most knives are being made out of these and other mediocre steels like 14c28n, 420j2, 425m. And while youll find it mostly in expensive knives, quite a few approachable M390 blades exist. The big difference in properties vs the low alloy steels, however, are the harder carbides that are found in these steels. However, high wear resistance means that abrasives are used up more rapidly, more careful grinding is necessary to avoid overheating, finishing and polishing is much more time consuming, etc. Steels that can be high in edge retention and toughness are desirable for general use knives. CPM154 is a truly superior steel. The material increase machinability and strength. Socould you please clarify which steel is the outlier and which is the line>. -> Maybe prequenched 14c28n could be a little tougher than AEB-L? Therefore you will use it for a long time without requiring frequent sharpening. Because of its difficulty in sharpening and machining, its very rarely used and comes with a high price premium. Not to sound like a ship, but these two knife inspiration makes this an eye-catching knife. As of November 2020, this is Spyderco-exclusive steel. If you want a sharp knife for outdoor or indoor use, D2 knives will not disappoint you. Thanks to its very high hardness (64-66 HRc compared to the average of 58-62 HRc), ZDP-189 can be ground thinner and sharpened less often. imo o lot depends on how the blade is sharpened. This was not necessarily because of superior toughness but because of the superior strength of the MagnaCut from higher hardness. This means consumers should be able to maintain these quality knives at home. Opinel Number 9 in carbon steel, and a Cold Steel Tanto Lite in their stainless steel. In some previous articles I have shown the balance between my toughness and edge retention measurements such as in the following chart, where the high alloy non-stainless are in orange and the blue are stainless: However, one issue with these charts are that difference in toughness is that a linear scale for toughness is a bit misleading for visualizing practical toughness differences. CTS-204P and CPM-20CV are nearly identical steels made by other manufacturers. and our blue steel There was significant sharpness loss with 1095, almost none with 440A, and D2 was in between. Cronidur 30 For example, see the chart below for how much edge retention can change with edge geometry for a single steel (in this case 154CM and CPM-154). Below, weve listed some of the attributes you might want out of your steel and given some examples in both the more expensive powder metallurgy steels and more affordable conventionally produced steels. However, it is not really known how many different companies are making 8Cr13MoV (or at least I dont know), it could be that it is one manufacturer that is dominating the market. If I made some plane irons from AEB-L at 63 Rc (where its still tougher than 1095 at 59-60 Rc, the standard vintage steel in plane irons), could I drop my sharpening angle from 30-35 to 25? The steel falls under the Sandvik series of steels and makes one of the 7 steel grades in this family including 12C27M, 14C28N, 13C26, and others. 440A has more chromium in solution along with a small addition of Mo, but has significant amounts of carbide so the two are an interesting comparison. Austenitizing is the process where the steel is heated to high temperature prior to quenching (rapid cooling) to harden the steel. 1. 14C28N steel is as a result of a more corrosion resistant version of the 13C26 steel. Or even a 7 in both categories. H1 and 420 also have excellent corrosion resistance but are limited to lower hardness and edge retention. Deburring of edges often takes even longer than removing material to produce the edge. The ratings in this article rate ease of sharpening primarily based on wear resistance, but if a knife is difficult to sharpen, there may be other factors in play. Dr. Thomas is a friend of ours here at Blade HQ, and with his help, weve worked to create this knife steel guide. What would be the best deal to use I currently alternate between 20CV S35vn and D2. 14c28n vs. D2 Steel D2 is as rigid as 14c28n, thus has almost equal edge retention abilities. A proprietary steel and heat treat developed by Busse Knives, INFI is an excellent performer and one of the best steels for big choppers on the market. 