| Type: | Stainless Steel Bars |
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| Standard: | AISI |
| Grade: | 600 Series |
| Certification: | ISO |
| Shape: | Round |
| Technique: | Hot Rolled |
| Samples: |
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| Customization: |
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Recently in a foreign website to see this article about the introduction of tool steel, the author will make a detailed introduction of many steel, the performance of the steel type analysis is very thorough. Xiaobian read after the curious psychology to inquire about the author's information, but really do not check do not know a check startled, the author is actually a person of great talent.
Matt Davidson is an avid outdoorsy and knife fan. He is the founder of a cutlery website in the United States. This website provides comprehensive interpretation and analysis of knives and has over 3 million registered followers. At the same time, Davidson is also the honorary consultant of a number of well-known knife companies, involved in the design and improvement of a number of well-known knives, today's Xiaobian translation for you is one of the most clicked articles.
When choosing a good quality folding knife, you should pay special attention to the steel used for the blade. Steel is really the essence of the blade, the performance of a knife mainly depends on steel. Steel is essentially an iron alloy that contains carbon and is generally enriched with other elements to enhance certain properties and suit different user needs.
In the knife making industry, the added elements in different kinds of steel are different, and the forging and heat treatment methods for making blades are also different. Details of these elements can be found in our knife steel composition chart.
Ultimately, the various steels used in knife making are graded according to five key attributes.
I. Hardness
Hardness refers to the resistance to deformation when subjected to external pressure. Tool hardness usually refers to the strength, generally using HRC (Rockwell hardness) to evaluate.
Two, toughness
Toughness is the ability to resist damage such as breaking or cracking when used in heavy applications. Or the ability of steel to bend without breaking. Rupture is the biggest damage a knife can do and it's hard to fix. Note that the harder a knife is, the less tough it will be. Of course, the measurement of toughness is not as standardized as hardness.
Iii. Wear Resistance
Wear resistance is the ability of steel to withstand abrasion and adhesive wear. Abrasion occurs when a softer surface comes into contact with a rougher surface. Adhesive wear is formed when debris is transferred from one surface and attached to another. Wear resistance is generally related to the hardness of steel, but it is also largely affected by the specific chemical substances in steel. Among steels of the same hardness, steels with higher carbide content are more resistant to abrasion.
Four, corrosion resistance
Corrosion resistance refers to the ability to resist corrosion, such as corrosion caused by factors such as stress, moisture and salt. Note that high corrosion resistance does come at the cost of reducing the sharpness of the blade.
Five, sharp maintain degree
Sharpness retention represents how long a knife stays sharp when used over a period of time. This is something that people care about these days, but unfortunately, there is no clear set of criteria for measuring sharpness, and most of the data is subjective. In my opinion, sharpness retention is a combination of wear resistance and blade resistance to deformation.
Unfortunately, the best knife steel is not simply a matter of maximizing each of these properties... That's just one thing. It's best to strike a balance between strength, hardness and toughness. Some blades are made extra hard, but they can break or shatter if they are used against a hard surface. A knife, on the other hand, is very tough and can bend but its edge is not hard enough. Also note that people are often misled by the name "stainless steel", in fact, various types of steel exposed to the air for a long enough time will be a little faded. How do you plan to use your knives and decide which steels are best for your situation
Common tool steel type
The most common types of steel include the following:
1. Tool Steel -- Hard steel is preferred in cutting tools. Popular steels in this group include the D2, O1 and CPM series, plus more advanced ultra-cut steels such as the M4.
2. Carbon steel - generally made rough, used in particular need of toughness and durability. Used in life knives and machetes. It has sharp edges and is relatively easy to sand. The trade-off is that chromium is low and corrodes easily. The most popular carbon steel is 1095
3 stainless steel - basic carbon steel add chromium element to make its corrosion resistance, add other elements to improve its performance, but at the cost of reducing toughness. Today the most popular types including 400154 CN, AUS, VG, MoV, Sandvik and Crucible SxxV series. Note that real stainless steel contains at least 13% chromium.
Now the most popular knife steel
The following are the most commonly used knife steels today. Yes, technically, there are better steels (CPM-125V,CPM-10V,K294, etc.) but these are very rare on the market. Don't get obsessed with grading, it's not an exact science, it's just my way of simply categorizing steels by properties based on certain factors.
First, super advanced
1. CPM S90V
Crucible's CPM S90V steel boasts the highest wear resistance and sharp retention. You'd think it would be high in carbon, but the secret here is a lot of vanadium, about three times as much as in Elmax or S30V. Yes, it's ridiculously expensive and requires a lot of patience to grind, but there's really no other steel that can wear out more than the CPM S90V. The most popular CPM S90V blade is Benchmade (Butterfly Knife) 940-1 with superior performance. There is another emerging competition that is about to take over the market and that is the S110V...
