I'm bummed to see so much tunnel vision on pure wear resistance compared to s35vn.
Real world, wear resistance is not the end all be all for all folks.
I don't see folks connecting the dots on the potential of what SPY27 could be.
I don't feel like folks are appreciating that it will have the finest structure compared to any American, Non Nitrided, CPM Stainless we currently have and will give the ability to run harder with being less prone to chipping and is capable of having less retained austenite translating to a superior overall microstructure for high sharpeness over s35vn with better apexing and burr removal depending on how they HT.
In the big picture, most folks still refuse to use diamond and CBN stones for Vanadium/Niobium carbide rich steels. Either they don't know, refuse to accept it's needed or just don't care.
Well, this SPY27 has such a low volume of Niobium and Vanadium Carbides it's not as detrimental to folks that don't use diamond/CBN. Yet it's enough NbC and VC to boost the wear resistance up to Sg2 yet using less overall carbide volume which boosts the edge stability by reducing the fraction of chromium carbide volume and trading for more effective niobium and vanadium carbides in the steel.
Less is more. Less carbides means less points for crack initiation, less prone to chipping.
The NbC and VC has the added bonus of keeping the grains finer. The Austeniziting can run hotter to dissolve more of the larger, softer chromium carbide and put more alloy in solution for hardness and corrison resistance without grain growth since the Undissolved NbC and VC will pin the grains.
The cobalt will also help us reach critical tempertures easier for austenitizing. Cobalt will also help reduce retained austenite when quenching by raising the martensite finish temperture. Higher hardnesses and strength with more precipatation strengthing during temper with even at the low temp end depending on Austeniziting temp used. We also get increased areas for temper carbides to grow from, less reducing of strength with tempering with cobalt helping us keep our dislocation density and martensite tetragonality from reducing during temper.
Depends on how they HT it of course for these advantages but the idea is a steel that is capable of a crisp edge that deburrs better.
I feel we finally are getting a high edge stability pm stainless. That means more guys can drop the angles down to 15 dps and under having less problems with rolling and chipping if they run it a decent hardness to support the thinner edge.
SPY27 will have finer Carbides than CPM154, SG2, Elmax and S35VN
Now Vanax is still the top dog for fine Carbides (Nitrides acutually) and is a lot more wear resistant than S35VN and Vanax had the finest, hardest carbide(Nitride) particles of the stainless pm steels for it's given volume but the hardness is capped at ~61rc and it's insanely expensive.
Cost of insane because of the special process it needs for nitriding the powder before HIP. so no production company will touch it due to cost per lbs even though every one that has used it loves it. So it's basically exclusive to custom knives.
SPY27 does have an advantage in that it can run harder than Vanax which does have some advantages not to mention it's cheaper than Vanax so we will acutually see it being used for production.
I feel it's refreshing to see a steel that has the potential and focus on edge stability, elasticity and resliance rather than raw toughness, plasticity (permeant deformation) for shock resistance or carbide blasted, pure wear resistance. I feel its something that has fallin through the cracks over the years for what some folks would really enjoy.
So, give a guy this a knife in SPY27 and S35VN and a ceramic stone and I guarantee if it's heat treated properly the SPY27 will get sharper for that guy. In fact, in his experience the SPY27 may hold a longer edge real world because it's starting sharper to begin with for em.
We'll have to see how it turns out with HT and all. I feel the material has good potential for being something the majority of folks have wanted for a while which is a steel that can run harder and not roll or chip and sharpen easy with a wide range of abrasives, yet still be stainless. For some, they will experience more edge holding than a more wear resistant steel. The ultimate variable is the end user after all.
I'm still a die-hard for 70rc, +30% Vanadium carbide volume steels, that's my secret favorite and won't change, but those just aren't for everyone and everything has trade offs and advantages that should be recognized.
Knowledgable custom knife makers are still the ones pushing the boundaries and can do the most with seemingly basic steels but it's nice to see something new.
I look forward to seeing what it's like.
If it doesn't function how I like I'll just
reheat treat it to see what it can do.
and grew to love the designs.