440A CPM 10V I would also suggest adding a hardness rating to the ratings tables that currently include toughness, edge retention, and corrosion resistance ratings. Corrosion is not just about cosmetics and rusting, however, but can also affect edge performance. Often used for combat knives. the more complex fracture toughness at least lets you make some estimates in this sence. Read more. In fact, its not technically a steel at all, as it uses titanium and nickel. 2. Most low alloy tool steels and carbon steels also have fine carbide structures without powder metallurgy processing. Five years ago, S30V had a premium price. Theres a green triangle at about RC 60.5 and toughness over 40. For example, Bohler M390, CTS-204P, and CPM-20CV are all nearly identical and indistinguishable in practice. This is an American-made powder steel produced by Crucible and developed specifically for knives with the aid of the knife guru Chris Reeve (maker of the vaunted Sebenza, among other gems). The biggest change that is seen with powder metallurgy in measured properties is in regards to toughness. It can build a knife that sustains a sharp cutting edge for long periods and is sufficiently wear-resistant. But its very cheap, and, when ground appropriately, it can be a real winner from a value standpoint. The both blade are equally wear resistant. and yet millons of knives are being made out of 1.4116 (aisi 420mov?) When it comes to handle material, both knives have options available in either plastic or metal. Sign up to receive GearJunkie content direct to your inbox. . FRN High Speed steels are a subset that have significant additions of Mo and/or W that makes them resist softening when they are used for machining operations. Powder metallurgy steels with low vanadium content like CPM-1V and Z-Tuff/CD#1 have extremely high toughness. Also Mo additions improve corrosion resistance for a given amount of chromium. D2 is carbon steel that has high toughness and durability. I was guessing 5.5 based on your rating of CPM-154. Stainless steels usually top out around 64 Rc and may require careful heat treating to get there. However, even steel with the best corrosion resistance can rust without proper care. Read about my tests in this article. There are significant differences between them because 14C28N is stainless steel, while D2 steel is a semi-stainless tool steel. Almost all of the knives in my EDC rotation are Spydercos, in exotic steels. MagnaCut has the lowest chromium of any of the below steels but all of its chromium is in solution (no chromium carbide) and the fact that it has no chromium carbide also gives it the maximum level of corrosion resistance for a given amount of chromium. A new steel from Crucible, SPY27 launched in 2020 in the Spyderco Native 5and Para 3. The knife does dull faster. D2 will go through a lot more rope at 58-59 hard than AEB-L will at 64 hard. This can turn the ultra corrosion resistant LC200N or Vanax into a normal stainless steel that will rust with only 1% saltwater. I measured corrosion resistance of a slightly lower carbon 420 here: https://knifesteelnerds.com/2020/03/02/cpm-spy27-experiments-toughness-corrosion-resistance-and-more/. So we get back to my original question: if a D2 planer blade at 58 Rc and the associated level of toughness will perform acceptably with a 30 sharpening angle, is there some way to extrapolate at what sharpening angle another steel with higher toughness might perform equally well? Therefore, you cannot purchase the knife for use in corrosive environments. My test is for comparing different steels, not necessarily for a go/no go test for saltwater applications. Used in knives since at least World War II, 1095 performance varies considerably with an abundance of tweaks in the recipe and heat treat. Any idea where it would be on the hardness and toughness scales? My favorites of the high edge retention group are Vanadis 8 and CPM-10V. The D2 version is heavier and harder, but doesn't cut as smoothly. It should get an ultra-sharp edge for easy cutting, hold the edge for long for easy maintenance, and have a sturdy and ergonomic handle for comfort and to prevent accidents. AEB-L and 14C28N are the best in the high toughness group. quite possibly the best steel youll find on a sub-$30 production knife. Therefore, ensure to wash and dry your knives after use to keep the rust away. Many custom makers enjoy AEB-L, as its easy to machine but still has a high hardness, around 62 HRc. This is one of the better steels on the market. They have many similarities, including their high hardness, strength, and wear resistance. Thank you for such a great article! Around 61 Rc usually. The brand Bark River uses A2 in many models. D2 holds