Spyderco Forums

I do not want to sound paranoid or sensational, this is a sincere question. Some time back there was a thread on the forum here about VG10 and other cobalt-containing steel alloys for a "space/astronaut" knife, and it was commented that the naturally-occuring isotope of the cobalt atom, cobalt 59, can tramsmute into cobalt-60, a radioactive isotope that emits gamma rays. As you may well know, gamma rays are the most powerful known radioactive rays, more so than x-rays, and gamma rays are very detrimental to biological life.

Now, I love VG10 stainless steel. It is one of my favorites. And Spyderco crafts excellent knives made with VG10 blades.

I need a "reality check" here: Could our VG10 blades transmute into toxic radioactive knives and slowly poison us, or, not?

Read these:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cobalt-60#Applications

https://petpitchusa.wordpress.com/2012/ ... amination/

Now what happened there was that cobalt 60 was improperly disposed of and contaminated the steel bowls and other items. That is different than transmutation but it raises the same basic issue.

I love my Endura, Delica, and other VG10 knives. Does this mean we have to switch to a non-cobalt steel, like H1, or LC200N?

And here is a great article by Larrin and the Knife Nerds on Cobalt Steel:

https://knifesteelnerds.com/2018/05/14/ ... -in-vg-10/

Excuse me for a minute while I put on my tin foil hat.

Sorry, this reminds me of the Anti Nuclear protestors who got local councils here in Aus to put Nuclesr Free Zone signs all over the place.

Including outside a few hospitals that produced more Nuclear waste than anyone else!

I think the answer is "yes". My first Spyderco was a C35 Q with 440C steel in 1997. It took me four more years to get my second Spyderco, a blue handle Delica SE with ATS-55 in 2001. Eight years later, I got my third Spyderco, in 2009 a Caly 3 with VG-10. Now, stick with me here. Prior to getting the Caly3, I had very little need to buy many knives over the years, but after getting that VG-10 bladed knife, I came down with a sickness, for that same year I compulsively bought an Adventura (also with VG-10). And my sickness only grew worse. After only buying those four Spyderco's over the course of 12 years, my Spydiesickness caused me to -over the ensuing 8 years- add almost 150 more Spydercos to my collection! This only happened to me *after* acquiring a VG-10 bladed knife!

The good thing is that I seem to be slowly getting better, as I've only added 3 more Spyderco knives to my collection in the past year. Just like iocane powder, I've managed to build up a tolerance and can now avoid the fate that this poison usually carries.

To the OP, I'd be more worried about where you come into contact with Benzene in your house than Cobalt.!

And Radon is a far larger problem!

I think the cobalt issue is a bit far out, truthfully. Show me the proof.

Probably as problematic as the radioactive potassium in bananas.

The reason I mentioned Benzene was becausee service personnel were exposed to huge quantities during fuel tank cleaning and it became a big issue - in the US, UK and AUS.

But I never saw the dangers carry over to its use in civvy street products.


To the OP
When I was at school, in our chemistry class we had a piece of highly radioactive material (probably uranium) that I remember made the Geiger counter go off the scale when removed from its lead box.

Well SEF I don't consider your opening post weird at all. Because there are some metals that have extremely toxic properties. Mercury being the first that comes to mind. Also an old girlfriend of mine who used to work with MRI equipment ( she was actually a technician) and she told me that those MRI units had some of the internal metals in the machine were considered toxic but the patient was normally well shielded.
When I worked in a power plant I did some welding and we were always warned about cadmium and other surfaces we would encounter and had to take measures to avoid toxic gases while welding. No indeed there are toxic metals that you need to be aware of. As far as radioactivity goes I'm not very knowledgeable about that as far as what to avoid>> but I am doubtful if the minute amount of certain exotic alloys in a knife blade would be of much concern>>but if someone knows something I don't concerning cobalt, niobium and other exotic metals I'm all ears. I do kind of doubt that a reputable steel company like Crucible, Carpenter or Bohler Uddeholm would produce anything that would be excessively toxic, especially where food contact is likely.

