While quite soft, the metal cuts even when it seems dull because, at the microscopic level, it has a roughness that performs much like a serration. Many knife enthusiasts are concerned with categorizing steels as excellent, good, poor, etc. Chris Reeves version, which is about two points less hard than others, is quite good. Jeff I worked at a company that heat treated D2 (1.55% C) planer blades for a company that built wood working equipment for commercial shops. And only Vanax and LC200N have been free from corrosion with a 3.5% saltwater solution, though MagnaCut was close. Uddeholm lists it as somewhat worse in toughness than A2 but somewhat better in wear resistance. Thank you for putting this together, incredibly useful! Its hard enough, tough enough, and stain-resistant enough. S35VN Thank you for such a great article! Three main characteristics differentiate steels from one another: corrosion resistance, hardness, and toughness. The 1.4116 I tested has large carbides in it which is presumably the reason for low measured toughness: https://knifesteelnerds.com/2019/05/26/new-micrographs-of-42-knife-steels/. 2. It can withstand a lot of wear and tear. 14c28n is the most popular material for the knife: stainless steel and made by the Swedish company. The most traditional models of pocket knives have different parts, such as the handle and cutting performance. With toughness it is a bit harder to link to only one article as I dont really have a summary of all of the toughness testing that we have done. Marco, BSc Chem. and yet millons of knives are being made out of 1.4116 (aisi 420mov?) Read about my tests in this article. The study of steel is now so complex and nuanced that one can acquire a graduate degree in the subject and still learn new things every day. 14C28N and D2 knives are affordable high-end knives. Its OK to be a steel snob, but keep in mind that you dont have to if you want a good knife. It is a premium steel that is known for its excellent balance of hardness, corrosion resistance, and edge retention. High Alloy Tool Steel and High Speed Steel Ratings. Continue with Recommended Cookies. then you have zirconia and diamond coated blades. There is one exception: Bucks 420HC (Buck and onlyBuck) is produced using a proprietary heat treatment. Because of their good edge retention, these steels are quite versatile in folders and fixed blades. In use, its very similar to 440C and VG-10. CROMOVA 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. This showed that XHP and ZDP-189 have significantly lower corrosion resistance than other stainless steels. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. I think this website is aimed at dispelling these kinds of assertions. The choice between the two depends on your knife needs. 14% of Chromium: Increases corrosion resistance and wear resistance. 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. If you want for best steel 14c28n and others steel then you can ready 14c28n vs 420hc review. Hammering through hickory, digging at roots in sandy soil, and cutting around bone did nothing to chip, dent, or roll the edge of my 3V knives. Ive found S35VN less chippy even at the same hardness. I have a Winkler Knives Recon model in 5160 steel and even though the knife model is ok, the steel is shit. However, even in this case there is the complicating factor of carbide and abrasive hardness. 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). What it is: 14C28N is a Sandvik stainless steel commonly used in razors and kitchen knives. All rights reserved. Everything you need to know to buy the right knife for the job. But keep in mind that no steel is perfect for everything. And given the recipe, it has a low number of carbides, the extra-hard microcrystals in steel that provide the hardness necessary for a stable and sharp edge. Thats a tiny difference, but in combination with the 420HC disparity, it conceals a full point difference between 420HC and 440A: 7.6 vs. 8.6. A quick check shows the compositions of these steels are nearly identical, so based on that Id expect them to perform similarly (differences in heat treat and blade geometry aside). Edge retention often refers to the ability of a knifes edge to maintain its sharpness during use. Its high hardness and relatively high toughness also make it an excellent choice in cutlery. 14C28N is thus ideal for use in corrosive environments and challenging applications. My other knives are a Real Steel E77 8cr14mov. Toughness is the resistance to chipping or breaking. No idea. Most of these steels rely on particle metallurgy and are therefore more expensive. Therefore, ensure to wash and dry your knives after use to keep the rust away. Used in knives since at least World War II, 1095 performance varies considerably with an abundance of tweaks in the recipe and heat treat. [Steel Knife Review], What is 14c28n steel? AR-RPM9 But weve tested this metal in the form of the Sobata 398 for nearly a year and have been continually impressed. How long sharpen? If you want to learn more than keep reading past the ratings. LC200N has similar properties to those two but with saltwater levels of corrosion resistance. It has a lower hardness and edge retention as compared to the 9Cr knife. That