Suggestions? Folder in Abe-l, 14c28n, or Nitro-v.

M

Mountaindog

Joined
Nov 9, 2020
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Everyone here has been very helpful in the past, so I thought I would try again.

I have been searching for a new EDC. I have carried a Benchmade in N690 for many years. It has a partially serrated edge, which has suited my needs. However, my job/needs/wants have changed and I no longer want the serrations.

Most of you are far more knowledgeable than I, but my experience is that I prefer a blade thats easier to touch up.

I have a fillet knife with a very fine blade/edge made out of spring steel temperd hard and its a dream. It holds its edge well enough (way better than most), doesn't chip on bone and strops back easily. This experience combine with reading on knifesteelnerds has made me really want to try a folder in tough steel thats ground fine with a rockwell over 60. Something in the Abe-l family or another carbon steel (5160 or maybe 52100).

I'm seeing knives in 14c28n that are cheap and knives in Nitro-v that are several hundred, but not as many in the middle. I dont want to spend any more than I have to, but I dont want to deal with quality control issues. I know that finding a production knife over 60 hrc is a tall order...but...suggestions?

I prefer a 3"ish lock blade and I would love to try a flipper, but I'm open to any suggestions.

Thanks!
 
Take a look at the Lionsteel SR-22 series of knives. They are made of Sleipner steel which is a non-stainless, have an HRC of 60-61, and come in flipper variants.
 
The Ferrum Forge Stinger in Nitro-V is under $90, is a flipper, and has a 3.2" blade with a generous choil. Unfortunately it looks like it's sold out most places, I don't know when there might be restocks.

You could also check out the Kershaw Leek for ~$50, with 14C28N.

I'd suggest going to Blade HQ, go to their "Knives" drop down menu, select folding knives, and use the filters on the side of the page to select the steel and size you're looking for, and it'll give you tons of great options.
 
Silvanus said:
Take a look at the Lionsteel SR-22 series of knives. They are made of Sleipner steel which is a non-stainless, have an HRC of 60-61, and come in flipper variants.
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Sleipner steel looks very interesting. It looks like the blade stock is a little on the thinker side, but worth considering. Thanks!
 
You're gonna have to sift through a butt-load of suggestions before this is over, I fear!

Personally, for a medium use folder, I think 14C28N is about perfect. Easy to sharpen, takes a good edge, and holds it acceptably well, corrosion resistance is also good. S30V is good, S35VN even better. VG-10, AUS10, or similar cobalt steel alloys also perform quite well. Finding a good quality flipper folder in 5160, or any other higher grade carbon steel, is not going to be terribly easy. You can get some Buck models in 5160, and it does a good job. I have a 110 and a 101 in 5160.

In fact, for around $35-40ish, you can get a Ruike in 14C28N and see what YOU think. I have the P-108. Flipper, frame-lock with a secondary Beta lock, thin handles, and a smooth action. Almost any steel grade above AUS8, 440A or B, 8Cr13Mov, etc, will likely outperform MOST users. Find something you can sharpen, that feels good in your hand, and enjoy the experience of using a good tool.
 
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Silent H said:
The Ferrum Forge Stinger in Nitro-V is under $90, is a flipper, and has a 3.2" blade with a generous choil.

You could also check out the Kershaw Leek for ~$50, with 14C28N.
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I have been looking at the Stinger. It checks the boxes, but I haven't been able to find any info on the heat treat. Anyone have first hand experience with it? I suspect it will come back in stock eventually.

The leek is thin and I really like that, but my experience with assisted knives has not been great. I also like a bit of belly to the blade. I'm suspecting at the price point the rockwell is maybe 58...anyone?

Thanks for the suggestions. The Stinger is near the top of the list.
 
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Mountaindog said:
I have been looking at the Stinger. It checks the boxes, but I haven't been able to find any info on the heat treat. Anyone have first hand experience with it? I suspect it will come back in stock eventually.

The leek is thin and I really like that, but my experience with assisted knives has not been great. I also like a bit of belly to the blade. I'm suspecting at the price point the rockwell is maybe 58...anyone?

