Kershaw Mini & Full Iridium, Layup, Demko AD20.5, and Boker Lateralis D2 roundup - 5 knives examined

In this video 5 knives undergo the Hype Smasher test and get examined for metal composition and hardness. Will all of them make it through the 220 in-lbs spine strike? Are all of them made of traditional D2 steel? How good is the heat treat on the blades?
Disclaimer: this video is for entertainment purposes only! Do not attempt to reproduce any of the experiments seen in this video as they may lead to injury and property damage.
#knife #edc #kershaw #boker #demko

[@CuttingBoardRx]

This may be the nerdiest video on my channel to date. Keep the questions coming, lmk if you like the format. And share the link!

[@terryamos8714]

You are one of the very few taking the knife companies to task. Please don't stop! Thank you!

[@phthano2580]

It's such a relief when I want to buy a knife and see that you have a teardown so I can make an authoritative decision.

[@Warsmith_Honsou]

In fact, D2 is my favorite budget steel. I will always prefer D2 instead of 14с28, 440c, vg10, 154cm. Glad you added a hardness test to your videos. Thanks!

[@CuttingBoardRx]

You’re welcome! Hardness is The most time consuming of my tests but I noticed that online retailers mostly stoped posting HRC in the product descriptions! I’m outraged about this, what about you?

[@Warsmith_Honsou]

@@CuttingBoardRx As a lefty, I put up with a lot in my hobby of knives, and the hardness of the steel is of course a concern for me. It's a shame to pay hundreds of dollars for a knife that isn't even properly heat-treated. But again, it’s great that you were able to add a hardness test to your content, this is a great field for future content.

[@CuttingBoardRx]

@@Warsmith_Honsou Haha! Let them try and stop me! 😡

[@luisnouel4268]

This is one of the best video I have ever seen (if not the best) about knives. Keep doing that excellent job. I use many knives made of D2. I never found a little rust and the edge lasts a lot. My only complain is when I reprofile it. It takes ages until you get the new angle

[@CuttingBoardRx]

Thanks for the compliment! Diamond sharpening plates - must have for anyone who’s into hard steel!

[@Chappvid]

I am grateful for your work. Cheers

[@mileswatto6221]

thanks for including the demko. the ad20.5 is one of my favorite knives. I thought it would perform well and it didnt disappoint!

[@CuttingBoardRx]

It was like: “bring it! I want more!” Great knife from a great man and a great company

[@monkpato]

Good testing! I agree, no excuse for soft small knives.

[@CuttingBoardRx]

Therapy for you, my sick friend 🤣

[@jeffalbers1565]

I love your videos man. Nice change from hand puppet videos from people that have obviously never even used the knife they're showing.

[@CuttingBoardRx]

Hand puppets! Lol 😂

[@richardvirchow3390]

I subscribed to your channel a month or two ago. I love to watch your scientific examination of popular knives, their metallurgy, locking systems, etc. You do great work; keep it up please!

[@CuttingBoardRx]

Thank you! Good to have you in the Tribe!

[@mattakudesu]

Great video, really nice to see these tests done and really see what these companies are giving us. I happen to be carrying my d2 iridium today, but I don't feel bad about it, still a great knife that performs at a level that I would expect for what I paid.

[@CuttingBoardRx]

Iridium definitely deserved 2023 Knife of the Year more than Microtech MSI. What a fiasco that was…

[@christopherhathaway3888]

Love your tests and reviews! You are the best knife channel in my opinion. Keep up the great work sir

[@CuttingBoardRx]

Thanks! Means a lot to me!

[@mannynieves493]

Very good video and thank you for the information.

[@Superbus753]

Well i don’t like d2 too much because of its relatively coarse microstructure. I really prefer 14c28n over d2 for budget knifes.

