Swords made in s30v or other high quality steels?

Grief, it might have been worthwhile to start a new post. This thread is 12 years old. That aside either steel will be just fine you won't be able to tell the difference. The real question is what your maker of choice is comfortable with and what do they know how to properly heat treat.
 
o wow i didnt even expect to get a respond but they are more used to working with d2 so they suggested that instead and said its less likely to rust andholds a better edge, and thank you for letting me know i really do appreciate it. be safe.
 
what makes you say that and also now the choice is between d2 and 52100 bearing steel i really dont know to much would you say that the 52100 is the best and why 5160 instead of d2 d2 holds a better edge tho its not flexible is 52100 a great one to make a sword between 27 or 35
 
lexdagreendragon said:
o wow i didnt even expect to get a respond but they are more used to working with d2 so they suggested that instead and said its less likely to rust andholds a better edge, and thank you for letting me know i really do appreciate it. be safe.
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Well, it is a 12 year old thread...

lexdagreendragon said:
what makes you say that and also now the choice is between d2 and 52100 bearing steel i really dont know to much would you say that the 52100 is the best and why 5160 instead of d2 d2 holds a better edge tho its not flexible is 52100 a great one to make a sword between 27 or 35
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5160 over D2 in a sword.
52100 over D2 in a sword.
D2 in smaller blade if trying for more stsin resistance, 52100 if you want similar edge retention in a smaller knife with greater toughness and much easier sharpening than D2.


D2 toughness tops out at arround 5 foot lbs on the charpy test. CpmD2 which reaches about 12 foot/lbs due to the smaller carbide sizes attainable in that steel due to the CPM process.



52100 vs 5160 is a harder question. The heat treat on 52100 can be more complex, and it can't be made as tough as a 5160 blade (from the standpoint of topping out toughness). In a large blade like a 48 inch over all length it would depend on the maker, and his expertise with each steel.



Busse/Swamprat have done amazing things with 52100. (They call it Sr101 and have a proprietary heat treat.. I've personally used it, andand have seen it do things I found almost impossible to bkeave many times).

I have big choppers in 5160. I've had large choppers and fighting hawk in 52100.

52100 would get my nod for extra edge retention and 5160 a good jump in toughness. From a company like Busse with very precise hest treating cryo and tempering equipment and a lot of work dialing it in, I'd still take 52100 over 5160 from them.....

But 5160 is significantly tougher than 52100....

5160 has a toughness/ breaking force of 45 foot/lbs

52100 tops out at about 30 foot/lbs.

If I was planning on using the sword like a caveman I'd get one in 5160 (or an even tougher steel like 3V, but cost increases a lot, and billets in longer length are are harder to source and more expensive).

(Busse /Swamp Rat make caveman proof knives and swords from it, and many many custom makers use 52100 as their go to steel for forged and stock removal knives).


D2 is a lovely steel for pocket knives and small to medium sized users. I would not choose it for even a large chopping knife. With a polished finish it is less prone to staining. Has large carbide, which give it decent edge retention, but make it easier to fracture and harder to sharpen. Diamond stones work great.

Here is a great link to an invaluable website for comparing steels, properties, stainless, toughness, edge retention, etc.




https://knifesteelnerds.com/2020/02/17/ranking-toughness-of-forging-knife-steels/
 
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I am for 5160, a good heat treatment, and most important, good engineering. A sword isn’t a flat bar of steel, or even a tapered bar of steel; it’s a designed item that has been made to balance and bend to a specific requirement. How, it behaves at velocity or under stress is critical to the whole. It needs to be designed to survive, overcome the opponents defenses and deliver damaging blows. There is nothing simple about the sword; nor anything resembling an ideal sword in isolation; it is all about finding leverage over your expected adversary. Some swords are better than others relative a specific opponent.

n2s
 
okay thank you i really appreciate it, one more question do you think its be smart to get a short sword in 3v that or 5160 and get my long sword in 52100 or should i switch? i know its more of a choice thing but you guys seem very well educated on the topic so i'd like to know what you choice would be for which
 
3v is amazing steel. If pricing were equal I'd get them all in cpm3v.

I think you will find that cpm3v is going to greatly increase the cost.

It really is a super steel, tougher than 5160, better edge retention than 52100. Lest prone to rust than either.

Honestly I'd ask the. Maker which steel they are best with or prefer. Own, I have used all three steels.
 
To answer your question directly, 5160.

That said, read the posts by not2sharp and JCaswell again.
If this maker is trying to steer you towards D2 over 5160 - literally one of the worst possible choices for sword material over one of the best- then I would find a different maker. I'd bet a dollar they don't know lots of other vital things about proper sword design. Please don't mention their name; I'm not trying to cause hard feelings.
 
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