- Joined
- Nov 12, 2007
- Messages
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We found out yesterday that since they are filming it for tv, we will not be able to share the results until after it airs...
Tell them you want hush money
We found out yesterday that since they are filming it for tv, we will not be able to share the results until after it airs...
"The Shiro I'm carrying uses M390. I think I had it in a Reate I lost too. It's not great. No better than the S30V in the Sebby I was carrying before that, and that didn't set a very high bar.
I have experimented with the alloy here and have done heat treat trials with it. I don't really like it. It's not bad, but it's not great. I suppose the abrasion resistance is very good as is the corrosion resistance, but it doesn't stay very sharp in real use as well as alternatives such as Elmax. I think there's just too much alloy and carbide for the matrix to properly support a knife edge. Mushy crumbly when I've used it.
I think one reason folks have mixed results with it is because, in my experiments, it was unusually sensitive to quench rate. The Rockwell hardness numbers they show in the data sheet are what I've seen in atmosphere quenches but my testing of the alloy here I got significantly higher numbers with faster quenches. This degree of sensitivity and the variation you will get from one setup to another and from one geometry to another means that the optimized heat treat for it may be illusive and inconsistent. Most volume makers waterjet, heat treat, then grind. That solid cutting edge area was thick during the quench, and it was a nitrogen gas quench in the oven which isn't real fast to start with, so I don't think they're always getting the quench rate that alloy needs. Not ideal for the alloy and would explain why it doesn't perform great in the factory knives I've used.
So, to me, I think it's probably an outstanding material for it's intended uses, but for cutlery I've seen better real world performance out of regular S35VN. People put too much credence in those card stock cut tests and perhaps knives with obtuse edges or subject to light use. I played with it and didn't get the edge stability I want and haven't messed with it again. "
Too long didn’t read.tldr?
"The Shiro I'm carrying uses M390. I think I had it in a Reate I lost too. It's not great. No better than the S30V in the Sebby I was carrying before that, and that didn't set a very high bar.
I have experimented with the alloy here and have done heat treat trials with it. I don't really like it. It's not bad, but it's not great. I suppose the abrasion resistance is very good as is the corrosion resistance, but it doesn't stay very sharp in real use as well as alternatives such as Elmax. I think there's just too much alloy and carbide for the matrix to properly support a knife edge. Mushy crumbly when I've used it.
I think one reason folks have mixed results with it is because, in my experiments, it was unusually sensitive to quench rate. The Rockwell hardness numbers they show in the data sheet are what I've seen in atmosphere quenches but my testing of the alloy here I got significantly higher numbers with faster quenches. This degree of sensitivity and the variation you will get from one setup to another and from one geometry to another means that the optimized heat treat for it may be illusive and inconsistent. Most volume makers waterjet, heat treat, then grind. That solid cutting edge area was thick during the quench, and it was a nitrogen gas quench in the oven which isn't real fast to start with, so I don't think they're always getting the quench rate that alloy needs. Not ideal for the alloy and would explain why it doesn't perform great in the factory knives I've used.
So, to me, I think it's probably an outstanding material for it's intended uses, but for cutlery I've seen better real world performance out of regular S35VN. People put too much credence in those card stock cut tests and perhaps knives with obtuse edges or subject to light use. I played with it and didn't get the edge stability I want and haven't messed with it again. "
I read and actually understood all of this one ... so did I get bitten by a radioactive spider and am now smart? ... or was that just Nathan dumbing it down so I could follow? ...
I'm either amazed @ me ... but probably more likely should just nod and thank Nathan ...
from my past ... I'll go with the second choice
Nathan, do you also buy any knife or knives for self when at Blade? Are there any tables/makers whom you look forward to frequenting if you get spare time?
We are on the road, but there are a lot of makers we look forward to seeing. Billy Mace Imel, Kevin Cashen, Ed Caffrey...
We buy something when it suits our fancy. A lot of time we end of with material for scales.