of knives and steel

[zxcvbob]

The absolute best knives I have ever used or handled are not outdoor or "hunting" knives, but kitchen knives. When I was a kid, my grandfather in Maine had a friend who was a blacksmith. He was regionally famous enough that the then-current version of the official Maine tourist attractions map showed Snowman's Forge on it. He made a boatload of knives for my grandfather, and I inherited a few of them They are well-balanced, scary sharp, and hold an edge forever.

What are they made of? Old automobile leaf springs.

5160 medium-carbon chromium steel.  It only seems to be popular now with swordmakers; I don't know why.

[Perd Hapley]

5160 medium-carbon chromium steel.  It only seems to be popular now with swordmakers; I don't know why.

I don't know much about that steel, but I think swords and machetes (large blades meant for chopping) are often made of a medium or low-carbon steel, because it is softer (maybe less brittle would be a better way to say it?); less prone to chipping or breaking.

[geronimotwo]

here's why

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7FBrmpaMAU

[Perd Hapley]

here's why

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7FBrmpaMAU

Well, I'm sure that one was made of "surgical stainless," just like the katanas used by Tokugawa Ieyasu, himself. Only better.

[zxcvbob]

That doesn't explain why spring steels are not used for small knives.  (it was funny tho'  )  I suspect it is because the cost of the steel is insignificant in a small knife, so they can use fancy tool steels.

[cordex]

That doesn't explain why spring steels are not used for small knives.  (it was funny tho'  )  I suspect it is because the cost of the steel is insignificant in a small knife, so they can use fancy tool steels.

Maybe also because smaller knives often need to flex less in typical use and demand more from an edge-holding standpoint.

[Perd Hapley]

Maybe also because smaller knives often need to flex less in typical use and demand more from an edge-holding standpoint.

Pretty much. A knife isn't expected to take the kind of abuse that a large chopping tool is going to get (constantly having its edge smacked against hard objects); and it depends on a sharp edge to cut, more than brute force.

[Hawkmoon]

Y'all seem to be ignoring the fact that the knives made by that back-country Maine blacksmith out of old leaf springs have better blades than any modern knife I've ever seen. (Granted, I haven't seen all of the currently fad-ish "name brand" knives, but I've seen a lot of knives during my sojourn on this flying ball of mud).

[Cliffh]

I inherited an abalone iron from my Father, it was made from an old leaf spring.  Lost it off Toto Santos island one year, found it the next year 'cause the length of red para cord tied to it was waving in the current as I drifted by.  It didn't have any noticeable corrosion on it.  I was pretty upset when my BIL cleaned out the shed it was stored in and trashed it.

[Perd Hapley]

Y'all seem to be ignoring the fact that the knives made by that back-country Maine blacksmith out of old leaf springs have better blades than any modern knife I've ever seen. (Granted, I haven't seen all of the currently fad-ish "name brand" knives, but I've seen a lot of knives during my sojourn on this flying ball of mud).

I'm not. I was just talking about types of steel used in different tools.

There are probably a lot of variables going on there. Heat treat. Edge geometry. How you've been using the knives. How you've used the other knives to which you're comparing them. Are they really made out of leaf springs? Were the leaf springs made of the kind of steel zqypbob was talking about in the first place?

[Hawkmoon]

Are they really made out of leaf springs? Were the leaf springs made of the kind of steel zqypbob was talking about in the first place?

They were really made out of old leaf springs. I have no idea what kind of steel. This was back in the 1950s -- the two most popular cars in Maine back then were Ford and Chevy, and the most popular pickups were Chevy. So it's probably a safe guess that the springs were out of a Ford or a Chevy, and I have no idea beyond that.

[Matthew Carberry]

The "super (stainless) steels" offer corrosion resistance over good, properly heat-treated carbon steels. They offer superior edge holding over "lesser" stainless steels and are cost effective in smaller knives.

Putting a lot of weight on them in that niche is ironic, since for most folks an EDC pocketknife can be properly maintained and stropped as needed and will never see the real long-term harsh conditions that the "super steels" are necessary for.

[brimic]

Maybe also because smaller knives often need to flex less in typical use and demand more from an edge-holding standpoint.

5160 may be a 'medium carbon' steel, but its edge holding is similar to a high carbon steel, and its tougher to boot.

[cordex]

5160 may be a 'medium carbon' steel, but its edge holding is similar to a high carbon steel, and its tougher to boot.

I was just trying to help answer why some folks might choose exotic harder steels for smaller blades and tougher steels for larger blades.  That said, 5160 isn't a miracle steel, and has its own strengths and weaknesses.