2. M390
The M390 is a supersteel that is on the market and is produced by Bohler-Uddeholm. It was formed by the merger of Austria's Bohler and Sweden's Uddeholm. It uses the third generation of powder metal technology, knife making requires superior corrosion resistance and very high hardness to ensure wear resistance. Add chromium, molybdenum, vanadium, tungsten for sharpness and superior sharpness retention. Unlike DZP-189, most carbides are formed from vanadium and molybdenum, leaving a separate element of free chromium that resists corrosion. The M390 has a hardness of 60-62HRC. Bohler calls the steel "Microclean" and it can be polished to achieve a mirror-like effect. Sanding is medium, but not as strenuous as the S90V. Benchmade (Butterfly Knife) 581 Barrage is an excellent example of the M390's best performance.
3. Zadp-189
Tdp-189, made by Hitachi, is another new type of super-steel that contains a lot of carbon and chromium, giving it incredible hardness. The HDP-189 hardness is about 64HRC, but some tool manufacturers can make it up to 66HRC. Of course, with this super hardness, excellent sharpness can be achieved, but at the cost of increasing the difficulty of grinding. The chromium content is about 20%. Do you think it will be resistant to corrosion? Not really. A lot of the carbon in DZDP-189 is actually paired with chromium to form carbides, so you can't use free chromium to fight corrosion. So, although it is harder and more wear-resistant than the S30V, it is also more prone to corrosion. Spyderco's dragonfly 2 is a good example.
4. Elmax
Uddeholm in Europe produces Elmax, a high content chrome-vanadum-molybdenum alloy powder steel with excellent wear and corrosion resistance. Elmax is stainless steel, but behaves in some ways like carbon steel. It has excellent edge bearing and is relatively easy to grind. It also has good rust resistance. Is this the most comprehensive tool steel available? Maybe. It is good to see that Bohler-Uddeholm now poses a threat to Crucible. The ZT rexford 0801 is an example of an excellent Elmax blade.
5. CPM 20CV
The CPM 20CV is a clone of Bohler's popular M390. Artisans imitating CTS-204P were also influenced. As a tool steel for powder metallurgy, it combines superior wear resistance with sharp retention, plus its high chromium content and strong corrosion resistance. It's still fairly new to the market, but manufacturers like Benchmade (Butterfly) have used the CPM-20V to make new tool models like their 556-1 Griptilian. In fact, Benchmade (Butterfly) claims that their M390 is a bit tougher, but the 20CV holds better.
Two, high-quality type
1. CTS-XHP
CTS-XHP from the United States is also a relatively new steel, also has good sharp retention, hardness of about 61HRC. Another invention in powder metallurgy, Carpenter's technicians refined fine powder particles for optimal performance. The sharpness retention is slightly better than the S30V, but it takes a little more work in the sanding process. CTS-XHP is considered to be more resistant to corrosion than D2 steel, which has superior sharpness retention. And unlike D2 steel, which does not sand easily and breaks easily. Most of Cold Steel's folding knives have been replaced with this kind of steel. It has to be said that Cold Steel is a pioneer in the mass adoption of new steel and new materials in the tool industry.
2. CPM M4
A higher performance tool steel with good toughness, arguably better than any other carbon steel. Like all CPM steels, the CPM M4 uses a proprietary Crucible technology, the Crucible Particle Metallurgy Process (abbreviated CPM), which produces a remarkably uniform, stable and grind-able product compared to conventional processes. CPM M4 balances wear resistance and toughness by adding large doses of molybdenum, vanadium, tungsten and, of course, large amounts of carbon. It has a hardness of about 62-64HRC, but note that M4 is a carbon steel with relatively low chromium content, not stainless steel. So even though this is one of the best steel that comes in for cutting, it has to be cared for carefully and can rust over time. Some manufacturers use a coating to prevent rust, but it's not a permanent solution. Is it easy to sand? ... Well, no.
3. CPM S35VN
In 2009, Crucible and Chris Reeve produced a slightly superior steel model, the S35VN, to their premium S30V. It was achieved by applying a finer grain structure and adding a small amount of niobium to make the excellent S3OV easier to cut and improved toughness and ease of grinding. In real life, however, you can hardly tell the difference. Many people think this is the limit of 'mainstream' knife steel, and you'll be hard-pressed to get a better steel for that price in terms of sharpness retention, toughness, and rust resistance.
4. CPM S30V
Manufactured by Crucible USA, CPM 30V steel offers exceptional sharp retention and corrosion resistance. It was designed in the United States to make high-end pocket-knives and expensive knives and forks. Vanadium carbide was added to increase the hardness of the alloy matrix. You get what you pay for, basically it is considered to be one of the best knife steel, its sharpness, hardness, toughness to achieve the best balance. Note that the S30V has an excellent sibling, the S35VN, which is similar in shape, but is undoubtedly easier to build thanks to the addition of niobium. But the S30V is still pretty common today and it's still one of our favorites.
