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BruceK2403
25
Jan 15, 2019
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I am very new to knife community having recently been drawn into it from the EMS world where I used several Spydercos over the years. I have zero knowledge on steel types I see mentioned in several posts. Where can I get a good introduction to the different kinds of metals used along with a description of their strength and weakness? I did a few Google searches but only seem to find pages arguing "X is better than Y" which is not helpful.
14themoney
1395
Jan 16, 2019
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BruceK2403Toughness and edge retention lie at opposite ends of the spectrum. Usually. Some of the newer alloys combined the best of both. <AUS8 is a no go. 420 and 1.4116 are not good. Stay away from 440, 440A , and 440B. 440C is good. Stainless Steel, Surgical Steel should be run from like it was a leprous crackwhore. 4034-no.
Read a lot. Google things like Elmax vs S90V.
I think vknives (EDIT- It is zknives.) has some good charts, tables, and discussions. Bladeforums is a great place.
It takes time and effort.
(Edited)
BruceK2403
25
Jan 16, 2019
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14themoneyThanks for the tips.
Time & effort are not going to be a problem. The problem so far is finding accurate technical info instead of content like "You charge how much for X?! Why not spend a little more and use Y?" I'll work on improving my Google-fu as I embark on this journey of discovery. I'll also take a gander at sites you mentioned to see what I can learn there.
14themoney
1395
Jan 16, 2019
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BruceK2403One thing that I have come to know is that you simply can't rely on the steel itself. Almost important as the steel is the heat treatment. Quality steel + bad HT = crappy blade. Mediocre steel + good HT = decent blade. They only way I know to deal with this is to buy from reliable manufacturers. I doubt that I will ever slice sisal until my blade won't cut paper like Cedric, so I look at his reviews. I also check LTK, Nuttin Fancy, and Shabazz. There are others, but I tend to focus on these preferentially. (I'm probably leaving one or two out. 420HC is mediocre steel, but in the hands of Buck, the HT renders it very functional.
My post above contains an error. The site is zknives, not vknives. The latter is a recent start up by a rather famous knife maker. I am not endorsing his knives, nor am I disparaging them. I don't own one. The address is zknives. com
My post above contains an error. The site is zknives, not vknives. The latter is a recent start up by a rather famous knife maker. I am not endorsing his knives, nor am I disparaging them. I don't own one. The address is zknives. com
(Edited)
bookworm13
677
Mar 10, 2019
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BruceK2403To add to @14themoney's reference list:
http://www.jayfisher.com/Blades.htm#What_are_the_steels_you_do_use_dont_use_and_why (from the perspective of a custom knifemaker)
https://knifeinformer.com/discovering-the-best-knife-steel/
https://www.bladehq.com/cat--Steel-Types--332 (retailer's overview) https://www.patreon.com/posts/17366331 (performance comparison by a knife enthusiast for a very specific test)
https://www.bladehq.com/cat--Steel-Types--332 (retailer's overview) https://www.patreon.com/posts/17366331 (performance comparison by a knife enthusiast for a very specific test)
Omniseed
1972
Mar 11, 2019
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BruceK2403Knifesteelnerds.com is decent, and Cedric & Ada's channel on YouTube is full of nice videos that examine the performance of specific steels using generally available knives and a consistent process. It's a good way to get a bit of context for the steels being discussed.
Basically avoid nonspecific 'stainless', though many good modern cutlery steels are stainless, and look for knives offered in well-regarded standard steels. S35VN, M390, and 20CV are basically the gold standard for midrange and better knives today. There are lots of other great steels, but those three are common and offer excellent performance for the tasks you would expect a folding knife to do.
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