Your choice of steel for Mules #6, 7, and 8

The Mastiff

The Mastiff

Joined
Apr 21, 2006
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It's time to condense our requests/preferences for Sal. The next mules, numbers 3, 4, and 5 have been planned and are in some stage of production.

The steels that will be in those mules are
S90V
ZDP 189
9Cr18Mo

the steels used in mules #1, and 2 were
52100
CPM M4

please don't use these steels listed above in your choices , also, S125V is no longer a possibility. Pick a different steel

I'll begin with my preferences

Cruware, this is crucibles vascowear type steel. better wear resistance than D2, tougher than D2. Wear near M2, toughness good, but not up too A2 standards aim RC61-62 Not stainless

CPM 10V Crucibles vanadium rich tool steel that is probably as close to a benchmark of highest wear resistance in steels for knives. Not real tough, but wears forever. The more wear resistant steels tend to be too brittle, like T15 aim RC58 Not stainless

CPM 154cm no explanations needed. Aim RC61-62

sandavik 19C27 Aim RC 62-63
 
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My 3:

Hitachi Super Blue
H1
Cruware

I like the idea of a totally stainless knife (h1), and I've heard some good stuff about vascowear. Crucible tends to make good steel better. I have yet to see the Hitachi in anything, but I've heard about it. Could be interesting. What part does the Tungsten play in the steel matrix?
 
Hitachi super blue
CPM 3V
440C ,this one is a personal preference and I don't really expect it to get made but I would love to see how the first super steel stacks up against the new ones.

I am also looking forward to 9Cr18Mo because it is a regular Chinese steel and it will be interesting to see how it does.
 
CPM 3V
CPM D2

I know it's a hard steel to get, especially in small batches for a project like this, but if they could...

BG-42
 
What part does the Tungsten play in the steel matrix?
Click to expand...

It can do different things depending on the other elements in the steel, and the amount of it in the mix.

The most obvious is Tungsten carbides, which are second to vanadium carbides in hardness and wear resistance.

I just have a fondness for tungsten steels ( not the "T" series tungsten high speed steels that can have up to 18% W in the steels. These aren't knife steels) like M2, Vascowear, super blue, etc.

I guess I've just enjoyed the steels for my kind of use which is mostly cutting & slicing with no chopping & batoning. I like steels that can take the higher RC's of 60-61 and above ( M2 at RC65, ZDP the same, etc) Joe
 
I have always been curious as to why no one seems interested in CPM 9V.

It's tougher than A2, D2 or M2, and its wear resistance is almost as good as 10V.
 
9V is designed to operate down between RC45 to the low 50's. Though it's tough and wear resistant it wouldn't make a very good blade steel. Some might disagree, but if I'm going to use a super high wear resistant steel that's expensive and as tough to produce as the other super steels I wouldn't want one that hardens in it's highest range about like 420J2.

That's my guess anyway. Joe
 
3V
cpm154
Super blue although if they could aquire some INFI for this project it would jump to the top of the list.
I heard Jerry let some other company have some but they couldnt get the HT right and the steel was no good but it shows they will share there steel in certain circumstances.
Im sure spyderco could get it right.
 
The Mastiff said:
It can do different things depending on the other elements in the steel, and the amount of it in the mix.

The most obvious is Tungsten carbides, which are second to vanadium carbides in hardness and wear resistance.

I just have a fondness for tungsten steels ( not the "T" series tungsten high speed steels that can have up to 18% W in the steels. These aren't knife steels) like M2, Vascowear, super blue, etc.

I guess I've just enjoyed the steels for my kind of use which is mostly cutting & slicing with no chopping & batoning. I like steels that can take the higher RC's of 60-61 and above ( M2 at RC65, ZDP the same, etc) Joe
Click to expand...

Thanks. That helped a bit. It would make an interesting steel to be sure. :)
 
I would like to see the following steels in future mules:

1. 3V

2. A fine grained quality stainless steel like BG42, CPM154, or 19C27

3. Cruware -although I have heard that Vascowear tended to rust rather easily from several folks who had knives made of Vascowear.
 
Would like to see,
CPM 3V or 10V
Cruware
CPM 154, or BG-42

Although I guess it could be argued that the BG-42 Millie is very similar in geometry to a mule and I'm lucky enough to have one for using. But a guy can always use another.
 
Alex stated:
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although I have heard that Vascowear tended to rust rather easily from several folks who had knives made of Vascowear
Click to expand...

Yep, it pits like L6. Once it pits it's difficult to get out without a grinder. It's a pretty tough, wear resistant steel to try and go at it with sandpaper. I have one with a near mirror finish and it, with that finish, rusts less than a few "stainless" steel knives I've had. I keep mine wiped down with simple Outers silicone cloths from wal mart and have no rust problems at all. About like M2 in that respect. To me, it doesn't rust as quickly as 52100, O-1, and the 10- series ( 1095, 1084, etc.), but when it does, it pits.

Note, I'm talking about Vascowear, and haven't yet tried Cruware, lescowear, or the other analogs. Joe Joe
 
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