[@CuttingBoardRx]

Coarse microstructure is actually better for cutting fibrous material such as paper, cardboard, and softer wood. CATRA tests show 420 mm for 14c28n, 500 mm and up for D2 and 600+ mm for CPM D2. knifesteelnerds.com/2021/03/25/cpm-magnacut/

[@Superbus753]

@@CuttingBoardRx i know. but mostly im not too much concerned with working edge holding but more very fine edges

[@CuttingBoardRx]

@@Superbus753 CruWear

[@Superbus753]

@@CuttingBoardRx yep cru wear is great. Though i prefer z-waer over it. But they aren’t budget options. I think for budget blades 14c28n is nice

[@CuttingBoardRx]

@@Superbus753 I’m not disagreeing with you. And the fact is that for a typical price of MagnaCut knife, one can buy a 14C28N blade, a K110=D2 blade, a decent multitool, and a good pocket sharpener. Yet, somehow Benchmade gets away with selling MC heat treated to its lowest potential at crazy prices

[@moss7220]

The Lateralus has been on my radar for years, & the Boker brand's quality is what originally hooked me into collecting.

[@CuttingBoardRx]

It’s been discontinued 🤨 so if you can find one, it’s $100 well spent.

[@Kris_Stiletto]

Awesome Video, Bro! I absolutely luv seeing the HRC Testing; well done! I look forward to seeing more Test, like this, from you. The Demko AD20.5's D2 is Austrian K110 D2. I was impressed with how well the K110 D2 did. My favorite Pocket Knife is my Demko Knives, AD20S, with the Austrian, K110 D2 Steel. It's held its edge since I refurbished my Custom Polished, Purple G-10, AD20S. This explains why... Now, I have more respect for the K110 D2 Folders from Demko Knives. Awesome Video. I will share a Link to this Video in the next Video I talk about any of my Demko K110 D2 Knives. Well done!!! :-) Peace, Stiletto :-)

[@CuttingBoardRx]

Well, thank you for the compliment and for the information about the steel!

[@loosieclocker]

This is quality information

[@gpw8786]

What a great video. Thanks for that 🍻

[@CuttingBoardRx]

Thank you for the compliment! Please don’t forget hit the share button and copy the link! That causes the algorithm to show this video to more viewers with interests similar to yours.

[@arkansas_edc]

The stuff your doing is the stuff I would love to be doing on my KZbin channel. Maybe i can get there someday should funds allow. For now I love watching what you do. Keep it up brother!

[@CuttingBoardRx]

Amazing how much test gear one can buy for a price of a single mid-grade knife

[@scuffedpixels]

Love your videos! Thanks for your research!!

[@CuttingBoardRx]

Thanks! Share it with your nerdiest friends!

[@razorbackss]

Hey mate been following along from Australia since the Deka fiasco. Love the direction the channels heading in with comprehensive testing, but I'm not certain your getting an accurate representation of grain structure with your current setup. Oxides are your enemy when trying get a clear image, I'm sure you know what it is but look into prep work including surface finishes & Nital etching 👍

[@CuttingBoardRx]

The grains are visible but the boundaries are obscured by the finish. I think polishing a small area will show the grain boundaries better.

[@razorbackss]

@CuttingBoardRx for sure. How's the 710 going? Got one on order & keen to get a closer look at it. Spewing it doesn't have a pivot bushing for that sort of money.

[@zero61288]

Congratulations on your increase in growth of the channel! I enjoy your videos because as you mentioned, more interesting content than just a standard review. I don’t comment much on videos but I do watch yours all the way through. Keep up the awesome work you’re doing and I hope many others will find value in it, as the rest of us do!

[@CuttingBoardRx]

Great to have you in the Tribe!

[@knifecoop001]

Thank you for the nice test of the lock and steel, would be great if you would add cutting tests as well.

[@cintage]

You have published some great videos, e.g. about lock security etc. But I‘m afraid you cannot see the grain structure on the surface of a blade. All you see is the finish.

[@CuttingBoardRx]

Actually you can see the grain structure but the boundaries are washed out by the finish. I could try polishing a small area to see what we can see

[@airwolf2001]

Awesome information! Love your videos, they're some of the best and most helpful videos on KZbin! Where do you get the Rockwell tester?

