They lack the carbon necessary to hold an edge, even during mild use. It is a premium steel that is known for its excellent balance of hardness, corrosion resistance, and edge retention. Extra kudos for your mathmatical steel composition to edge holding model thats really impressive work. So we get back to my original question: if a D2 planer blade at 58 Rc and the associated level of toughness will perform acceptably with a 30 sharpening angle, is there some way to extrapolate at what sharpening angle another steel with higher toughness might perform equally well? It has enough water-fighting properties that it can be used in marine environments. Its called memory metal because heat can get it to revert back to a previous shape. Uddeholm lists it as somewhat worse in toughness than A2 but somewhat better in wear resistance. Toughness is the resistance to chipping or breaking. In a pocket knife the total amount of steel is rather small. I see tables that compare Toughness,Edge Retention,Corrosion Resistance. Pretty interesting that regrinding a knife you already have can seemingly take its performance to that of significantly better steels. 14C28N VS D2 Attributes: 14c28n: D2 . Although it should be noted that there doesnt seem to be a need for the stainlessness on a wood working tool. Despite its wonderful performance, XHP is actually not terribly expensive compared to other high-end, all-around performers. No mainstream companies use SM100, and the niche makers that do usually charge more than $1,000 for knives with SM100 blades. Knifemakers use dozens of steel types to create knife blades. s30v This is about comparing steels to each other rather than a limitation of an individual steel. CPM-S90V, CPM-S110V, CPM-10V, and Bohler K390 each fit in this category. The most traditional models of pocket knives have different parts, such as the handle and cutting performance. If I made some plane irons from AEB-L at 63 Rc (where its still tougher than 1095 at 59-60 Rc, the standard vintage steel in plane irons), could I drop my sharpening angle from 30-35 to 25? Monday-Friday 14C28N steel is as a result of a more corrosion resistant version of the 13C26 steel. I will be focusing on CATRA edge retention which measures abrasive wear of knives. Flashlights run the gamut of price and quality. Cookie Notice I especially appreciate the geometry/edge retention/toughness comparison with photos. Then you can compare 14c28n vs d2, and we hope you will find the right one for your needs. Despite its age, its a truly superior steel. For example, Bohler M390, CTS-204P, and CPM-20CV are all nearly identical and indistinguishable in practice. Which knife for best? Required fields are marked *. my understanding is that wood is not a particularly abrasive material and a plane is more of a push cut action than a slicing action so I would have though edge stability and sharpness is more important than edge retention meaning ABE-L should work pretty well. I was recommended the Rat 1 in D2 and I also found that I really like the design of the Ruike p135 and p128. Note:There is a powder-metal version called CPM154 thats purer than the non-powder version, making it easier for knifemakers to grind. great work, larrin. [Steel Knife Review], What is 14c28n steel? 14c28n steel would be a great pick thanks to its high retention and corrosion, it would be great for a normal EDC knife. 0.62% of Carbon: Makes knives harder and more resistant. Hi Jimmie, thanks for your comments. Everything you need to know to buy the right knife for the job. However, the relative difference in toughness between these different examples are similar. Advantages: Toughness, edge retention. D2 steel also offers similar toughness levels as the 14c28n steel, so both aren't really prone to chipping with proper use. Its actually quite good, low-cost steel that performs like midprice steel. Low Carbon steels like AEB-L wont hold up to wood cutting even though it can hit 64 hard, it just doesnt have enough Carbon. This can turn the ultra corrosion resistant LC200N or Vanax into a normal stainless steel that will rust with only 1% saltwater. Read our full Sobata 398 review here. There is no single category that means that a steel is more premium or better than another. For more information see our. Oftentimes steels that are reported to be difficult to sharpen are in fact improperly heat treated and challenging to deburr. My other knives are a Real Steel E77 8cr14mov. Tanto Here its 8. They represent the absolute best performers on the market in terms of their specific attributes. Diving into the pool of knife personalization possibilities is a fantastic way to fend off the post-knife-buy blues. