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Massdrop x Eric Ochs Orca Titanium Liner Lock Knife

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Massdrop x Eric Ochs Orca Titanium Liner Lock Knife

Hatuletoh

850

Aug 3, 2018

Does anyone have first-hand experience w/ RWL34 blade steel? It's fairly common to see for custom blshes but fairly uncommon in production knives. One of Spyderco's more recent mule team pieces was made with it and I'd been meaning to pick that up, as it seemed the least expensive option for acquiring an RWL34 bladed knife, but you know...other stuff distracted me and I never got around to it. So I was just interested in any thoughts / opinions, esp if you own or have used for a while production knives with it.

anteck7

Aug 3, 2018

HatuletohIt's basically cpm154

DougFLA123

1404

Aug 3, 2018

HatuletohReate uses RWL34 all the time. I have several Reate knives and they’re all made with either M390 or RWL34...and like Anteck7 said, RWL34 is similar in performance to CPM154.

EricOchs

163

Ochs Worx

Aug 3, 2018

HatuletohAs has already been noted here RWL34 is very similar to CPM154. Both are solid powder steels and RWL34 is made by Damasteel. There are some subtle difference that make RWL34 slightly superior to CPM154, so here is what I understand to be why it is superior. RWL34 contains trace amounts, in this case .050% or less of each, of three additional metal elements which provide a small benefits to performance. Manganese which increases toughness & hardenability. Silicon which contributes to strength and acts to remove oxygen from molten metal and Vanadium which produces very hard fine grain crystals in heat treat to improve edge retention.
RWL34 is highly regarded in the Custom world as a top tier blade steel that takes a good keen edge and holds it. It also will take a nice mirror polish or handrub without having to spend all day and can be resharpened similar to CPM154 by most people without much trouble. Hope that helps.

Hatuletoh

850

Aug 4, 2018

EricOchsYes sir, very helpful and informative. And I'm glad to hear it's like CPM 154, as Im quite partial to that variety of blade steel.
Thank you for doing this collaboration--it looks like an amazing knife; now I just have to figure out how to completely forget about it for the next few months.

anonomous

558

Aug 5, 2018

HatuletohHere's a write up on 154cm. The powdered steel version of that is cpm-154. Powdered steel is made from powder of the various elements, multiplying some of the original steels properties.
https://knifesteelnerds.com/2018/05/21/154cm-development-properties-legacy/
Rwl34 is the European version of cpm-154 steel. It's basically the same exact thing. Custom makers use it because it's easy to work with, it's stainless, gives a great mirror finish, tough and has fair edge retention. It's also fairly exclusive in knives. Being used by mostly customs and reate, no doubt due to Todd begg. Of which also helped reate be one of the best cnc and quality in the business.
In anycase recent testing has shown that the cpm version of 154cm is more focused on other properties than edge retention, as the above article explains more on the details of of the base metal.
https://knifesteelnerds.com/2018/06/18/maximizing-edge-retention/
It also explains how edge retention can be improved by edge angles. Some might read more into it, but the fact is, different alloys will increase edge retention over this particular steel.
The fact is rwl34 is a great steel but doesn't have edge retention like m390/20cv/204p class steels, but fairs well regardless. toughness has increased and this is good for piercing, light prying etc. Though I would not pry with a knife ever unless it was like 55hrc like an Emerson or if the tip and edge were stout. Highly stainless and really easy for manufactures to work with to reduce using too many belts and exotic heat treatment techniques.