[@CuttingBoardRx]

The tester came from Amazon.

[@whatfor5]

I know everyone on the Internet is an expert, but I think you want to couple those blades to the base with a high viscosity grease before running the leeb hardness test. Otherwise your results will come out a few points low.

[@CuttingBoardRx]

No problem, someone else suggested it and in the very next video I did it. I used a sanitising gel, which is much less messy - you would not want any grease on the probe. The result wasn’t really more accurate (I specifically retested one of the blades) but it was a lot easier to get the good result as I didn’t have to search for a flattest side etc. here’s the video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pH6xnmOvisZkZrssi=OLXnC7Hr74IKZNHQ

[@grumpyuncle.]

Good stuff on this channel!

[@grumpyuncle.]

Your other videos on rust proof knives have been exceptional!

[@CuttingBoardRx]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@Obsidian-One]

You might want to do more research. Arrpm9 is sprayform 9cr18mov not 8cr. And Demko ad20.5 is actually k110 by Bohler not d2, idk why they put d2 on the blade even though they are supposed to be the same.

[@CuttingBoardRx]

And, what’s the point you’re trying to make?

[@R1NR4N]

Love the technical deep-dives! I think it's what this channel does better than almost any other. Speaking of technical deep-dives, is there any chance of an analysis on Microtech's new zero-play OTF designs when they (preferably the Ultratech) hit the market?

[@CuttingBoardRx]

Ummm. I’m not excited about Microtech right now due to how they are handling the RamLoc fiasco.

[@R1NR4N]

@@CuttingBoardRx Darn it, that's not the response my wallet wanted to hear haha.

[@brettt1268]

Just want to say thank you and you just made me spend more money jk I’m spending that money anyway here’s the thing D2 is all over the road as far as its quality I have a 28 dollar knife that has a 4” blade in D2 or so they say and I have 70 dollar kershaw in D2 with 3.2 inch blade then there is the Demko that is in k110 from Sandvik aka D2 for 110 dollars 3 or 3.2 inch blade CPM D2 is different still well like u said Carpenter Power Metal D2 which is a consistent steel every time like the K110

[@DanMatheny-sl7xk]

Been loving my full size iridium as a work beater. My local knife joint “Rivers Edge Cutlery” has demko 20.5 in AUS-10A for $120, does that seem like a fair price? I don’t know much about that steel, thanks!!

[@CuttingBoardRx]

Thanks again for contributing! I have 2 knives by Cold Steel, that’s who’s making most of Demko knives, in AUS 10A. I measured them both and the Karve is 58.2 HRC, Recon 1 is 59.2 HRC. It’s a High Carbon Stainless, CrMoVaN steel. The recommended range for this steel is 58-60. “A” stands for Air Quench- meaning it’s in essence a tool steel as air quench steels are less sensitive to overheating. It is slightly more corrosion resistant than D2 but at a cost of slightly less wear resistance. Made in Japan. I would call it the top budget steel and would not hesitate to carry a knife made by Cold Steel. I paid $140-ish for AD 20.5 in D2, so the price is good. The action on mine is insane, it spits the blade out and sucks it back in like JarJar Bing’s tongue. Karve btw has a Demko-designed ATLAS lock that is very similar in all respects the shark lock. Hope this helps!

[@mrc2205]

Loved the vid, thank you for your knowledge.

[@CuttingBoardRx]

My pleasure!

[@lando8913]

Question about your rockwell tester. Is that device expensive/hard to get? I've only ever seen people use the kind that leaves a dent. Also, some anecdotal evidence. I have the iridium and qsp penguin both in D2 and the iridium feels much harder on the stone. I have knives in n690 and 14c too and the iridium is by far the hardest steel I have. I'm surprised by your results.

How does AUS10A compare to D2? Demko knives in my area are using that and s35vn. Thanks for a great channel.