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. GearJunkie Copyright 2013 2023. I have a couple questions, not directly related to this specific post, that I wanted to ask publically so that others could find your responses as well, so here seemed as good a place as any. Since the heat treatment is done before you get your knife, and its impossible to tell how good the heat treatment is with your eye, you often must rely on the manufacturers reputation for a good heat treat. Anyway, astute comment, but edge retention does mean a lot in woodworking. While higher hardness does lead to improved edge retention the bigger reason to have higher hardness is for resisting edge deformation. But a few overly vocal forgers were making claims about it that clearly were not true especially when comparing it to 5160. 14c28n vs D2 Steel. A2 Knife Steel Air-hardened tool steel. 14C28N steel is known to offer among the best if not the best toughness in knife steels out there. I can also say from personal experience that marine grade plywood will chaw up your saw blade and battery a lot quicker than standard plywood, but that probably says more about the glue that was used than the wood. VG-10 steel also has the same level of toughness as 14C28N and the same level of corrosion resistance. Tough steel can handle impacts without gross chipping or a tip breaking off. The very good toughness of MagnaCut meant that it didnt chip despite this relatively high hardness and the difficulty of the test. AEB-L and 14C28N are the best in the high toughness group. The pictures below show the microstructures of the three classes of stainless steel on the market. What would be the best deal to use I currently alternate between 20CV S35vn and D2. My name is Jonathan M, and Im a passionate Mechanical Engineer, a knife enthusiast, and the author of this website. To choose the best knife for you between the 14C28N and the D2, look at the steel properties and ensure that they suit your knife needs and lifestyle. After the steel is quenched it is reheated to a lower temperature to increase toughness and decrease hardness. Theyll be fully attributed to you with website and Patreon links, obviously. But then if you look at an increase of 100 mm in the CATRA test from Maxamet to Rex 121 the toughness only drops 1-2 ft-lbs. The difference in properties between 14C28N and D2 steel is very clear. Let the job at hand be your guide. 14C28N and D2 steel are not the same. 8am-5pm Saturday. Below shows charts summarizing tests of different steels for the major categories discussed so far, low alloy steels, high alloy non-stainless steels, and stainless steels. It gets exceptionally sharp, a nod to its origins as a razorblade steel. Become a patron and gain access to awesome rewards including early access to articles or a Knife Steel Nerds mug! Editors note: This article was first published in May 2015 and was most recently updated on May 25, 2020. The blackwashed D2 steel blade of the Kershaw Cannonball offers pretty good corrosion resistance for D2. Here, we will discuss edge retention, toughness, ease of sharpening, and corrosion resistance. Would be great if some manufactures changed their steels based on this information. Start comparing steels. Without any confusion, you can purchase this set that has a slim, versatile, modified drip-point blade with good slicing capabilities. With conventional steels this limited vanadium additions to about 4-5%, and this was greatly expanded when powder metallurgy was developed. I just want to thank you for all the work you do for the community and the world at large. If the knife youre looking at has a 154CM blade, youre fine. Therefore powder metallurgy is not necessary for certain steels, or could even be slightly detrimental. Plus the charts get messier, and I dont always have data for a wide range of hardness values. The best scenario is when the steel, heat treatment, and geometry are selected for the knife and the use. The edge retention numbers are normalized to the hardness of the closest toughness test. Instead, Vargo titanium uses a unique material called sintered titanium-ceramic alloy. As a side note, pure tungsten carbide blades (from brands like Sandrin) can have very high levels of edge retention, but they are not made of steel. 14C28N steel is known to offer the highest toughness levels out there. Vancron has a very fine microstructure so it would be tough to beat. Between the assisted open, weird looking texture designs, and the stainless steel handle, the Cannonball has a lot of features I don't normally like, but even I have to admit it's a good design for the price. So what is the best steel for knives? S90V And Mn and Si isnt shown at all for the high alloy steels, even though those elements are added to all of them. CPM 10V Im looking forward to seeing if it does as well in full production. In nitrogen steels, nitrogen is used as the iron-hardener instead of carbon, thus limiting the possibility of rusting. D2 has been around for more than 20 years, an eternity in. Its hard to say. They tend to be relatively expensive and difficult to sharpen, as they have high wear resistance. nevertheles its importand to keep in mind what exactly is going on there (abrasive plastic media, loss of most of cutting ability during the first few strokes etc.). Its a very hard steel and is exceptionally difficult to sharpen. 