way you can get into the steel ratings quickly. However, it is not really known how many different companies are making 8Cr13MoV (or at least I dont know), it could be that it is one manufacturer that is dominating the market. This is one of the better steels on the market. Combination of knife steel properties. While 14C28N and D2 are both pretty to look at, buyers always regard one over the other. Therefore, you cannot purchase the knife for use in corrosive environments. And a label: AEB-L. I wrote an article about knife steel ratings available online in 2018, where I concluded that none of them were very good. Its an update of its 12C27 and 13C26 steels, which were developed for use in shaving razors. In other words, Rex 121 would be the most difficult to sharpen and 5160 and 8670 would be the easiest. Steels like CPM MagnaCut, CPM M4, CPM 4V, and CPM CruWear fit in this category. One important concept I want to hammer home is that there isnt one property that is most important. 7:00am-5:00pm, 10am-7pm Tuesday - Friday But to learn more about these and other attributes, read our related outdoor knife buyers guide. Heres a brief description of their impact on the resulting steels properties. The heat treatment techniques used by the manufacturer as well as the design of the blade itself play a huge role in the ultimate outcome of knife performance! Both knives come at an affordable price for high-end knives. Below shows charts summarizing tests of different steels for the major categories discussed so far, low alloy steels, high alloy non-stainless steels, and stainless steels. For high wear resistance and edge retention you want a large amount of hard carbides. The steel was developed to be free from chromium carbides which gives it properties similar to balanced non-stainless tool steels like CPM-4V and CPM-CruWear. Its used for combat knives, bushcrafting knives, and other applications where having a supertough blade trumps the need for edge retention and corrosion resistance. Its actually quite good, low-cost steel that performs like midprice steel. We use a subsize, unnotched chapy test with 2.5 x 10 x 55 mm dimensions. Yes its very easy to sharpen but it doesnt hold an edge at all. 440A has more chromium in solution along with a small addition of Mo, but has significant amounts of carbide so the two are an interesting comparison. A2 Knife Steel Air-hardened tool steel. We did the research to help you find the best hunting knife for your needs and budget. This is an American-made powder steel produced by Crucible and developed specifically for knives with the aid of the knife guru Chris Reeve (maker of the vaunted Sebenza, among other gems). The only thing putting me off immediately buying the p135 is the 14c28n steel. Mostly it has been presented piecemeal with all of the studies that we have done on optimizing heat treatments of different steels like CPM-CruWear, AEB-L, 52100, etc. I love reading through all the data youve gathered and making note of all the trends (Im a physical organic chemist). Required fields are marked *. Its so high in hardness that Maxamet knives usually ship with desiccating packages. Even metallurgists can have a difficult time estimating properties just based on the elements. I was recommended the Rat 1 in D2 and I also found that I really like the design of the Ruike p135 and p128. There are a lot of different types of steel out there . Therefore, if your priority is a knife with the best toughness on the market, you can never go wrong with the varieties of 14C28N. This is about comparing steels to each other rather than a limitation of an individual steel. One argument I see consistently leveled against 8Cr13MoV compared to AUS-8 is that of the consistency of the composition. There are still a few things I dont know but we have enough information to make educated guesses where data isnt available. most knives are being made out of these and other mediocre steels like 14c28n, 420j2, 425m. 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? grivory The D2 knife blade offers high edge retention and wear resistance. On the positive side, they are very easy to forge and grind. . It does have chromium but is not as sufficient as required to be a type of stainless steel. Dr. Thomas is a friend of ours here at Blade HQ, and with his help, weve worked to create this knife steel guide. how much more can you bend/pry with it? LC200N Id think that line would be significantly to the left, more in the data swarm. Did you change the estimate based on more testing? Still looking forward to magnacut making it into high volume production and use. 14C28N knife will dull faster, but it is easy to sharpen. The high hardness makes it all but impossible to sharpen and machine. Crucible intends SPY27 to be good all-around knife steel. And we list budget-friendly knives that have a professional style and grace to them. Its a costly and challenging process, but it makes extremely fine-grained steels, some of the best for knives, and makes some processes that were previously impossible a reality. 