And we list budget-friendly knives that have a professional style and grace to them. Very obtuse edges resist chipping better but dont hold their edge as long and dont cut as well. High alloy tool steels are designed to be air hardening, so they can be cooled even slower than the oil hardening steels found above. The knives are ideal for both indoor and outdoor use. Manage Settings . first there might have been some annealing going on (even if its was a microscopic level) and the steels might have reacted differently. It has high levels of chromium and carbon, making it extremely resistant to corrosion. These steels favor edge retention over all else. Its a good balance between all three attributes, being relatively hard, tough, and corrosion-resistant. -> Maybe prequenched 14c28n could be a little tougher than AEB-L? . But I think it would have much higher toughness than any of the steels on the chart. Im not hating on 80crv2 , Ive used it. Note:Dont bother with anything less than 8Cr in this series. I was recommended the Rat 1 in D2 and I also found that I really like the design of the Ruike p135 and p128. CN Vs VG-10 The Japanese steel, VG10 offers slightly higher edge retention but has the same level of hardness as 14C28N. In fact Id be delighted to have your experience checking my thinking! Vg10 and cpms45vn same toughness at same hardness ? AEB-L is a non-powder steel produced by Swedish steelmaker Uddeholm. Knife steel nerds have a great write up on 14c28n nik_was 2 yr. ago 14C28N and D2 knives are affordable high-end knives. most knives are being made out of these and other mediocre steels like 14c28n, 420j2, 425m. The Complete Guide to Knife and Tool Steels - Heinnie Haynes Read our full Sobata 398 review here. 14c28n Steel Is Good for Knife? Here's The Best Review For - Milkwood The greatest living knifemaker and one of the greatest knifemakers of all time, Michael Walker, calls AEB-L one of his favorite steels. https://knifesteelnerds.com/2020/05/01/testing-the-edge-retention-of-48-knife-steels/, Unfortunately it all comes down to marketing on everybody involved: Industry, knifemakers, users. Phone Hours (MST) What is 14c28n Steel? is it good for knife? (Complete Steel Guide) Some of these steels also have vanadium (CruForgeV) or tungsten (Blue Super, V-Toku2, 1.2519) for increased wear resistance. But yes, I would assume that the general performance would still be relatively similar between them without evidence to the contrary. However, the relative difference in toughness between these different examples are similar. 2) you do not go into the sharpening in much detail. So for most steels they are given a rating at around 59-62 Rc, apart from a few steels that are never used at that hardness. Maxamets hardness results in incredible edge retention and a nightmarish sharpening and machining experience. But Ive found it lacking in hardness, even when compared to cheaper steels like AUS-8. Hes already done a three part series on cryogenic treatment: Very much appreciate you. 14c28n vs. AUS-8 Steel Its very tough and exceptionally corrosion-resistant. 1. Sandvik 14C28N steel is better than D2 steel in corrosion resistance and toughness. It mainly made for knife and it high in Chromium for excellent corrosion resistance. The critical difference between these two sheets of steel is their corrosion resistance. I would think that the label applies to either the line or the outlier, but probably not both unless the outlier is a measurement error. in the correct place for the stainless-toughness-edge-retention graphic? Actually, Id be thinking 14C28N, but I want to leave stainless out. D2 holds it for longer. Most of these steels are carbon steels, except for CPM MagnaCut (the fancy steel cooked up specifically for knives by Dr. Thomas), which has excellent corrosion resistance. 14c28n is the most popular material for the knife: stainless steel and made by the Swedish company. 420HC, 420, and 5160 all offer off-the-charts toughness. It wont hang long with high-end powder metal steels(a method of making steel using ultra-pure micrograins of steel that are heated and pressed together). If the steel is overheated in austenitizing, very large reductions in toughness are possible. . Sign up to receive GearJunkie content direct to your inbox. Tough steel can handle impacts without gross chipping or a tip breaking off. The high hardness makes it all but impossible to sharpen and machine. Its so high in hardness that Maxamet knives usually ship with desiccating packages. CPM154 is a truly superior steel. In all of the cases above, properties are greatly controlled by carbides. 