Experiences with 52100?

[JMA105]

In addition to seeking info about how it performs in pro kitchens, I'm mainly curious about 52100's fragility - a few days ago my head chef had a 52100 knife from a well-known maker resting on their station, when a small pair of tongs slipped off a shelf about one foot above it, and one arm landed on the blade. The impact snapped an entire inch clean off from the tip of the knife - none of us had ever seen anything like it before. Fwiw we weighed the tongs at 3.5oz.

I assume this is a defect with the production of that particular blade? I don't know much about 52100 but I can't imagine it's so brittle (and with an HRC in the low-mid 60s) that a relatively small impact would result in such severe damage? Like I said, I could be completely off base, let me know what your experiences have been!

 

[Just a DK]

If I had to guess without looking at the knife itself... the knife's tip was thin enough to snap the hard blade.

If the knife was horizontal to the surface, unless a very soft steel that would dent... I've snapped VG10 with my bare hands on tips when trying to straighten so i wouldn't be surprised if the tip snapped on a knife >61HRC.

 

[Barmoley]

Well heat treated 52100 is one of the toughest low alloy steels commonly used in kitchen knives. Mid 60s is probably pushing it, some makers push it to 64, but it is more likely low 60s. I would say it is something with this particular blade or geometry and is unrelated to the steel itself since if 52100 is one of the best and toughest low alloy steels you could use.

 

[JMA105]

If I had to guess without looking at the knife itself... the knife's tip was thin enough to snap the hard blade.

If the knife was horizontal to the surface, unless a very soft steel that would dent... I've snapped VG10 with my bare hands on tips when trying to straighten so i wouldn't be surprised if the tip snapped on a knife >61HRC.

Interesting! We all agreed it wouldn't be surprising if a small amount of the tip came off, we were just shocked at how much it was.

 

[Just a DK]

Interesting! We all agreed it wouldn't be surprising if a small amount of the tip came off, we were just shocked at how much it was.

Yeah... I've snapped a loooot of Cutco's and Shun tips.... and reprofiled... 52100 is a lot tougher but tips are tips and they always snap a lot more than you think.....

I guess to add to the story... somehow, many people think they can use the back of a knife tip as a temp screwdriver.... and then get mad that their nice knife got bent....

 

[JMA105]

Well heat treated 52100 is one of the toughest low carbon steels commonly used in kitchen knives. Mid 60s is probably pushing it, some makers push it to 64, but it is more likely low 60s. I would say it is something with this particular blade or geometry and is unrelated to the steel itself since if 52100 is one of the best and toughest low alloy steels you could use.

Thanks for the info, that makes sense. The maker is well-regarded, so I can't imagine it's a consistent issue with geometry, perhaps just one blade gone awry.

 

[JMA105]

Yeah... I've snapped a loooot of Cutco's and Shun tips.... and reprofiled... 52100 is a lot tougher but tips are tips and they always snap a lot more than you think.....

I guess to add to the story... somehow, many people think they can use the back of a knife tip as a temp screwdriver.... and then get mad that their nice knife got bent....

This sent a shiver down my spine lol