what kind of steel is used by Victorinox?

[tuatara]

Does anyone know which kind of steel Victorinox is using?

I am using my cybertool for a few years now, and like to buy a folder
with at least the same steel quality.

As a newbie here, i was surprised and shocked that a lot of
expensive folders rust.

Never saw that on a Victorinox, and it is always sharp .

 

[Cleve Loga]

I don't know but I wish that they would make a tactical folder.
I own one myself. It's a hell of a blade.

 

[felinevet]

Does anyone know which kind of steel Victorinox is using?

Blades are made from a special stainless chrome molybdenum steel, mixed from carbon, chrome, molybdenum, manganese and silicum. Trough a hardening process at 1,900 degrees F (and an annealing temperature of 140) the cutting blades achieve a hardness of RC 56.

 

[Suzukigsx1300r08]

Even the swisstool blades? Do they hold edges long?

 

[danielp]

I think they have a good balance between ease of sharpening and edge holding

 

[lotoblades]

Some people say vics steel is to soft but i think it's great.danielp pretty much nailed it,easy to sharpen plus holds an edge.

 

[tuatara]

Blades are made from a special stainless chrome molybdenum steel, mixed from carbon, chrome, molybdenum, manganese and silicum. Trough a hardening process at 1,900 degrees F (and an annealing temperature of 140) the cutting blades achieve a hardness of RC 56.

*****************************************
Thanks Tim,

Any idea which (well known) steel is almost the same?
Is there something here that looks familiar to it:
http://spyderco.com/edge-u-cation/index.php?item=3
*****************************************

Strange that most famous knives are hardening
steel that up to RC 58 or even higher?

I don't know but I wish that they would make a tactical folder.
I own one myself. It's a hell of a blade.

YES !!

It sure does hold it's edge and never rusts, doesn't break etc.
The metal must be known by know, you can measure Carbon, Chromium, Cobalt etc. in a lab with a photo-electron-spectro-scope thingy or how is it called.

 

[felinevet]

As with most manufacturers the exact composition mixture is proprietary and not shared widely.

 

[Phil in Alabama]

IF it's the same steel they use in the SAK knives, it's very very similiar to 12C27M Sandvik. RC 56 isn't too awful bad, but I wish they'd offer special order models with different harder steels. And clip point blades too, spear points have proven to give poor usage for me, nearly worthless. I have one SAK, the Alox Harvester, and it's OK, but put a 154 CM blade clip point blade in it hardened on up to around 60, and I would use it a lot more.

 

[felinevet]

IF it's the same steel they use in the SAK knives, it's very very similiar to 12C27M Sandvik. RC 56 isn't too awful bad, but I wish they'd offer special order models with different harder steels. And clip point blades too, spear points have proven to give poor usage for me, nearly worthless. I have one SAK, the Alox Harvester, and it's OK, but put a 154 CM blade clip point blade in it hardened on up to around 60, and I would use it a lot more.

The Mauser that Victorinox made for the German market as a companion piece to the Mauser rifle has both a spearpoint and clip point blade. Since both Vic and Wenger are mass market producers for the public (25,000 pcs. per day), retooling for special orders is too expensive and not worth their effort or expense.

 

[plowboy]

I am thinking that the steel is also similar to 425 Modified. Certainly not a super steel. I've found SAKs to work well....they just don't hold the same edge as long high end steels...but they do take the edge. So you just have to touch it up more often.

For the money, SAKs are great knives, IMO.

 

[Phil in Alabama]

The Mauser that Victorinox made for the German market as a companion piece to the Mauser rifle has both a spearpoint and clip point blade. Since both Vic and Wenger are mass market producers for the public (25,000 pcs. per day), retooling for special orders is too expensive and not worth their effort or expense.

Never seen one of the Mauser knives, where could I find a photo? I do understand about the mass production situation. I wish they could/would open up a small custom shop, and make special knives with special features on custom orders. Most other knife makers don't have a "custom shop" either. Buying a purely handmade custom is so cost prohibitive that it's impossible for most people, and a factory "semi custom" just might be affordable enough that more than the well heeled customers could actually buy one.

I've seen some of the older true "Swiss Army Knives" that were actual Swiss military issue on the internet, and they did have clip blades, along with wooden scales. Interesting things they are.

 

[felinevet]

Here's a pic.

http://www.pixhost.com/pixf/feline/mauser.jpg

 

[tcolling]

...

I've seen some of the older true "Swiss Army Knives" that were actual Swiss military issue on the internet, and they did have clip blades, along with wooden scales. Interesting things they are.

Seems like that clip point on the standard Soldier issue knives got replaced by a spearpoint somewhere during or just before the early 1950s. I recently was given* a wonderful 1953 Elsener - precursor name for Victorinox -Soldier and it has a spearpoint blade.

- Tim

* My birth year is 1953 and that 1953 Soldier was a gift from a great pal of mine from the SOSAK forum. Thanks, Tim! (a different Tim)

 

[felinevet]

I've seen some of the older true "Swiss Army Knives" that were actual Swiss military issue on the internet, and they did have clip blades, along with wooden scales. Interesting things they are.

http://www.pixhost.com/pixf/feline/elsener-schwyz-41---ex---65.jpg

 

[Magnum22]

i think it's the flat ground thin stock that keeps it cutting, not the steel.

 

[Phil in Alabama]

http://www.pixhost.com/pixf/feline/elsener-schwyz-41---ex---65.jpg

Dats da one! Is that wood, or some sort of micarta like material? Hard to tell from the general appearance of it. I do like that knife, that is neat-o. I've seen very few "camp" or SAK style knives with clip blades. Occasionally, an older Schrade Walden or Sears & Roebuck brand will show up on ebay, and they always get too expensive for a user knife.

 

[digital9ja]

Here's a pic.

http://www.pixhost.com/pixf/feline/mauser.jpg

How funny, I had two of these when I was a kid. Can't figure out what happened to either of them, though. I do remember breaking the scale on at least one and I think I lost the other before I beat it up that bad.

I remember everything being sharp and I ripped the sh!t out of my finger on the saw of one of them. Like lots of blood and worrying that my Dad was going to take it away if he found out!

IMHO, great pocket knife and I would like to pick up another one. I love my Vic, but would REALLY love to have a Mauser in my collection.

 

[Walt-FL]

Most of their knives are made of 1.4111 steel produced by Thyssen. The steel is mostly used for knives and surgical instruments. Edge holding can be compared to 440C. It doesn't contain Vanadium and has a high carbon content. Good steel if heat treated properly.

See also DIN X 110 CrMoV 15

 

[tcolling]

How funny, I had two of these when I was a kid. Can't figure out what happened to either of them, though. I do remember breaking the scale on at least one and I think I lost the other before I beat it up that bad.

I remember everything being sharp and I ripped the sh!t out of my finger on the saw of one of them. Like lots of blood and worrying that my Dad was going to take it away if he found out!

IMHO, great pocket knife and I would like to pick up another one. I love my Vic, but would REALLY love to have a Mauser in my collection.

FelineVet almost always has Mausers for sale - just email him! felinevet@sosakonline.org

- Tim