best steels for tactical knives

Which steel

  • Total voters
    11
  • Poll closed .
Gahagan

Gahagan

Well-Known Member
I have been approached about making alot of tactical knives for a company. I would like to know what the best steels for tactical knives wouyld be. I have used 440c cpm154 and ats34. Does anyone have any better suggestions. I need something that will keep an edge and not rust very bad. Please let me know what steels would best be suited for this type of knife.

I messed up on the poll.
The options should be
ATS 34
154 cpm
S30v CPM
 
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I would try Elmax and M390 by Bohler Uddeholm. They are both quite impressive. M390 has extreme edgeholding. Elmax is very tough. Both are excellent stainless steels. My personal preference is M390 because I don't abuse my knives and want something that will cut for a very long time without having to be resharpened.
 
I only make 75% of my knives from cpm154 its rated one of the best stainless steels for the money on the market. I believe it beats pretty much everything .well except sv 110 but its like 4 times more money.
 
Well I put up a poll and realized I messed up on the s30v cpm so that is the 3rd option
 
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Given the choices in your poll I'd say s30v, but your choices are very limited. In reality I'd go with Elmax. Supposed to perform about like s30v but isn't such a pain to work with and it looks good when finished.

David
 
where do I get elmax and how does it compare price wise to s30v? How is s30v a pain to work with? I have not used it before but it has been suggested to me for this project.
 
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Gahagan said:
where do I get elmax and how does it compare price wise to s30v? How is s30v a pain to work with? I have not used it before but it has been suggested to me for this project.
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The only suppliers I know of selling Bohler steels, the Elmax, are USA Knifemaker's Supply (BossDog) and Alpha KNife Supply. Couldn't tell you how it compares exactly as I haven't bought s30v in some time. It is on the expensive side though, but so are all the good steels no matter where they are made. s30v is, like all of Crucible's "V" vanadium bearing steels, very difficult to grind in the heat treated state - it eats up belts - and hand finishing is very frustrating, taking many times longer just get the grinder marks out than other stainless steels do to get a complete presentation finish. It is, in my opinion, an ugly steel. It's dark and grainy looking, not crisp and clean.

I've used Elmax twice now, both large sub hilt fighters that were double hollow ground and hand finished. It's more work than 440c, 154cm, and CPM154, but nothing like s30v. It takes a very nice presentation level hand finish, and I am told that it will take a mirror finish. When heat treating in foil you must be careful not to let it scale. In other words, no leaks. It needs to be soaked for around 30 minutes (see their HT specs to be certain) but don't over soak it. It's good stuff.

David
 
All blades are going to be bead blasted so presentation finish is not a concern. I will check it out and see wher it fits in the budget.
 
Figured there was some kind of "field" finish, but you still have to grind it pretty finely before bead blasting or you'll get a nice soft subdued finish on top of grinder marks. s30v eats up P400 belts! Elmax does too, but not as bad.
 
I have yet to use the steels you've listed for making a blade, but I have used them all as blades I have purchased. Of the three, my favorite for performance is CPM154.
 
If you can get it Carpenter CTS-XHP is the cats meow. I think this is going to be my favorite steel with the limited testing I have done with it. It is a basically a stainless D2 done in the powdered process. This stuff takes a great finish yet will take a beating. I haven't talked to them recently to see about the distribution of it, so far I've just gotten test pieces from their metallurgist.

Ask Les George about it, I know he has used it.
 
Tracy has some Carpenter CTS-XHP. I am going to CPM S35VN, this is going to be the hottest new steel, it is a collaboration between Crucible and Chris Reeve. How can you go wrong with those two names.
 
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