52100 steel? Advantages or disadv?

cbach8tw

cbach8tw

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Just curious about how others have liked 52100 steel? I wanted some advice about its use, ability to hold an edge, how hard to sharpen in the field, etc. Why do you like it, any disadvantages? Please give comments. I have heard it is a ball bearing steel so where resistance should be good.
 
It is a good steel. I see it most often...nearly always, in the Knifemaker's Section here in Fixed Blades. Often used in a composite blade. Takes a good edge.
 
Look up Ed Fowler Wootz steel.....52100 when properly heat treated is UNBELIEVABLE stuff......just source it carefully. Buy a billet or a cut from a billet if possible. We used 3" 52100 ball bearings forever, and over the years Fowler has as well in his shop, and his latest 52100 billets sourced from industrial end users yield double the performance of his old stuff.
 
IME, holds an edge well, is easy to sharpen, and is tough, with the only real disadvantage being rust resistance, swamp rat and scrap yard knives use it a lot under the name SR101, Bark river has used as well, not sure if they are using it on any current models
 
52100 rocks as a blade steel.

Not only is it tough, it easily strops up scary sharp.

Without a doubt, my favorite steel for butchering or game processing.




Big Mike
 
52100 (or SR101 in Busse parlance) is my favorite tool steel. In the hands of a master heat-treater like Jerry Busse, it's the basis of some legendary blades (Battle Rat, Camp Tramp, RatManDu, Howling Rat . . . just to name a few). The only disadvantage, as Michael M pointed out, is that it's not rust resistant.
 
bld522 said:
52100 (or SR101 in Busse parlance) is my favorite tool steel. In the hands of a master heat-treater like Jerry Busse, it's the basis of some legendary blades (Battle Rat, Camp Tramp, RatManDu, Howling Rat . . . just to name a few). The only disadvantage, as Michael M pointed out, is that it's not rust resistant.
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+1^^^

I have 2 Bill Buxtons in 52100 and the are simply awesome..

You haven't cut anything till you try 52100 on Animals.. Cuts like a freaking laser. Makes D2 feel like a hacksaw.
The tiny carbides are a beautiful thing..
 
Big Mike said:
52100 rocks as a blade steel.

Not only is it tough, it easily strops up scary sharp.

Without a doubt, my favorite steel for butchering or game processing.




Big Mike
Click to expand...
What Big Mike said. I have a Bark River Mountain Man in 52100, sharp and tough.
 
If you need corrosion-resistance, have it coated or choose a stainless. It's certainly no worse than O1 or 1095 in my experience.

I really don't know of any disadvantages. When HT'ed well, it's tough, has fine grain and is pretty easy to get a nice crisp edge on. I'd say go for it.
 
Like all steels, all 52100 or steel a maker purchases as 52100 is not always the same.
From what I understand the USA used to make the best, then India for a while, now China makes the best 52100, but also the worst.

Once you as a maker finds a good batch that preforms well in your testing, thus indicating a high degree of quality control, pick up enough that you will never need to buy more from another batch.

I have carried 52100 blades for over 30 years and have yet to see rust on any of them.
 
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Old thread, I know, but I will have a batch of 52100 knives and kiridashi's to send out for heat treating. Who are the 52100 heat treating wizards these days? Any recommendations where to send them for heat treating?
 
I really like 52100, its my favorite simple carbon steel. I buy from Aldo and it has always performed very well for me. HT is very important with this steel and cryo is necessary to get the best out of it. 52100 has really great edge stability and is very tough. It can take a thin edge well. For hard use tools I temper it to 58 and for most knives I temper to 60.
 
I have two custom Michael Rader kitchen knives in 52100 and I would consider him a wizard when it comes to HT'ing the stuff. His blades perform amazingly well.
 
Just a quick addon to this thread, if Joe Calton's 52100 is anywhere near as amazing as his 1095 then he might be another option for HT.
 
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I purchased the knife below in 2014:
https://www.google.com/search?q=bar...ums%2Fshowtopic.php%3Ftid%2F787227%2F;576;454

This year, I skinned and quartered a deer, and took all the meet off the carcass before it needed to be sharpened. Razor sharp the whole time. Amazing steel.

Bark river doesn't make these knives nor use this steel anymore unfortunately according to my understanding. However, swamp rap knives use this metal exclusively, although they gave their own name to the metal, sr 101, because they patented their heat treatment of the metal.

When I touched my knife up with my KME sharpening system, it got razor sharp right away. Used an arkansas stone.

52100 all the way.

Joe
 
Haz, are you saying your knife got dull after boning the meat off the carcass? Thus, the cuts had not been fully processed ready for packaging and put in the freezer.? What Arkansas stone had you previously used to sharpen this knife on? DM
 
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