[@CuttingBoardRx]

AUS10 will have more toughness and corrosion resistance but less edge retention than D2 in the poured ingot form. In the particle metallurgical form, CPM D2 catches up to AUS10 in toughness but retains greater edge retention and low CR. The assumption being both are heat treated to their respective ideal hardness. S35VN is slightly higher than D2 in ER and lower in toughness than both. Most Demko Knives are made in Taiwan by Cold Steel and they HT blades quite well. Hope that helps.

@@CuttingBoardRx thanks for the reply. I was just wondering. Here in Scandinavia it seems that all you can find in the demko 20.5 is aus10 or s35vn. I was just wondering if demko has stopped using d2.

[@CuttingBoardRx]

I can’t be sure about D2 use, but wish they looked into using CPM D2 because it is a very good budget alternative to CruWear, 3V and M4.

[@4runner1grfe]

Can you please test the spine lock test on a compression lock?

[@CuttingBoardRx]

It’s coming. I want to test more tan 1 knife though. What’s the word on the KZbin? Will it hold up?

[@4runner1grfe]

@@CuttingBoardRx it’s already been tested with Andrew Demko, creator of triad and shark/scorpion locks. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bJappniEe5qWZpofeature=shared Here’s the video. But his test hits the spine with significantly more force than your test. Very few knives pass his spine whack test. But his tests are biased because he’s selling cold steels, I’d like to see you do your own analysis

[@Venusdietrap]

On the Demko the 64 hardness result seemed like an outlier. Seems like hardness was more around 60

[@CuttingBoardRx]

You are right! I went back literally just now and it tested 60.5 avg with 59.5 low and 61.3 high. So my measurements are within the tolerance limits for the industrial testers. Any thoughts?

[@Sillyworld82]

I think the Kershaw Iridium was named that because if you take iridium191 and bombard it with neutrons, it becomes highly radioactive iridium192. ☢️ That explains why the low HRC rating because they didn't want to experience neutron activation 😂

[@Dont_Poke_The_Bear]

Not all D2 is created, or heat treated, equally.

[@jeremys64]

Of my several D2 knives, the Boker is the worst performer. I can’t seem to get a good, long-lasting edge on it. I’m a mediocre sharpener, so it could be my technique, but I’ve achieved good results on many other knives, including ones with D2 steel. It’s frustrating.

[@mattakudesu]

I had the same problem with my D2 sencut serene. Had to sharpen it like 5 times before I got down to a good, long lasting edge. I think the edge maybe got burnt on the belt because even though I could get it stupid sharp, a few passes through double layered cardboard completely trashed the edge like I dragged it across a rock. I finally got down to some good metal after the 5th sharpening and now it slices like nobody's business.

[@jeremys64]

@@mattakudesu that sounds like my Boker. I’ve sharpened it three times, and each time it feels sharp until I cut something thicker than paper.

[@CuttingBoardRx]

Are you using diamond plates?

[@jeremys64]

@@CuttingBoardRxyessir, DMTs

[@tacticalcenter8658]

Artisan aarpm9 is not spray form. Larrin is not god. Asia d2 is all sub par ht.

[@CuttingBoardRx]

Larrin is not god? Everything is God if you’re a believer. Even a little troll that creeps around KZbin and exposes his own ignorance is manifestation of God!

[@tacticalcenter8658]

@@CuttingBoardRx I'm not a troll. Stop your ignorance.

[@CuttingBoardRx]

@tacticalcenter8658 Sir, watch this video please. It will help you improve your life! kzbin.info/www/bejne/fXvdZ2mtop5oY68si=QmTLQJeeYXq1FRUI

[@tacticalcenter8658]

@@CuttingBoardRx you are not smart. You say thing's that are incorrect.

[@CuttingBoardRx]

@@tacticalcenter8658 Sir, “things” is spelled without an apostrophe. “thing’s” means “belonging to a thing” Keep exposing your credibility. It’s very entertaining!