Thanks for the suggestions. The Stinger is near the top of the list.
Click to expand...

Like most (possibly all) of FF’s production knives, the Stinger is made by WE Knives, who has good history with hitting the recommended HRC range for the steel they use.
 
I love those three steels, but I would add in there LC200N. It has comparable toughness to AEB-L and 14C28N, and is tougher than Nitro V. Edge retention is on par with those steels but it has the added benefit of being corrosion proof. I love it in my folders, and the Spyderco Pacific Salt 2 in LC200N would be a great option in the $100 range.
 
justjed said:
Personally, for a medium use folder, I think 14C28N is about perfect.
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I'm thinking your right, but from what I have read it appears a lot of performance is being left on the table with the standard 58 ish heat treats. It seems 14c28n (or Nitro V) at 60+ hrc, with fine blade geometry, could be ideal for an EDC...at least for me...

I have been tempted to give the Ruike a try, but some of the newly announced (not available yet) Civivi flipers appeal to me more with only a little higher cost. I think the Civivi Riffle could be perfect, but I suspect it only 58-59 hrc.
 
OrangeBlueOrangeBlue said:
Like most (possibly all) of FF’s production knives, the Stinger is made by WE Knives, who has good history with hitting the recommended HRC range for the steel they use.
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Doing a little more reading on the Stinger it appears it had some lock issues and it was a small run, so maybe there won't be any more available.
 
jstn said:
I love those three steels, but I would add in there LC200N. It has comparable toughness to AEB-L and 14C28N, and is tougher than Nitro V. Edge retention is on par with those steels but it has the added benefit of being corrosion proof. I love it in my folders, and the Spyderco Pacific Salt 2 in LC200N would be a great option in the $100 range.
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Yes I think LC200N could fit the bill...Im not a fan of the green handle on the salt 2 but Spyderco has other options, while more expensive. Im not really seeing any other LC200N options outside of spyderco? The SpydieChef gets really good reviews and performs really well in cut tests. Honestly getting on the expensive side for me...but maybe thats the price range for what I want.
 
They do have the native in yellow and Lc200n, and the Siren is great. My favorite is the Caribbean! Above your price range though. Good luck; the search is part of the fun, and I don’t think you can go wrong with any of those steels!
 
jstn said:
They do have the native in yellow and Lc200n, and the Siren is great. My favorite is the Caribbean! Above your price range though. Good luck; the search is part of the fun, and I don’t think you can go wrong with any of those steels!
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I was just looking at the Siren and Caribbean...Yes they are on the expensive side for me, but cheaper than the SpydieChef.
 
You really can't go wrong with any of the alloys mentioned, but finding one at higher hardness may be difficult, as many manufacturers run their steels a little soft to aid in sharpening, and to make the blades a litttle tougher for the many customers who use knives for tasks other than just cutting stuff. Also, if you run them soft, they won't hold an edge as long, they will wear a bit faster, and need to be replaced sooner. Where's the fun in building a tool that will last longer than the average user?
 
justjed said:
You really can't go wrong with any of the alloys mentioned, but finding one at higher hardness may be difficult, as many manufacturers run their steels a little soft to aid in sharpening, and to make the blades a litttle tougher for the many customers who use knives for tasks other than just cutting stuff. Also, if you run them soft, they won't hold an edge as long, they will wear a bit faster, and need to be replaced sooner. Where's the fun in building a tool that will last longer than the average user?
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I think your right unfortunately.

However, these steels are tough enough that at higher hardness they are still a lot tougher and I suspect easier to sharpen than many of the popular power steels. It seems that the increased toughness would make them more capable with a thin blade/edge. According to knifesteelnerds Abe-l at 62 or 63 hrc is still cosiderably tougher than many of the popular powder steels.

I know its a tall order, but I keep hoping it might be possible to find a maker of such a knife without having to spring for the expense of a custom knife...maybe there is error in my thinking...
 
No error, I think. But you'll be doing a lot of research...

EDIT: If you do find what you're looking for, I've a feeling it won't be cheap.
 
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