it for longer. D2 has been around for more than 20 years, an eternity in. This is a powder steel produced by American steel company Carpenter. They differ little in composition and treatment. . Sure if you dont want stainless steel fine, but there are plenty other carbon steels out there much better than 5160. Since the heat treatment is done before you get your knife, and its impossible to tell how good the heat treatment is with your eye, you often must rely on the manufacturers reputation for a good heat treat. How do its properties compare to other steels? A2 is a tool steel renowned for toughness. Recommendations are welcome, If you are cutting against metal I would maybe try K390 in a Spyderco or an S110V knife if you need stainless. If you're stuck between 14C28N and 440C, here's a breakdown of the pros and cons of each type of steel. at least it has some vanadium over the 420hc. The greatest living knifemaker and one of the greatest knifemakers of all time, Michael Walker, calls AEB-L one of his favorite steels. Heat treatment refers to the heating and cooling steps employed to achieve your knifes proper balance of attributes. Finally, in this 14c28n vs d2, we hope you get the right one. Edge retention often refers to the ability of a knifes edge to maintain its sharpness during use. Things are similar with resistance to chipping and edge deformation. Having 1.5% Carbon does that. On the other hand, Speed safe assisted opening allows for easy blade deployment with the use of a simple pull back on the ambidextrous flipper. So hard vanadium carbides means you get more edge retention for a given amount of carbide. However, many kinds of wood are REALLY tough and very hard on blades. Short of purposeful abuse, its all but impossible to chip an edge on an INFI blade. Ah ok that wasnt mentioned. It is an excellent steel that in the right hands has proven to produce high performing blades. D2 has a relatively high amount of carbon in its composition (1.55%), more than twice as much as AEB-L (0.68%), but most of that carbon goes into making chromium carbides instead of into solution in the steel matrix, leaving D2 with only ~0.5% C in solution and very large carbides that are good for wear resistance but bad for toughness. On the other hand, 9cr18mov has a slightly higher molybdenum content which gives it higher hardness from quenching and helps drive carbide formation. Another common heat treating choice that is not even categorized as a mistake is tempering in the high temperature regime (~1000F) rather than the low temperature regime (~400F). If you want for best steel 14c28n and others steel then you can ready 14c28n vs 420hc review. But I think it would have much higher toughness than any of the steels on the chart. So you can estimate how much a change in hardness would affect edge retention by following the slope of those lines. 14C28N is a stainless steel that was developed specifically for use in knives. Im writing a book about choosing a knife for EDC. 8Cr13MoV still has some corrosion resistance, but not as much as D2. But keep in mind that no steel is perfect for everything. XHP is an exceptionally well-balanced steel with excellent all-around attributes. 52100 It will take you more time and energy to get a sharp edge, but your efforts will pay off because the blades hold the edge longer. Most of the midrage ifferings have 14c28n, how does it compare to d2 in your experience? 14C28N VS D2 The two sheets of steel are comparable in terms of toughness and corrosion resistance. . D2 steel offers better edge retention and wear resistance than 14C28N. There are a lot of different types of steel out there . The steel loses some of the chromium in solution for corrosion resistance to form these fine carbides for hardness. The majority of knives target 63 Rc or below so this limitation of stainless steels does not always come into play but can be an important factor for certain knives targeting high performance and thin edges. Thanks to Bill Smutz, Alex Topfer, Florian Bachler, Brunhard, Art, Rod H, Sach, Jinny Koh, Jon Duda, Cory Henderson, and UPKnife for becoming Knife Steeel Nerds Patreon supporters! CPM-S90V, CPM-S110V, CPM-10V, and Bohler K390 each fit in this category. Aluminum oxide is used in most common sharpening stones and it is softer than vanadium carbide, which makes sharpening high vanadium steels more difficult. Lots of information is still specific to this article, however. D2 steel is more durable than 14C28N, but it scores lower in terms of ease of sharpening and corrosion resistance. At the end of the article I gave a list of reasons why I hadnt made my own ratings chart, two big reasons were: 1) I didnt yet have articles explaining what edge retention and toughness even is (this was early on in Knife Steel Nerds), 2) I didnt have good experimental numbers on many steels. While some are into that type of thing, if youre familiar with a specific steel and want to compare it with another, you should definitely click on that button below. So setting edge geometry for the type of knife and intended use is very important. 