel for stock removal and why?

K

krept

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Jan 14, 2002
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I am currently working on a piece of 154CM - my first project. For my next project, I am not yet sure what to try... was thinking D2. I started with 154CM because of it's relative stainlessness, but ability to hold a good edge. I've heard that D2 will take a little maintenance, but might hold a better edge.

CRUWEAR sounds like a really interesting metal, and I might try that as well because I have heard it might be hard to find soon. Have heard it holds a mean edge, but is hard to grind.

I'm definitely not ready to mess around with damascus because of the price.
 
I've had great luck with D2. I'm still learning all of the metallurgy part of this, so all I can tell you is that I've gotten better edges, and edge retention with my D2 blades (professionally heat treated of course)
 
I ground 1050 for about three years. As a blade steel, it worked as well as I needed it to, had no reason to switch. I now only forge and do so with 1045 and S-5.

-Jason
 
I'm fairly new, too, and my mentor suggested 5160 and also 01.
My band saw cuts through them fairly easily, and they grind without annihiliating the belts on my 2 x 72 grinder. Plus, they can be heat treated without a real complicated process.
Good to learn on,
good to stay with.
Hope this helps.
 
I'm working a few with ATS-34 and one with 440C (for son who spend's much time around salt water in the Navy). I figure that most of my early knives will go to friends who aren't necessarily knife nuts and wouldn't take care of a HC steel blade (keep it oiled) so I need to use stainless, but BG42 and CPM S30V are a bit pricy if I have to scrap one. I think that even if my first knives are ugly, they should at least be durable and hold an edge reasonably well. I plan on sending a batch to Paul Bos as soon as I get a couple more ready for heat treat so at least that part won't be much of a variable.

Heaven forbid that your first knives actually turn out well, would you want to have used a steel that you wouldn't normally choose? Suppose you actually made one you wanted to keep?

Just my opinion.

jmx
 
You're going to love the way Cruwear takes and holds an edge, but you aint a gonna like the way it grinds and finishes! Its one of the worst steels to grind and finish once its hardened. A lot of people wont even work with Cruwear for those reasons. That, and the fact that it is not stainless. But, I like it.
 
Hmmm. Cruwear is Modified D2 or D2E from Crucible, I believe it was modified with more vanadium to it and is a little more stain resistant than D2. Someone correct me if I am wrong!!

for starting I would do with 1084 or O-1. Cheap, and you can send them to many people for HT or do it yourself. And its easy to grind and work and takes a very nice edge. right now, I like D2, and Ihave Paul Bos HT it, but I have also sent him my first batch of 154-cm and S30V :)
 
Ok Taz, you're wrong. :) Cruwear is another name for Vascowear, and its a totally different animal than D2. Exact composition, I will have to research, but it has a lot of different stuff in it.

Analysis of Cruwear is:
Carbon- 1.10%
Chrome- 7.50%
Vanadium- 2.40%
Moly- 1.60%
Tungst- 1.15%
Sil- 1.10%
 
O1 is the only way to go for someone just starting out. It doesnt warp and it grinds pretty easy. But it is expensive compared to 10xx steels. If you want to practice get the 10 series (1084 would be the best)for the cost. They are both very easy to heat treat as well.
 
Cruwear is not as "stain-resistant" as D2. I used to use cruwear quite a bit and it will readily oxidize (rust). It is Crucible's answer to Vascowear and the rep that I discussed it with about 3 years ago spoke highly of it. You've seen those paper cutters with the long blade on the side...the blade is probably cruwear or vascowear. Have you ever seen one that needed sharpening? Me neither.

From what I have experienced, it is a VERY good steel that will hold an edge forever. As far as making a blade from it, I would caution that in the annealed state it is a little tougher to grind than 440C, D2 or ATS34, not as tough as 440V. One other thing, DON'T GET IT TOO HOT WHILE GRINDING!!! It will work harden like nobody's business and start knocking grit off the belt!

I would not hessitate sending it to Paul Bos for heat treat but Texas Knifemaker's Supply does a decent job with it as well.

Other than those "gotchas", it remains one of my favorite steels for stock removal. I still have a bit in the shop and would not hessitate recommending it to anyone. It is one of the best bargains as far as steel goes. TKS carries it.

C Wilkins
 
Grinds like butter, polishes beautifully, you can heat treat it yourself with a propane forge, yields a decent temper line, not too expensive (well...) and precision ground is pretty common. Takes a good, lasting edge.

I've just switched from 440C, and the greatest benefit, like with my first CD player, was unforseen -- since I heat treat myself there's no turnaround time or batching up blades. I can do one knife in a day if it works out like that. That'd never happen with 440C.

Stainless has its place, but for most purposes I think I'll stick with O1 for a while.

Dave
 
I like 154CM for the ss
and O1 for the HC.
 154CM is a lot like ATS34 but I like it because it has a little less chromium in it.
  it was made for the US Gov. for use in their air craft engines years ago,
 ATS34 was the Japanese version of the 154CM  but is now made in the US.
 call me an old fuddy-duddy, it works well for me and I temper it here.
 The O1 is just plain fast and all around good stuff... 
  D2 is good too.but I like the 154CM.;)
 
D2 AirDi 150 is crucible's D2.

Sorry, i thought when I called up curcible and asked if they had any of the D2 modified or Enhanced, they told me it was Cruwear?? Eh, who knows.
 
I think the question should be what type of heat treat do you like to do? Heat treating the steel is a important factor in determining the proformance of the knife. I send my CPM 3V blades to Paul Bos to be heat treated. He is very consitant in his heat treating. The CPM 3V heat treat by Paul gets very sharp and holds a edge resonable well.
 
I've been working with BG-42 recently and I really like the way it machines. It drills and reams nicely and it grinds smooth as silk. I also like the way it takes a satin finish; about half the time of ATS-34. It takes a nice edge and cuts well with only occasional touch up.

Next steel I'm going to try is S30V. Anyone have advice on hand finishing or polishing it?
 
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