Which steel would YOU choose?

Which one??

  • CPM 154

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • B75P

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • 19C27

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • 12C26

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    0
As far as I know there is no 12C26. Sandvik offers 12C27 & 13C26 so I'm not sure which one you're talking about.
 
darrin sanders said:
The correct numeration is 12C27. 26 is for 13C26 which is almost identical to AEB-L.
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Didn't know that...that's what Jason said and I just figured I had never heard of it. I've heard of 12C27 and just figured there were 2 different steels.
 
I have knives in all the above. I very much like CPM 154, and like CTS-B75 even more. About that. BG42 is a stainless version of M50, a high speed bearing steel. It's well known for it's quality and it's purity ( Vim Var processing) and consistency from batch to batch. As one of the top of the line stainless steels in the custom cutlery world for some time it was also well known for being difficult to get at times. Production quantities at times took a year to fill the order. Latrobe was not known for working well with, or caring about the cutlery industry. They were selling all they could make as it was and didn't really need to court the cutlery industry and the relatively small market they represented. BG42 is/was essentially a cleaner version of 154cm with 1.2% added vanadium ( grain refinement and added wear resistance over 154cm)

Crucible on the other hand had a great reputation for working with people in the cutlery industry, making resources available, and finally even developing steel just for the cutlery industry. S30V essentially inherited BG42's place as the premium stainless cutlery steel after a not so successful run with 440V. S90V, which was around already then became the "super steel" for knives after ways to process it became more common and well known, but that still left room for less than 9% vanadium premium steels. S30V with 4% vanadium and better availability, plus the better support and sales pushed the still very excellent BG42 aside. Many of us liked it and sought it out when we could get it feeling even S30V wasn't an upgrade to it performance wise.

CPM 154 came out and it was and is an excellent steel. One of my favorites in fact. It's well known enough to not have to spend much time talking about it. It's good to use, it's good to make knives from. Easier than S30V in fact, which was one of it's selling points. I like the way it sharpens, the edges, etc.

Carpenter has since bought both Latrobe and Crucible. They have gone after the cutlery industry only Crucible has in the past. Their CTS steels http://www.cartech.com/news.aspx?id=3980 are directed at us. They have kept coming up with new alloys, and changes in the line up.

CTS-B75 is essentially BG42 keeping the purity of the VimVar process, but using the next generation powder process. What this does is give the B75 steel a better grain structure, makes it a bit tougher, less chippy but keeps the greater wear resistance ans ability to run it a point or two higher hardness than CPM 154. Between the vanadium, and the higher hardness capability of B75 you have a higher wear resistance than CPM 154.

Either steel is great. I just prefer the extra performance available from CTS-B75. It does take nice edges as well. Heat treated properly it should be somewhere between CPM 154 and M390 in wear resistance. Still, it's no S90V or S110V wear resistance wise. Not really very close.

19C is mainly Chrome carbides. Not particularly wear resistant, or tough. Not really very corrosion resistant when heat treated for wear. It reminds me of VG1 a bit which is known as being a bit chippy if thin at rc 60 or above.

12C 27 is not a bad steel. It isn't very wear resistant but it sharpens easily, Not real corrosion resistant either which is why they made 12C 27 (M)odified for better corrosion resistant.
 
B75P is one of the best cutlery steel people can get. Its has the combination of edge stability, toughness, wear resistance, capability to be taken at higher hrc. and also stainless. I have used my Spyderco's mule 15 alot along with mule 17 K390. B75P definitely is my favorite steel, I would even recommend it over super-high vanadium steel like S90V for all-around use.
 
The Mastiff said:
I have knives in all the above. I very much like CPM 154, and like CTS-B75 even more. About that. BG42 is a stainless version of M50, a high speed bearing steel. It's well known for it's quality and it's purity ( Vim Var processing) and consistency from batch to batch. As one of the top of the line stainless steels in the custom cutlery world for some time it was also well known for being difficult to get at times. Production quantities at times took a year to fill the order. Latrobe was not known for working well with, or caring about the cutlery industry. They were selling all they could make as it was and didn't really need to court the cutlery industry and the relatively small market they represented. BG42 is/was essentially a cleaner version of 154cm with 1.2% added vanadium ( grain refinement and added wear resistance over 154cm)

Crucible on the other hand had a great reputation for working with people in the cutlery industry, making resources available, and finally even developing steel just for the cutlery industry. S30V essentially inherited BG42's place as the premium stainless cutlery steel after a not so successful run with 440V. S90V, which was around already then became the "super steel" for knives after ways to process it became more common and well known, but that still left room for less than 9% vanadium premium steels. S30V with 4% vanadium and better availability, plus the better support and sales pushed the still very excellent BG42 aside. Many of us liked it and sought it out when we could get it feeling even S30V wasn't an upgrade to it performance wise.

CPM 154 came out and it was and is an excellent steel. One of my favorites in fact. It's well known enough to not have to spend much time talking about it. It's good to use, it's good to make knives from. Easier than S30V in fact, which was one of it's selling points. I like the way it sharpens, the edges, etc.

Carpenter has since bought both Latrobe and Crucible. They have gone after the cutlery industry only Crucible has in the past. Their CTS steels http://www.cartech.com/news.aspx?id=3980 are directed at us. They have kept coming up with new alloys, and changes in the line up.

CTS-B75 is essentially BG42 keeping the purity of the VimVar process, but using the next generation powder process. What this does is give the B75 steel a better grain structure, makes it a bit tougher, less chippy but keeps the greater wear resistance ans ability to run it a point or two higher hardness than CPM 154. Between the vanadium, and the higher hardness capability of B75 you have a higher wear resistance than CPM 154.

Either steel is great. I just prefer the extra performance available from CTS-B75. It does take nice edges as well. Heat treated properly it should be somewhere between CPM 154 and M390 in wear resistance. Still, it's no S90V or S110V wear resistance wise. Not really very close.

19C is mainly Chrome carbides. Not particularly wear resistant, or tough. Not really very corrosion resistant when heat treated for wear. It reminds me of VG1 a bit which is known as being a bit chippy if thin at rc 60 or above.

12C 27 is not a bad steel. It isn't very wear resistant but it sharpens easily, Not real corrosion resistant either which is why they made 12C 27 (M)odified for better corrosion resistant.
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Great info. Thanks for taking the time.
 
evanPGH said:
I second this. Thank you very much for your input, you're definitely selling me on B75P!
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Good. I know most votes went to cpm 154. But it appears that the people who have actually used b75p prefer it over cpm 154. And thanks to the MASTIFF for the excellent information, and for taking the time to explain in such detail.
 
CPM 154 is great.

i DO really like ATS-34 though [that probably dates me somewhat, but I've had nothng but fantasic experiences with it].
 
Didn't Bob Loveless use cm 154? Thats a good mark for its improved version CPM 154. Always had good luck with anything sandvik though on my moras.
 
I voted with what I know. the CPM 154 I have some sandvick knives but I like the 154cpm knives better. I have never tried B75P
 
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