# Blade material, I am all confused now: AUS4, 6, 8, 440B, 440C???



## stockae92 (Apr 25, 2008)

How to pick a blade material? 

AUS4, 8, 440B, 440C, ...

so the harder the blade, the better it can hold an edge?

would it be easier to chip or break off too?


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## jzmtl (Apr 25, 2008)

http://zknives.zvis.com/knives/articles/knifesteelfaq.shtml


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## gollum (Apr 25, 2008)

thats a big can of worms you're opening there :laughing:
depends on what you want for your knife...
harder lasts longer but will chip especially if you're chopping or hacking at things.
for an edc allrounder most blade steels will be ok but you get what you pay for...e.g 440 b is stamped from a roll usually mass produced unlike 440c
aus (austenite)4,6 8 was suposed to be ultra rust resistant but I've had them rust on me before.but they're good quality like 440c

theres alot of new alloy steels with fancy factory names but better quality again is crucible powdered metal (cpm) e.g cpm440v
also bi-metal blades and damascus steel depending on what sort of blade you want

as a general rule you get what you pay for


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## cutlerylover (Apr 25, 2008)

jzmtl said:


> http://zknives.zvis.com/knives/articles/knifesteelfaq.shtml


 
Thats a great link for people wondering about steel...and what to get and why...


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## RebelRAM (Apr 25, 2008)

I used to obsess over blade steels, but now I have decided that as long as I buy quality blade steels it doesn't really matter which one. For 99% of users, they will not be able to tell the difference between AUS-6 and S30V. Aside from blade steel, handle ergonomics is the other aspect I look closely at. Comfortable grip is high on my list of requirements. I usually EDC a SAK along with my other normal locking folder. SAKs have 420 for blade steel I think. 420 works just fine for most chores and sharpens easily and has good edge retention as long as you aren't abusing the edge. I have also found that for all blades it helps to touch up your blades periodically and don't let them get down to really dull. It is so much easier and takes less time to touch up a blade than to bring a really dull one all the way back to where it should be.


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## j2coe (Apr 25, 2008)

very short synopsis
harder steels will hold an edge better but will be more brittle and chip more easily with side pressure
tougher steels will hold up to more general abuse but need to be sharpened more often since they are more ductile, flexible 
generally the higher in a series like (440) a,b,c or (AUS) 4,6,8 in the ones mentioned the higher the steel in the series will keep all the desirable properties withour sacrificing the others. 
as previously linked there are many sites with vast discussions of the properties of knife steels and other non steel blade materials like stellite, talonite, ceramic, titanium, etc


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## Burgess (Apr 25, 2008)

Thank you, everyone, for the great info listed (and linked) here.

:twothumbs

_


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## NA8 (Apr 26, 2008)

Now that you've got the blade steel figured out, you need to pick a handle material. This picture heavy thread shows you a few options using the same basic knife: 

http://www.knifeforums.com/forums/showtopic.php?tid/818119/tp/0/all/1/

Click on any of the pix for a bigger view.

By the way that's a 12C27 Stainless blade.


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## NA8 (May 7, 2008)

Ok so you like all those handles but you want a bigger stainless knife. Well, good news, Bark River is going to be doing a special run of their Bravo-1 in stainless steel (~June 08). 

http://knifeforums.com/forums/showtopic.php?tid/817783/

Or, if you want a laminated VG10 stainless steel Fallkniven with a Bark River handle you can get that too. Check out 

http://www.knivesshipfree.com/Fallk....html?osCsid=9202add20030fcaed6467ddca2dd3f6d


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## HoopleHead (May 8, 2008)

ignore all of those, and concentrate on VG-10, D2, (CPM) 154CM, (CPM) S30V. and spydercos H1 sounds aight.


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## Josey (May 8, 2008)

Blade steel is more important than most people think, but there are many factors to consider: types of steel, heat treatment, balance of hardness and toughness, edge profile, blade profile, blade thickness, etc.

For an EDC, most people are best served by a blade with a super steel that is hard enough to hold an edge and tough enough to take both an acute edge and thin blade profile that will cut like crazy.

There are lots of ways to go, but here is my EDC:

I started with a Spyderco Military in BG42 steel. Spyderco is a top quality maker and the Military is a thin, pointy flat grind (flat grind from spine to edge). Then I profiled it to 30 degrees (15 degrees per side) for a nice balance between cutting and toughness. The 30 degrees also makes it easy to use the Spyderco Sharpmaker to effortlessly keep the knife razor sharp. I have stones that go from diamond and 320 grit for quick reprofiling to extra fine for touch ups. I also have a strope set up (polishing compound on a leather strap) to put a super sharp final edge on the blade.

The steel is so good that it holds an edge well. After using it for any significant period, I just strope it back to razor sharpness in just a minute.

Poorer steels get dull too quickly so you have to spend more time with the stones to keep them sharp or are not tough enough to hold a thin edge. Nothing cuts like a thin edge, but you need a super steel to hold a useable thin edge.

Try this:

1) Pick a good maker, such as Spyderco or Benchmade or Sebenza; and find a knife with a size and design that suits your purpose. I like flat grinds as thin as possible to take advantage of the qualities of super steels.

2) Pick a top-quality all-around steel, such as BG-42 (an old favorite), VG-10 (on everyone's list of the top 3 or 4 steels), S30V (most people's current favorite), CPM's D2 (an improved version of D2, another old favorite). You could also pick a speciality steel, such as S90V or 3V or H1 or ZDP 189 that can be made much sharper and hold their edge longer, but you have to know what you're doing to keep them sharp. It's usually better to start with a good all-around steel. 

3) Get an angle-guide sharpening system. The Sharpmaker is the easiest, but there are others.

4) Learn to sharpen. To do this, you must know the profile of your edge (paint the edge with a Sharpie so you can see if your sharpening angle is correct). Pick a good all-around profile for your knife edge. I like 30 degrees for super steels, and then use a diamond rod or stone to profile the edge for 30 degrees. Learn to raise and properly remove the burr. Learn to strope.

5) Keep your knife sharp. It's easy and takes only a minute if you don't let it get dull.


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