Most Important Property for Knife Steel? Q&A

New Q&A video with questions from Patreon supporters. Go to Patreon.com/KnifeSteelNerds if you want to support knife steel research.
Links to articles discussed in the video:
www.nature.com/articles/srep4...
knifesteelnerds.com/2023/07/1...
knifesteelnerds.com/2022/06/2...
knifesteelnerds.com/2021/02/0...
knifesteelnerds.com/2021/10/1...
knifesteelnerds.com/2020/05/0...
knifesteelnerds.com/2019/01/2...
knifesteelnerds.com/2021/06/0...
knifesteelnerds.com/2018/02/2...
knifesteelnerds.com/2021/04/2...
knifesteelnerds.com/2018/04/2...
00:00 Ultra high toughness with ferrite/martensite steels?
05:09 Normalize 80CrV2 with stock removal?
09:18 How much forging to eliminate carbide stringers?
11:16 Will CruForgeV ever come back?
12:25 What is the most important property for knife steel?
15:04 Different CATRA test for cooking knives?
17:22 Does bainite have a place in knives?
20:22 Austenitizing soak time?
23:40 High temperature tempering is bad?

[@mannsdan]

listening to Larrin talk leads to an increase in IQ by osmosis

[@jamessobolik3727]

I like using big words because it makes me sound more photosynthesis

[@JustinCase-em6ql]

For me, toughness and ease of sharpening to razor sharp. 14c28n, thank you very much.

[@DuhYaThink]

Or Aeb-L 👍🏻

[@thehopperhopes6365]

Or 13C26

[@doransponsel4813]

I had a Kershaw leek in 14c, loved it but I lost it. Got a new leek, the copper handle one, and the steel isn't even the same! Thankfully it's an upgrade to cpm 154 and I love it too, they're both great knife steels and the Kershaw leek is the perfect edc imo

[@mikafoxx2717]

Toughness and hardness, and corrosion resistance is nice. Ease of sharpening almost stops mattering when you go diamond. 14c28n is damn good stuff though. Even the budget 12c27m isn't half bad for being about as cheap as 1095 in premade mora and opinel knives.

[@scottvines4093]

@@doransponsel4813 That's been my most used knife. I make knives for fun and own several custom knives, but the Leek in that steel is great for what most people do with a knife.

[@krissteel4074]

At some point I'd like to see Larrin do a bit of a plug for his Apex Ultra steel, its got quite a lot of interesting properties in it which should interest the knife makers and users who might not have heard of it. Didn't get quite the same amount publicity as the Magnacut, but there's a lot to like there too

[@LosRiji]

Can I tell you about our lord and savior Niomax?

[@krissteel4074]

@@LosRiji I don't think that was ever made in any meaningful quantities enough to filter down to scub knife makers at the arsehole end of the world where I am. For a while I was making a lot of knives out of Niolox+ which sort of sold me on niobium alloys in knife steels as being a very good thing to have, it got harder to find or they called it something else along with none of my more trusted suppliers carrying it. Think I've still got a bar of it squirreled away for a project but that's about it

[@BenfromFlux]

Excited to hear Larrins answer - but the most important attribute is dependent on the application. A blade primarily designed for combat will have different needs, it must never break, so something like 3V will be much better than a more wear resistant steel, and if it’s a knife for a SEAL, then corrosion resistance is also extremely important. All depends on the application, but for general purpose, Magnacut is at the top.

[@DeweyBlanton-ku7db]

My pea brain didn't absorb half of this but definitely keep it saved for future reference. Especially when my knife making friends tell me their 1920's leaf spring steel is the best....lol.😂

[@thaknobodi]

I have a stump of pecan wood which is really hard on steels. When wailing on it magnacut is super tough

[@Pzykoh_Tey]

Woot! New video from the Master!

[@JohnFrumFromAmerica]

The high tempering corrosion problem happened with my magnacut OKC spl pack knife. I did a spray water test and it was about the same as D2 in regards to corrosion restiance.

[@judgetoogood1033]

Thank you

[@kenh8979]

Good video and thank you. One point, at the 1:30 mark the broken steel has almost a wrought iron look. Not quite, but close.

[@AK-ContentCreatIon]

Dr Steel! Everytime You speak, I listen. And hopefully, remember correctly to apply those informations when necessary - and by doing that having learned something.... THANKS. Really good to know. Greets from Austria!

[@AK-ContentCreatIon]

@knifesteelnerds Question: Do You have a recommendation how to heat treat ApexUltra for coating? (CVD or PVD? like TiN / Ti(C,N), Dursan...) and what coating technics are therefore recommended? / What processes should one not use?) Thanks

[@KnifeSteelNerds]

Whichever coating you can apply at a lower temperature than your final tempering temperature

[@AK-ContentCreatIon]

@@KnifeSteelNerds that means I can temper APexUltra also up to 500C* (do I find the steel datasheet on the crucible site, or where do I look to find it... Thanks again

[@AK-ContentCreatIon]

@@KnifeSteelNerds found it... sory for asking BEFORE searching....

[@AK-ContentCreatIon]

@@KnifeSteelNerds Did You temper Apex with 500C? The documents didnt tell me that other than max 240C.....

[@jordanjohnson7266]

Thanks Larrin? Love these. Will be a patron soon. Which steels fall under the tough and hard category for you? Where they can take a keen edge and keep it? I

[@williamburns-uw2gf]

I'm a total novice to Metallurgy and this on KZbin and your web page is extremely helpful, thank you KSN; although I get a brain block for my uneducated cells. I wish to coal forge and gift a drop point survival knife for dearest friend, who does mostly basic camping often in all wood/mountain areas. Unsure on the full process, heat treating, annealing etc, so to get the best from the alloys used together. Laminating steel's: Blue 2, W2 (Hamon), 1084, MagnaCut and 440C. Truly hope you can help?

