1075, 1084, 1095 differences?

cbach8tw

cbach8tw

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Any major differences in these steels? Such as edge retention, toughness, sharpening?
 
cbach8tw said:
Any major differences in these steels? Such as edge retention, toughness, sharpening?
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Yes, the higher the percentage of carbon the better the edge retention, when properly heat treated of course.

So 1095 would be tops.

1084 is still a fine knife steel, and is a little more forgiving for someone doing their own heat treatment.

1075 and 1084 are very tough steels, and are often a good choice when toughness is more important the edge retention.

All these simple carbon steels sharpen up quite readily.




Big Mike
 
The second two digits denote carbon content. For instance, my favorite out of the plain carbon steels, 1055, has a 0.55 carbon content. The higher the carbon content, the harder the steel. Edge retention will be better, it'l be harder to sharpen, and it'l be more brittle. If you go lower, you get a softer steel with less edge retention, better ease of sharpening and higher toughness.

I believe a higher carbon content also means the steel is more rust-prone and will require more care.
 
some of the 1095 out there also has some added Vanadium, specifically the 3/8" stock from Aldo.
 
Assuming identical geometry and a sensible heat treating protocol, etc., toughness and wear resistance between closer grades (say 1084 and 1095), is so similar I don't think most users would notice any difference, depending on the type and level of use. In most knives, (say 3-7" blades) toughness and edge holding would be so similar that if you were blindfolded, I doubt you could guess which was which.

Now, a jump in grades such as 1070 or 1060 to 1095 would make a larger difference, but whether or not you noticed it all depends on how you sharpen and what you'd be using these steels in. The finer you like your edges and the better you are at sharpening, the more likely you'll see a difference in edge-holding. If you're like me, and can only sharpen up to phone book-slicing sharpness, I doubt you'd notice a difference. If you push-cut tp and whittle hairs, you may notice a difference with initial edge holding. On the other hand, if you're using these in a large, thinly ground machete or even a sword, the higher ductility of 1070 may play a major role in keeping your blade and yourself in one piece. That being said, 1070 is fine in small, precise knives and 1095 is regularly used in machetes and choppers.

Corrosion resistance is also pretty similar, if you took care of your 1095 blade and had no problems, 1084 should be no different for you.

In the end, I wouldn't recommend one over the other in anything resembling a knife. The differences in use are so small that there is no functional difference (in my experience) unless you're planning on making a full-on sword.
 
It has already been touched on here, bit the lower carbons are "tougher", you will see tomahawks and hatchets made out of 1055 and the like. You can literally "beat" on those steels.
 
I am excited to get a knife from the Croatian maker (zl knives) in 1075. I have a lot of 1095 blades from ML knives and GL Drew, so I wanted your thoughts on 1075 since I don't have one in this steel. Thanks guys.
 
cbach8tw said:
I will try,it was up for sale recently in the exchange.
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Most of my knives are 1095 or O1 but, the sharpest and best retention blades I have are 1075. Those are made by Richard J and his heat treat is quite possibly the reason for this but the steel is certainly good. They are also the easiest to rust. I have to be really careful to keep them from rusting.
 
1095 is difficult to heat treat correctly. It also has wide specifications regarding the acceptable content of elements in the steel. These two problems are the reasons I will always choose 1075-1084 over 1095.

Chuck
 
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