Mrchainsaw
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What are people’s thoughts on W2 steel in the kitchen? Thanks
W2 Steel
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McMan
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W2 is good. It's near 1095 on the branch of the family tree (but W2 has vanadium).
Like any other steel, the HT matters. @Kippington has done excellent work with W2. IIRC it has certain properties that make it well-suited particularly to differential hardening (including water quenching) and is often used because it leaves an active sharp hamon.
See:
www.bladeforums.com
www.bladeforums.com
Like any other steel, the HT matters. @Kippington has done excellent work with W2. IIRC it has certain properties that make it well-suited particularly to differential hardening (including water quenching) and is often used because it leaves an active sharp hamon.
See:
1095, W1, and W2 how do they differ?
I did some research on these steels and 1095 and w1 seam to be almost the same steel, and w2 just has some added vanadium. do most of these steels work best for smaller knives? or will they work well for larger knives. thanks.
www.bladeforums.com
Your thoughts on W2 tool steel
I love it, but with the large array of steel choices... what do you think of this steel?
www.bladeforums.com
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Mrchainsaw
Well-Known Member
Thank you for this info. This knife has a hrc 64 and yes beautiful hamon. Very well respected Knifemakers just wondering about the steel. ThanksW2 is good. It's near 1095 on the branch of the family tree (but W2 has vanadium).
Like any other steel, the HT matters. @Kippington done excellent work with W2. IIRC it has certain properties that make it well-suited particularly to differential hardening (including water quenching) and is often used because it leaves an active sharp hamon.
See:
1095, W1, and W2 how do they differ?
I did some research on these steels and 1095 and w1 seam to be almost the same steel, and w2 just has some added vanadium. do most of these steels work best for smaller knives? or will they work well for larger knives. thanks.Your thoughts on W2 tool steel
I love it, but with the large array of steel choices... what do you think of this steel?
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I have had great times using Mario Ingoglia's and Shihan's W2.
Edges last for a long time.
I can't recall sharpening Shihan's blade now, but Mario's was a breeze to sharpen.
Edges last for a long time.
I can't recall sharpening Shihan's blade now, but Mario's was a breeze to sharpen.
It's good stuff. Although I would be a bit careful with what maker you get it from as the vanadium addition reduces the hardenability below even that of the Shiro class steels. So without good heat treatment, it can be very hard to achieve a fully hardened blade.
Corradobrit1
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In the hands of a master blade smith like Trey the results can be spectacular. Beautiful hamon and lots of Ashi activity
Also takes a great patina
Also takes a great patina
Mrchainsaw
Well-Known Member
Newham is who I got it from. I understand he’s excellent so hoping he is with this W2 steel too.
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Will makes excellent knives, so don't worry about the steel. One of the problems with W2 steel is that the spec is very broad. So one piece of W2 might be very different from another and both can still be within W2 spec and be called W2. As long as the maker is good and knows the composition of his W2 all is well though.
Mrchainsaw
Well-Known Member
So Newham is in that category? Thanks for the peace of mind!
True enough, but unless they're being...ahem.....less than honest, the only current production W2 is manufactured and delivered exclusively to NJSB for distribution, so there shouldn't be any serious variability with new production stuff....unless there's a stock of older stuff someplace?
Yes this might be true for new production stuff, even though I don't know if it is so around the world. W2 has been around for a while, so no way of knowing how old the stock being used by different makers around the world is. Just pointing out that someone like Will Newham knows what he is doing so any steel he uses in his knives will be good. If we talk in general about W2 as steel, we can't overlook that the spec is broad and when we compare it to some other steels we need to know what version of W2 we are talking about. We see makers use old stocks of steel all the time.
True enough.
I'm jealous you got this one. It's gorgeous. I was just too slow.
Mrchainsaw
Well-Known Member
If for some reason it doesn’t suit me I’ll let you know
HSC /// Knives
KKF Supporting Craftsman
I have some W2 (equivalent?) from workshop heaven with the following specs-
I think @AFKitchenknivesguy might have a W2 knife I did 2 years ago?
that steel was from NJSB, I recall they provide a HT guideline, but no certificate of composition
I believe Ray Rybar in AZ has large ingots of W2 made from some time ago to his specs.
- Werkstoffnummer 1.2008 / 135cr3 / W2 Carbon 1.3, Chromium 0.74, Molybdenum 0.2, Manganese 0.35, Silicon 0.2, Vanadium 0.08, Nickel 0.07
I think @AFKitchenknivesguy might have a W2 knife I did 2 years ago?
that steel was from NJSB, I recall they provide a HT guideline, but no certificate of composition
I believe Ray Rybar in AZ has large ingots of W2 made from some time ago to his specs.
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Mrchainsaw
Well-Known Member
That is a lot of info beyond my understanding. How is France treating you? I love my magnacut you made. Still making any more? I know that this is off topic but since I’m OP, I’ll allow it
HSC /// Knives
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France is treating me well, the south is a friendly place.That is a lot of info beyond my understanding. How is France treating you? I love my magnacut you made. Still making any more? I know that this is off topic but since I’m OP, I’ll allow it
I'm actually making Magnacut orders right now, and just so happens I had a cancellation so there's one available.....
I don't think that is W2 the chromium is much higher than the W2 spec and the vanadium content is low enough that it probably doesn't have any vanadium carbides at austenitization temp. One of the reasons W2 is so shallow hardening is that it has a very small volume of vanadium carbides that exist up to high temps (1750+) which keep the grain boundaries pinned and the grain size very small making it easy to over cycle.
HSC /// Knives
KKF Supporting Craftsman
It’s true the vanadium content is a bit low and outside of the minimum spec of .015 I believe. I think the ASTM spec is for .25% vanadium
I’m not certain. I’ll have to look it up.
IIRC it is astm 686
HSC /// Knives
KKF Supporting Craftsman
captaincaed
(____((__________()~~~
Here’s one of the current assays at New Jersey Steel Baron. No telling about historic stock, but here’s what’s up with one of the newer melts
lotfong
Tabarnak !!
Harbeer that stuff originally comes from eurotechni or aciers du tarn, they are the ones who provide it to pretty much everybody else, be it workshop heaven or barmond, in England and Europe as far as I know. It is more widely known here as 135cr3, the same stuff Milan, yanick, simon maillet, and sometimes isasmedjan and Prendergast use. Absolutely good stuff and easier to work with than NJSB w2, better hardenablilty. Works well with either a parks 50 quench or water with the method Carter showed you. Behaves similarly to 26c3 but gets a slightly more aggressive edge due to more alloying. Polishes and sharpens very well. Kind of an hybrid between white 1 and blue 1 in my humble opinion, very very good stuff.
Interesting. I had assumed that most alloying elements increased hardenability. I guess this is why it makes a hamon so easily?
Is the critical aspect of HT here quenching speed or austenising temps or something else? I'm guessing quenching speed if the issue is low hardenability but would be happy to be educated if I'm wrong or if it's a more complex interaction of factors.
You are correct that most alloying elements tend to increase hardenability. Including vanadium. However in this case the vanadium is tied up in carbides that pin the grain boundaries allowing for a somewhat finer grain structure than similar steel without the vanadium addition. Smaller grain size reduces hardenability. This could play a role in why W2 is shallow hardening. It also has much lower manganese then 1095(which has a similar carbon content) which also reduces hardenability
To your second point realistically I would say quench speed is the primary factor here. although with higher austenitization temps you may be able to increase the hardenability through grain growth and more dissolved carbon however that would likely lead to excessive plate martensite or retained austenite or both.