[@monkpato]

This has to be a joke, right?

[@Tonioostendorp]

Love these video’s

[@SavageSmoke74]

Thank you! Temperature means more than time, people never get that. A constant temp means the material will only ever get that hot. I compare it to sou vide and they get it. Ive been preaching geometry of the edge for years. Hopefully customers will start letting makers k ow.

[@_BLANK_BLANK]

(on the part about 80crv2) I would be really interested to see different low austenitizing temps tested. Starting from the critical temp, until it reaches max hardness. And see how it behaves.

[@TheBereanAtheist]

I love how knives are his side hustle and not his 9-5 job.

[@_BLANK_BLANK]

I think you guys put the final nail in the coffin with apex ultra. Lol If it wasn't already never coming back.

[@danielnarbett]

Great info ❤ I would appreciate it though if you'd show both the x and y axis titles and units, even if you then zoom e.g. at 17:00, thanks!

[@zdenekbart]

🔝👍🇨🇿 have knife from Magna-Cut and it is perfect. 👊👏

[@LosRiji]

Which?

[@zdenekbart]

@@LosRiji Schwarz knives, Dawson knives

[@hollo6546]

Dear Doctor, I believe you are a rare professional on KZbin！ I am making an outdoor survival axe with dimensions of 110mm in length, 120mm in height and 20mm in thickness. I need your expertise to help me choose the metal. My first choice is high carbon steel and metal monolithic structure. , local heat treatment, 1095 or 1080.1060? Thanks!

[@kraftzion]

The ability to hold an acute angle without chipping or rolling.

[@LosRiji]

Finally ❤❤❤

[@YoureSoVane]

I'd really like to see your take on the Delta heat treat from Carothers Performance Knives.

[@KnifeSteelNerds]

If he wants to publicize the heat treatment I can analyze it, otherwise it is just speculation and advertising

[@SAKAYA22]

I'm pretty sure its just some low tempering protocol with cryo and maybe some stress relieving pre-hardening but I garantee there are nothing "magical" possible when it comes to heat treating science.

[@CNYKnifeNut]

He's already covered that. Definitely not a direct quote, but the sentiment was something along the lines of "woo woo heat treatment is purely placebo"

[@christopherlarson7579]

Hey Larin! I’m a big fan of your work and d was wondering if you can review the Carothers Performance Knives CPM 3V steel with their delta heat treatment. It’s an optimized heat treatment for CPM 3V and I would love to hear your thoughts on it. Thank you 🤓.

[@KnifeSteelNerds]

If he wants to publicize the heat treatment I can analyze it, otherwise it is just speculation and advertising

[@CLa-wb5vj]

Hey Larrin! I’m not sure if you’ve spoken about this previously but would you ever consider picking up research and development of the modified cpm 3v from 2009? I believe it replaced one of the elements with niobium. From the specs it seems to dramatically increase the transverse toughness. I’m a total noob when it comes to this industry but is it possible for the modified cpm 3v to be produced in the future? Thank you for your time!

[@LosRiji]

Oh wow dulling from "air" and sweat is a real thing according to your knife doc. I have something to confess. In addition to my well trusted White river M1 backpacker Pro MagnaCut @ ~62 hrc, I'm carrying a spydie Endela K390 wharnie ~62+ hrc and this thing is good but needs to be honed once a day. And since I have a dual grit edge on it 1:12k vitrified diamond so it ain't easy peasy without splashing the one thou. With 12k:12k all I had to do is edge trailing strokes on a spydie 306 ultra fine ceramic, 1micron dbk compound on soft leather strop and finito. Maaaan I do need a MagnaCut folder which is decently thin, not as the ANV A100. (although it is 64 hrc and gives you hard times on ceramics). Any recommendations? Spydercos Native 5 some might say but I need a MagnaCut Wharncliffe. Don't say hogue deka this thing is ugly. Gosh I need it!

[@CNYKnifeNut]

You okay?

[@DuhYaThink]

He seems ok 🤷‍♂️

[@KinetikES]

Very useful info, thanks! How does Bohler K890 compare in the hardness / toughness / corrosion resistance balance?

[@KnifeSteelNerds]

Haven't tested it. It's a non-stainless so the corrosion resistance wouldn't be particularly high. It is advertised by the manufacturer to have high toughness and average wear resistance.

[@KinetikES]

It would be great to see how it tests. Especially since it can be made to high hardness and retain high toughness. I wonder how it holds an edge when sharpened to a low angle edge.

[@MountainFisher]

Warther Knives makes their knives out of Magnacut.

[@john-michaelrobinson3994]

A little off topic; can you tell me/us how Berillium Copper compares to steels like; 5160, 1084, 15N20, 80CrV2?

[@KnifeSteelNerds]

It’s much softer

[@jaxonbeilner9258]

I wonder if Larrin carries a pocket knife and if so which one?

[@KnifeSteelNerds]

I tend to change pocket knives every few months

[@stefthorman8548]

@@KnifeSteelNerds you got that magnacut royalties.

[@DuhYaThink]

@@stefthorman8548 And rightfully so 🎉👍🏻

[@RoscoPColetraneIII]

Lamination in hot rolled steel is bad. No benefit to be had-it’s a bunch of nonmetallic bonds leading to crack formation during rolling, and weakness in use. Why are people asking if it’s a “good thing”? Am I missing something? Damascus steel isn’t the same as lamination. Lamination exists because of impurity inclusions.

[@KnifeSteelNerds]

The “laminated microstructure” was ferrite and martensite, not inclusions

[@xlargetophat]

A mild steel blade can butcher a rabbit just fine and dandy. Knife nerds have gotten out of control