Steel Properties that Knifemakers Care about and Users Don’t

[Larrin]

A new article about differences between knifemakers/companies and buyers in terms of what steel properties they want. These are things that users and enthusiasts typically don't have to be concerned with but can be enlightening for understanding why knifemakers make the choices they do for steel. Steel Properties that Knifemakers Care about and Users Don't - Knife Steel Nerds

 

[ModRQC]

Sorry if this sounds stupid but have you ever tried striking some kind of deal with American resellers as to get samples of steels you couldn't test so extensively or at all, offering your platform as a return? I mean you get so much consultation from independent knife makers as to how to treat steel or which steel is best for this or that. You could probably push their sales further by providing your crowd with more information they don't have on those steels that are more difficult and costly to get.

I don't know I guess I just dream that you'll find a way to test those hard to get popular steels we love around here just as extensively as those other popular steels we also love around here.

Also I guess the same points you just covered in this article could explain why it is not worth the hassle for you to hunt for and test steels that are not readily available on your territory anyhow.

 

[Larrin]

I have most of the popular steels that I want and have articles that cover many of them. Maybe if you tell me which steels specifically you are thinking if I can tell you the status of what testing I have done or what snags there are in obtaining it. When it comes to the 8Cr13MoV or AUS-8 they are mostly in cheap knives so they probably don’t have much incentive to get it to me.

 

[billyO]

When it comes to the 8Cr13MoV or AUS-8 they are mostly in cheap knives so they probably don’t have much incentive to get it to me.

Too bad. I'm sure it'd be nice for some makers to have the info for marketing purposes...

 

[Barmoley]

You can also extrapolate from the steels that were already tested there is a pretty wide range now with multiple steels in each category, so it would most likely be a waste to test every minor interpretation of basically same steels.

 

[ModRQC]

I have most of the popular steels that I want and have articles that cover many of them. Maybe if you tell me which steels specifically you are thinking if I can tell you the status of what testing I have done or what snags there are in obtaining it. When it comes to the 8Cr13MoV or AUS-8 they are mostly in cheap knives so they probably don’t have much incentive to get it to me.

Thanks!

Well mostly... those steels you mentioned in the article as hard to get - Blue, White. You have some data - I've read most of your articles BTW - I know and also covered steels that are deemed "close" to them enough, but still... I'd like the full length article you managed to provide about SG2 and VG-10 for instance, with the historical backtracking (some surprise there in finding VG-10 was older than you thought and initially marketed for knives, iirc) and everything you usually explain in depth.

 

[ModRQC]

You can also extrapolate from the steels that were already tested there is a pretty wide range now with multiple steels in each category, so it would most likely be a waste to test every minor interpretation of basically same steels.

I know but out of extrapolation of steel properties, there is historical data and in-depth understanding provided by @Larrin that I cannot extrapolate so easily.

 

[Larrin]

I tested the edge retention, toughness, and microstructure of Blue Super. The closest to White #1 was 26C3. I wrote a general article about tungsten alloyed steels like Blue Super though I know a couple more things about that now. But for the specific history of Hitachi developing their formulation that became Blue Super I have never come across anything. Maybe someone in Japan could come up with more than me. Googling doesn’t help much because that is just people regurgitating information from others. Steel companies don’t record their history well, and adding a language barrier on top of that makes it very challenging.

 

[ModRQC]

Yes I've read all those articles. Actually re-reading the one about Tungsten-Alloyed facts.

And no I wouldn't Google for it anyhow. If I google a steel I use "Knife Nerds" before it to see what you had to say. Works well since I can't search on your website itself.

Thanks for taking the time.

 

[ModRQC]

I wrote a general article about tungsten alloyed steels like Blue Super though I know a couple more things about that now.

Will you annex it to the article or write a new one?

 

[Larrin]

Will you annex it to the article or write a new one?

Not sure. It depends on if I have enough information to write a whole article probably.

 

[ModRQC]

You got me curious alright. But no biggie. Be well and thanks for all the articles!