What makes Tom Mayos 6K Satellite blades so special? Helpful input much appreciated.

[Brendtech189]

Hello B.F. members, I had a question and I know that many of you out there know the answer. I know Tom Mayo is one of the greatest custom knife makers of all time and his pieces are legendary, but what exactly makes his 6K blades so special? I know that he used a variety of metal and a variety of finishes but what is it about the 6K or the 6K Satellite blades that I have seen them called that seperates those from the rest? All input is much appreciated and I know that he is a great maker, but I am trying to learn and find out what makes his 6K blades so collectable and appealing. Thank you for your input as it is greatly apprreciated.

 

[tiguy7]

Stellite 6K is one of the most expensive blade materials around. It is also hard to find and hard to work. It has tremendous wear resistance, heat resistance, and corrosion resistance. The material is used to coat the teeth on excavation buckets, to make heat resistant tool bits, to make Sodium cooled valves for racing engines, and to make fuel nozzles for rocket engines.
Stellite 6B is cheaper, easier to work, and easier to find. It still costs 3X as much as the most exotic steels.
I have 3 Stellite 6K blades. They are all custom made. I have 6 Stellite 6B blades. They are all factory made.

 

[M.FREEZE]

I think part of its mystic is that I comes already HT'd and lacks the iron content in order to rust. I don't think the hardness is high in terms of toughness or strength, but something with the carbides make this material retain an edge for a very long time. It is almost purely for light-medium cutting duties. I think the hardness is down around 47-48.( Someone please correct me if I'm wrong on that.) I've seen Ti/stellite 6k folders that are basically corrosion proof.

 

[Nullity]

Exclusivity and rarity.