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. In nitrogen steels, nitrogen is used as the iron-hardener instead of carbon, thus limiting the possibility of rusting. It shows 3 stainless steels from 750-800tcc but the edge retention graph only has 1 SS in that range, S90v. These steels are best for knives that dont see impacts and are some of the most difficult to sharpen. The definition of a quality knife differs among users because of varied needs, but there are basic properties that every quality knife must have. Therefore powder metallurgy is not necessary for certain steels, or could even be slightly detrimental. These two knives are a little bit more than a pretty face. Its a good balance between all three attributes, being relatively hard, tough, and corrosion-resistant. Being stainless is not an on or off property, and some stainless steels are more resistant to corrosion than others. Steels with very high vanadium content like Vanadis 8, CPM-10V, K390, CPM-15V, etc. 14C28N knives are easier to sharpen than D2 knives. 2. AEB-L and 14C28N are the best in the high toughness group. However, in our testing there is a reduction in toughness by using the high temperature range rather than the low temperature range, such as was found with CPM-CruWear (Z-Wear) or CPM-10V. Have you tested K390 sufficiently to be able to rate it? Old time 8670, 5160 (known to ignoramuses as 51shitty) and 52100 are excellent choices and arguably better choices than 80crv2. The material increase machinability and strength. thanks thats interesting. We should be suspicious of anyone who is claiming very high edge retention with a steel at low hardness and a small amount of carbide. Rex 45 I have a question about the chart Steels 7Cr and below arent worth your time or money. For example, Bohler M390, CTS-204P, and CPM-20CV are all nearly identical and indistinguishable in practice. It mainly made for knife and it high in Chromium for excellent corrosion resistance. Hit like and all t. The majority of knives target 63 Rc or below so this limitation of stainless steels does not always come into play but can be an important factor for certain knives targeting high performance and thin edges. 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. In fact Id be delighted to have your experience checking my thinking! The biggest factor for cost of knife steel is whether it is produced with conventional ingot technology or powder metallurgy. Non-stainless steels can be heat treated to 66 Rc or even higher depending on the particular steel. It is certainly possible for a knifemaker or heat treating company to do a heat treatment that will have suboptimal properties. Its very corrosion-resistant and quite tough. Almost all of the knives in my EDC rotation are Spydercos, in exotic steels. Steels without these attributes are much less costly. European steel company Sandvik produces 14C28N, a non-powder metallurgy steel. This is a nitrogen steel that is extremely corrosion-resistant so much so that its used in knives designed to go in salt water, among the most difficult conditions knives are used in. It's like the difference between average 420HC and Buck's 420HC with the Bos heat treatment, only from a better starting point. Water is a severe quenchant that can often lead to warping or cracking. This is a virtually stain-proof steel suitable for all sorts of aquatic environments. It has enough water-fighting properties that it can be used in marine environments. 14C28N knives offer better toughness than D2 knives. A proprietary steel and heat treat developed by Busse Knives, INFI is an excellent performer and one of the best steels for big choppers on the market. Its very similar chemically to RWL 34 and ATS-34. For this perfect size that for most tasks and the slim tip allows the knife to excel at piercing and detail work. 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. Maxamet and Rex 121 are so extreme in terms of wear resistance and edge retention that I rated them higher than 10 because otherwise it throws off the ratings for everything else. Lets talk about the clip-on pocket knife. High Speed steels are a subset that have significant additions of Mo and/or W that makes them resist softening when they are used for machining operations. im led to believe tha the melting procedure is more important with these steels than the exact composition. It mainly made for knife and it high in Chromium for excellent corrosion resistance. Steels with only vanadium carbides have the best balance of properties because the hardness of carbide matters for edge retention but doesnt for toughness. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. These steels have sufficient toughness to handle thinner edge geometry. Using controlled furnace heat treating resulted in toughness around 23-28 ft-lbs at 61-62 Rc, while the knifemaker heat treated specimens were 7 ft-lbs or below. On the other hand the professional performing blade steels sharpen to a razor edge and hold the edge for an extended use. However, this edge retention comes at the cost of sharpening ease for D2. But as the market has grown and newer steels have come out, it has fallen in price and prestige. we dont know. Ease of Sharpening: One advantage of 8Cr13MoV is that it is easier to sharpen than D2 steel. We all have our preference, but overall, preference leans towards the pocket knife with a clip. at least it has some vanadium over the 420hc. If you look at the chart you may notice that at high toughness levels if you increase edge retention by only a relatively small amount you get very big drops in toughness. This is good for ease in heat treating in large batches and for even cooling that greatly reduces warping and size changes. The reason is because sharpening and edge geometry will also greatly control properties. This guide explains important features to consider when buying a new knife for the outdoors. Not as tough as the best carbon steels, it's tougher than most . . 