14C28N knives offer better toughness than D2 knives. I would like to see the rating and performance on test of the Chinese Steels, that some people use to say its cheap garbage, like 3Cr13MoV, 4Cr13, 4Cr13Mo, 4Cr14MoV, 5Cr15MoV, 6Cr13MoV, 7Cr17MoV, 8Cr13MoV, 9Cr13MoVCo, 9Cr18MoV, 9Cr19MoV, and the 14cr14MovNB to see if they are similar, worse or better than the steels that they copyi believe we gonna have some good unexpected results. I couldnt find much on 5160 steel and from a knife makers point of view if you are saying youre the preferred supplier of special ops than I dont understand this choice in knife steel. Im going to give the ratings first and then give more explanation about how the ratings were created. But then if you look at an increase of 100 mm in the CATRA test from Maxamet to Rex 121 the toughness only drops 1-2 ft-lbs. 14C28N steel is not very hard steel which makes it easier to sharpen. Steel with high wear resistance is more costly to manufacture, as the knife company goes through more abrasives to grind the knives. Anyway, astute comment, but edge retention does mean a lot in woodworking. I wrote an article about knife steel ratings available online in 2018, where I concluded that none of them were very good. One such person is Dr. Larrin Thomas, a professional metallurgist raised by a knife maker and a giant knife nerd. Steels without these attributes are much less costly. the problem is in the innumerable combinations of grades, grains sizes and coatings available. I will be focusing on CATRA edge retention which measures abrasive wear of knives. With recommended hardness range of 55-62 HRC; the 14C28N is great for knife applications which place very high demands on edge sharpness, edge stability and corrosion resistance such as chefs knives, hunting knife, pocket knives and fishing knives. The chart below has dotted lines which indicate the average effect of hardness for any given steel. 14C28N VS S30V S30V steel provides improved corrosion resistance, sharpening ease, and edge retention. For example, below is a video comparing a 1095 ESEE knife at 55-57 Rc and a MagnaCut knife at 62.5 Rc, both with the same edge angle. Combination of knife steel properties. Knife steel nerds have a great write up on 14c28n nik_was 2 yr. ago edge retention can vary by several orders of magnitude depending on what happens to the burr. The 8Cr13MoV vs D2 debate. I see tables that compare Toughness,Edge Retention,Corrosion Resistance. S110V has improved corrosion resistance at the cost of some toughness compared to S90V. This is a non-powder steel produced by American steel company Carpenter. Great for tensile strength and Edge retention. You will get an ultra-sharp edge with 14C28N knives. However, Kershaw asked Sandvik to make their 13C26 steel more resistant to corrosion, and the result was 14C28N. 420HC, 420, and 5160 all offer off-the-charts toughness. CPM 3V I think they are complementary and you should watch/read both. s30v Monday-Friday Alpha Knife Supply sells 26C3 btw. Custom maker Brian Trudeau uses Nitro V, and Massdrops Perpetua design is the first production knife to sport it. 14C28N knives are easier to sharpen than D2 knives. If thats true why do you include it in the stainless steel category? If the steel is overheated in austenitizing, very large reductions in toughness are possible. Im not hating on 80crv2 , Ive used it. 14C28N knives will handle challenging and demanding applications without chipping, cracking, or breaking. Id like to quote some of your toughness, edge retention and corrosion resistance for balanced midfield steels, including yours, in some data tables. Toughness and edge retention are generally opposing properties and it is difficult to improve both of them at the same time. These images are taken from my book Knife Engineering. Tougher than D2, but less wear-resistant. . at least it has some vanadium over the 420hc. D2. Theyll be fully attributed to you with website and Patreon links, obviously. 