Who still likes ATS-34?

flatgrinder

flatgrinder

Joined
Dec 20, 2005
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Over this year, I've tried out D2 (made a lot of knives!) , CPM S30V, A2, O1, 1095, 1084 -and ATS-34.

I've consistently found ATS-34 good to work with, grinds well, bandsaws fairly easily and takes a nice finish. Plus, it also holds it edge really well (keeps up with D2 in edge retention -but can be made sharper) is rust resistant and takes a sharp edge very easily.

Why aren't more makers using this stuff? :confused: Seems like all the emphasis if someone wants a "good" stainless is on S30V these days?

Anyone know what Bob Loveless is using now? He introduced it to the knife world decades ago -if there is anything better (in terms of overall performance and price), he would be the one to use it first.
 
knife makers like stainless because it dosent rust the easly its cheap most
or the time and it can hold a simy sharp edge (well that just the knives I
own so no offence to stainless lovers) I like a-2 myself.
 
One of the problems is that some of it has been made that was less than clean. I had a piece that looked like D2 orange peel when mirror polished. I know it was in fact ATS-34. Second piece polished out like usual. Only problem I have ever came across. Final finish on the orange peel went back to satin to take care of it. Mike
 
Well these days I would upgrade to CPM-154. Better in just about every category, inferior only in cost.
 
Has anyone tried Timken Latrobes' 20CV? It is similar in price to S30V, but has better edge retention, and better stainless properties, with simiilar qualities in toughness. I am told that it grinds and machines similar to S30V.
 
BTW, Timken Co sold the Latrobe specialty steel division earlier this month. I have no idea what changes may occur !!
 
Yes, it is effective at the end of the year...I'm told it will continue as it did in the past....
 
I have little respect left for ATS34. When a company is capable of producing a quality product - and does not do so - they lose my confidence.

Having said that, some of my customers think ATS34 is just the cat's meow!

It performs as well as 154CM - but it is not as clean. It is not even close to CPM 154.

If you believe that an $8 or a $20 bar of steel has little to do with material cost - and everything to do with quality construction and quality of the finished product, then CPM 154 is the only version of this alloy that now deserves consideration. IM (not so) HO. :D

Rob!
 
I have become a little upset with the finishing of ATS34 with it's tractor tread and orange peel patterns so I tried a few D2. Guess what, tractor treads in my mirror finish. Not as pronounced as the ATS34 but it was still there. Is this something that just happens sometimes with cold rolled steel?????

BTW I made myself a knife from the D2 and used it every day for everything from sharpening landscape stakes to scraping paint and cannot tell any difference from the ATS34. I was told that you can't polish D2 and it won't take a good edge: worked just fine for me but why change steels when the same problem exists??
 
D2 is not a steel to use when you want a high polish, but, it can be made very sharp and will hold the edge well if the HT is good. D2 has been around a long time, and because it is a die steel, it is very clean and pure.

ATS34 had all kinds of problems with impurities, and has been superceded by the improved steels-CPM154CM and S30V. The Vanadium contents of both these steels makes them better edge holders than ATS34 and they are clean.
 
It used to be THE steel when I started collecting knives (around 1995 or so). I carried a ATS 34 Benchmade CQC7 from 1998 till 2005. Nowadays I tend to buy more VG10, damast adn S30V blades.
 
I still have some ATS34, but will never use it again as long as I can get my hands on the CPM 154 and CPM S30V. I use the former for dressier, highly finished blades, and the latter for working knives. Both are vastly superior to today's ATS34.
 
i dont like to pay fro it but cpm154 is great stuff
i have a small bit of ats34 that im not sure if i ll ever get to thinking about working again
 
Ten years ago I used ATS 34 and had great results in fact my customers were so happy I was getting repeat business but recently the stuff is so bad looking that I wont use it anymore.

The S30v uses up a ton of belts but holds an edge. It likes a belt finish, no mirror finish because of the vanadium content.

I used up 12 feet of the new cpm154 and it makes a beautiful blade in all respects. It grinds good even after HT. So good I called Paul Bos on the phone and asks him if He may have left mine soft. He reasurred me they all rockwelled out at 61. It will take any finish from hand rubbed to a full mirror. I still havent gotten any of them out in the field so I cant confirm the performance and would love to hear from others here that have some real cutting feedback. CPM154 seems too good to be true.
 
What's funny is that about 7 or 8 years ago, everyone was staying away from 154CM and going with ATS34 because it was cleaner. How funny when the worm turns.

I suppose that while CPM154 is available, why bother with ATS34? I still have a bit of RWL34 laying around that is still waiting to be used that is just as good as CPM154. It's the same stuff, actually. It's just made in Europe by a different manufacturer.

I do know one thing, it takes a mirror finish second to none...it looks like a pool of mercury (for those of us old enough to remember what that looked like).

Craig
 
rj martin mentions vanadium in CPM 154. I've heard both that it does and that it doesn't Have they settled on a final chemistry ??
 
hadnt heard but was wandering also
also cpm154 sure feels softer when grinding hard than other steel i have worked with
like at least 3 points softer feeling i thought i had messed up heat treat and had all the blades tested not just a few
 
Some of the first knives I made were ATS34 and I still use them all the time. One stays in the toolbox in my truck and the other stays in my coveralls I wear to work outside in the winter. Never a hint of rust, and I've always been pleased with the edge holding, and especially the sharpness of these blades. Used one of them to butcher a deer last weekend and its still hair popping sharp afterward.
Those knives were made about 10 years agoI was starting to think I should use some of it again and just send it out for heat treat since I'm not getting alot of shop time or on a tight schedule. Glad I read this thread first, I'll have to give something else a try instead :grumpy:
 
mete said:
rj martin mentions vanadium in CPM 154. I've heard both that it does and that it doesn't Have they settled on a final chemistry ??
Click to expand...
They have, but for some reason or other they don't want to release the final chemistry. I have no idea why. I'm guessing if it has any vanadium it is less than .5%
 
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