14c28n Steel - Is it Good for the knife? (Composition Analysis) However, Kershaw asked Sandvik to make their 13C26 steel more resistant to corrosion, and the result was 14C28N. So youre right that a D2 blade will cut more CATRA cards than an AEB-L blade *when theyre both sharpened to the same angle* but AEB-L has much better toughness and can therefore handle being sharpened to a more acute angle without chipping, and a more acute angle is more important to continuing cutting ability than wear resistance is. It should get an ultra-sharp edge for easy cutting, hold the edge for long for easy maintenance, and have a sturdy and ergonomic handle for comfort and to prevent accidents. What is the Best Budget Knife Steel? - Knife Steel Nerds great work, larrin. However the 14c28n steel would be great for an EDC knife with typical usage. also the angle is by far the most important factor in catra testing, so such results might be irrelevant. Some steels are more difficult to manufacture for the steel company or have more expensive alloying elements so the cost is increased. 1.4116 More expensive powder metallurgy steels in this category include M390, CPM-S35VN, Elmax, CTS-XHP, CPM-S30V, and CPM-154. Display: 24 per page Sort by: Featured View CIVIVI Voltaic Flipper Knife Stainless Steel Handle With Micarta Inlay (3.48" 14C28N Blade) $88.30 Add to cart This is one of the better steels on the market. For the steels that I rated I give them a single rating rather than a range based on different heat treatments that can be performed. Everything you need to know to buy the right knife for the job. Is there a reason SG2/R2 are not included in the lineup, despite being one of the most popular ones? Maxamet is one of two current high-hardness kings, with HRc marks in the high 60s approaching 70, a hardness usually only seen in carbide steels. and why would anyone want to use it when 420HC looks so much better for a simple stainless steel option. However, even in this case there is the complicating factor of carbide and abrasive hardness. It mainly made for knife and it high in Chromium for excellent corrosion resistance. Also Mo additions improve corrosion resistance for a given amount of chromium. Did you change the estimate based on more testing? The best steels with balanced properties include 4V/Vanadis4E, CPM-CruWear, and CPM-M4. In other words, heat treating a steel to its maximum hardness does not necessarily mean reduced corrosion resistance. I test corrosion resistance of steels by heat treating 1 x 1.5 inch coupons, finishing to about 400 grit, and then spraying with water. You can see micrographs of different knife steels to compare their carbides in this article. This is especially important for chopping knives and for knives with thin edges for enhanced cutting ability and edge retention. and yet millons of knives are being made out of 1.4116 (aisi 420mov?) Rex 45 Read more. Rather than upgrade from D2 to M4 or S30V just drop the angle from 40 degrees to 30 degrees. the more complex fracture toughness at least lets you make some estimates in this sence. Spyderco offers this as the high-end steel for many of its evergreen blades, like the Paramilitary 2, Paramilitary 3, Manix 2, and Native 5. CTS-204P and CPM-20CV are nearly identical steels made by other manufacturers. A2 is a tool steel renowned for toughness. Thanks to powder metallurgy, youll find even better edge retention on the high end. Pretty interesting that regrinding a knife you already have can seemingly take its performance to that of significantly better steels. Lots of information is still specific to this article, however. 5 Best Knife Steels in 2023 (Steel Charts & Guide by a Marine) The 25 dps sharpened knife saw almost no edge damage with 2 ft-lbs while a 15 dps edge saw a significant chip with only 0.3 ft-lbs and catastrophic chipping with 1.4 ft-lbs. Which one is right for you? A cryo treatment and close temperature control is necessary to achieve those hardness levels. 8Cr13MoV still has some corrosion resistance, but not as much as D2. And for high toughness you want little or no carbide. Tanto Privacy Policy. It also improves edge retention and strength. The maximum edge retention available in this group is not particularly high because most of the wear resistance comes from iron carbide, also called cementite, which is the softest of the different carbide types. Often used for combat knives. The hardenable grade of titanium (Beta C Titanium) reaches up to 45 or so rc. Thanks! 