Best stainless steel that acts like carbon steel

M

MAkives

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May 5, 2015
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Ok i know this depends a lot on heat treat but im just asking because i know a lot of time the softer a steel the tougher because it wont chip when being used like batoning which ive had happen and be easy to sharpen. I cant find a custom stainless steel maker but thought i should focus on what steel i want to narrow down the list.
 
shqxk said:
AEBL / 13c26
ZFiNit
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14C28N

12C27

Nitrobe 77

Bohler N680.

A few other as well but my puck would be AEB-L.

Look at videos dine by Gavko on youtube with some of his choppers and fixed blades done in AEB-L for some reference.
 
12C27 was one of Mike Stewart's favorites when it came to strength and toughness. That was before AEB-L came along, however. Lots of knives are available in 12C27 as it's relatively inexpensive, particularly knives that are made in Europe. I believe it's still the stainless steel of choice for Moras, Opinels and Lagioules.
 
Aus8, aus6, 440a, 440b. All low carbon stainless steels. They will not hold an edge as well but they can be made fairly tough for ss.
 
Anyone have experience with Bohler Niolox? I've heard it's 1095 tough, with good corrosion resistance. Thinking about a DPx HEST using this steel.
 
C-TAC said:
Anyone have experience with Bohler Niolox? I've heard it's 1095 tough, with good corrosion resistance. Thinking about a DPx HEST using this steel.
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I have a HEST fixed blade in Niolox. I like it a lot. I've used D-2 far more but in the short time I"ve had the HEST and used it to any extent it's done well...I'd compare it to D-2....roughly. Seems a bit easier to sharpen too.

Certainly no complaints here.
 
The King (IMHO) for this battle is 12c27! Superb toughness with great edge retention but sharpens to a scalpel edge in no time! 154cm would fit the bill too.
 
Really like N690 too, super thin edge on a knife I have that resists damage very well. Cut things with it that made me cringe and no damage apart from some dulling. Tough stuff.
 
I would say D2 is a good candidate. I know it is considered a tool steel, however, it has good toughness, a fair amount of carbon, and it's stain resistance is often overlooked IMO. It kind of falls between the two categories of "carbon" and "stainless".

I almost want to say ZDP-189 too, but I'm still trying to fully understand this steel; it has 3% carbon and 20% chromium. I can't find good information regarding its toughness at different hardness ranges. I know it is prone to chipping and becomes quite brittle at the 67hrc range, but what about in the lower 60's? This steel is a curiosity of mine, and perhaps someone here can enlighten me:)
 
For me, Cold Steel's AUS8 behaves a lot like a good carbon steel. I really like it.
Bob
 
If you want a steel that acts like both carbon and stainless you best bet is either CTS-XHP or D2. Niolox is another good one. All three give you good corrosion resistance which also being pretty tough and manageable to sharpen. XHP gives you a little more corrosion resistance, D2 gives you a little more toughness without much corrosion resistance loss, and Niolox gives you more toughness with a little less corrosion resistance than D2. If you need a balance of the pros of stainless and carbon steels, all three will give you what you need.
 
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