Three, high-end
1. 154CM
Relatively high hardness, it is generally believed that 440C after adding molybdenum element upgraded version. Compared to 440C, it has superior sharpness retention, although the chromium content is slightly lower, but still retains excellent corrosion resistance. It has the right amount of toughness to accommodate most uses. With the right tools, it's not hard to polish. You will find a lot of pocket knives made by a manufacturer like Benchmade (Butterfly) using 154CM steel. Unlike other alloys produced using the same Crucible particle metallurgy process, the CPM154 process optimizes the carbide particles, resulting in this slightly better steel with superior sharpness retention... But whether every user can say they are different, that is not necessarily the case.
2.ATS-34
This steel, made in Japan, is considered equivalent to the 154CM steel produced in the United States. In fact, it has very similar properties and characteristics to 154CM. In general, it is a representative of high quality steel, very popular with tool makers. The ATS-34 has superior sharpness retention, but it actually resists corrosion slightly less than the lower grade 440C steel.
3.D2
D2 steel is a tool steel that is often referred to as' semi-stainless steel 'because it does not contain enough chromium than full stainless steel, which requires a chromium content of 13%. However, its corrosion resistance is good. On the other hand, D2 steel is much harder than other steel models in this group, such as 154CM and ATS-34, and the edges will hold better. That said, it's not as tough as many other steels, and it's much harder to grind. In fact, if you want to have a sharp steel D2 knife, you really need to become a good knife sharpener.
4.VG-10
VG-10 steel is similar to 154CM ATS-34 in that it contains more chromium, which improves corrosion resistance, and vanadium, which makes it more flexible than either. It originated in Japan and is not new. Japanese knife builders use this steel for most Damascius cleavers they make by hand, including those Damascus cleavers the Japanese made for the German Diascenes. Therefore, the high-end kitchen knife made in Japan is much more cost-effective than Shuangli Man. The VG-10, which is slowly being introduced to the U.S. market by the knife company Spyderco (Spider), is really hard, requires special polishing, and is a little brittle.
5.H1
H1 steel, produced by Myodo Metals Company in Japan, is basically the best corrosion resistance, basically no rust, is a typical representative of stainless steel. Of course, the price is quite high, but the sharp retention is average. So, very suitable for making diving gear. Very expensive material.
6.N680
The N680 steel has a nitrogen content of 0.02% and chromium content of 17%, so it is quite resistant to corrosion. For example, if your blades are in constant contact with salt water, then this steel is for you. It's also a fine crystalline steel, so the edges are very sharp. Think of it as a slightly cheaper H1 alternative, with decent sharpness retention, just not as strong as the 154CM retention.
4. Medium and high grade
1. 440C
The 440C knife steel made in the United States was once considered an all-around good steel, but now it pales in comparison to many of the new steel on the market. It's a stainless steel that's used in a lot of mass-produced pocketknives. It's
What is CPM steel?
CPM stands for Crucible Particle Metallurgy, a process for making high-quality tool steel. Crucible Industries, the sole manufacturer of CPM steel, pours a metal solution into a small nozzle and uses high-pressure gas to erupt it into tiny droplets. The droplets cool, cure, and form a powder, which is then bonded and compacts by hot isobaric pressure. The success lies in the HIP (hot isobaric) process, which ensures that each particle is evenly composed. This also improves the toughness and wear resistance of steel.
austenitic and martensitic steel (austenitic, martensitic)
Austenitic steel has a high nickel content, so it lacks magnetism and is relatively soft, making it unsuitable for knives. Its advantages are its toughness and superior corrosion resistance, high chromium content, so it is best for making knives and forks, spoons, kitchen sinks and the like. Martensitic steel contains less chromium and is easy to rust, but the nickel content is very small, so it is magnetic. What really distinguishes martensitic steel is its higher carbon content, which makes it harder and ideal for cutting tools. Steel manufacturers are able to convert austenite to martensitic steel by rapid cooling.
What about Damascus Steel?
Damascus steel is produced in Middle Eastern countries such as India and Pakistan, and its production dates back to ancient times before Christ. Originally made of two different types of steel welded together, Damascus steel has many myths about its strength and power, but today it is popular because of its beautiful appearance. Mostly for collection.
Other considerations
Remember, steel isn't everything. Knife buyers should be careful not to search for the perfect steel, as steel is not the only factor affecting the performance of a tool. Steel analysis has become a science, don't be easily fooled by statistics. Remember -- blades made of the high quality or high-end steel listed above are not necessarily better than blades made of inferior steel.
The heat treatment technique used by the cutter also has a great effect on the final performance of the cutter!
The heat treatment technique used by the cutter also has a great effect on the final performance of the cutter!
The heat treatment technique used by the cutter also has a great effect on the final performance of the cutter!
Important things three times!!
For example, for Cold Steel, CTS-XHP, CTS-BD1 and AUS-8A steel folding knives, the most critical process -- steel heat treatment -- is done in the United States, while the Taiwan plant is only responsible for other processes. SHH -- This is the secret of cold steel knives known as high cost performance. In fact, all modern steel is adequate for most users, and more attention is being paid to other aspects of the pocketknife, such as the handle and other features.
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