14C28N steel, also known as Sandvik 14C28N, is stainless steel made by Sandvik, a European steel company in Sweden. In my experience, it will tarnish and discolor quickly. Also many hardwoods will dull planer blades just because theyre more dense. But the true calling card of INFI is its insane toughness. Importing steel from Europe to the USA, or vice versa, generally increases the cost. When it debuted, Sal Glesser described XHP as a combination of D2s hardness and 440Cs corrosion resistance. LC200N has similar properties to those two but with saltwater levels of corrosion resistance. It doesnt hold an edge well, but its so easy to sharpen that you can get it back to razor sharpness in a few minutes. These are Chinese-produced steels that recently started showing up in Chinese-made knives. . We can predict edge retention of a steel within a relatively narrow band based on hardness and carbide volume. in relation to hardness). My test is for comparing different steels, not necessarily for a go/no go test for saltwater applications. Its probably in between Vanadis 8 and 10V. I have not provided a rating for ease in sharpening. Rowens heat treat on ESEE knives that use 1095 is exceptional; KA-BARs is less so. One such person is Dr. Larrin Thomas, a professional metallurgist raised by a knife maker and a giant knife nerd. But a few overly vocal forgers were making claims about it that clearly were not true especially when comparing it to 5160. Edge Retention Test! 14c28n vs VG10 blade steel comparison - YouTube Below are some great ways to make your knife your own. In other words, Rex 121 would be the most difficult to sharpen and 5160 and 8670 would be the easiest. Though technically not a stainless steel at least 14% chromium, and D2 usually has 12% its relatively corrosion-resistant. Most edge retention tests isolate wear resistance or how long it takes abrasives to dull your edge in whatever youre cutting. Another very tough and highly wear-resistant steel grade is the D2. Instead, Vargo titanium uses a unique material called sintered titanium-ceramic alloy. CRKT Bona Fide Review: 1.4116 Steel vs. D2 - Nothing But Knives The D2 steel compares nicely with 14c28n steel in terms of edge retention, as it's quite hard as well. There is no single category that means that a steel is more premium or better than another. Other factors that can be added in are corrosion resistance, hardness, and cost. can you strike twice as fast with the knife? However, there are other factors. Ease of Sharpening: One advantage of 8Cr13MoV is that it is easier to sharpen than D2 steel. The brand designed it as a carbide replacement. D2 steel also offers similar toughness levels as the 14c28n steel, so both aren't really prone to chipping with proper use. I was wondering if the 14c28n sample was also prequenched like the AEB-L toughness samples? When describing the characteristics of a steel, a few common attributes are commonly talked about. 14c28n Steel Review - Knives & Gear as you mentioned catra indicates the edge angle as being by far the most important variable. The Kershaw Leek is a most popular EDC knife that design by legendary custom knife maker Ken Onion. D2 is mainly considered decent budget steel that comes with better edge retention than the 14C28N. High Alloy Tool Steels and High Speed Steels. So presumably, wear resistance would be in the 3.5-4 range and toughness in the 5.5-6 range. Other factors include how thick your edge is, how dull your knife was at the start, the nature of the heat treatment, and what youre using to sharpen your knife. 14C28N, designed by Sandvik at Kershaw's behest to have the edge properties of 13C26 but with increased corrosion resistance by adding nitrogen and chromium. In the context of a knife this would be chipped edges or broken knives. Contact me if you have any questions or input! A2 knives need care taken to avoid rust and are often coated to inhibit corrosion. On the positive side, they are very easy to forge and grind. SPY27 You can see that 64 Rc AEB-L has both lower toughness and edge retention than 61 Rc MagnaCut, so I feel that in general you get a better sense of where the steels fit with a single point. But weve tested this metal in the form of the Sobata 398 for nearly a year and have been continually impressed. Steel with high wear resistance is more costly to manufacture, as the knife company goes through more abrasives to grind the knives. D2 has a relatively high amount of carbon in its composition (1.55%), more than twice as much as AEB-L (0.68%), but most of that carbon goes into making chromium carbides instead of into solution in the steel matrix, leaving D2 with only ~0.5% C in solution and very large carbides that are good for wear resistance but bad for toughness. 