Why don't knife companies make blades out of M2?

[ginshun]

Is is real expensive or really hard to grind or what?

It is an awesome steel for knives, I love the BM710 that I have with this steel. Seems like the Ritter Grips and any other knife that comes out with this steel is highly sought after by knife guys like us. I was just wondering if there was a particular reason that more companies don't use it?

 

[reidmfg]

M2 is a cutting tool steel used primarily for end mills, lathe tools etc. I'm not sure of its chemistry but I do know that it can be very brittle and also very hard to machine and grind. I would think that a knife edge would chip very easily.

 

[mete]

Perhaps CPM M4 is a better choice but they are very expensive, difficult to make and difficult for the user to sharpen.And the market for them is small. If you really want a knife with these steels go to a custom maker ,a few will make it for you.

 

[Morrow]

I had a BM Ritter Grip M2. It was reground thin by Tom Krein. I used it pretty hard and had zero problems with it. I regret selling it.

 

[Lycosa]

M-98---Who's Tom Krein??

 

[Morrow]

M-98---Who's Tom Krein??

very funny.....

 

[fujita yuji]

I'm using M2 blade built by myself for fourteen years.
It's hardened to Rc 65 and yet quite strong, can carve most of the production knives
Not so difficult to sharpen compared to other kind of stainless,
quite similar feeling of sharpening stainless and quite different from plain carbon steel
My blade is covered with patina as it sometimes easily suffers rust like carbon steel.

Maybe the best sharpness will be inferior to plain clean carbon steel.
But shows better edge holding especially dealing with hard-to-cutting materials.

The reason why M2 is not so popular among production knives will
be they suffer rust.
It's not so hard to grind but very hard to forge that
many custom makers will not use it either.

 

[Morrow]

I'm using M2 blade built by myself for fourteen years.
It's hardened to Rc 65 and yet quite strong, can carve most of the production knives
Not so difficult to sharpen compared to other kind of stainless,
quite similar feeling of sharpening stainless and quite different from plain carbon steel
My blade is covered with patina as it sometimes easily suffers rust like carbon steel.

Maybe the best sharpness will be inferior to plain clean carbon steel.
But shows better edge holding especially dealing with hard-to-cutting materials.

your post is useless without pictures.

 

[fujita yuji]

Hi, thanks, morrowj_98.
here it is.

handle scale is red sandalwood, and he sheath has ABS plastic plate inner frame.

 

[Morrow]

Hi, thanks, morrowj_98.
here it is.

handle scale is red sandalwood, and he sheath has ABS plastic plate inner frame.

wow...that looks quite good...a solid looking worker. you should make more of those.

that's an interesting looking sheath as well. do you wear it around your waist or around your shoulder with the knife hanging under your arm?

 

[fujita yuji]

Thank you very much for your attention, morrowj_98.
I'm a climber. Red tape webbing is for wearing the sheath around waist or from shoulder
when I am at the camp site. The sheath has two loops, one for belt and other for
a carabiner, which can be used to hang knife from climbing harness.

 

[SOLEIL]

M2 is a cutting tool steel used primarily for end mills, lathe tools etc. I'm not sure of its chemistry but I do know that it can be very brittle and also very hard to machine and grind. I would think that a knife edge would chip very easily.

M2 can be an excellent knife steel. I have never seen any complaints about chipping. The Benchmade M2 blades are highly sought after and go for a premium. Perhaps you guys at Reid could get some to play with? It would be a good experiment for you and would undoubtedly sell quickly to us steel junkies.