Is there a chart or something that compares the various knife steels and lists the characteristics (i.e.) strenght, toughness, bite?

I'm on a number of knife forums and I don't remember such a chart. There are many knife steels and they all can be heat treated many ways.It would be better to decide what type of knife you want and what you will use it for.Then I could recommend suitable types of steel.

That's what I needed

quote:

Originally posted by DeBee:
Is there a chart or something that compares the various knife steels and lists the characteristics (i.e.) strenght, toughness, bite?

Any stainless steel can't compare to "non stainless" in the "same category", today, I only care about PM (powder metalurgy) steels

The best stainless:

Crucible:

CPM-S30V, better tougness, larger blades
CPM-S90V, better edge holding, smaller blades

Uddeholm: Elmax - PM steel, great knife steal

Bohler: M390 - PM steel, something between S30V and S90V, high tougness, bending strength, superb

Non stainless:

CPM-3V . . . superior tougness, edge holding greater than D2

CPM-10V . . . superior edge holding, less toughness, rust easy

Uddeholm: Vanadis 4 - all around good PM steel

Bohler: K390, redesigned 10V design, tougness reaching 3V, edge holding 10V, ultimate bending strength (heat treated to 63HRC double bending strength than 58 HRC D2), not as easy rust as 10V

There is also Japanese ZDP-189 with ultimate edge holding, Cowry X and any other good PM steels like for today little obsolete RWL-34

Anything else (AUS-6, AUS-8, 420HC etc., 440A) is like using steam trains in 21 century, simply obsolete . . .

Just my two cents

Jiri

Where does one get such exotic steel???

I mean in lengths less than 3 feet...

Who knows how to heat treat these exotics?

I just want a simple utilitarian knife with an extraordinary blade in regards to cutting ability- nothing too fancy but I want to make it myself for some reason.

Jiri's list is a bit on the exotic side. Be careful that you choose a material you can actually sharpen when you're done. CPM 3V and 10V are quite hard to sharpen except for a maker. Things like VascoWear or Cruwear are simply not sharpenable by the mere mortal who is not a knifemaker. At the other end ATS-34, 154 CM, and BG-42 make fine knives if properly heat treated.

For Larger quantities of material:

Admiral Steel

For smaller quantities of material:

Texas Knifemaker's Supply
K&G
Sheffield Knife Supply

There are some suppliers that will HT for you. The best heat treaters around are Dee Holder and Paul Bos. I think Paul has a significant minimum. Texas Knifemaker's Supply does HT in an electric furnace and is OK but not great.

Good luck on your project.

And some of us dinosaurs still like high-carbon (non-stainless) steel knives.

Debee,

Try this link for your comparisons.

http://www.agrussell.com/knife_information/knife_encycl.../articles/steel.html

Those exotic steels are not for the amateur.The take special care to heat treat so you would have to send it out. Simple steels can be heat treated with simple equipment and techniques.

Where to get that "exotic" steels ? There is a little bit problem to get Crucible steels here in Europe, I am not sure how the things are about european steels (Bohler and Uddehom) in USA. Source here is local distributor, which should cut you piece of steel you want or specialized shops for hobby knifemakers. Making knife from this steel is harder, because that steels in annealed condition are still pretty hard and wear resistance and the second problem is accurate heat treatment. Here are some companies specialized in making tools such reamers, drills, cutters etc. with computer controlled vacuum furnaces which can give that steel very perfect heat treatment. Making knife this way is hard and pricey, but result is knife for a life and next generations, capable of taking very hard abuse, with great toughness, strength and edge holding. And problem with resharpening ? With 25 USD DMT diamond sharpener, it is not a problem. What is better, skin and carve 20 wild boars and then sharpen 15 minutes or sharpen two times two minutes skinning one boar ??? That's about :-)

Jiri

Are you going to forge or make the blade via stock removal? Heat treat and tempor yourself or have it professionally treated?

My thoughts are the hobbiest maker is better off with a high carbon or at most semi stainless steel if he's going to do his own heat treating. Also important to note that it's just as easy to ruin a high dollar high zoot blank when starting out as it is with a junkyard leaf spring, and that a properly heat treated leaf spring knife will be better than a poorly heat treated wonder metal.

Now if I could just finish my boat and get my forge up and running!

I've been a fan of D-2 and S-30V and S-60V for a while but I've gotten a small knife with the new zdp-189 and have be astounded by it. I can't wait to see it in more knifes and only time and more experience will tell but it might be the best knife steel ever. It takes a supreme edge and holds it longer than anything else I've ever seen..................DJ

quote:

Originally posted by djpaintles:
I've been a fan of D-2 and S-30V and S-60V for a while but I've gotten a small knife with the new zdp-189 and have be astounded by it. I can't wait to see it in more knifes and only time and more experience will tell but it might be the best knife steel ever. It takes a supreme edge and holds it longer than anything else I've ever seen..................DJ

ZDP-189 is not very tough, I belive 8J/cm2 at 67HRC, but this is already solved by making laminated steel (core ZDP-189 and sides ATS-55 or 420J2 or so).

If we want extremes, what about CPM-REX121 with highest wear resistance of any steel today, hardenable to 70HRC levels :-)

Also have a look at Ferro-titanit at http://www.ferro-titanit.com/ferro_en.html

Jiri

Right now, you can't beat s30v for overall knife blade quality. Its simply the best thing out there. IMO. Buck, Gerber and Spyderco as well as Benchmade have decent selections of knives in these steels. I have not checked into available blades for knife making using this steel. The Spyderco Native is my latest purchase in this steel.

Jiri, I'm sure that they could make all sorts of incredible knives out of various grades of unobtainium. ZDP-189 is simply the best cutting edge I've actually used on a knife, it's hard enough to get as it is. The reasonably priced spyderco's are sold out or not available until maybe mid-January and the William and Henry Models start at $350. A local knife shop turned town a cash offer of $344 I made on one of them, it was all I had in my pocket and I've done several thousand dollars worth of business with him!.....................DJ