Who's got San old watch from the 70's/80's with glow in the dark hands.

Don't stick it next to a Geiger counter, some make them tell you it's not good to wear them.

Forgotten what the name of the stuff is.

you may be on to something... my delica used to be black and now it looks like this! :eek:

SpyderEdgeForever wrote: ↑

Fri Nov 16, 2018 11:39 pm

gamma rays are the most powerful known radioactive rays

SpyderEdgeForever wrote: ↑

Fri Nov 16, 2018 11:39 pm

I do not want to sound paranoid or sensational, this is a sincere question. Some time back there was a thread on the forum here about VG10 and other cobalt-containing steel alloys for a "space/astronaut" knife, and it was commented that the naturally-occuring isotope of the cobalt atom, cobalt 59, can tramsmute into cobalt-60, a radioactive isotope that emits gamma rays. As you may well know, gamma rays are the most powerful known radioactive rays, more so than x-rays, and gamma rays are very detrimental to biological life.

Now, I love VG10 stainless steel. It is one of my favorites. And Spyderco crafts excellent knives made with VG10 blades.

I need a "reality check" here: Could our VG10 blades transmute into toxic radioactive knives and slowly poison us, or, not?

Read these:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cobalt-60#Applications

https://petpitchusa.wordpress.com/2012/ ... amination/

Now what happened there was that cobalt 60 was improperly disposed of and contaminated the steel bowls and other items. That is different than transmutation but it raises the same basic issue.

I love my Endura, Delica, and other VG10 knives. Does this mean we have to switch to a non-cobalt steel, like H1, or LC200N?

No. Cobalt 59 does not spontaneously transmute into cobalt 60, except in nuclear reactors. Keep your knives out of nuclear reactors and you’ll be fine.

ladybug93 wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 17, 2018 1:02 am

you may be on to something... my delica used to be black and now it looks like this! :eek:

LOL


The radioisotope They put in your body to test during medical procedures is enough to set off nuclear detectors at borders. It emits Gamma Rays. It must do otherwise if it didn't escape the body you could see where the problem was.

500Nitro wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 17, 2018 1:00 am

Who's got San old watch from the 70's/80's with glow in the dark hands.

Don't stick it next to a Geiger counter, some make them tell you it's not good to wear them.

Forgotten what the name of the stuff is.

Don’t know, but the Ball watch company uses tritium gas tubes to light their watches. Radioactive and stay lit all night. Cool. Not particularly dangerous.

It was Radiim and Promethium.

I know from a military pilots forum I am in that the dials in older military aircraft were radioactive.

Reality check from a PhD in radiation health effects: the answer is NO! SEF, I really wish you would stop starting these kinds of radiophobic threads, they are not doing anyone any favors and you are contributing to a paranoia that has existed since the 1940s that simply doesn’t exist. It’s simply been over-hyped by Hollywood and you’ve fallen directly into that trap.

You know what else is radioactive? Bananas and potato chips!! Those have far more measurable activity in them than any Spyderco knife. Going to stop eating those, or eating in general? You get far more exposure from a variety of natural and man-made sources than anything you could possibly get by living in a house of VG-10 and eating it daily. Please stop this nonsense or at least leave it in Off-Topic (a section I rarely visit).

I think a more practical health concern is making sure you clean your knife between sharpening and using it on food. Sure, your body needs iron, but no, your body doesn't want cobalt. Nor does it want chromium or tungsten or vanadium or most of the other things knives are made of. So if you are like me and use your knives for eatin', it's good hygiene to give your knife a good wipe after sharpening before pushing it through an apple. Don't eat your swarf!

Other than that, just do all the things your mama told you and you should be ok. Eat your veggies, don't play in the road, be nice to girls, and hold the pointy end away from you!

SEF you'll get more radiation from one trip to Grand Central Station than using VG10 everyday for the rest of your life.