14C28N VS Steel. There is a powder form, CPM-D2, and PSF27 is also very chemically similar. So we get back to my original question: if a D2 planer blade at 58 Rc and the associated level of toughness will perform acceptably with a 30 sharpening angle, is there some way to extrapolate at what sharpening angle another steel with higher toughness might perform equally well? (Some crazy folks clean their Swiss Army knivesin adishwasher. D2 steel is high carbon steel with no extra addition of Cr or Mo, that's why it is prone to corrosion. Even it enhances corrosion resistance and wear resistance. Short of purposeful abuse, its all but impossible to chip an edge on an INFI blade. . Perhaps a bigger issue with the upper temper is for stainless steels, as there is a significant reduction in corrosion resistance by tempering at 1000F instead of 400F. The best scenario is when the steel, heat treatment, and geometry are selected for the knife and the use. CPM-REX 121 and Maxamet are both in this category. How would n680 compare to m690? Type 8Cr, the more common formulation, is worse than AUS-8: a little more prone to corrosion and not quite as hard. Even premium steels can have poor performance with poor heat treatment. Sandvik 14C28N steel offers excellent corrosion resistance, exceptional toughness, good edge retention, and is easier to sharpen. Below I have shown the difference in carbide volume between AEB-L, CPM-10V, and Rex 121 to get an idea of how much more carbide there is in the high edge retention steels. Notice that with the same edges on the same media, the 9Cr18Mov from Real Steel performs about as well as the average Chinese D2. They are usually chosen for their looks rather than performance. Now that is power planer blades, but the principle stands, less carbon and alloy isnt the best for wood working and Id use a steel like 26C3 (1.25% C .30%Cr) for my hand tools and temper them to around 62 hard and use the best angle for wood shaving, not the best angle for cutting rope. As of November 2020, this is Spyderco-exclusive steel. 2) you do not go into the sharpening in much detail. The Sandvik 14c28n steel is ideal for the manufacturing of steel knife blades. So the major tradeoff is in how much carbide you want in the steel for edge retention without dropping toughness too much for the intended knife and user. Many custom makers enjoy AEB-L, as its easy to machine but still has a high hardness, around 62 HRc. 1.4116 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 I wont go into detail about those here. 14C28N steel is not very hard steel which makes it easier to sharpen. But then if you look at an increase of 100 mm in the CATRA test from Maxamet to Rex 121 the toughness only drops 1-2 ft-lbs. Can you contact me via my email address so I can send you a copy in PDF and epub. CN Vs VG-10 The Japanese steel, VG10 offers slightly higher edge retention but has the same level of hardness as 14C28N. I did a large study of different knives with identical sharpening and edge geometry. The critical difference between these two sheets of steel is their corrosion resistance. The stainless steel rating. Question. Goes to show that science not marketing or conjecture is what determines a good steel, 51shitty? The knives can be used in humid and wet environments without rusting. 3) catra is (as far as i know) the only accredited (iso/en) testing method. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Sandvik later came out with 14C28N which is a slightly improved version of 13C26. Stainless steels usually top out around 64 Rc and may require careful heat treating to get there. AEB-L and 14C28N are the best in the high toughness group. Cool! I was guessing 5.5 based on your rating of CPM-154. However the 14c28n steel would be great for an EDC knife with typical usage. It gets exceptionally sharp, a nod to its origins as a razorblade steel. Thanks! Below shows the results of MagnaCut testing vs other steels where it is labeled as New Steel.. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. does 1.4116 deserve the title of title of ultimate trash steel? H2 Several factors arent related to the steel you choose but seriously affect the nature of your knifes performance. Great for tensile strength and Edge retention. show very different and even inversed behaviour (e.g. BD1 is excellent budget steel, very similar in composition and performance to GIN-1, a Japanese steel used a decade ago by Spyderco. And while youll find it mostly in expensive knives, quite a few approachable M390 blades exist. But yes, I would assume that the general performance would still be relatively similar between them without evidence to the contrary.