14c28n steel has a high Chromium and Carbon percentage. The best scenario is when the steel, heat treatment, and geometry are selected for the knife and the use. Should have a first draft by the end of next week. So, it is quite harder than most other steel variants and retains its edge sharp for a long period. List of blade materials - Wikipedia Let the job at hand be your guide. I would like to see the rating and performance on test of the Chinese Steels, that some people use to say its cheap garbage, like 3Cr13MoV, 4Cr13, 4Cr13Mo, 4Cr14MoV, 5Cr15MoV, 6Cr13MoV, 7Cr17MoV, 8Cr13MoV, 9Cr13MoVCo, 9Cr18MoV, 9Cr19MoV, and the 14cr14MovNB to see if they are similar, worse or better than the steels that they copyi believe we gonna have some good unexpected results. We have our views as well, and here they are! Furthermore, because of its ultrahigh hardness, Maxamet is very prone to corrosion, probably worse than 1095. Why wouldnt it be possible to make a damascus steel out of (say) AEB-L and s90V, or wouldnt that gain the best of both? If youre looking for all all-around best knife steel, youd be hard-pressed to find one better than Bohler Uddeholm M390. In fact, its not technically a steel at all, as it uses titanium and nickel. The both blade are equally wear resistant. It confirms what I always suspected and what anyone could have figured out by reading the technical data. Ive found that most makers harden S30V too much, making it prone to chipping at the edge. Is 14c28n A Good Knife Steel? [Complete Steel Guide] A new steel from Crucible, SPY27 launched in 2020 in the Spyderco Native 5and Para 3. This is a non-powder steel produced by American steel company Carpenter. Hi Larrin Your estimate of 420HCs corrosion resistance is different here than in your October, 2019 post on corrosion resistance testing: https://knifesteelnerds.com/2019/10/14/corrosion-resistance-testing/ Below shows approximate maximum hardness vs stainless rating for several stainless knife steels. There are so many interactions between them that predictions are difficult without modeling software. I used to work for a company that did reclaimed old growth lumber (swamp cedar, old growth pine and oak beams, etc) and we went through planer blades twice as fast as the cabinetry shop next door (turns out the neighbors like it when you put all the loud businesses together and far away), which mostly cut fresh cherry, oak, maple, hickory etc. The old rule in steels used to be corrosion resistance, toughness, or hardness choose two. But SM100 (the trade name for Nitinol 60) threw that out the window when introduced to the cutlery world. Interesting. In reality hardly difference. The most traditional models of pocket knives have different parts, such as the handle and cutting performance. Are you okay with that? I think they are complementary and you should watch/read both. On the spreadsheet, youve grouped AUS-8 and 8Cr13MoV. So you can estimate how much a change in hardness would affect edge retention by following the slope of those lines. In thick forms, like a fixed blade, 1095 isa tough, low-cost steel. D2 steel is more durable than 14C28N, but it scores lower in terms of ease of sharpening and corrosion resistance. I measured corrosion resistance of a slightly lower carbon 420 here: https://knifesteelnerds.com/2020/03/02/cpm-spy27-experiments-toughness-corrosion-resistance-and-more/. Also known as Z-Finit, Zapp produces this steel in America. You can read an article I wrote on budget steels here. There are significant differences between them because 14C28N is stainless steel, while D2 steel is a semi-stainless tool steel. Why do knives make the best gifts? For example, see the chart below for how much edge retention can change with edge geometry for a single steel (in this case 154CM and CPM-154). Rust Test includes:D2 from Bestech and WE1095 from shop8Cr13Mov from Spyderco420HC from BuckWalmart knifeY Start (Marked D2)Follow me at:Twitter: https://twi.