7:00am-5:00pm, 10am-7pm Tuesday - Friday 14c28n steel has a high Chromium and Carbon percentage. To reiterate the clearer part, I wonder if toughness increases faster than edge retention decreases as an edge gets thicker. It mainly made for knife and it high in Chromium for excellent corrosion resistance. CPM-REX 121 and Maxamet are both in this category. Fine-carbide knife steels. A more obtuse edge angle is much more resistant to chipping than an acute edge. I also have meat cleaver 1,4116 ,58RC that I order and was looking up if its a good steel or did waist money and need to return it. If you shop for knives based strictly on steel, you might be disappointed. 440B worldwide, even the chinese have an equivalent (8cr13mov). 420HC doesnt hold an edge well, but its relatively stain-resistant and tough. 14C28N The Kershaw Leek is a most popular EDC knife that design by legendary custom knife maker Ken Onion. There is buzz out there but I havent seen anything solid yet in the world of steel. Thanks. VG 10 Steel, https://knifebasics.com/author/freelancer/, How To Choose Between The 14C28N And The D2, 14c28n Steel Is Good for Knife? Obviously Ill let you check the manuscript prior to publication. High toughness steels can be produced without powder metallurgy and also have low wear resistance for lower manufacturing costs. i understand the samples were treated in the same way. This is a major tradeoff between improved cutting ability and edge retention with an acute angle vs a strong and chip resistant edge with an obtuse angle. So presumably, wear resistance would be in the 3.5-4 range and toughness in the 5.5-6 range. You can see that 64 Rc AEB-L has both lower toughness and edge retention than 61 Rc MagnaCut, so I feel that in general you get a better sense of where the steels fit with a single point. I have not provided a rating for ease in sharpening. The steel comes with increased wear and abrasion resistance properties. GiantMouse Vox/Anso ACE Iona Liner Lock Knife, Muley Freaks Erik Van Woerkom Charged With Felony Possession of Trophy Mule Deer, The Biggest Improvement to My Camp Kitchen Is a Mini Pizza Oven (But Not for Pizza), Propane Traeger, Moosejaw Coolers, Hybrid HOKAs, Adventure Chess, and More Emerging Gear, Avalanche Outside British Columbia Resort Buries 10, Kills 3 Heli-Skiers, Netflix Unveils First Trailer for Tour de France Series. With toughness it is a bit harder to link to only one article as I dont really have a summary of all of the toughness testing that we have done. Coarse-carbide tool steel grades. Interesting. How could it be? This steel is quite corrosion resistant and sharpens easily. Spyderco has produced several production knives with Maxamet, and the steel debuted on the ZT0888. In all of the cases above, properties are greatly controlled by carbides. Only a few years ago Elmax was pricey, but competition has driven it down to reasonable levels, making it a decent value. A hunting knife has a singlepurpose: processing meat after akill. Some of these steels also have vanadium (CruForgeV) or tungsten (Blue Super, V-Toku2, 1.2519) for increased wear resistance. The hardenable grade of titanium (Beta C Titanium) reaches up to 45 or so rc. I have a bachelor's degree in Mechanical engineering with a specialization in material science. That is professionaly popular such as the Japanese designation SKD11, Uddeholm Sverker 21, German designation 1.2379, Hitachi SLD and others. I test corrosion resistance of steels by heat treating 1 x 1.5 inch coupons, finishing to about 400 grit, and then spraying with water. The 14C28N stainless steel from Swedish manufacturer Sandvik is considered an upgrade to their 13C26 steel (described below). 1060 You need a hard medium to sharpen it like diamond or boride. Its high hardness and relatively high toughness also make it an excellent choice in cutlery. Why does Maxamet and Rex 121 stay the same tcc but Zmax drops and 15v goes from below 900 to over? If you want to check the quality of my work, just search for The EDC Bible on Amazon. Hi there, Vanax and LC200N are unique in reaching 59-60 Rc while being very stain resistant. EDGE RETENTION . High Alloy Tool Steel and High Speed Steel Ratings. Steels with very high vanadium content like Vanadis 8, CPM-10V, K390, CPM-15V, etc. The main downside is the steel is more difficult to heat treat and can't go harder than about 60 or perhaps 61 Rc. Should have a first draft by the end of next week. The D2, on the other hand, has a thicker and more durable blade that is better suited for tough