CPM 154 or Elmax?

Lerch

Well-Known Member
Just wondering what everyones opinions where on to which was the better knife steel? Ive got some big 5/32" sticks of each and i am getting ready to make some knives, just wondering if one was better than the other. i think the elmax is a little cheaper per inch but i may be mistaken

thanks
steve
 
Tough choice. I'd make the same knife out of each and see which one you feel has the best performance. You could then take notes and photos along the way and report back to us. I'm sure it would make for a great read.
 
Well i am making 3 camp knives this weekend out of CPM 154, and i will be making 4 skinning/hunting knives out of the Elmax in a week or so . they wont be the same knives but i am pretty good we can draw some comparisons, sounds like a plan :)
 
I haven't compared the two in side by side cutting but I think the Elmax should out perform the 154. Don't get me wrong, the CPM154 is an excellent steel, I used it for years, but things are changing now that steel companies are paying some attention to cutlery.
 
Im not sure how Elmax performs in comparison but I know from experience that Elmax is much easier to grind and finish. I love the stuff. Chart comparisons all lean heavy toward Elmax.
 
well so far i have only used 440c and cpm154 and i thought the 154 was a lot nicer to grind than the 440c so maybe the Elmax will be a real joy then. It looks like you can get the CPM154 to a higher finished hardness , 61 or so, than the Elmax so i thought the CPM might be the better way to go. but i am just learning this so i would figure rockwell hardness is not the only variable to consider.

how does the Elmax trump CPM154 so well? I am just not sure what all variables to consider. I do not know really how to read the charts or what to look for so much

thanks
steve
 
Thanks for the info, i like the test you did,

most of the info i can find has hardening Elmax to 60 and CPM154 to 61, do you think the added hardness would have made any difference?

Like i said all i have worked with so far is 440c and CPM 154 and i thought the 154 ground like a dream compared to the 440c i cant wait to see how the Elmax grinds. I think my elk hunt knife give away numbers had dwindled from 4 to 3 so i guess i will have one more knife to help fund this adventure.

I was planning on hardening the elmax to 60 as i remember the USAknifemaker specs stating, any recomendations as to this hardness or lighter?

thanks
steve
 
I always have all of mine tempered to 58, regardless of steel. I want ease of field maintenance more than I want ultimate edge holding. Around 90% of my knives go to the military, so being able to sharpen it easily in the field is one if the main priorities. I would imagine that if you took Elmax to 60 that it would decimate scores of elk.

One a side note, Now I miss living in Colorado and having herds of elk stroll through my property.
 
The Bohler reps recommends you take Elmax to 61RC. I did that to a test knife and it was insanely tough and still has a hair shaving edge after whacking several hard oak pallets into submission...
 
thanks, i will have too look up the heat treating info to get that same result! should play hell on some elk if my luck holds up on the hunt!!
 
most of the info i can find has hardening Elmax to 60 and CPM154 to 61, do you think the added hardness would have made any difference?

Maybe, maybe not. Rc hardness is only one measurement and different steels will do their best at different Rc's. Percentage of various alloying elements and especially the resulting carbide formation, play a huge role too.

I've used and tested a fair amount of CPM-154 and I gotta tell ya, it's pretty darn good stuff. It's tougher than people give it credit for and if it was the only stainless I could get, I'd be totally OK with it.

But, Carpenter's CTS-XHP is just as easy to work with and sharpen, just as easy to put a nice polish on, a bit more corrosion resistant and holds an edge a while longer, without sacrificing any toughness. Really outstanding steel in my opinion.

BUT!! From what other folks I respect are telling us, ElMax may indeed be even better. It's a great time to be a knifemaker when you can go from "downright excellent" to "holy smokes that's even more excellent" depending on what you feel like trying today :D
 
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