1. Heres The Best Review For You (2021), D2 knife blade offers high edge retention, Dulls faster, Requires frequent sharpening. Because of the material difference, the blades differ in toughness, edge retention, corrosion resistance, and ease of sharpening. The 14C28N stainless steel from Swedish manufacturer Sandvik is considered an upgrade to their 13C26 steel (described below). Heres a brief description of their impact on the resulting steels properties. The unique process used to make LC 200N results in a fine-grain structure. There is one exception: Bucks 420HC (Buck and onlyBuck) is produced using a proprietary heat treatment. Cronidur 30 Dr. Thomas is a friend of ours here at Blade HQ, and with his help, weve worked to create this knife steel guide. Maxamet is one of two current high-hardness kings, with HRc marks in the high 60s approaching 70, a hardness usually only seen in carbide steels. and why would anyone want to use it when 420HC looks so much better for a simple stainless steel option. For decades, different steels have been made to fit this category. What it is: D2 is a carbon tool steel with a relatively high chromium content, prompting some to call it a "semi-stainless" steel. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. grivory It richly deserves its reputation for high-quality gained over the years by Sandvik, a Swedish manufacturer of world-renowned steel. They are usually chosen for their looks rather than performance. 14C28N and D2 knives are affordable high-end knives. This does not predict which knife will cut longer or be more resistant to chipping. So presumably, wear resistance would be in the 3.5-4 range and toughness in the 5.5-6 range. That said, it's not as tough as many other steels and exponentially tougher to sharpen. It is an excellent steel that in the right hands has proven to produce high performing blades. Thanks to powder metallurgy, youll find even better edge retention on the high end. Who looking for latest, high carbon, then the Kershaw Natrix Copper Pocketknife. Theres still a lot of misinformation being pushed by influencers especially in knife steel rankings. D2 steel When the blade gets messed up I just replace it. Thank you for putting this together, incredibly useful! The main downside is the steel is more difficult to heat treat and can't go harder than about 60 or perhaps 61 Rc. CROMOVA FRN Larrin, thank you for this. you can easily buy a $500 knive made out of 14c28n, which has nothing in it besides cr and a trace of ni. Spyderco and Cold Steel have used it, though Cold Steel recently switched to S35VN due to availability concerns. I also added a few more steels in this study. Opinel Number 9 in carbon steel, and a Cold Steel Tanto Lite in their stainless steel. Damascus or pattern welded steel is a result of combining two steels together. For these reasons D2 steel is a good for smaller folding knives, but is not ideal for large fixed blades such as dedicated choppers and large survival knives. Both steel types don't chip easily, but 14c28n steel is easier to sharpen. To reiterate the clearer part, I wonder if toughness increases faster than edge retention decreases as an edge gets thicker. I made most of my leather knives from O1v (O1 with .20V) that I hold at 1475 for 15 mins and quench in 120-130 F AAA oil and Kevin Cashen is where those parameters came from btw. 8670 and 5160 are good choices for large knives that need very high toughness. If thats true why do you include it in the stainless steel category? Combination of knife steel properties. Like 154CM, its a good compromise between all three steel attributes. That old pine in particular is some crazy hard stuff. Hello everyone I've been loking into twosun knives recently. Which one is right for you? All three of these steels havechromium, molybdenum, vanadium, and tungsten components and will perform well in myriad tasks. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. rust resistance.Best of all most knives made from this steel can be had for well under $75.In my opinion Sandvik 14c28n is a better overall steel than that of Aus8,420hc,or ANY of the . This steel is quite corrosion resistant and sharpens easily. Hi Larrin Your estimate of 420HCs corrosion resistance is different here than in your October, 2019 post on corrosion resistance testing: https://knifesteelnerds.com/2019/10/14/corrosion-resistance-testing/ And while youll find it mostly in expensive knives, quite a few approachable M390 blades exist. 52100 and CruForgeV are good for general purpose knives. This is especially important for chopping knives and for knives with thin edges for enhanced cutting ability and edge retention. It would be really useful to have the raw data that backs the charts that you produce. It is among the best steel that will offer exceptional toughness while still maintaining excellent corrosion resistance.