Eps 396: Your knife steel questions answered in detail by an expert in metallurgy.

[@NELLY-jg2rx]

Thanks for stopping by Charles

[@arthurshingler2025]

Sounds like this guy knows what he's talking about! Great video!

[@bloodybonescomic]

I have two old Buck hunting knifes and a 1960:s Case Pawnee. A also sometimes use Shrade folders. But I would LOVE to own one of these knifes. I'm seriously considering adding one to my collection of hard working hunting and butchering knives. Thanks Ron for this interview!

[@ASimao71]

That gentleman sure has something special there! Diferential heat treatment of high alloy steels is reeeeaaaly hard to do right! Thanks for sharing! 👍

[@wizardofahhhs759]

I would love to have a custom made Buck 113 Ranger and a Schrade O.T. 152 Sharpfinger as a matching pair. Same steel and handle scales. IMO those two knives are the best skinners ever made.

[@redbeard123]

I have not got to use or own to the diamond blade line but i have an alpha wolf knives and love the knife its in s35 vn and It sharpens in the field on a fallkniven pocket stone very well couple licks and its right back to shaving however I do not care for the sheath the knife will come out of it i had to put a lanyard in the handle to go under the snap on the sheath to retain it

[@brandonseavey4265]

My first real knife for hunting and outdoors stuff is a white river fc 3.5, in s35vn, its sharp as heck and a really nice knife. I got it for 99 bucks and i feel i got a beast of a knife for the price

[@randalls380]

Buckknife's Alaska Guide sv30 is a great knife

[@joeyindahl2593]

I bought a Benchmade filet knife this season that was made with magnacut. It is freaking incredible. It processed hundreds of pounds of halibut and salmon this year and I just now got I sharpened . Expensive , but you get what you pay for

[@MichaelKMorris]

I have a Russian made Kyzler knife that came advertised as Rockwell of 65. It has some odd proprietary alloy they claim allows it to not be brittle. However, now that we are at war with them, my warranty has expired 😂

[@njo9966]

I’d love to hear what Dr Larrin Thomas has to say about this “friction forged D2.” Larrin is the PhD metallurgist that created MagnaCut steel, which is one of the best knife steels available. I have a feeling he would say this is nonsense. Even the best heat treat on D2 is still limited by the alloy itself. D2 is a budget steel used in budget knives. Prove it. Send a knife to Larrin. Or Pete at Cedric & Ada Outdoors. They will test it and make a video showing how well it holds an edge.

[@RonSpomerOutdoors]

Independent testers would be a good idea, although I suspect that has been done a few times already. I would imagine that, given the 6 years of development and testing by Brigham Young University, there must be some validity behind this Fiction Stir Processing manufacturing process. Here's the Abstract from The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society publication titled Friction Stir Processing of D2 Steel For Enhanced Blade Performance: "D2 blanks of moderate hardness (30-40 HRC) are subjected to FSP using a convex scrolled shoulder, step spiral pin (CS4) tool made from PCBN. The resulting microstructures are hard, tough, and corrosion resistant. Hardness on the order 65-68 Rockwell C are achieved consistently. The grain size is on the order of a micron or less. The chromium content remaining in the steel grains is higher than that in quenched and tempered D2. Knife blades manufactured from FSP D2 steel exhibit up to a 10 fold increase in edge life over traditional thermomechanically processed and heat treated D2 blades. Methods for repeatably testing blade edge performance are presented, along with a microstrucgtural analysis of the FSP D2." A google search of this publication should uncover it so you can read the details and study the various charts and tables highlighting tests and results.

[@archeryhunter86-]

I believe these are great knives, the thing i was wondering about is this. He stated it was 10x better than D2 but then later said D2 is mediocre more or less. So how much better is this than those other types of steel he was talking about? That to me is the more important question. Sounds like it is probably better but a bit of a marketing ploy to compare it to an inferior steel (although I understand it starts as D2 so it makes sense in that way to compare it to that).

[@RonSpomerOutdoors]

The data I've read indicates the friction forging process is what makes the difference. Forging has always been a huge part of steel/knife making. The hotter and harder (pounding) the forging, the better the knife.

[@randalls380]

Alaskan Guide s30V by Buck*

[@Bat-Fool]

If I was going to be dropped off in the woods, and I could only have one knife. One blade to butcher game it would be one of those. But realistically I can buy a replaceable blade knife and I could save money for more hunting tags. He probably has the best high-end knife

[@chrisgunsandguitars1403]

I hate to admit it, but I’m one of those guys that can’t sharpen a knife freehand for sh**. The edge starts coming into shape and then I screw it up. For me it’s less aggravating to just throw it into a box with all the other dull knives and buy a new one.

[@RonSpomerOutdoors-Podcast]

Get a Diamond Blade and they'' sharpen it for you, free.

[@dansaver8247]

Good video! Comment from Cache Creek, BC Canada.