which steel is the toughest you ever use ?

D

dingy

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hi you all , i am addicted in tough steel , as i know INFI , 3V, 1095 are competitors :thumbup: and What do you think ?
 
I believe Jerry himself has said that SR-77 is actually tougher than INFI. However, it doesn't have the stain resistance of INFI, and it doesn't hold an edge as well as INFI. Still, SR-77 is an AWESOME steel for big nasty chopper type blades.


I'm still hoping for a Scrap Yard version of the Killa Zilla, in SR-77 with res-c handles.
 
Toughest is sr77, strongest is sr101, Best overall is INFI
 
It depends. I've been using machetes a lot lately, and they're crazy tough, without using fancy steel. But of course, machetes are pretty much spring tempered, and don't hold an edge worth a hoot.

I would say Imacasa's SAE 1074 is probably as tough as INFI, but with a huge tradeoff in terms of edge-holding ability. You aint gonna break an Imacasa. You can flex one of their 2mm thick blades back and forth 45 degrees from true in either direction all day long, and it will snap back every time.
 
MustardMan said:
I believe Jerry himself has said that SR-77 is actually tougher than INFI. However, it doesn't have the stain resistance of INFI, and it doesn't hold an edge as well as INFI. Still, SR-77 is an AWESOME steel for big nasty chopper type blades.
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I'd have thought that edge-holding ability would be a component--perhaps the main component--of toughness. But that appears not to be the case. Perhaps a definition of the terms would be in order. What exactly, does "tough" mean in this context?
 
Toughness is an engineering / materials science term which, loosely stated, describes the resistance of a material to fracture. That is, when you bend it, does it shatter? (think glass) or does it flex? (think spring steel). Toughness says nothing about whether a steel will blunt or dull, just that it won't crack or tear easily. A tough edge can potentially still roll or flatten or bend quite easily, depending on the properties of the steel.


What makes INFI unique is that it combines toughness with excellent edge retention.
 
I think toughness has to do with a beating or impact, and strength has to do with lateral strength or bending.
 
Strength, on the other hand, is the ability of a material to withstand force without failure. That is different from toughness, which is the ability to absorb energy without failure.

So, a solid block of glass can be very strong - ie able to hold a large weight on top of it, but if you take that same glass and smack it with a much smaller hammer, delivering a large amount of energy quickly, it might shatter. It's strong but not tough.
 
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Sr77 is what they make jackhammer bits from....it is toughest in the impact category.
 
azwelke said:
I think toughness has to do with a beating or impact, and strength has to do with lateral strength or bending.
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Sort of, but not really - both can involve bending or compression. The most literal definition of the two is the difference between energy and force. So, the way you test toughness is with an impact, and the way you test strength is to push or pull on something with a hopefully known force, but it can bend in both cases.

Think of placing a heavy weight on something, or dropping a (potentially lighter) weight on it. Placing the weight on gently tests strength, smashing the hell out of it tests toughness. It could bend or deform in either test, and the amount of deformation is part of the mathematical definition.


INFI, and SR-77, have both in spades.


Also realize that both terms get used very loosely and often incorrectly when talking about knives, though, so it muddies the waters even further ;)
 
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MustardMan said:
Sort of, but not really - both can involve bending or compression. The most literal definition of the two is the difference between energy and force.


They both get used very loosely and often incorrectly when talking about knives, though, so it muddies the waters even further ;)
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That is why I like INFI best:D no muddy water...It is clearly the best:thumbup:
 
I also updated my description to be a bit clearer... it's been a while since I've taught these concepts, so my wording is a bit sloppy.
 
Thanks. I think I get it now. I understand that Rocky was tough ("как кусок железа") because he could take Ivan Drago's punches without breaking. I thought Drago was strong because he could hit so hard, but I guess that's not it. Real strength would be if Hulk Hogan sat on Rocky and Rocky just shrugged it off?
 
JohnTheTexican said:
Thanks. I think I get it now. I understand that Rocky was tough ("как кусок железа") because he could take Ivan Drago's punches without breaking. I thought Drago was strong because he could hit so hard, but I guess that's not it. Real strength would be if Hulk Hogan sat on Rocky and Rocky just shrugged it off?
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Yep, fighters are tough, powerlifters are strong:thumbup:
 
INFI also has an unusual ability to allow small dents or deformations to be removed while not, seemingly, weakening that portion of the blade and not requiring the edge to be reprofiled, removing the damaged portion.
 
dingy said:
hi you all , i am addicted in tough steel , as i know INFI , 3V, 1095 are competitors :thumbup: and What do you think ?
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Well, tough is not the only answer for all knives. For my filet knife I am not worried about how tough it is -- I care about how sharp and flexible it is.

For a general carry knife, I want a blade that will keep an edge, but also be easy to sharpen when I need to sharpen it. INFI is great in that category, but until we get a Busse folder I am content with S30V...

When I go hunting big game, you can bet I will be carrying INFI...
 
This hideous knife has proven to be very tough. I have done a lot of chopping with it and even like to stick it in trees. It's a beater. Edge retention is not great, but good enough for a machete. Steel? 420J2 :eek: Surely not the toughest I've ever used, but tough. But I want tough with edge retention. So I buy Busses.

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UDDwaine said:
Well, tough is not the only answer for all knives. For my filet knife I am not worried about how tough it is -- I care about how sharp and flexible it is.

For a general carry knife, I want a blade that will keep an edge, but also be easy to sharpen when I need to sharpen it. INFI is great in that category, but until we get a Busse folder I am content with S30V...

When I go hunting big game, you can bet I will be carrying INFI...
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with a reasonable hardness , i do not think there is a steel do not meet my retention need ; with same hardness of near 55-60 , i am satisfied with retention of every kind steel , but i do not satisfied toughness of them mostly !
is sr-77 a good solution of my need ?:D
 
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