Educate me on Steel

[Smith]

So I've been reading about blade steel and it seems almost like a 9mm vs. .45 debate. I know it varies by company and heat treating ect., so I'm looking for something that assumes it comes from a reputable company. So does anyone know of a good breakdown of blade steels and the pros and cons of each?

[krunchnik]

The middle knife in the picture is a Kershaw Leek G10 it has what they call S30V stainless steel,it was shaving sharp right out of the box.I use it at work for cutting carboard and other types of material.So far I havent had to sharpen the blade and it still remains very sharp.As for resharpening I guess I will have to wait and see how hard the steel is to rehone.Its been a very good all around knife,but a little expensive.And the knife is made in the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA(YEAYEA)

Edited June 12, 2010 by krunchnik
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[tntnixon]

here's a great link from Midway USA

http://www.midwayusa.com/midwayusa/Applications/TechnicalNotes/application_pages/knife_steel_and_handle_material_chart.htm

[hso]

The utility of a knife, like any other tool, depends upon the materials (steel in this case), how it's heat treated or otherwise processed, geometry of the blade and the grind of the edge (nothing makes a "one knife for all uses" in spite of what folks may wish). For the past 20 years Ray Ennis has been taking 440C and by properly heat treating and grinding the edge makes perfectly good hard use field knives that people would swear are Striders (far newer company popular with fanboys).

Since you're interested in steel, and I assume for knife blades, here's a link to Knife Rights's Doug Ritter's page on steel and another to AG Russell's site with more information. EQUIPPED TO SURVIVE - Knife Materials - blade steel A.G. Russell Knives | Steel Guide - A.G. Russell

I'll add more later.

[Tap & Rack]

Since you're interested in steel, and I assume for knife blades, here's a link to Knife Rights's Doug Ritter's page on steel and another to AG Russell's site with more information. EQUIPPED TO SURVIVE - Knife Materials - blade steel A.G. Russell Knives | Steel Guide - A.G. Russell

I'll add more later.

Those are some excellent links bro!

Thanks for posting them,

T&R

[DaveTN]

Pros & Cons of the finished blade or Pros and Cons of you machining and heat treating a blade?

[Smith]

Those are some excellent links bro!

Thanks for posting them,

T&R

Yes, thanks for the links. Good info.

Pros & Cons of the finished blade or Pros and Cons of you machining and heat treating a blade?

Finished blade. As much as i'd like to be able to work steel, I have neither the time nor resources to do it right.

[hso]

If you want something that will cut and cut without chipping or rusting... don't use iron alloys.

Cobalt alloys will outperform most iron alloys, but at a price.

BTW, here's the memorial site to Bob Engath - http://www.engnath.com/manframe.htm . Bob was one of the most loved makers around (a "maker" is a person who crafts a knife/sword as opposed to a manufacturer that is a company that has people/companies mass produce them). One of the reasons being he was one of the most knowledgeable folks on steel and knife making and he was generous with that knowledge. He has a great page on steel and his friends have maintained his site and his legacy to continue Bob's "work" of sharing that knowledge.

One of the guys at TheHighRoad.org (45crittergitter) compiled this http://thehighroad.org/search.php?searchid=7551531

Edited June 14, 2010 by hso

[TNRat]

So I've been reading about blade steel and it seems almost like a 9mm vs. .45 debate. I know it varies by company and heat treating ect., so I'm looking for something that assumes it comes from a reputable company. So does anyone know of a good breakdown of blade steels and the pros and cons of each?

It is this simple. Decide what your needs and budget are and buy what best fits with those parameters. Do not buy a steel simply b/c it is all the rage in the knife industry at the moment.

I have high end steels that work great, I have good ole steels that were state of the art 20 years ago, and I have hohum steels that were bought b/c they come in a knife that costs $20 OTD. There is no one steel for every use.

Remember - The question is not "What is best?" the question should always be "What best meets my needs."

If you are still uncertain start out with the $20 to $50 knives and work your way up.