tasks like chopping wood or prying open cans. The 1.4116 I tested has large carbides in it which is presumably the reason for low measured toughness: https://knifesteelnerds.com/2019/05/26/new-micrographs-of-42-knife-steels/. : knife a with a toughness of 5 and an angle of 20 degrees will perform as well in edge retention as knife b with a toughness of 3 and an angle of 15 degrees. I guess that was before I started reading. and corrosion resistance than the 420HC steel. Your email address will not be published. Editors note: This article was first published in May 2015 and was most recently updated on May 25, 2020. Liquid steel is sprayed through a tiny nozzle, solidifying into a powder. Marco, BSc Chem. In that case the difficulty in sharpening would be the inverse of the edge retention rating. Hi Larrin, thanks so much for writing this blog and putting so much reliable information into such an accessible form. Toughness is a measure of how much resistance a steel has to fracturing. This is the basis on which I do the ratings rather than a linear scale. 2) you do not go into the sharpening in much detail. Its very corrosion-resistant and quite tough. It is an upgrade of 12C27, and 13C26 steel initially used to make blades for shaving razors. The big names in powder metallurgy are Crucible (CPM- steels), Carpenter (CTS- steels), Bohler Microclean (M390), and Uddeholm Superclean (Elmax, Vanax). High wear resistance steels are more expensive to buy and to process, especially since many require powder metallurgy. Different heat treats have emerged over the years, but one has risen to the top as the best:Bob Doziers D2. Like 154CM, its a good compromise between all three steel attributes. 1. INFI is also quite hard and sharpens easily. That mixture has one goal in mind: making a great steel for people worried about rust and corrosion. It does have chromium but is not as sufficient as required to be a type of stainless steel. When the blade gets messed up I just replace it. Is that accurate? The ratings I have are for an optimal heat treatment. Due to its higher Chromium content, S30v is a lot less likely to corrode/rust than the D2 Steel. Top quality steel yields perfect toughness, edge retention, wear and corrosion resistance, an easy to sharpen, long lasting and durable everyday carry that will fast become a user favorite. It had better than expected corrosion resistance due to the lack of chromium carbides, a behavior also seen in MagnaCut. Its not a particularly great cutter, being poor at retaining an edge. So, it is quite harder than most other steel variants and retains its edge sharp for a long period. It would be interesting to try to develop a conversation between /geometry/edge retention/toughness, so we could say e.g. SUS410 I just want to thank you for all the work you do for the community and the world at large. Also many hardwoods will dull planer blades just because theyre more dense. Read more. Steels that are improperly heat treated have excess retained austenite which makes them extremely difficult to deburr. Youre right I had to check my spreadsheet. 12C27 Other factors that can be added in are corrosion resistance, hardness, and cost. It is among the best steel that will offer exceptional toughness while still maintaining excellent corrosion resistance. Let the job at hand be your guide. The edge retention and ease of sharpening have been what we expect with D2. Steels do come at various price points, however, depending on the cost of producing them and the cost for the knife company to work with them. The knives can be used in humid and wet environments without rusting. 14c28n is the most popular material for the knife: stainless steel and made by the Swedish company. This doesnt necessarily mean they have terrible toughness, but they have limitations. And below shows a chart of carbide hardness, the equation we created to predict edge retention based on edge angle, hardness, and carbide volumes, and then the chart showing the good correlation: TCC (mm) = -157 + 15.8*Hardness (Rc) 17.8*EdgeAngle() + 11.2*CrC(%) + 14.6*CrVC(%) + 26.2*MC(%) + 9.5*M6C(%) + 20.9*MN(%) + 19.4*CrN(%). Knifemakers use dozens of steel types to create knife blades. D2 is another medium-range tool steel. My other knives are a Real Steel E77 8cr14mov. 1% saltwater will separate between other stainless steels. Its not a regression line, it is just a line through the best steels. There is a powder form, CPM-D2, and PSF27 is also very chemically similar.
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