Which Steels Would Support A 25% Edge?

Razor

Razor

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Dec 8, 1999
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I have a ZT with CTS-204P steel. I was wondering how this steel would work with a 25% edge? Would the knife cut good? I know the old slip joint with the thin edges would cut like hell. I know they might not hold a edge to long, but the would cut almost anything. Also, who could put a 25% edge on my knife?
 
Many steels will support a 25° (Alt + 0176) for general work.

The problem becomes one of lateral stability if the edge is not used carefully. Even then in my experience lateral stability doesn't really drop off until you hit sub 25.
 
ZT steel is soft in comparison to other steel.

this guy did 4 or 5 tests on ZT's s35vn, not m390/204p/20cv but ZT's hrc ratings across the board on knives in general is soft.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfIVmhka_qg

so being that it may cut fine, it wont last long as other steel's from other manufacturers'. like anything else, until the test is done, its really speculative. ZT's CTS-204P will cut way better than there s35vn even at that angle, it just wont be optimal.
 
I've been running a PM2 with S30V at 22 degrees with a 30 degree microbevel and it's stood up much longer than I thought it would.
 
I've seen only one obvious failure with an edge (tip, actually) that I'd just thinned down to ~30° inclusive or so. It was a ZDP-189 blade (Kershaw Leek, mid-60s HRC); very, very hard and also brittle and very pointy at the tip. A ~2mm portion of the tip snapped off when I was stropping it (yes), immediately after I'd finished thinning it out. The pointy tip dug into the strop, and that was it; it was gone within minutes after it's finishing touches. I've since reground the tip back onto that blade, and have been somewhat reluctant to use it for very much at all. :(

I consider the above knife the only exception, and maybe the only blade I'd not want to take any thinner, in retrospect. Most anything else I've used, in the mid-50s up to ~60 HRC or so, in most any steel, has held up fine in my favorite 25°-30° zone for my edges. I generally wouldn't worry about them at all, finished as such.


David
 
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I've made knives of both CPM3V & CPM20CV at 21.2* & 24* inclusive angle grinds respectively. The knives were outdoor/bushcraft & chefs designs. Both have shown exceptional performance.
 
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