Grain Reduction of Steel

R

Ray Murski

Joined
Nov 4, 1998
Messages
127
I do stock removal knives and have many questions about the grain structure of steel.

What characteristics does finer grain structure have? Does steel with a finer grain structure get sharper and tougher?

Which steel used in stock removal gives the finest grain structure? Does CPM 3V have the finest grain structure after heat treat when compared to other stock removal steels?

How does satellite 6K compare to other steels?

Please post any of your ideals about the grain structure of steel pertaining to knife making.
 
Jerry Hossum uses 3V with xlnt results,crucible is about to release a stainless version of it,S3V I believe.When it becomes available I think I wil try that one myself.Stellite 6K?I just dont know.Good luck.
 
The finer the grain structure the higher the mirror polish you will get. This translates into the finer and sharper the edge can be. Edge holding and toughness are related to the steel alloy and heat treating not necessarily grain structure.

I have been working with stellite lately, grinds well but coarse grain structure will not allow the edge to hold it's razor sharpness too long, the edge degrades to a very fine toothy edge which cuts very well and holds that for a VERY long time. It cannot be polished to a high mirror but will achieve a nice soft gloss finish as the coarse grain shows through. The metal also tends to show the slightest tinge of yellow instead of the blue/black of stainless.
 
George, Thanks for answering the questions and giving the proformance charateristics of stellite.
 
Rex Walter is working on explaining the characteristics of Richtig knives. He made knives that outcut most of the knives being made today. preliminairy data show he knew a lot more than he is given credit for. Rex is working on it now and more will follow. He was a stock removal man. Fine grain structure was one asset of his knives.
 
See what I mean. I hit the post button too soon. Anyway, grain size is related to toughness. As grain size gets smaller, toughness goes up. I tested some steel in the Charpy Impact machine at work. There were two different batches of the same grade of steel from the same manufacturer. They were both cooled to 40 degrees F. One absorbed about 100-150 foot-pounds, the other took nearly 300 foot-pounds to break. The only difference my boss could think of was finer grain size.
 
Hey Mr. Fowler. You slipped one in there on me. Just wanted to say hi. Loved your book. I'm working on the 3rd time through.
 
Hi Dragon 2 Please call me Ed. There is no Mr. Fowler in the world of knives. Thanks for the comment on my book, there is a lot in it and we are working on the next on now. April is the target date.
 
Ed. I can hardly wait for your new book. The last one taught me a lot about knives and let me know quite a bit about Ed Fowler the man. getting to know you better was just as important to me as learning more about knives.

I find that fine grain structure does tend to lead to a tougher knife. As grain size goes up it seems metals tend to fracture more easily. The point made by George is also correct. A finer grain amkes it possible to get a better polish, and in carbon steels a high polish means more resistance to rust. A good thing.
 
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